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Ghost Story for Christmas 2023 - Count Magnus

Ken_ConnellKen_Connell Posts: 3,460
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in Cult, Sci-Fi & Fantasy TV Shows #1
Confirmed that Count Magnus will be the latest Ghost Story for Christmas to be adapted by Mark Gatiss . There will also be a stage adaption of a Christmas Carol also starring Gatiss



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    StrakerStraker Posts: 79,657
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    #2
    Keep trying Mark! Eventually you'll get one right.
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    ClarksonCourtClarksonCourt Posts: 6,006
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    #3
    We also get a Repeat of Schalken the Painter on BBC4 Thu 22. Short story is by Sheridan LeFanu & is based around true historical events. Well, actual people at any rate. Haven’t seen it for a long time but confident it will be better than anything contemporary.
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    Ken_ConnellKen_Connell Posts: 3,460
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    #4
    ClarksonCourt wrote: »
    We also get a Repeat of Schalken the Painter on BBC4 Thu 22. Short story is by Sheridan LeFanu & is based around true historical events. Well, actual people at any rate. Haven’t seen it for a long time but confident it will be better than anything contemporary.

    Never seen this one nor Robin Redbreast. I will be recording this.

    Thanks for the heads up.
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    ClarksonCourtClarksonCourt Posts: 6,006
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    #5
    Yeah, the BBC have managed to leave it out of the series group. :/
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    Six-of-One Six-of-One Posts: 184
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    #6
    I'm grateful to Mark for the enthusiasm at keeping the concept alive, and will always watch them, but his adaptations have always felt rushed. Whoever was doing the revival in the 2000s should come back. A View From a hill from 2005 was great.
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    Ken_ConnellKen_Connell Posts: 3,460
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    #7
    Disappointed to see its on Friday and not Christmas Eve.

    Might be waiting until the next day to watch on IPlayer rather than live.
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    StrakerStraker Posts: 79,657
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    #8
    Straker wrote: »
    Keep trying Mark! Eventually you'll get one right.

    Another clunker from Mark.

    Make him stop!
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    CrazyhamsterCrazyhamster Posts: 81
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    #9
    I love M.R. James stories, but Count Magnus is a very slight tale and even with the padding it was really rather dull. Compared to the Treasure of Abbot Thomas....
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    ClarksonCourtClarksonCourt Posts: 6,006
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    #10
    ClarksonCourt wrote: »
    We also get a Repeat of Schalken the Painter on BBC4 Thu 22. Short story is by Sheridan LeFanu & is based around true historical events. Well, actual people at any rate. Haven’t seen it for a long time but confident it will be better than anything contemporary.

    Re-watched this. Was very slow & stately by todays standards and, as an Omnibus (arts magazine show) was as much about re-creating classic paintings. But nicely scary in the end.
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    ClarksonCourtClarksonCourt Posts: 6,006
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    #11
    Crazyhamster wrote: »
    I love M.R. James stories, but Count Magnus is a very slight tale and even with the padding it was really rather dull. Compared to the Treasure of Abbot Thomas....

    Problem is all the real classics have been done now, so we’re a bit down to the anthology-fillers.
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    the_lostprophetthe_lostprophet Posts: 4,173
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    #12
    Oh so people here didn't enjoy it. I've watched all the Gatiss ghost stories for Christmas and actually thought this was quite a good one - held my attention for the half hour anyway.
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    Jim_UlaJim_Ula Posts: 2,575
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    #13
    I liked it, but at 30 mins it was just like a short story (which I assume it originally was) as opposed to a novel.
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    vauxhall1964vauxhall1964 Posts: 10,360
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    #14
    I enjoyed it. Jason Watkins was a hoot. But just like the Inside No. 9 Christmas episode it felt rushed. For me half an hour just isn’t enough
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    fad1966fad1966 Posts: 121
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    #15
    About as scary as Jackanory...

