This Year's Ghost

 Whilst overnighting in Shipley Travelodge on Christmas Eve night we caught this year's BBC Ghost Story for Christmas, The Room in the Tower.

Horror connoisseur Mark Gatiss, who attended the former Bretton College up the road in Wakefield, has for years done a stirling job keeping this treasured old BBC staple alive and despite me falling asleep half way through on account of manifold festive drinks earlier, I saw enough of The Room in the Tower to appreciate the effort put in and thought the final moment truly horrific!

With the loss of the brilliant series Inside No.9 starring fellow Brettonians Reece Sheersmith and Steve Pemberton, there's only really Gatiss's Ghost Stories flying the flag for new BBC horror. It's slim pickins these days, so I'll have to reacquaint myself with those old BBC Christmas spirits from previous years, as I'm sure there's an omnibus on the TV one night this Christmas. If not, I've got them all on DVD.

In the meantime, there's this fabulous BFI post about the locations of the original BBC Ghost Stories, mostly based on the tales of the superb M.R. James:

Ghost Stories for Christmas: how TV’s most haunting locations look today | BFI https://share.google/0BGTnezq1EgOKBsRD

So mesmerizing were and are the BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas that I've done the very same thing myself and visited at least one location in the past and blogged about it at the time: 

MOONBASE CENTRAL: A MORNING FOR THE CURIOUS https://share.google/9MSGSbsLjWhFkvBTi

Do you like these BBC TV films readers?

I truly hope Mark Gatiss and company keep this old thing alive and kicking.

For now though, newness will have its wicked way, as we settle down with a plate of Christmas leftovers and appreciate the latest offering from the global American phenomenon that is Stranger Things.

Having really enjoyed all the Stranger Things series a few years back, the Missus and me were excited about the new series shown this November after the shows long hiatus.

Despite having all the very familiar elements - Eleven, the Upside Down etc - we came away having watched those four latest episodes feeling underwhelmed.

It seemed a bit of a mess to us. 

Still, there's this Christmas's installment so maybe all will be redeemed when the Demigorgon visits again!