"A Warning To The Curious" is my favorite. The locations & the music set the tension & fear. In November 2019 I walked through the woods at Holkham beach where it was filmed. The area was deserted and noise of the wind blowing through the Pine trees sent shivers down my spine.
I am so pleased that you did this ranking! It’s only in recent years that I’ve discovered these 1970s gems, and the one that impressed me was the most was “A Warning to the Curious” - I will not soon forget the eerie dread of that entity pursuing the Peter Vaughan character, I tell you that! “Signalman” was a close second. I agree with your assessments of the Mark Gatiss adaptations and the general decline in the BBC’s period productions. This makes it all the more important that productions like these don’t get forgotten with the passage of time, because when the BBC got it right, boy oh boy did they get it right. Please continue creating great content! 😀
I would like to know your thoughts on the John Hurt modern version of 'oh Whistle '? no humorous moments but well made with a frightening & sad ending in my view.
@@davidbalfour9629 Hi, David. I'm a great fan of John Hurt, but not so much of this adaptation, sadly. I think the original Jonathan Miller adaptation is so special to me, anything else would be overshadowed by it.
@michaelbartlettfilm yes Michael I agree totally. Michael Horden was superb as the rather pompous self righteous professor, very different from the 2010 version which took I think a more serious turn dealing with grief & dementia. The 68 Jonathan Miller version is certainly special to all of us.
The Signalman is the perfect package of everything I wanted from a half hour ghost story, but never found, for decades...until this. I wonder if others are available on You Tube. Thankfully, I don't need it to be Christmas Time to begin :)
I'm 66 so I remember the early Christmas Ghost stories very well & with great fondness. Feel I also have to defend Mark Gatiss here, too. I thought the recent adaptions he did of The Mezzotint & The Tractate Middoth were both very good & worthy successors to the masterpieces of the 60's & 70's.
I agree with you, those 2 were good modern adaptations and the 2 best of the recent ones. The one with Simon Callow written by Gatiss himself and Lot 249 were both disappointing however.
@@joewhite22 Funny you say that. I agree but you know, they've grown on me the more I watch them 😊. I love The Signalman and Lost Hearts also stands out.
Yes, I think the negative comments about Mark Gatis very unwarranted. The only one of his I did not like was the one set in a radio studio. The rest are worthy successors for those not solely indulging in nostalgia.
Thank you for this video. “Lost Hearts”is a special memory for me as it was the first MR James adaptation I saw, in 1973 I think. The tune played by the gypsy boy on the hurdy gurdy has stayed in my head ever since. I believe that the early adaptations were made on a shoestring budget and this led to a concentration on suggestive atmosphere and scenery which was to their benefit, letting gthe viewer’s own imagination fill in the gaps. MR James made brilliant use of his own academic background in Classics and Archaeology to evoke a convincing sense of dusty scholarship in his stories that I don’t think anyone else has quite equaled
Thankyou for that interesting commentary. Another thing the Beeb did right in the 70s was a remake of Dracula played by Louis Jordan. No elaborate props or effects yet captured the atmosphere
@@michaelbartlettfilm Louis Jourdan gave the Count an essential Continental feel. I enjoyed it because it stayed faithful to Bram Stocker’s Original. Don’t recall full-on scares, it’s just that measured pace and anticipation of what’s to come. The same thing that you describe with productions from that era.
The BBC Dracula with Louis Jourdan is on RUclips (or was.) I certainly watched it on YT. It was excellent. I also enjoyed the BBC 2006 version with David Suchet as Van Helsing and Marc Warren as the Count. It changed the story a bit, but it worked on its own terms. It was definitely better than the dreadful 1992 dogs dinner by Francis Coppola, with Gary Oldman, and Keanu Reeves and Shoplifty Ryder trying to sound British.
Your video has made me want to seek out these tales. As far as I know, they weren't shown on TV in the US. I have previously seen A Child's Voice, The Signalman, and Whistle and I'll Come to You on RUclips. They're great! I don't remember ever seeing any of the others. Thanks for providing a link to Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance. I plan to watch it.
Some might be available on Daily Motion. One of my subscribers below mentioned The Return, which I hadn't heard of. I've just watched it on Daily Motion, and it's a simple story, but well acted with a wonderful atmosphere.
What was the school program that "Mr. Humphrey's Inheritance" was a part of? I've watched it on RUclips and since I've had a broken leg I've been making ocd playlists if British shows, I'm actually American but I love your tv history. Check out the playlists, I've been trying to collect everything I can
Micheal it is such a joy to me to watch and see you. You really appreciate good literature and the talents of people like Michael Horden. Unfortunately we are hardly likely to see the likes of them again, but me, at 66 years old, am so grateful to have lived through an era when these amazing people were household names.
Thanks so much, Carol! We took it for granted back then, didn't we, all those incredible character actors around. And working on lowly TV episodes and cheap horror films too! Look at the cast of the average Hammer movie - they'd dwarf most modern film casts in talent!
Margaret Thatcher forced the BBC to put 25% of it's production out to independent sources. Most of the film cameramen and designers plus producers left to make a fortune.
The tv version of "Woman in Black" was excellent. The recent film version starring Harry Potter, was *****. (I won't write it down, in case YT erases my comment.)
Brilliantly done Michael. Hard to argue with your list and deconstruction of the genre. Glad A View From A Hill got a special mention of the more recent adaptations. I think it is one of the best, with one of the most chilling endings of all of them. Best wishes.
Imo, the ultimate versions of these are the printed ones. The Mezzotint, Warning To The Curious, Whistle, Abbott Thomas and The Signalman are fantastic stories.
My first encounter with M R James was the radio version of Oh! Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad. It was on my 6th birthday (I shall be 67 this Christmas) and I still will not whistle in the dark. I cannot imagine what my parents were thinking! The line "it had a head like crumpled linen" terrified me, and I wouldn't wear linen until I was in my 50s. Of this list, The Stalls of Barchester is my favourite. What I love is the heavy silence, the ticking of the grandfather clock, the waiting for the inevitable...
I watched the horror film, The Innocents, with my father when I was about nine. Afterwards, he went outside in the dark and banged on the back garden window. Terrifying! He'd get cautioned for that sort of thing now.
Happy New Year Michael and you have certainly hit January with an incredible outpouring of form. MR James was someone's stories I would teach as an English teacher but I don't think I ever achieved an understanding of his work that you have shown over this video. A great video by someone who clearly loved the work of this major writer.
I love these ghost stories from the BBC, some of tge best work they ever did. Schalken the painter was a favourite. THE BFI boxed sets are a Christmas must. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm. ❤
I just watched Mr Humphrey's inheritance, I shall save "The child's voice " to watch with my wife. I am in total agreement with your assessment. I'm a painter, so Schlaken has a special place in my heart. I think you are a bit hard on Mr Gatis,I love his enthusiasm, but it is a bit coarse.View from the hill has a very good cast and seems closer to the intent of the original . I saw "Stone tapes" at the weekend, which I felt hadn't aged well. So glad I found your site.
Really enjoyed this piece and apologies for only just discovering it. Like yourself I am a huge fan of these BBC adaptations and watch them regularly particularly at Christmas. Your rankings are bang on in my opinion, although my personal favourite is A Warning to the Curious mainly due to the filming locations and the performances of both the main characters. The original Whistle though is superb, and this was the first one to rejuvenate my childhood memories just like yours when it was shown over Christmas in the 2000’s (I think) along with several others introduced by the likes of Christopher Lee and Muriel Gray. Have to agree with you also on the recent Gatiss adaptations, he seems to have become the self appointed aficionado on M R James. They just lack something in my opinion and once seen you can never go back to. Thanks again for a wonderful piece.
A Child’s Voice left a huge impact on me as a child. No one I have met ever saw it or had heard about it. Moved to the states and honestly thought I had dreamt it 😂 found it recently on RUclips completely by accident at 57 yers of age. Still chilling. As a writer, it , along with a few you mentioned here, directly influenced my style. You hit the nail on the head. Where did that quality of stylistic tv and directing go? The thumbs sucking and ‘oh no,oh no’ ending of ‘Whistle’ is simple but has never left me and I’m pushing 60. Likewise, the ending of ‘royal jelly’ from Dhal’s Tales of the Unexpected.’
It's interesting, I think Child's Voice was only shown once, unheralded at the back end of BBC2 one evening, but it left such an impression on me too. I was fascinated to discover it was written by David Thomson, the film critic.
I share your love of these chilling old tales from the beeb - although I must admit I'd struggle to rank Signalman, Whistle, Warning and Barchester in any kind of consistent order. Much as a parent might struggle to list which of their children were their favourite I just adore them all. Via some kind of inexplicable oversight I've not yet seen the broadcast version of 'Schalcken the Painter' ... however I'm not sure that this omission may not be a good thing as listening to the audio version on a dark stormy night is quite terrifying enough.
My fave must be Stalls of Barchester w/Robert Hardy. He was brilliant as the frustrated Priest who ends up unaliving his predecessor who simply wouldn't 'go' w/any dignity. Love the atmosphere as it goes into deep winter as the supernatural tightens around him.
Seconding this! A great production with Robert Hardy and superb settings around Norwich cathedral. The lighting was subdued- unlike many productions of the period which are too brightly lit for spookiness.
