Mark Gatiss is set to adapt Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story Lot No. 249 for the BBC this Christmas.
The co-creator of Sherlock will pen the one-off special to air on BBC Two and iPlayer, starring Kit Harington and Freddie Fox.
Known for his tradition of crafting and directing a Christmas ghost story, this marks Gatiss’ inaugural television adaptation of a Conan Doyle horror tale.
The upcoming narrative follows a cluster of Oxford scholars, with one delving into the enigmas of Ancient Egypt, subsequently becoming a topic of conversation across the college.
Writer and director Mark Gatiss said: “It’s a serious delight for me to delve once again into the brilliant work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this time for the Christmas Ghost story.
“Lot No.249 is a personal favourite and is the grand-daddy (or should that be Mummy?) of a particular kind of end of Empire chiller: a ripping yarn packed with ghastly scares and who-knows-what lurking in the Victorian closet…”
The festive special will accompany a new documentary TV series exploring Arthur Conan Doyle and his fictional detective.
For more than a hundred years, he has captivated and thrilled his enthusiasts with his intellect and deductive abilities, elevating his creator, author Arthur Conan Doyle, to fame and fortune. However, the writer eventually grew to despise his own fictional character.
Lucy Worsley will front The Case of Conan Doyle which will air over three episodes this December.