THRILLS AND CHILLS

A recurring dream is the theme of this year's BBC Christmas ghost story, written by Mark Gatiss. It's another triumph for a series that started over 50 years ago

- Sean O'Grady

I have to admit I've been enthralled by the BBC's wonderful A Ghost Story for Christmas series ever since I was old enough to stay up to watch, and to be troubled by, “The Signalman”, a relatively early edition broadcast in (looks it up on Wikipedia) crikey, 1976. Compared with the Hammer movies that were shown so often on late-evening telly at the time, these adaptations of classic ghost stories were infinitely more chilling than the various antics of Frankenstein’s monster, the Mummy, and dear old Count Dracula. It’s the difference between horror and terror, I suppose - camp versus insidious.

“The Signalman” is a tale I only vaguely recall, but have never completely forgotten. Nigel Farage, I might add, isn’t the only one to find himself haunted by nasty things that happened (or not) some 49 years ago.

A recurring, terrifying dream is also the theme of this year’s tale. It’s written and directed with his usual care by Mark Gatiss, and based on an EF Benson original (from 1912). It stars Tobias Menzies (the silken-voiced Prince Philip in