@michaelbartlettfilm Good question! Always loved Robert Hardy, despite him being (apparently) very proud bordering on arrogant on set. He wore a wig on this one, as he wanted to look more vigorous & was concerned over his looks in the early years of his career. It didn't matter, he brought his charm & charisma to every character he played. He was brilliant in this & yes it could well be his best performance (on tv at any rate). "Stalls" presents an interesting concept; could a man who had otherwise never done any wrong in his life be twisted by a need for advancement or desire to do what is essentially 'good'? He effectively murdered AB Pulteney but perhaps justified it as he knew in his heart that he could improve the Cathedral's dereliction & decline. A colleague wrote to him actually in support of this although not fully aware of how John (Hardy) had achieved the change. And maybe this is Robert's acting for you? That he could make the audience actually sympathize with his character even though he had plunged the depths to get what he wanted.
I think Mark Gatiss' film of "Martin's Close" was excellent - the acting, the setting in what looks like an attic, the very sensitive treatment of the young woman's part in the story - also, it's one of my favourite MRJ stories - with not a church or a scholar in sight, oddly enough.
All the BBC productions are very professional and have fine actors, such as Peter Capaldi in Martin's Close. The Judge, however, looked about 20, or ridiculously young. It was supposed to be Judge Jeffreys. The actor was very unconvincing in the part. While there are no scholars or librarians in MC, the case is based on M R James' scholarly reading. His idea of light (!!) reading, was 17th century county assize(s) records. It's possible there may have been a murder along those lines that really happened. 😳
You are not the only person who watched these programmes. I loved watching the Ghost Stories with my dad (my mum didn't like them). I still watch them on You Tube when I can find them. M R James was brilliant and they were frightening and unsettling. The acting was excellent and I still remember them still today.
Was too young for these first time around (born in 74) but came across them somehow around the year 2000. They’re my favourite programmes ever and I looked forward to watching them every December. I couldn’t believe it when TPTV showed some of them last year, best Xmas present ever. Prior to this, sometimes at Christmas BBC Radio4 Extra would play the readings by Christopher Lee in the lead up to Christmas. I also love the Michael Horden readings. And we agree on the top 3 👍🏻
I must listen again to the Christopher Lee readings. I never paid much attention to them first time round, but many people have told me I'm missing out. Thanks for your comment!
@@michaelbartlettfilmYou're always missing out if you don't listen to Christopher Lee☹️Have you heard the audiobooks of him reading The Devil Rides Out, also Strange Conflict?🤔
Brilliant little summary. Clear, succinct and full of affection. Looking at that series in the round it's evident just how much acting talent the BBC had at its disposal in the 60s and 70s. Just to add, I thought Mark Gatiss' version of The Tractate Middoth was pretty good; and I used to love Christopher Lee's Xmas dramatic readings of M R James from the 90s.
I’m a big fan of ghost stories, particularly gothic and those of MR James. I was recently listening to a podcast that mentioned these BBC Christmas specials and came across your video. Thank you very much for your insights and rankings as I can now check some of these out. You are a very engaging speaker, keep up the good work!
Great presentation Michael . Type of guy I’d happily spend an hour or two discussing all things horror over a pint … sorry if that sounds creepy these days ! Love Shalken the Painter … the aesthetic was a great memory for me growing up …
Whistle and I'll come to you was great. I haven't read the original, but I'm guessing his stories were a safe space for M R James to vent about the kind of soft headed Oxbridge dons with whom he was forced to work. Great video. Thanks.
Thanks Michael for this video its nice to see someone show a real appreciation for these BBC ghost Stories. My favourite is the Signalman just loved Denholm Elliott's performance. As for Shalcken the Painter, I only ever seen it once and that was back at the end of the seventies and the old man terrified me, fingers crossed its on this year.
Wonderful stuff. Lovely summation of these classic stories. I did not grow up with them, but came to them in adulthood. Schalken the Painter is my favourite, for all the reasons you mentioned. It's a totally unique film. I now watch these with my nine year old, and her favourite is A Warning to the Curious. Though not one of these adaptations, We found Christopher Lee's reading of The Ash Tree surprisingly effective too.
Just a quick comment... 110% AOK analysis of M.R. James on the BBC. Simply tremendous description. Incidentally, your top three is mine too! I love the way when Hordern arrives at the hotel and the manager is telling him about the room, his speech is incomrehensible. And though I can't quote it verbatim, when in The Stalls of Barchester, they are walking in the woods by the lake, his companion says, almost wistfully, something like "As far as I know, the Old Beliefs have been laid aside..." Magic stuff! Merry Christmas to all! 🎅🎅
Thank you! They're full of great little offhand moments and details that give them real texture. I think that's one of the problems with the modern efforts, they telegraph everything. Anyway, Merry Christmas!
Michael, This is great video and ranking of the good old ghost stories. As you say, the ability to produce anything of such quality nowadays appears to have disappeared. I remember one film which I believe was a BBC production, probably in the late seventies or early eighties, but can never place it, I remember the action seemed to take place in an old house with floors that seemed to be very up and down. It kept cutting to shots of a raven in a tree outside with someone reading something that sounded like a witches spell. All I remember is something like "I am the darkness on the raven's wing" After all these years memory fails as to who may have been in it, but it was another that I still remember. Perhaps it was one of the 'psychedelic' ones you refer to. I don't know.
Thanks, but I don't think it was that one. Probably one of life's mysteries that will never be revealed. Some things we should take note of at the time otherwise they are gone forever. Ho Hum
The time period sounds about right for Artemis 81, which was pretty funky stuff. I don't recall the up and down floors, but I think there may have been the odd raven in a tree.
Thank you for this fantastic video. I am a big fan of the BBC Ghost stories. I was not aware of the stories until I saw a number of them on You Tube and when Mark Gattis introduced the MR James stories in the last 6 years.. I now view the last 3 years on BBC Streaming app, My favorite "The Stalls of Barchester" Martin's Close, and the Signalman. and Number 13. I have seen just about all of the Ghost stories 10 times over. Let me do an honorable mention of "Shades Of Darkness.". I am writing my own Ghost Stories from my area of the deep South in the United States. I have picked up a lot of pointers form the BBC Ghost Stories.
Thank you! And thanks for alerting me to Shades of Darkness. Haven't come across that before. Would love to read your stories when they're available! I've got a few ideas for my own, but I've been too lazy in setting them down.
@@michaelbartlettfilm Shades of Darkness had about 6 stories from this series. Some of the best writing , acting and plots I have ever seen.. Please see the link I posted. '"Afterward" was my favorite. The one thing I liked about these stories was that it was all shot on location
I really enjoyed this. Personally, my favourite is Lost Hearts, which ticks every box when it comes to getting under my skin! Terrific reviews of a great list though - and horribly, I'd never heard of Schalcken The Painter, which I've now ordered. Thanks, and Happy Christmas!
Excellent take on an incredible series of Ghost Stories which have never been bettered. On another note I am still gutted at the loss of a large portion of Mystery and Imagination which appeared on ITV mid sixties often featuring David Buck. Room 13 was a classic, the remake nowhere near as good, Tractate Middoth was another gem as was Casting the Runes of which only a small clip remains. I can never forgive the decision to destroy those wonderful productions but I do have the memories of seeing them and loving every minute. Another one from my childhood was Tales of Mystery with John Laurie "We're Doomed" as the narrator. I believe they were shown about 9.15pm on a Wednesday? Another series that made a great impression on me but are all sadly lost. Ah, the memories!
I hate that all those wonderful TV series were junked - whole series of Dr Who, Dad's Army, Steptoe, and series like these. Madness. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you. A good prog, but two points: 1. The musical instrument in Lost Hearts is a hurdy-gurdy. I love Lost Hearts! 2. OMG! How can you not notice the cat in The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral? Reread the story for that splendid line "There IS no cat!" Absolutely marvellous. 🐈⬛
Brilliant Michael..i have them all on dvd..the signalman is definitely my favourite..Denholm Elliott...but alot of the james stuff is great...i actually like watching them in black and white!..more atmospheric 😮cheers gazz
Mike, can you expound on the history of the British tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas? It's an alien concept Stateside (at least I've not known any American family to follow it), and I wonder if it stems from Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', though that in turn may have been a literary response to an already existing tradition. The American Henry James uses Christmas as his setting for the narration of 'The Turn of the Screw', but the story there is after all English, so James was simply adapting himself to British custom. Incidentally, an aunt of mine saw an apparition one Christmas, now decades ago (you may recall that there is a long heritage on my Mom's side of the family of such experiences). One especially cold Christmas Eve at my grandparents' home, after everyone had retired for bed, my aunt awoke during the course of the night to see a luminous figure standing in the middle of the room, near the foot of the bed. The figure didn't exhibit precise features, but seemed feminine, and stood facing my aunt's direction with one hand extended in a kind of encouraging or bidding gesture. My aunt peered closer, wondering about the reality of her perception, until the figure suddenly disappeared from the floor up. Many years later, my grandfather died in that same room, and I've wondered if my aunt's experience might have been a premonition of that event.
I've read that England is the most ghost-haunted place. So many houses in England are ghost-haunted, but it is strange that this happens only in England; in other places, very rarely.
@@willieluncheonette5843It seems that people and even families can be ghost-haunted as much as specific locales. There are several anecdotes in my maternal line, for example, extending back at least four generations, of apparitions, premonitions, and other strange occurrences. My great-grandmother, a great great-uncle (her brother), my mother, my aunt (her sister), and a first cousin (my aunt's daughter) have all reported such instances--and all these were on American shores.
