“It’s the house, Sir George. It… it heard you... It’s the house that’s gone back…”

“It’s the house, Sir George. It… it heard you... It’s the house that’s gone back…”

When you’re doing a Christmas Special about Christmas Specials, the hardest thing is deciding which ones you should cover. For Episode Four any of the festive editions of ‘The Goodies’ were strong contenders, along with such fare as ‘Yes, Minister: Party Games’.

But a ghost story at Christmas is always a good idea, so ‘The Ghosts Of Motley Hall: The Christmas Spirit’ it was.

It’s possibly my favourite episode of the whole series, and considering the high standards it regularly achieves, that’s high praise indeed.

Oddly, I have almost no memories of watching the show on its original transmission (1976-1978), but the DVD release has merely demonstrated what I missed the first time around.

Motley Hall is a place I’d love to spend a weekend, as all of its ghosts (with the odd exception such as Reg’s Lye’s memorable Old Gory) are really rather friendly. But Christmas sees them feeling rather down, until Motley Hall itself transports them back in time to 1848, in a very subtle and effective transition.

But all is not well in the Hall, as an elemental (the vengeful spirit of a boy trapped in the Yule Log chopped down from the so-called Blasted Beech) has invaded the house, causing anger and resentment amongst the Uproar family. Frankly, the series veers more towards ‘Sapphire & Steel’ rather then ‘Rentaghost’ with plotlines such as this one.

Richard Carpenter’s script provides the talented cast with some excellent material. Freddie Jones (here playing both Sir George and his father Sir Henry) has a touching scene where he meets himself aged 10 and sets in motion his own ambition to become a General.

Also, Arthur English effortlessly shows how talented an actor he was, with a gentle and heartfelt speech to the elemental, where he succeeds in appealing to its better nature.

Watching ‘The Ghosts Of Motley Hall: The Christmas Spirit’ has become a tradition in our house, and I’m not afraid to admit it gets me a bit teary every time. Sheer magic!

(By Andrew Trowbridge)