The BBC’s Chilling Christmas Tradition Returns: Tobias Menzies and Joanna Lumley Lead Mark Gatiss’s Spine-Tingling ‘The Room in the Tower’

The BBC’s beloved festive tradition of fear returns this December — and it promises to be the most haunting instalment yet.
This year’s A Ghost Story for Christmas resurrects E.F. Benson’s eerie classic “The Room in the Tower,” adapted and directed by master of the macabre Mark Gatiss. Starring Tobias Menzies and Dame Joanna Lumley, the new film invites viewers into a world where dreams bleed into reality and the past refuses to stay buried.

Set in the shadowy inter-war years, The Room in the Tower follows Roger Winstanley (Menzies), a man plagued for 15 years by the same unnerving dream — a gathering at a mysterious country house, a sinister family, and the inexorable pull of a locked chamber known only as the room in the tower.

When life begins to mirror his nightmare, Roger finds himself drawn into a living ghost story, where time twists, faces age before his eyes, and something unspeakable waits behind the final door.

A Chilling Return to Classic Storytelling

For writer-director Mark Gatiss, this marks his eighth entry in the BBC’s long-running Ghost Story for Christmas strand — a tradition that stretches back to the 1970s when M.R. James adaptations terrified audiences huddled around their televisions on dark December nights.

Gatiss’s previous adaptations — including The Mezzotint, Count Magnus, and Lot No. 249 — have revived that uniquely British combination of Christmas cheer and creeping dread. Yet The Room in the Tower, with its psychological menace and dreamlike structure, may be his most ambitious yet.

“It’s an extraordinary story,” Gatiss said recently. “E.F. Benson has a wonderful gift for atmosphere and suggestion — that uncanny feeling that you’ve seen something dreadful but can’t quite say what it was. I wanted to bring that same sense of unease to this adaptation. It’s a ghost story about inevitability — about the horror of seeing your fate coming closer, night after night.”

Filmed at Cobham Hall in Kent, the production uses the stately home’s candlelit corridors and echoing chambers to maximum effect. The setting becomes a character in itself — elegant, timeless, and quietly terrifying.

An All-Star Cast and Haunting Performances

At the centre of the story is Tobias Menzies, best known for his Emmy-winning turn as Prince Philip in The Crown. As Roger Winstanley, he brings a weary intelligence and emotional vulnerability to a man haunted not just by nightmares, but by the gnawing fear that those nightmares may be real.

Opposite him is Dame Joanna Lumley, whose role has been kept deliberately mysterious — though early glimpses suggest she may be the matriarch of the household that haunts Roger’s dreams. Lumley, known for her elegance and wit, turns her talents to something altogether darker here.

The supporting cast includes Nancy Carroll, Ben Mansfield, and Polly Walker (Bridgerton), each adding depth and disquiet to Gatiss’s vision of a world where civility conceals corruption and charm hides ancient evil.

“There’s something deliciously wrong about a ghost story at Christmas,” Lumley told BBC Arts. “You’re surrounded by tinsel, warmth, and family — and then this icy shadow creeps in. It’s wonderful fun, but also very unsettling.”

A Legacy of Fear

A Ghost Story for Christmas has long been a jewel in the BBC’s festive crown. The tradition began in 1971 with The Stalls of Barchester, a small but chilling adaptation of an M.R. James tale that quickly became appointment viewing for viewers seeking something darker amid the holiday cheer.

Over the decades, the format has evolved but the essence remains: restrained storytelling, period settings, and an emphasis on atmosphere over gore. Gatiss’s stewardship of the series since 2013 has reinvigorated it for a modern audience while keeping its candlelit soul intact.

Critics have praised his approach for respecting the gothic literary roots of the material while finding fresh resonance. His ghosts aren’t just spectres from beyond the grave — they are embodiments of guilt, repression, and moral decay.

Early Buzz and Viewer Anticipation

Even before its premiere, The Room in the Tower has been hailed by fans as Gatiss’s “most terrifying yet.” Early footage screened by BBC Arts reveals lush cinematography — flickering candlelight, spectral reflections, and a score that hums with quiet menace.

For audiences who loved Count Magnus or The Mezzotint, this promises to be the next great chapter in Gatiss’s growing anthology of British horror.

Social media has already buzzed with excitement since the trailer dropped, with one fan writing: “No one does Christmas chills like Mark Gatiss — I’m already sleeping with the lights on.”

A Seasonal Shiver

Ultimately, The Room in the Tower isn’t just another ghost story — it’s a meditation on memory, fate, and the horrors we carry within us. With its impeccable cast, period elegance, and timeless fear of the unknown, it’s set to be this year’s unmissable Christmas television event.

So as the nights draw in and the wind howls outside, the BBC invites viewers once again to dim the lights, pour a glass of something warming, and let the shadows in.

Because, as Mark Gatiss knows better than anyone — nothing says Christmas quite like a good ghost story.