@@barrymoore4470 Hi, Barry. Such an interesting question, and I don't have a definitive answer, though I suspect you're right in identifying Dickens as a possible source. So many of our Christmas traditions go back to him! Willie is right that there are more ghosts per square mile in Britain and Ireland than anywhere else in the world. Many place names in England are synonymous with ghosts, or phenomena associated with ghosts: hobs, fetch, etc. Thanks so much for sharing that tale about your aunt. You might be interested to know a new book has come out in the UK, Hauntings by Neil Oliver, that tells the history of spirits in this land. In this interview, the writer tells an anecdote which might interest you, given the nature of your own story: ruclips.net/video/d4NxUGXvJQ8/видео.html
@@michaelbartlettfilm I suspect Dickens was riffing on existing local Christmas practices, and the power of Victorian publishing allowed him to universalise the particular. One theory (Peter Ackroyd's IIRC) is the reformation left a psychic gap in popular consciousness, and ghosts filled the void. M R James' ghosts are often vengeful and malevolent, in contrast to most British hauntings, and have more in common with Danish traditions with which he was familiar.
Nicely done sir. Also worth a shout out for the interviews with Lawrence G-C on those BFI discs. Very illuminating. The broad acting of the uncle character in Lost Hearts makes more sense when you know it was partly inspired by Caligari. And Denholm Elliott was sometimes reading cue cards because he was much in demand and his BBC fee didn't include time to learn his lines!
I'm intrigued by some of your choices. Definitely going to check out "In the Earth" and "Typhoon Club." I'm surprised you thought "Ikiru" was shallow. I thought it was one of the most philosophically rich films I've ever seen. We're all mostly driven by self-centredness, as we scurry through out busy lives. But real meaning in life is found through abandoning "self" and being of service to others. Sometimes (as in the case of Ikiru) it takes a confrontation with imminent death to have that awakening. But the takeaway for the audience is to live your life like that while you've got plenty of living left in you. Happy new year, Michael. Love your channel.
Thanks so much, Darryl. Really appreciate your support. I think with Ikiru, it was more how Kurosawa delivered the message, rather than the message itself. He's such a brilliant craftsman, but sometimes I think he hammers the message home, rather than let it develop organically, arising naturally from the interplay of characters. But I haven't watched it in a while, the last time when I was young (and cynical!) Maybe I might approach it differently now I'm older (and grumpier!)
@@michaelbartlettfilm A ghost story recommendation made in 2021, that I caught recently: "The Night House." I was struck by the originality of the big reveal at the end, and there's a really unnerving use of shadow and silhouette throughout, to great effect. One to watch, if you've missed it.
These sound fascinating. I recently picked BFI's DVD of "Ghost Watch" and was very impressed. Have you read Lord Dunsany's "Two Bottles of Relish"? I read it in my teens and was astonished; I'd love to see someone make it into a short film like these.
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas is the one that intrigued me as a teenager! I visited Well Cathedral in Somerset the following year and came to the steps leading to the chapter house and recognised it from that adaptation! I also saw that small, gated undercroft on the cloister green👍
Nice discussion on a beloved BBC occasional (once a year) series. I love all BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas too, and I'm old enough to remember them when they were first broadcast. My top three is very similar to yours 1: Whistle And I'll Come To You 2: The Signalman 3: A Warning To The Curious PS Yes I do remember A Child's Voice (Mr Macready ... Mr Macready ... spoken in the creepiest voice). But it's almost forgotten these days.
@michaelbartlettfilm for me, the most shuddersome scene in any Ghost Story for Christmas is ... The wonderful Michael Hordern lying in bed and hearing strange shuffling and breathing noises coming from inside his bedroom ... In 'Whistle And I'll Come To You'
I used to look forward to these stories every Christmas in Ireland. It was a Christmas treat. Sometimes, they scared me. The BBC used to do good ghost stories. Since then, I've read all of M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft. happy childhood memories.
@@michaelbartlettfilm I have heard of both of those. I seem to also recall a writer called Machen who wrote weird stories (which I have yet to read). I like collecting high points of the arts from my younger days. Rewatched I, Claudius recently and it remains superb.
I agree with you re Michael Bryant. I saw him at the National (Olivier), in Calderon's "Mayor of Zalamea," in 1981, I think it was. Fantastic. RE Lost Hearts. It's a hurdy gurdy, not a balalaika. I loved "Lost Hearts" for its atmosphere and its Lincolnshire setting. It was filmed partly at the Pelham Mausoleum in north Lincolnshire which is on a private estate.
The 70s ones were the peak of tv ghost stories.I was lucky enough to buy the lot last year for an incredibly low price.Mark varies is good on histories of horror,but he's one of those writers that love to show you how clever(he thinks) he is!As a sidenote,TP McKenna was a distant relative of my wife.
I well remember "A Child's Voice" as it was the first programme I recorded on my new Betamax VCR all those years ago. It was a terrific story. Very atmospheric and genuinely scary.
Really enjoyed this, right up my street, though I think you're a little harsh on the recent Gatiss Ghost Stories (but do agree that this year's one was a bit sub-par). And thanks for recommendations for A Child's Voice and Mr Humphrey's Inheritance - these aren't even mentioned in the Scarred for Life 1970s volume as far as I can see. Schalken is my favourite followed by Warning to the Curious, then Stalls of Barchester.
Thanks, Tony! Glad you enjoyed the vid. I still haven't bought Scarred For Life, though several people have recommended it to me. On the wish list it goes!
I gotta watch your video later. That is, after I watch the series. I don't want any spoilers 😂 Btw, you sure do have a talent for storytelling yourself !
I, like you, loved these in the 70s and love them still.. I’d probably put signalman top. Unlike you I found some of the more modern ones watchable. Interesting video. Really enjoyed
If you’re interested of M. R. James videos: I can point the 3 short Spine Chillers episodes starring Michael Bryant as the Storyteller. The 4 episode shorts by Robert Powell acting as M. R. James telling his stories. Lastly, the 4 episode Christmas Ghost Stories by Christopher Lee as M. R. James. Spine Chillers and Robert Powell shorts can be seen in RUclips. Christopher Lee’s version is also up in RUclips, but they tend to be flagged for Copyright, but you can find them in DVD.
Thanks for this! I've seen the Christopher Lee ones, but I wasn't aware of the Michael Bryant eps, and he's one of my favourite actors. They're on my to-watch list!
Thanks for the video, i love the gjhost stories from Christmas. I grew up in the 70s; THe image of Shalken the painter at the end. I didnt understand what was happening but i remember when the dead man rises up. A warning to the Curious is my favourite, , IM lucky enough to have it on vhs. Robert Vaughan looks so sinistere anyway. Abbot Thomas i find boring for the most part but the ending is great. I even searched on google earth to find the entrance to that underground tunnell- its in cambridge somewhere.. Warning to the curious is wonderful, the class differences portrayed so subtely. Stalls was the first, it was 1971, curious was 72. Thanks for the link to a childs voice, thats one i havent seen. A friend recently obtained worked as a parttime signalman, he is living the life. I wouldnt have had whistle at number 1 but each to hiis own. This is a well thought out detailed list. For anyone intrerested , the guy acting with Bryant in Abbot Thomas worked on a shopping channell. I watched this with imy mother, we both commented on how you were able to articulate what we had felt viscerally when watching them. We agreed the ashi tree and stigma were the least enjoyable.
Do you remember the Yorkshire TV production with Jan Francis called Casting the Ruins, based on M.R. James book? I never saw it back in 1979 on ITV, so I had to rely on the Network DVD release put out on DVD quite a few years ago. Have you seen it Michael? Just out of interest also, did you ever see an ITV series which was an anthology series that crossed the supernatural/horror/drama called Thriller.
I do remember Casting The Runes, in fact I've got the DVD! Unfortunately, despite Jan Francis and Ian Cuthbertson, I don't think it's terribly good. They try to modernise it and all the atmosphere just bleeds away. I vaguely remember Thriller terrifying me as a child, like Armchair Thriller, with the shadow of the fingers on the chair seat! And the one with the faceless nun! Kept me awake for weeks.
@michaelbartlettfilm Thriller was top-notch, considering Brian Clemens wrote every single episode, bar one. Clemens almost invented the story for What Lies Beneath and Christine with episodes that pre date those stories by a country mile. The one story that's stuck with me was Double Kill and also The Colour of Blood. Chilling..ITV hit the ball running with top-notch anthology series. Armchair Thriller was solid as well. Orson Wells Mysteries was good, too.
Excellent review. I had convinced myself that The Mezzotint was one of the originals, but I think I am remembering the 80s series of M R James stories narrated (quite well I think) by Robert Powell.
Thank you very much for this ranking Michael, there's some in here I wasn't aware of and will definitely check them out. I'm only 38 and grew up watching The Signal-Man and The Woman in Black (Herbert Wise directing) in school and have been a fan of them and the rest for many years. I was tempted at one point to contact Lawrence Gordon Clarkes website to answer a question I've never found anywhere which you may be able to help with regarding the spectre in The Signal-Man: The face of the spectre, is it a mask? Make up? A mannequin? I've always wondered how that effect was achieved. Thanks again 👻
Wow, that's a really good question. I always thought they used like a "death mask" of the actor's face. I'm pretty sure it's not a mannequin. But the face is so still, I'm sure it's a mask, not make-up. (PS. Only 38! Ah, the days when I could say that...)
