Mark Gatiss’ revival of A Ghost Story for Christmas, a British strand of one-off specials infrequently aired around the holidays since 1971, continues with what is possibly its best entry yet: Lot No. 249. The League of Gentlemen alum has maintained a substantial interest in horror, much like comrades Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, but unlike the Inside No. 9 duo, Gatiss digs up neglected works from classic British literature — before now, namely M. R. James — and reintroduces them to contemporary audiences.
In Lot No. 249, Kit Harrington plays the prying university student who acts on suspicions about his odd neighbor (Freddie Fox). The Egyptologist in question is not only guilty of certain “perversions” he is also using a reanimated mummy — the story’s otherwise nameless namesake — to carry out his wicked plans. This includes murdering his various rivals on campus. The protagonist later intervenes, only to then make a startling, if not belated realization about his enemy.
In Lot No. 249, Kit Harrington plays the prying university student who acts on suspicions about his odd neighbor (Freddie Fox). The Egyptologist in question is not only guilty of certain “perversions” he is also using a reanimated mummy — the story’s otherwise nameless namesake — to carry out his wicked plans. This includes murdering his various rivals on campus. The protagonist later intervenes, only to then make a startling, if not belated realization about his enemy.
- 12/27/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
Warning: contains spoilers for “A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249”
Christmas and ghosts go together like mince pies and brandy butter, or indeed like Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss and Sherlock Holmes. This year’s A Ghost Story For Christmas brings us a bit of both.
Based on a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lot No. 249 sees medical student Smith (Kit Harrington) called to help fellow student Bellingham (Freddie Fox) after he falls into some sort of a trance. Bellingham is a specialist in Egyptology and possesses many ancient artifacts including a mummified body. Strange things have been occurring on campus, some of them to people who have crossed Bellingham – could the desiccated corpse have anything to do with it? Well, yes, obviously.
While scary resurrected mummies are standard horror fare these days, back when Doyle was writing, Egyptomania was all the rage and the concept of the undead...
Christmas and ghosts go together like mince pies and brandy butter, or indeed like Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss and Sherlock Holmes. This year’s A Ghost Story For Christmas brings us a bit of both.
Based on a short story by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lot No. 249 sees medical student Smith (Kit Harrington) called to help fellow student Bellingham (Freddie Fox) after he falls into some sort of a trance. Bellingham is a specialist in Egyptology and possesses many ancient artifacts including a mummified body. Strange things have been occurring on campus, some of them to people who have crossed Bellingham – could the desiccated corpse have anything to do with it? Well, yes, obviously.
While scary resurrected mummies are standard horror fare these days, back when Doyle was writing, Egyptomania was all the rage and the concept of the undead...
- 12/24/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Writer and actor Mark Gatiss is keeping the Christmas ghost story tradition going with Lot No. 249, a new BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle‘s short story. Deadline reports that Gatiss will reunite with “Game of Thrones” alum Kit Harrington for the project.
Lot No. 249 will air on BBC Two this Christmas. A U.S. distributor has not yet been named.
The adaptation ““revolves around a group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt, which become the talk of the college. Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot. No 249?”
Harrington will star alongside Freddie Fox. Harington will play Abercrombie Smith and Fox will play Edward Bellingham.
Colin Ryan (Boundless), John Heffernan (Dracula), James Swanton (Stopmotion), Jonathan Rigby (Father Brown) and Andrew Horton (Slotherhouse) also star in this Mummy story.
Gatiss told Deadline, “It...
Lot No. 249 will air on BBC Two this Christmas. A U.S. distributor has not yet been named.
The adaptation ““revolves around a group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt, which become the talk of the college. Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot. No 249?”
Harrington will star alongside Freddie Fox. Harington will play Abercrombie Smith and Fox will play Edward Bellingham.
Colin Ryan (Boundless), John Heffernan (Dracula), James Swanton (Stopmotion), Jonathan Rigby (Father Brown) and Andrew Horton (Slotherhouse) also star in this Mummy story.
Gatiss told Deadline, “It...
- 10/19/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Sherlock co-creator Mark Gatiss has adapted a short story from the detective’s creator, Arthur Conan Doyle, as his annual Christmas ghost story for the BBC. Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) and Freddie Fox (Slow Horses) are attached to star.
Gatiss has penned a version of Conan Doyle’s Lot No. 249, having adapted various Sherlock Holmes novels for the Beeb betweenn 2010 and 2017, alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat.
The special will air as part of the BBC’s winter schedule and comes after Gatiss adapted The Tractate Middoth in 2013, The Dead Room (2018), Martin’s Close (2019) The Mezzotint (2021) and Count Magnus (2022) – four of which were based on works by M.R James.
Lot No. 249 follows group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt and becomes the talk of the college. “Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot.
Gatiss has penned a version of Conan Doyle’s Lot No. 249, having adapted various Sherlock Holmes novels for the Beeb betweenn 2010 and 2017, alongside former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat.
The special will air as part of the BBC’s winter schedule and comes after Gatiss adapted The Tractate Middoth in 2013, The Dead Room (2018), Martin’s Close (2019) The Mezzotint (2021) and Count Magnus (2022) – four of which were based on works by M.R James.
Lot No. 249 follows group of Oxford students, one of whom undertakes research into the secrets of Ancient Egypt and becomes the talk of the college. “Can these experiments truly breathe life to the horrifying bag of bones which is the mysterious Lot.
- 10/19/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
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