    Number 9 did it so much better
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    ClarksonCourtClarksonCourt Posts: 6,006
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    #16
    Watched it last night - I thought it was good! Did not like the closing narration & the tacked-on modern bit at the end, but the rest was worthy of a Christmas ghost story. They’re not meant to be The Shining, just subtle chills. Particularly liked the innkeeper’s story.
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    SATMSATM Posts: 3,340
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    #17
    ClarksonCourt wrote: »
    Watched it last night - I thought it was good! Did not like the closing narration & the tacked-on modern bit at the end, but the rest was worthy of a Christmas ghost story. They’re not meant to be The Shining, just subtle chills. Particularly liked the innkeeper’s story.

    I liked the ending with the Narrator being the Count, and the modern scene indicating that he, and his 'companion' were still on the prowl.
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    GibletOSullivanGibletOSullivan Posts: 42,093
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    #18
    Well at least this time they didn't feel the need to clumsily nail on an unnecessary (and poorly-executed) CGI 'jump scare' at the end, so in that sense it was more enjoyable than last year's effort.

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    moonlilymoonlily Posts: 7,894
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    edited 07/01/23 - 13:43 #19
    Ken_Connell wrote: »
    Disappointed to see its on Friday and not Christmas Eve.

    Might be waiting until the next day to watch on IPlayer rather than live.

    I ended up not seeing it all all because I thought it would be on Christmas Eve as it has been traditionally.
    Eta. I wish he'd do The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance, about the Punch and Judy show, which I've always found to be very creepy

    Mark Gatiss did a great job on audio of a collection of ghost stories by EF Benson.

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    TyneBridgesTyneBridges Posts: 48
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    #20
    Although I'm not a huge fan of Gatiss' writing or direction (I like him as a performer), I thought it was rather good: Jason Watkins was great as always and it was nicely spooky.

    (Minor spoiler)
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    I thought the bloody red face in the black and white sequence was clunky and unnecessary. This kind of story doesn't need gore, even in a quick flash.
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    Robin DaviesRobin Davies Posts: 426
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    #21
    TyneBridges wrote: »
    Although I'm not a huge fan of Gatiss' writing or direction (I like him as a performer), I thought it was rather good: Jason Watkins was great as always and it was nicely spooky.

    (Minor spoiler)
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    I thought the bloody red face in the black and white sequence was clunky and unnecessary. This kind of story doesn't need gore, even in a quick flash.
    Why not? It's in the story. Though I agree that we should have just had the landlord's description at that stage, and the sight of a "sucked-off face" should have been reserved for Wraxall's fate at the end. This would have provided a better climax. I also wish that some of Wraxall's boring chuntering had been cut to make way for more appearances of the two figures who were stalking him near the end.

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    TyneBridgesTyneBridges Posts: 48
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    #22
    Robin Davies wrote: »
    TyneBridges wrote: »
    Although I'm not a huge fan of Gatiss' writing or direction (I like him as a performer), I thought it was rather good: Jason Watkins was great as always and it was nicely spooky.

    To clarify, I didn't have any problem with the gory bit - it just seemed gimmicky to say the least to have the gruesome part of the shot in colour when the rest of the sequence was in monochrome.
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    Robin DaviesRobin Davies Posts: 426
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    #23
    TyneBridges wrote: »
    To clarify, I didn't have any problem with the gory bit - it just seemed gimmicky to say the least to have the gruesome part of the shot in colour when the rest of the sequence was in monochrome.
    Ah, fair point.

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    StrakerStraker Posts: 79,657
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    #24
    Watkins was trying too hard to channel the eccentricity of Michael Hordern, almost as if this were a "lost" entry from the 1970s run.

    .........

    Gatiss back again tonight at 10pm. The good news is he reckons this is his last. Fair warning, he's cast himself in it so it promises to be even more dreadful than usual.
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    GeneisTwelvetreesGeneisTwelvetrees Posts: 341
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    #25
    They're not scary by today's standards but they do have a kind of atmospheric charm. Rewatched "Whistle and I'll come to you", and enjoyed it. The only part I could recall from first seeing it 10+ years ago, is the fingers appearing under the door. I found that quite creepy.
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