Great summary. Many thanks. I disagree and would put A Warning to the Curious at No. 1. It's a great story and I have read it out a couple of times at gatherings of friends. Together with Ligeti's weird music it creates an amazing atmosphere. (It's set in Aldeburgh, by the way, which is in Suffolk). At No. 2 I would put The Tractate Middoth as one of the best BBC adaptations. The scenes in the library are uncanny. I wonder why this one didn't get a mention. Thanks again.
These used to be the highlight of my Christmas viewing as a kid. I'd plot and plan to be allowed to stay up late to watch them. I'd misremembered the "Dead Of Night' series as being part of this and the episode "The Exorcism". Still powerful today, also exists as a radio play.
I just received the dvd box set a couple of days, really great stuff. I recently found out about this series via the All The Haunts Be Ours Vol.2 dvd box set.
Great video! I share your undoubted passion for these classic BBC ghost stories. I must buy the BFI box set! I pretty much agree with your ranking, barring the top slot. It's a toss up, for me, between the wonderful Stalls at Barchester and the eery A Warning to the Curious.
Thanks, John! Annoyingly, the BFI have spread the stories over two Blu Ray box sets, but you can still buy the full DVD set on Amazon if you don't mind slightly lesser picture quality. I love going back and rewatching them every Christmas.
Really enjoyed the list. There's another that might have been worth consideration: 'The Exorcism' written and directed by Don Taylor, one of the surviving episodes from The Dead of Night. Perhaps it wasn't BBC, I'm not sure. It was definitely a Christmas ghost story though.
A very different ranking from mine, interesting perspective! I’d say Lost Hearts, A Warning to etc, and Abbot Thomas top 3, followed by the Ash Tree, Signalman, Barchester, then the non-canon classics (original 68’ and Schalken, etc) with the final two of the main run in dead last.
I knew what #1 was going to be as soon as you mentioned it, but the film's popularity honestly baffles me...maybe it's because the story is one of my favourites and the film is doing its own thing, or because they replaced a young, autistic-coded Skeptic Who's Going To Have A Bad Time with a campy old idiot getting bullied by incipient decay of the brain, but I feel the same way about it as I do about the modern 'Count Magnus'. 'Stalls of Barchester' is well-placed, though...I think I'd put 'Casting the Runes' at the top of my list, though I only have the vaguest memories of it, and possibly not the right to list the old series, since I'm not convinced I've seen all of them. Thanks for inspiring me to poke about and find them!
Co-incidentally, we are off to see 'Casting the Runes' at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre on Thursday night. The performance is a one-man show by Robert Lloyd Parry who delivers two thrilling M R James stories!
I'm a bit young for all of these on first release, but i remember watching the Treasure of Abbot Thomas in a Geography lesson at school at the end of the Christmas term 1992 as a "treat". I'm not sure they do that sort of thing now! In retrospect it seems quite Lovecraftian. But better!
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas and A Warning to the Curious for me: yes to slime monsters, and No diggin'! They're almost the same story: treasure-hunter (one out of intellectual vanity, the other through material hardship) comes up against vengeful guardian, and both build that sense of impending doom to perfection, but it was the slime that scared the living daylights out of me as a kid: that ending's still creepy as hell. I thought the Ash Tree's spider-babies worked well (yes, Dougal, they exist!), just the rest of the tale lacked oomph. I never really got the fuss over Whistle and I'll Come, but perhaps I was spoiled by growing up with the 70s classics before encountering it.
Another similar short, would be - The Return. From 1973, starring Peter Vaughn. It's currently up on Daily Motion. It's from an Ambroise Beirce short story I think.
Heartfelt and well-spoken analysis, I enjoyed it very much! Not much disagreement here in general, but I will stick up for The Ash Tree, just for the sake of argument - it's not the best story by any means, but the TV adaptation does introduce a new sense of "haunting" to the plot, with the younger Fell reliving his ancestor's memories stage by stage (and more obvious visual representation of Sir Matthew being haunted by personal feelings of guilt). The plot structure doesn't quite work for me either, wouldn't put it in the top 5, but for a short story/short film it's more thematically dense than first meets the eye. There's a lot going on there regarding family legacy, modernity and ancient tradition, and the distinction between justice and law, packed into a very short film (at only 32 minutes). If the mistake of James' other poor haunted souls is usually their curiosity or inquiry, Sir Matthew Fell's mistake is his puritanical adherence to the letter, and not the spirit, of the law. Not bad material packed into a short story/short film, and delivered in beautiful visual style.
Thanks so much for this lovely comment and your defence of The Ash Tree. It's made me want to go back and watch it again. I like Rudkin's other work, like Penda's Fen and Artemis 81, so who knows?
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"A Warning To The Curious" is my favorite. The locations & the music set the tension & fear. In November 2019 I walked through the woods at Holkham beach where it was filmed. The area was deserted and noise of the wind blowing through the Pine trees sent shivers down my spine.
It was the wind in the trees that got to me too😱
Thanks, Gary! And Holkham beach is eerily beautiful.
Yes! I have never looked at hedging billhook in the same way since
I am so pleased that you did this ranking! It’s only in recent years that I’ve discovered these 1970s gems, and the one that impressed me was the most was “A Warning to the Curious” - I will not soon forget the eerie dread of that entity pursuing the Peter Vaughan character, I tell you that! “Signalman” was a close second.
I agree with your assessments of the Mark Gatiss adaptations and the general decline in the BBC’s period productions. This makes it all the more important that productions like these don’t get forgotten with the passage of time, because when the BBC got it right, boy oh boy did they get it right. Please continue creating great content! 😀
Thanks so much, Devin! Great to hear people are discovering these gems anew after all these years.
I would like to know your thoughts on the John Hurt modern version of 'oh Whistle '? no humorous moments but well made with a frightening & sad ending in my view.
@@davidbalfour9629 Hi, David. I'm a great fan of John Hurt, but not so much of this adaptation, sadly. I think the original Jonathan Miller adaptation is so special to me, anything else would be overshadowed by it.
@michaelbartlettfilm yes Michael I agree totally. Michael Horden was superb as the rather pompous self righteous professor, very different from the 2010 version which took I think a more serious turn dealing with grief & dementia. The 68 Jonathan Miller version is certainly special to all of us.
@@michaelbartlettfilm from across the pond will you post them so we can see them?
"Strange things going on at the BBC in the seventies " now that's an understatement if ever I heard one! 😁
I heard they were all stoned anyway. Or was that the other side?
Forget M.R. James, they were creating their own horror stories.
@@joewhite22 They still are, only they are now another kind of stories.... probably much worse ones...
The Signalman is the perfect package of everything I wanted from a half hour ghost story, but never found, for decades...until this. I wonder if others are available on You Tube. Thankfully, I don't need it to be Christmas Time to begin :)
It's great, isn't it? Good story, a twist, fantastic eerie atmosphere, great acting, steam trains...
I love Denholm Elliot in almost everything, especially when he inevitably pops up in various anthology series'...@@michaelbartlettfilm
@@frankb821 I know what you mean, he's even fab in his little cameos in the Amicus films - The House That Dripped Blood and Vault of Horror
I was thinking of those specifically :) And he's in an episode of "Tales of the Unexpected" he's quite good in too@@michaelbartlettfilm
Scared the life out of me as a kid.
I'm 66 so I remember the early Christmas Ghost stories very well & with great fondness.
Feel I also have to defend Mark Gatiss here, too. I thought the recent adaptions he did of The Mezzotint & The Tractate Middoth were both very good & worthy successors to the masterpieces of the 60's & 70's.
Thanks, Dave! I loved the actual painting they used in The Mezzotint. Very eerie.
Yes....I totally agree. Love Martin's Close and Count Magnus. Really looking forward to Woman of Stone this year!
I agree with you, those 2 were good modern adaptations and the 2 best of the recent ones. The one with Simon Callow written by Gatiss himself and Lot 249 were both disappointing however.
@@joewhite22 Funny you say that. I agree but you know, they've grown on me the more I watch them 😊. I love The Signalman and Lost Hearts also stands out.
Yes, I think the negative comments about Mark Gatis very unwarranted. The only one of his I did not like was the one set in a radio studio. The rest are worthy successors for those not solely indulging in nostalgia.
The Ghost stories for Christmas scared the hell out of me when I was Child. Still watch them on a box set DVD to this day.
I was scared too, but that was the point of them. They allowed you to escape for a short time.
Thank you for this video. “Lost Hearts”is a special memory for me as it was the first MR James adaptation I saw, in 1973 I think. The tune played by the gypsy boy on the hurdy gurdy has stayed in my head ever since. I believe that the early adaptations were made on a shoestring budget and this led to a concentration on suggestive atmosphere and scenery which was to their benefit, letting gthe viewer’s own imagination fill in the gaps. MR James made brilliant use of his own academic background in Classics and Archaeology to evoke a convincing sense of dusty scholarship in his stories that I don’t think anyone else has quite equaled
Thanks, Colin!
Oh yes. tTerrified me as a kid though I found the denouement a let down.
Lost Hearts was very unsettling and very frightening.
Thankyou for that interesting commentary. Another thing the Beeb did right in the 70s was a remake of Dracula played by Louis Jordan. No elaborate props or effects yet captured the atmosphere
You know, I've never seen that! I must get round to it. Just seen it's available on DVD on Amazon for 6.99...
