Lot No. 249 is a short film which is part of the British supernatural anthology series A Ghost Story for Christmas. Produced by Isibeal Ballance and written and directed by Mark Gatiss, it is based on the gothic horror story of the same name by Arthur Conan Doyle, first published in Harper's Magazine in 1892, and first aired on BBC Two on 24 December 2023.
| Lot No. 249 | |
|---|---|
| Based on | "Lot No. 249" by Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Written by | Mark Gatiss |
| Directed by | Mark Gatiss |
| Starring |
|
| Production | |
| Producer | Isibeal Ballance |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Release | 24 December 2023 |
| Related | |
| A Ghost Story for Christmas | |
It stars Kit Harington as Abercrombie Smith, a student athlete at Oxford University who discovers that his neighbour, Edward Bellingham (Freddie Fox) is using a revived Egyptian mummy to murder his rivals.
The majority of instalments in the series have been based on ghost stories by M. R. James, with "The Signalman" (1976), based on a story by Charles Dickens, and three original episodes[a] being the only break with this tradition. Gatiss had expressed a desire to adapt other authors, and a season of programming related to Conan Doyle which the BBC aired over Christmas 2023 influenced the choice of "Lot No. 249".
Plot
editAn Oxford student, Abercrombie Smith, recounts to his friend that his neighbour, Edward Bellingham, is using a revived Egyptian mummy to murder his social and romantic rivals. Following this meeting, Smith returns to his college, confronts Bellingham at gunpoint about his "perversions", and forces him to destroy the mummy and the associated artefacts. However, in the closing moments it is revealed that Bellingham has a second mummy – "Lot No. 250" – which he uses to continue his killing spree.
Cast
edit- Kit Harington as Abercrombie Smith
- Freddie Fox as Edward Bellingham
- Colin Ryan as Monkhouse Lee
- John Heffernan as The Friend[b]
- James Swanton as The Mummy
- Jonathan Rigby as Styles
- Andrew Horton as Long Norton
Production
editThe film was produced by Adorable Media for BBC Arts, with Mark Gatiss continuing the tradition of adapting a classic ghost story for the BBC for transmission at Christmas. Kit Harington and Freddie Fox were announced as having the lead roles in October 2023.[2][3] Later that month the cast list was expanded by Colin Ryan, John Heffernan, James Swanton, Jonathan Rigby and Andrew Horton.[4] Filming took place in Hertfordshire in 2023.[5]
Broadcast
editIts first broadcast was in the UK on BBC Two on 24 December 2023.[6]
Notes
edit- ^ The original episodes are "Stigma" (1977), "The Ice House" (1978) and "The Dead Room" (2018).
- ^ Who, it is implied, is Sherlock Holmes.[1]
References
edit- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (24 December 2023). "Mark Gatiss on surprise cameo in Lot No. 249: "I couldn't resist"". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
- ^ Hibberd, James (19 October 2023). "Kit Harington Teaming With Mark Gatiss to Adapt 'Sherlock' Author's Ghost Story". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ Whittock, Jesse; Goldbart, Max (19 October 2023). "Sherlock' Co-Creator Mark Gatiss To Adapt Arthur Conan Doyle's 'Lot No. 249' As BBC Christmas Ghost Story; Kit Harington & Freddie Fox To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Lot No. 249: BBC Announce New Ghost Story for Christmas from Mark Gatiss". TV Zone UK. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ P, Maddie (24 November 2023). "Mark Gatiss' 'Lot No. 249': Everything We Know About the Arthur Conan Doyle Adaptation". Collider. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Vickers-Green, Laura (13 November 2023). "UK Christmas 2023 TV Guide: the Best Festive Specials, New Drama & Comedy Series". Den of Geek. Retrieved 14 November 2023.