Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a spooky tale from Mark Gatiss. “I’ve just done Lorraine, and she said my ghost story is now as much a part of Christmas for her as trying to stuff her face with a Terry’s Chocolate Orange, and that’s a quote which I think we should put on the back of everything,” joked Gatiss in a recent interview with RadioTimes.com.
These annual ghost stories – which have previously included The Tractate Middoth (in 2013) and Martin’s Close (2019) – have alternated between MR James adaptations and original stories inspired by the great author’s work. This year, Gatiss is serving up another adaptation, having scrapped an original story set in a hospital when it was felt to be inappropriate in the age of COVID. “The BBC had originally asked for another original, which I wrote, but it was very grim, set in a hospital, largely concerned with old people dying, and I thought, d’you know, I think now what we need is another MR James!” he explained back in March.
This year’s outing is The Mezzotint, James’ 1904 tale about an artwork that may have taken on a form of supernatural life. But when does it air, and who’s in the cast? Read on for all the latest on this festive frightfest.
The Mezzotint BBC release date
A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Mezzotint will air on Christmas Eve (Friday, 24th December) at 10:30pm on BBC Two and will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
The Mezzotint cast
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Leading the cast of The Mezzotint is Rory Kinnear (No Time to Die) as Edward Williams, joined by Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet) as Garwood, Frances Barber (Doctor Who) as Mrs Ambrigail, John Hopkins (Poldark) as Binks, Emma Cunniffe (Roadkill) as Mrs Filcher, Nikesh Patel (Starstruck) as Nisbet and Tommaso Di Vinenzo (Dracula).
Gatiss has written and directed the 30-minute special, which was produced by Isibeal Ballance with music by Blair Mowat.
Where was The Mezzotint filmed?
The Mezzotint was filmed in early 2021 in the South of England, mostly in Harrow, London. “We were very blessed with Harrow, because it was like a studio,” Gatiss told RadioTimes.com. “I mean, everything was within about a quarter of a mile, even the golf course. That’s the sort of creative thinking that is very useful.”
The Mezzotint trailer
The BBC has released a short, scene-setting teaser for The Mezzotint, which you can check out below – though we’d advise watching with the lights on. Brrrrrr.
What is The Mezzotint about?
The official synopsis for The Mezzotint reads: “It’s 1922 and in the heart of an old English college, Edward Williams receives an engraving of an unknown country house. An imposing facade. A sweeping lawn. And, just perhaps, something else…?”
Originally included in MR James’ first collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904), the short story sees Williams and his colleagues discover that the engraving seems to change each time they look at it. Is something supernatural afoot? (Spoiler alert: Yes.)
Speaking to RadioTimes.com about changes he made to bring the story to the screen, Gatiss said: “There’s a reason people often say that short stories make better movies than novels do, because, actually, you’ve got more room to make them breathe, and you’re not religiously trying to photograph every scene from a novel or something like that.
“And also, it’s a different form. You’ve got to feel like you could adapt it, and invent, and make it suit, you know, film or television in that way. Otherwise, it’s just a sort of static retelling of it.”
The Mezzotint airs on Christmas Eve (Friday, 24th December) at 10:30pm on BBC Two. Visit our Fantasy hub for more news, interviews and features, or find something to watch with our TV Guide.
This year’s Radio Times Christmas double issue is on sale now, featuring two weeks of TV, film and radio listings, reviews, features and interviews with the stars.