@@michaelbartlettfilm Louis Jourdan gave the Count an essential Continental feel. I enjoyed it because it stayed faithful to Bram Stocker’s Original. Don’t recall full-on scares, it’s just that measured pace and anticipation of what’s to come. The same thing that you describe with productions from that era.
@@michaelbartlettfilm I remember seeing this the first time it was shown. Louis Jordan's performance really frightened me.
@@milourose2973 Just this minute got the DVD posted through the door! Excited!
The BBC Dracula with Louis Jourdan is on RUclips (or was.) I certainly watched it on YT. It was excellent. I also enjoyed the BBC 2006 version with David Suchet as Van Helsing and Marc Warren as the Count. It changed the story a bit, but it worked on its own terms. It was definitely better than the dreadful 1992 dogs dinner by Francis Coppola, with Gary Oldman, and Keanu Reeves and Shoplifty Ryder trying to sound British.
Your video has made me want to seek out these tales. As far as I know, they weren't shown on TV in the US. I have previously seen A Child's Voice, The Signalman, and Whistle and I'll Come to You on RUclips. They're great! I don't remember ever seeing any of the others. Thanks for providing a link to Mr. Humphreys and His Inheritance. I plan to watch it.
You just answered my question about their availability on RUclips...thx Julie!
Some might be available on Daily Motion. One of my subscribers below mentioned The Return, which I hadn't heard of. I've just watched it on Daily Motion, and it's a simple story, but well acted with a wonderful atmosphere.
I have all but the last couple in a plapublic playlist
I actually really liked The Dead Room
What was the school program that "Mr. Humphrey's Inheritance" was a part of? I've watched it on RUclips and since I've had a broken leg I've been making ocd playlists if British shows, I'm actually American but I love your tv history. Check out the playlists, I've been trying to collect everything I can
Micheal it is such a joy to me to watch and see you. You really appreciate good literature and the talents of people like Michael Horden. Unfortunately we are hardly likely to see the likes of them again, but me, at 66 years old, am so grateful to have lived through an era when these amazing people were household names.
Thanks so much, Carol! We took it for granted back then, didn't we, all those incredible character actors around. And working on lowly TV episodes and cheap horror films too! Look at the cast of the average Hammer movie - they'd dwarf most modern film casts in talent!
I liked the one with the binoculars. Love MR James.
View from a hill.
View from a Hill was ok apart from the actor who played the lord of the manor? who spoke with a fake plummy accent with added Americanisms.😟
Yes sir, Where did the talent and the BBC go?
Sadly it has all been replaced by DEI.
Margaret Thatcher forced the BBC to put 25% of it's production out to independent sources. Most of the film cameramen and designers plus producers left to make a fortune.
They were lost in phoney culture wars, perpetuated by right wing activists.
@davidwebster3107 yep
Sold itself to the right wing.
I also like View from a hill from 2005 and especially Pip Torrens performance.
The greatest ever M.R. James adaptation in my book.
Yeah the 1989 woman in black..is fantastic 👏 pauline moran superb..👌-great cast in that....hammergazz
The TV version is one of the scariest things i've seen. Great story by susan hill.
I just recently watched it on RUclips. Great stuff!
The tv version of "Woman in Black" was excellent. The recent film version starring Harry Potter, was *****. (I won't write it down, in case YT erases my comment.)
Brilliantly done Michael. Hard to argue with your list and deconstruction of the genre. Glad A View From A Hill got a special mention of the more recent adaptations. I think it is one of the best, with one of the most chilling endings of all of them. Best wishes.
Yeah, it's the one modern one I'd happily group with the 70s series.
I adore the Christopher Lee narrated Ghost Stories for Christmas - amazing programme!
I love M R James ghost stories. The BBC adaptation of Lost Hearts scared the bejesus out of me when I was younger. I have never forgotten it.
Thanks, Carol! It was Abbot Thomas, the Signalman and Whistle that scared me the most as a youngster. But Lost Hearts is so evocatively shot.
I couldn't look out of the window at night for fear The Children were out there😱
Scared the living daylights out of me too….
I love all the Ghost Stories and find myself watching them throughout the year. Wonderful creepy productions ❤❤
Imo, the ultimate versions of these are the printed ones. The Mezzotint, Warning To The Curious, Whistle, Abbott Thomas and The Signalman are fantastic stories.
My first encounter with M R James was the radio version of Oh! Whistle and I'll come to you, my lad. It was on my 6th birthday (I shall be 67 this Christmas) and I still will not whistle in the dark. I cannot imagine what my parents were thinking! The line "it had a head like crumpled linen" terrified me, and I wouldn't wear linen until I was in my 50s. Of this list, The Stalls of Barchester is my favourite. What I love is the heavy silence, the ticking of the grandfather clock, the waiting for the inevitable...
I watched the horror film, The Innocents, with my father when I was about nine. Afterwards, he went outside in the dark and banged on the back garden window. Terrifying! He'd get cautioned for that sort of thing now.
The Signalman for me. Watched it as a child and it gave me nightmares, loved it. Thanks for this video great stuff.
Incredible short...so much atmosphere!
Thanks, Mick!
Happy New Year Michael and you have certainly hit January with an incredible outpouring of form. MR James was someone's stories I would teach as an English teacher but I don't think I ever achieved an understanding of his work that you have shown over this video. A great video by someone who clearly loved the work of this major writer.
Thanks, David! Happy New Year!
I love these ghost stories from the BBC, some of tge best work they ever did. Schalken the painter was a favourite. THE BFI boxed sets are a Christmas must. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm. ❤
Thanks, Stephen!
I just watched Mr Humphrey's inheritance, I shall save "The child's voice " to watch with my wife. I am in total agreement with your assessment. I'm a painter, so Schlaken has a special place in my heart.
I think you are a bit hard on Mr Gatis,I love his enthusiasm, but it is a bit coarse.View from the hill has a very good cast and seems closer to the intent of the original .
I saw "Stone tapes" at the weekend, which I felt hadn't aged well. So glad I found your site.
@@stephenrose1343 Thanks, Stephen. Glad you're enjoying the channel.
Really enjoyed this piece and apologies for only just discovering it. Like yourself I am a huge fan of these BBC adaptations and watch them regularly particularly at Christmas. Your rankings are bang on in my opinion, although my personal favourite is A Warning to the Curious mainly due to the filming locations and the performances of both the main characters. The original Whistle though is superb, and this was the first one to rejuvenate my childhood memories just like yours when it was shown over Christmas in the 2000’s (I think) along with several others introduced by the likes of Christopher Lee and Muriel Gray. Have to agree with you also on the recent Gatiss adaptations, he seems to have become the self appointed aficionado on M R James. They just lack something in my opinion and once seen you can never go back to. Thanks again for a wonderful piece.
Thanks so much for this lovely comment! Have a great Christmas!
A Child’s Voice left a huge impact on me as a child. No one I have met ever saw it or had heard about it. Moved to the states and honestly thought I had dreamt it 😂 found it recently on RUclips completely by accident at 57 yers of age. Still chilling. As a writer, it , along with a few you mentioned here, directly influenced my style. You hit the nail on the head. Where did that quality of stylistic tv and directing go? The thumbs sucking and ‘oh no,oh no’ ending of ‘Whistle’ is simple but has never left me and I’m pushing 60. Likewise, the ending of ‘royal jelly’ from Dhal’s Tales of the Unexpected.’
It's interesting, I think Child's Voice was only shown once, unheralded at the back end of BBC2 one evening, but it left such an impression on me too. I was fascinated to discover it was written by David Thomson, the film critic.
Ah, I'm late to this party. I'm so glad someone did this. Especially this well. Great stuff!
Thank you!
I share your love of these chilling old tales from the beeb - although I must admit I'd struggle to rank Signalman, Whistle, Warning and Barchester in any kind of consistent order. Much as a parent might struggle to list which of their children were their favourite I just adore them all. Via some kind of inexplicable oversight I've not yet seen the broadcast version of 'Schalcken the Painter' ... however I'm not sure that this omission may not be a good thing as listening to the audio version on a dark stormy night is quite terrifying enough.
Thanks, Gary! Schalcken on TV is not so much terrifying as...interesting. It so odd, it's compelling!
Still remember the terrifying image of the figure in the other bed rising, in his favourite story so many years ago .
Thank you for your rantings. I had never seen “Whistle and I’ll Come.” Just finished watching it-WOW! Thanks for putting it at #1. I agree completely!
Thank you! (I love it - "thank you for your rantings"! Most honest comment ever.)
I love how Miller directed Horden. A great performance.
My fave must be Stalls of Barchester w/Robert Hardy. He was brilliant as the frustrated Priest who ends up unaliving his predecessor who simply wouldn't 'go' w/any dignity. Love the atmosphere as it goes into deep winter as the supernatural tightens around him.
Seconding this! A great production with Robert Hardy and superb settings around Norwich cathedral. The lighting was subdued- unlike many productions of the period which are too brightly lit for spookiness.
I concur. I'm watching it now. The church organ music adds to the atmosphere. I do love MR JAMES mastery of a feeling of evil
Was this Robert Hardy's best ever role...?
@michaelbartlettfilm Good question! Always loved Robert Hardy, despite him being (apparently) very proud bordering on arrogant on set. He wore a wig on this one, as he wanted to look more vigorous & was concerned over his looks in the early years of his career. It didn't matter, he brought his charm & charisma to every character he played. He was brilliant in this & yes it could well be his best performance (on tv at any rate). "Stalls" presents an interesting concept; could a man who had otherwise never done any wrong in his life be twisted by a need for advancement or desire to do what is essentially 'good'? He effectively murdered AB Pulteney but perhaps justified it as he knew in his heart that he could improve the Cathedral's dereliction & decline. A colleague wrote to him actually in support of this although not fully aware of how John (Hardy) had achieved the change.
And maybe this is Robert's acting for you? That he could make the audience actually sympathize with his character even though he had plunged the depths to get what he wanted.
I think Mark Gatiss' film of "Martin's Close" was excellent - the acting, the setting in what looks like an attic, the very sensitive treatment of the young woman's part in the story - also, it's one of my favourite MRJ stories - with not a church or a scholar in sight, oddly enough.
All the BBC productions are very professional and have fine actors, such as Peter Capaldi in Martin's Close. The Judge, however, looked about 20, or ridiculously young. It was supposed to be Judge Jeffreys. The actor was very unconvincing in the part. While there are no scholars or librarians in MC, the case is based on M R James' scholarly reading. His idea of light (!!) reading, was 17th century county assize(s) records. It's possible there may have been a murder along those lines that really happened. 😳
You are not the only person who watched these programmes. I loved watching the Ghost Stories with my dad (my mum didn't like them). I still watch them on You Tube when I can find them. M R James was brilliant and they were frightening and unsettling.
The acting was excellent and I still remember them still today.
Thanks, Francesca. It's been great to hear there's so much love out there for these fantastic little films. Happy new year!
Was too young for these first time around (born in 74) but came across them somehow around the year 2000. They’re my favourite programmes ever and I looked forward to watching them every December. I couldn’t believe it when TPTV showed some of them last year, best Xmas present ever. Prior to this, sometimes at Christmas BBC Radio4 Extra would play the readings by Christopher Lee in the lead up to Christmas. I also love the Michael Horden readings. And we agree on the top 3 👍🏻
I must listen again to the Christopher Lee readings. I never paid much attention to them first time round, but many people have told me I'm missing out. Thanks for your comment!
@@michaelbartlettfilmYou're always missing out if you don't listen to Christopher Lee☹️Have you heard the audiobooks of him reading The Devil Rides Out, also Strange Conflict?🤔
Just discovered your channel… absolutely love your passionate, frank delivery, your detail… keep it coming.
Thanks so much, Edana. Lovely comment. Have a great Christmas!
Brilliant little summary. Clear, succinct and full of affection. Looking at that series in the round it's evident just how much acting talent the BBC had at its disposal in the 60s and 70s. Just to add, I thought Mark Gatiss' version of The Tractate Middoth was pretty good; and I used to love Christopher Lee's Xmas dramatic readings of M R James from the 90s.
Thanks so much, Simon!
I’m a big fan of ghost stories, particularly gothic and those of MR James. I was recently listening to a podcast that mentioned these BBC Christmas specials and came across your video. Thank you very much for your insights and rankings as I can now check some of these out. You are a very engaging speaker, keep up the good work!
Thanks so much! Have a great Christmas!
Lost hearts..nuff said.
Great presentation Michael . Type of guy I’d happily spend an hour or two discussing all things horror over a pint … sorry if that sounds creepy these days ! Love Shalken the Painter … the aesthetic was a great memory for me growing up …
Thanks, Arthur! Always up for a pint and telling a spooky story in front of a roaring fire!
Whistle and I'll come to you was great. I haven't read the original, but I'm guessing his stories were a safe space for M R James to vent about the kind of soft headed Oxbridge dons with whom he was forced to work.
Great video. Thanks.
You're spot on there! In fact, the don in the original Whistle is very much a buffoon character.
Thanks Michael for this video its nice to see someone show a real appreciation for these BBC ghost Stories. My favourite is the Signalman just loved Denholm Elliott's performance. As for Shalcken the Painter, I only ever seen it once and that was back at the end of the seventies and the old man terrified me, fingers crossed its on this year.
Thank you so much!
Wonderful stuff. Lovely summation of these classic stories. I did not grow up with them, but came to them in adulthood. Schalken the Painter is my favourite, for all the reasons you mentioned. It's a totally unique film. I now watch these with my nine year old, and her favourite is A Warning to the Curious. Though not one of these adaptations, We found Christopher Lee's reading of The Ash Tree surprisingly effective too.
@@TheBorad85 Thanks, Borad! (How’s life in the Timelash?) So nice to hear about someone introducing these to the younger generation.
The Gatiss ones are excellent too.
👌👌
Your opinion. I think they're tokenist garbage.
Just a quick comment... 110% AOK analysis of M.R. James on the BBC. Simply tremendous description. Incidentally, your top three is mine too! I love the way when Hordern arrives at the hotel and the manager is telling him about the room, his speech is incomrehensible. And though I can't quote it verbatim, when in The Stalls of Barchester, they are walking in the woods by the lake, his companion says, almost wistfully, something like "As far as I know, the Old Beliefs have been laid aside..." Magic stuff! Merry Christmas to all! 🎅🎅
Thank you! They're full of great little offhand moments and details that give them real texture. I think that's one of the problems with the modern efforts, they telegraph everything. Anyway, Merry Christmas!
Michael, This is great video and ranking of the good old ghost stories. As you say, the ability to produce anything of such quality nowadays appears to have disappeared.
I remember one film which I believe was a BBC production, probably in the late seventies or early eighties, but can never place it, I remember the action seemed to take place in an old house with floors that seemed to be very up and down. It kept cutting to shots of a raven in a tree outside with someone reading something that sounded like a witches spell. All I remember is something like "I am the darkness on the raven's wing" After all these years memory fails as to who may have been in it, but it was another that I still remember. Perhaps it was one of the 'psychedelic' ones you refer to. I don't know.
Hmmm, it wasn't Beasts, was it? The witch ep with Simon MacCorkindale, when she comes downstairs and the witch is in the rocking chair!
Thanks, but I don't think it was that one. Probably one of life's mysteries that will never be revealed. Some things we should take note of at the time otherwise they are gone forever. Ho Hum
The time period sounds about right for Artemis 81, which was pretty funky stuff. I don't recall the up and down floors, but I think there may have been the odd raven in a tree.
Thank you for this fantastic video. I am a big fan of the BBC Ghost stories. I was not aware of the stories until I saw a number of them on You Tube and when Mark Gattis introduced the MR James stories in the last 6 years.. I now view the last 3 years on BBC Streaming app, My favorite "The Stalls of Barchester" Martin's Close, and the Signalman. and Number 13. I have seen just about all of the Ghost stories 10 times over. Let me do an honorable mention of "Shades Of Darkness.". I am writing my own Ghost Stories from my area of the deep South in the United States. I have picked up a lot of pointers form the BBC Ghost Stories.
Thank you! And thanks for alerting me to Shades of Darkness. Haven't come across that before. Would love to read your stories when they're available! I've got a few ideas for my own, but I've been too lazy in setting them down.
@@michaelbartlettfilm ruclips.net/video/FyML_1QEv2A/видео.html
@@michaelbartlettfilm Shades of Darkness had about 6 stories from this series. Some of the best writing , acting and plots I have ever seen.. Please see the link I posted. '"Afterward" was my favorite. The one thing I liked about these stories was that it was all shot on location
@@michaelbartlettfilm please keep me posted
@@creolelady182 Can't see the link, but I've found the series on Amazon. Thank you!
It is good to know that other people appreciate the Christmas Ghost stories. I wasn't fussed on the Ash Tree either.
I really enjoyed this. Personally, my favourite is Lost Hearts, which ticks every box when it comes to getting under my skin! Terrific reviews of a great list though - and horribly, I'd never heard of Schalcken The Painter, which I've now ordered. Thanks, and Happy Christmas!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy Schalken!
Excellent take on an incredible series of Ghost Stories which have never been bettered. On another note I am still gutted at the loss of a large portion of Mystery and Imagination which appeared on ITV mid sixties often featuring David Buck. Room 13 was a classic, the remake nowhere near as good, Tractate Middoth was another gem as was Casting the Runes of which only a small clip remains. I can never forgive the decision to destroy those wonderful productions but I do have the memories of seeing them and loving every minute. Another one from my childhood was Tales of Mystery with John Laurie "We're Doomed" as the narrator. I believe they were shown about 9.15pm on a Wednesday? Another series that made a great impression on me but are all sadly lost. Ah, the memories!
I hate that all those wonderful TV series were junked - whole series of Dr Who, Dad's Army, Steptoe, and series like these. Madness. Thanks for your comment!
Michael Horden in Whistle and i'll come to you. 1968 black and white. Wonderful.
Thank you. A good prog, but two points:
1. The musical instrument in Lost Hearts is a hurdy-gurdy. I love Lost Hearts!
2. OMG! How can you not notice the cat in The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral? Reread the story for that splendid line "There IS no cat!" Absolutely marvellous. 🐈⬛
It's a top cat! Great purrformance. (I'll get my coat)
@@michaelbartlettfilm Meowry Christmas and a Happy Mew Year to you! 😹😹
I loved them all and looked forward to Christmas just for them.
Brilliant Michael..i have them all on dvd..the signalman is definitely my favourite..Denholm Elliott...but alot of the james stuff is great...i actually like watching them in black and white!..more atmospheric 😮cheers gazz
Watch in black and white, what a splendid idea! From now on I will 😊
Nice review. Pleasant, informative tone with clear assertions.
Thanks, Sean!
Mike, can you expound on the history of the British tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas? It's an alien concept Stateside (at least I've not known any American family to follow it), and I wonder if it stems from Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', though that in turn may have been a literary response to an already existing tradition. The American Henry James uses Christmas as his setting for the narration of 'The Turn of the Screw', but the story there is after all English, so James was simply adapting himself to British custom.
Incidentally, an aunt of mine saw an apparition one Christmas, now decades ago (you may recall that there is a long heritage on my Mom's side of the family of such experiences). One especially cold Christmas Eve at my grandparents' home, after everyone had retired for bed, my aunt awoke during the course of the night to see a luminous figure standing in the middle of the room, near the foot of the bed. The figure didn't exhibit precise features, but seemed feminine, and stood facing my aunt's direction with one hand extended in a kind of encouraging or bidding gesture. My aunt peered closer, wondering about the reality of her perception, until the figure suddenly disappeared from the floor up. Many years later, my grandfather died in that same room, and I've wondered if my aunt's experience might have been a premonition of that event.
I've read that England is the most ghost-haunted place. So many houses in England are ghost-haunted, but it is strange that this happens only in England; in other places, very rarely.
@@willieluncheonette5843It seems that people and even families can be ghost-haunted as much as specific locales. There are several anecdotes in my maternal line, for example, extending back at least four generations, of apparitions, premonitions, and other strange occurrences. My great-grandmother, a great great-uncle (her brother), my mother, my aunt (her sister), and a first cousin (my aunt's daughter) have all reported such instances--and all these were on American shores.
I second Barry's admonition for expounding on evolution of British Ghost Story traditions!
@@barrymoore4470 Hi, Barry. Such an interesting question, and I don't have a definitive answer, though I suspect you're right in identifying Dickens as a possible source. So many of our Christmas traditions go back to him! Willie is right that there are more ghosts per square mile in Britain and Ireland than anywhere else in the world. Many place names in England are synonymous with ghosts, or phenomena associated with ghosts: hobs, fetch, etc. Thanks so much for sharing that tale about your aunt. You might be interested to know a new book has come out in the UK, Hauntings by Neil Oliver, that tells the history of spirits in this land. In this interview, the writer tells an anecdote which might interest you, given the nature of your own story: ruclips.net/video/d4NxUGXvJQ8/видео.html
@@michaelbartlettfilm I suspect Dickens was riffing on existing local Christmas practices, and the power of Victorian publishing allowed him to universalise the particular. One theory (Peter Ackroyd's IIRC) is the reformation left a psychic gap in popular consciousness, and ghosts filled the void. M R James' ghosts are often vengeful and malevolent, in contrast to most British hauntings, and have more in common with Danish traditions with which he was familiar.
Nicely done sir. Also worth a shout out for the interviews with Lawrence G-C on those BFI discs. Very illuminating. The broad acting of the uncle character in Lost Hearts makes more sense when you know it was partly inspired by Caligari. And Denholm Elliott was sometimes reading cue cards because he was much in demand and his BBC fee didn't include time to learn his lines!
Thank you! Knowing that just makes Denholm's performance seem even better!
I'm intrigued by some of your choices. Definitely going to check out "In the Earth" and "Typhoon Club." I'm surprised you thought "Ikiru" was shallow. I thought it was one of the most philosophically rich films I've ever seen. We're all mostly driven by self-centredness, as we scurry through out busy lives. But real meaning in life is found through abandoning "self" and being of service to others. Sometimes (as in the case of Ikiru) it takes a confrontation with imminent death to have that awakening. But the takeaway for the audience is to live your life like that while you've got plenty of living left in you. Happy new year, Michael. Love your channel.
Thanks so much, Darryl. Really appreciate your support. I think with Ikiru, it was more how Kurosawa delivered the message, rather than the message itself. He's such a brilliant craftsman, but sometimes I think he hammers the message home, rather than let it develop organically, arising naturally from the interplay of characters. But I haven't watched it in a while, the last time when I was young (and cynical!) Maybe I might approach it differently now I'm older (and grumpier!)
@@michaelbartlettfilm A ghost story recommendation made in 2021, that I caught recently: "The Night House." I was struck by the originality of the big reveal at the end, and there's a really unnerving use of shadow and silhouette throughout, to great effect. One to watch, if you've missed it.
@@darrylsloan Thanks, mate. It's going on the rental list!
I have also read the Signalman as well and I love them both.
These sound fascinating. I recently picked BFI's DVD of "Ghost Watch" and was very impressed. Have you read Lord Dunsany's "Two Bottles of Relish"? I read it in my teens and was astonished; I'd love to see someone make it into a short film like these.
I haven't got round to that one, though I have a collection of Dunsany on the shelf. Thanks for recommending it!
Got to watch these, you make it sound super !
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas is the one that intrigued me as a teenager! I visited Well Cathedral in Somerset the following year and came to the steps leading to the chapter house and recognised it from that adaptation! I also saw that small, gated undercroft on the cloister green👍
I've always wanted to go to Wells. 2025 new year resolution coming up!
Scariest 1970s episodes were to me A warning to the Curious and The Signal Man plus the Treasure of Abbot Thomas.
Lost Hearts was the one that scared me most as a kid
Nice discussion on a beloved BBC occasional (once a year) series. I love all BBC Ghost Stories for Christmas too, and I'm old enough to remember them when they were first broadcast. My top three is very similar to yours
1: Whistle And I'll Come To You
2: The Signalman
3: A Warning To The Curious
PS Yes I do remember A Child's Voice (Mr Macready ... Mr Macready ... spoken in the creepiest voice). But it's almost forgotten these days.
Thanks, Keith! Mr Macready...shudder.
@michaelbartlettfilm for me, the most shuddersome scene in any Ghost Story for Christmas is ...
The wonderful Michael Hordern lying in bed and hearing strange shuffling and breathing noises coming from inside his bedroom ...
In 'Whistle And I'll Come To You'
@@keithf_ Yeah, and that incredible expression on Hordern's face.
@@michaelbartlettfilmYES !
I loved reading M.R. James's stories.
I used to look forward to these stories every Christmas in Ireland. It was a Christmas treat. Sometimes, they scared me. The BBC used to do good ghost stories. Since then, I've read all of M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft. happy childhood memories.
Thanks, Bruce! Sheridan Le Fanu and Algernon Blackwood are also worth trying, if you haven't already.
@@michaelbartlettfilm I have heard of both of those. I seem to also recall a writer called Machen who wrote weird stories (which I have yet to read). I like collecting high points of the arts from my younger days. Rewatched I, Claudius recently and it remains superb.
Totally agree on the signalman it’s so well done and scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.
I agree with you re Michael Bryant. I saw him at the National (Olivier), in Calderon's "Mayor of Zalamea," in 1981, I think it was. Fantastic. RE Lost Hearts. It's a hurdy gurdy, not a balalaika. I loved "Lost Hearts" for its atmosphere and its Lincolnshire setting. It was filmed partly at the Pelham Mausoleum in north Lincolnshire which is on a private estate.
Thanks for the location info. I'm slowly ticking off these 70s TV and film locations.
The Signalman! My personal favorite for years! Thanks!
Thanks, Barbara!
I totally enjoyed Your rankings👌 I’m so glad that channels like Yours exist👍👍👍
Thanks so much, Mark!
The 70s ones were the peak of tv ghost stories.I was lucky enough to buy the lot last year for an incredibly low price.Mark varies is good on histories of horror,but he's one of those writers that love to show you how clever(he thinks) he is!As a sidenote,TP McKenna was a distant relative of my wife.
Gattis! No idea why this nightmare it 'varies'.
@@leebritnell2405 Thanks, Lee! (And I love TP McKenna - great actor!)
I well remember "A Child's Voice" as it was the first programme I recorded on my new Betamax VCR all those years ago. It was a terrific story. Very atmospheric and genuinely scary.
Really enjoyed this, right up my street, though I think you're a little harsh on the recent Gatiss Ghost Stories (but do agree that this year's one was a bit sub-par). And thanks for recommendations for A Child's Voice and Mr Humphrey's Inheritance - these aren't even mentioned in the Scarred for Life 1970s volume as far as I can see. Schalken is my favourite followed by Warning to the Curious, then Stalls of Barchester.
Thanks, Tony! Glad you enjoyed the vid. I still haven't bought Scarred For Life, though several people have recommended it to me. On the wish list it goes!
The Painter Ghost Story was very unsettling. The Ghoul was truly terrifying and it was very bizarre.
I gotta watch your video later. That is, after I watch the series. I don't want any spoilers 😂
Btw, you sure do have a talent for storytelling yourself !
Aww, thanks!
I, like you, loved these in the 70s and love them still.. I’d probably put signalman top. Unlike you I found some of the more modern ones watchable. Interesting video. Really enjoyed
Thanks, Paul!
If you’re interested of M. R. James videos:
I can point the 3 short Spine Chillers episodes starring Michael Bryant as the Storyteller.
The 4 episode shorts by Robert Powell acting as M. R. James telling his stories.
Lastly, the 4 episode Christmas Ghost Stories by Christopher Lee as M. R. James.
Spine Chillers and Robert Powell shorts can be seen in RUclips. Christopher Lee’s version is also up in RUclips, but they tend to be flagged for Copyright, but you can find them in DVD.
Thanks for this! I've seen the Christopher Lee ones, but I wasn't aware of the Michael Bryant eps, and he's one of my favourite actors. They're on my to-watch list!
Thanks for the video, i love the gjhost stories from Christmas. I grew up in the 70s; THe image of Shalken the painter at the end. I didnt understand what was happening but i remember when the dead man rises up. A warning to the Curious is my favourite, , IM lucky enough to have it on vhs. Robert Vaughan looks so sinistere anyway. Abbot Thomas i find boring for the most part but the ending is great. I even searched on google earth to find the entrance to that underground tunnell- its in cambridge somewhere.. Warning to the curious is wonderful, the class differences portrayed so subtely. Stalls was the first, it was 1971, curious was 72. Thanks for the link to a childs voice, thats one i havent seen. A friend recently obtained worked as a parttime signalman, he is living the life. I wouldnt have had whistle at number 1 but each to hiis own. This is a well thought out detailed list. For anyone intrerested , the guy acting with Bryant in Abbot Thomas worked on a shopping channell. I watched this with imy mother, we both commented on how you were able to articulate what we had felt viscerally when watching them. We agreed the ashi tree and stigma were the least enjoyable.
Thanks for your comment, JB! I agree with you about the portrayal of the class differences in Curious - really adds to the story without swamping it.
Do you remember the Yorkshire TV production with Jan Francis called Casting the Ruins, based on M.R. James book?
I never saw it back in 1979 on ITV, so I had to rely on the Network DVD release put out on DVD quite a few years ago.
Have you seen it Michael?
Just out of interest also, did you ever see an ITV series which was an anthology series that crossed the supernatural/horror/drama called Thriller.
I do remember Casting The Runes, in fact I've got the DVD! Unfortunately, despite Jan Francis and Ian Cuthbertson, I don't think it's terribly good. They try to modernise it and all the atmosphere just bleeds away. I vaguely remember Thriller terrifying me as a child, like Armchair Thriller, with the shadow of the fingers on the chair seat! And the one with the faceless nun! Kept me awake for weeks.
@michaelbartlettfilm Thriller was top-notch, considering Brian Clemens wrote every single episode, bar one. Clemens almost invented the story for What Lies Beneath and Christine with episodes that pre date those stories by a country mile. The one story that's stuck with me was Double Kill and also The Colour of Blood. Chilling..ITV hit the ball running with top-notch anthology series. Armchair Thriller was solid as well. Orson Wells Mysteries was good, too.
MR James is the part of my Christmas every year
That was brilliant and took me back.
Excellent review. I had convinced myself that The Mezzotint was one of the originals, but I think I am remembering the 80s series of M R James stories narrated (quite well I think) by Robert Powell.
Thank you very much for this ranking Michael, there's some in here I wasn't aware of and will definitely check them out.
I'm only 38 and grew up watching The Signal-Man and The Woman in Black (Herbert Wise directing) in school and have been a fan of them and the rest for many years.
I was tempted at one point to contact Lawrence Gordon Clarkes website to answer a question I've never found anywhere which you may be able to help with regarding the spectre in The Signal-Man:
The face of the spectre, is it a mask? Make up? A mannequin? I've always wondered how that effect was achieved.
Thanks again 👻
Wow, that's a really good question. I always thought they used like a "death mask" of the actor's face. I'm pretty sure it's not a mannequin. But the face is so still, I'm sure it's a mask, not make-up. (PS. Only 38! Ah, the days when I could say that...)
Great summary. Many thanks.
I disagree and would put A Warning to the Curious at No. 1. It's a great story and I have read it out a couple of times at gatherings of friends. Together with Ligeti's weird music it creates an amazing atmosphere. (It's set in Aldeburgh, by the way, which is in Suffolk).
At No. 2 I would put The Tractate Middoth as one of the best BBC adaptations. The scenes in the library are uncanny. I wonder why this one didn't get a mention.
Thanks again.
Thank you! I didn't include Tractate because I decided to only rank the 70s ones. I've been to Aldeburgh - it's lovely!
I love the ghost stories ringing the changes. The phantom coach. Man size in marble. And 8 miles up
These used to be the highlight of my Christmas viewing as a kid. I'd plot and plan to be allowed to stay up late to watch them. I'd misremembered the "Dead Of Night' series as being part of this and the episode "The Exorcism". Still powerful today, also exists as a radio play.
Thanks! I also used to circle them with a pen in our xmas edition of the Radio Times, as well as Barry Norman's films of the year. Happy days.
Great overview
Thanks, Akshay!
I just received the dvd box set a couple of days, really great stuff. I recently found out about this series via the All The Haunts Be Ours Vol.2 dvd box set.
Great video! I share your undoubted passion for these classic BBC ghost stories. I must buy the BFI box set! I pretty much agree with your ranking, barring the top slot. It's a toss up, for me, between the wonderful Stalls at Barchester and the eery A Warning to the Curious.
Thanks, John! Annoyingly, the BFI have spread the stories over two Blu Ray box sets, but you can still buy the full DVD set on Amazon if you don't mind slightly lesser picture quality. I love going back and rewatching them every Christmas.
Really enjoyed the list. There's another that might have been worth consideration: 'The Exorcism' written and directed by Don Taylor, one of the surviving episodes from The Dead of Night. Perhaps it wasn't BBC, I'm not sure. It was definitely a Christmas ghost story though.
I like The Exorcism, very well acted. (Mind you, if the BBC put that on now, someone would complain: "They're politicising ghost stories now!" etc)
A very different ranking from mine, interesting perspective! I’d say Lost Hearts, A Warning to etc, and Abbot Thomas top 3, followed by the Ash Tree, Signalman, Barchester, then the non-canon classics (original 68’ and Schalken, etc) with the final two of the main run in dead last.
I knew what #1 was going to be as soon as you mentioned it, but the film's popularity honestly baffles me...maybe it's because the story is one of my favourites and the film is doing its own thing, or because they replaced a young, autistic-coded Skeptic Who's Going To Have A Bad Time with a campy old idiot getting bullied by incipient decay of the brain, but I feel the same way about it as I do about the modern 'Count Magnus'.
'Stalls of Barchester' is well-placed, though...I think I'd put 'Casting the Runes' at the top of my list, though I only have the vaguest memories of it, and possibly not the right to list the old series, since I'm not convinced I've seen all of them. Thanks for inspiring me to poke about and find them!
Co-incidentally, we are off to see 'Casting the Runes' at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre on Thursday night. The performance is a one-man show by Robert Lloyd Parry who delivers two thrilling M R James stories!
Nice one! Was it good?
I'm a bit young for all of these on first release, but i remember watching the Treasure of Abbot Thomas in a Geography lesson at school at the end of the Christmas term 1992 as a "treat". I'm not sure they do that sort of thing now!
In retrospect it seems quite Lovecraftian. But better!
Now that's my kind of geography class! We got types of rock.
I certainly agree that oh whistle is the best and the humour is absolutely perfect. They shouldn't have remade it.
I echo your thoughts. The Signalman is my favourite. Love and peace. Tim
Cheers, Tim!
The Signalman everytime
Led here as the season begins… Insightful reviews, as much as I’m at odds with your ranking.
Excellent review!
Cheers, Stephen!
The Treasure of Abbot Thomas and A Warning to the Curious for me: yes to slime monsters, and No diggin'! They're almost the same story: treasure-hunter (one out of intellectual vanity, the other through material hardship) comes up against vengeful guardian, and both build that sense of impending doom to perfection, but it was the slime that scared the living daylights out of me as a kid: that ending's still creepy as hell. I thought the Ash Tree's spider-babies worked well (yes, Dougal, they exist!), just the rest of the tale lacked oomph. I never really got the fuss over Whistle and I'll Come, but perhaps I was spoiled by growing up with the 70s classics before encountering it.
Thanks, Dave! And yes to slime from me too!
Another similar short, would be - The Return. From 1973, starring Peter Vaughn. It's currently up on Daily Motion. It's from an Ambroise Beirce short story I think.
Oooh, thanks for the tip!
Just watched it. Lovely stuff. Simple story, but I loved the acting and the atmosphere.
Heartfelt and well-spoken analysis, I enjoyed it very much! Not much disagreement here in general, but I will stick up for The Ash Tree, just for the sake of argument - it's not the best story by any means, but the TV adaptation does introduce a new sense of "haunting" to the plot, with the younger Fell reliving his ancestor's memories stage by stage (and more obvious visual representation of Sir Matthew being haunted by personal feelings of guilt). The plot structure doesn't quite work for me either, wouldn't put it in the top 5, but for a short story/short film it's more thematically dense than first meets the eye. There's a lot going on there regarding family legacy, modernity and ancient tradition, and the distinction between justice and law, packed into a very short film (at only 32 minutes). If the mistake of James' other poor haunted souls is usually their curiosity or inquiry, Sir Matthew Fell's mistake is his puritanical adherence to the letter, and not the spirit, of the law. Not bad material packed into a short story/short film, and delivered in beautiful visual style.
Thanks so much for this lovely comment and your defence of The Ash Tree. It's made me want to go back and watch it again. I like Rudkin's other work, like Penda's Fen and Artemis 81, so who knows?