Kit Harrington looks aged beyond the years of an Oxford medical student. He looked more like a tenured professor. And the Brian Jonesy-looking chap who plays Bellingham is too smarmy, slimy and unlikable in a not-good way to make for a relatable or detestable villain. Whoever cast him should be drummed out of entertainment. I did like Styles - but I wasn't entirely sure of his purpose or position at the university.

And that is part of the main issue of this retelling: there is very little development along the lines of characterization. Things just seem stock and perfunctory. We are never really clued into Bellingham Jones's motivations because none of his interpersonal relationships with any other characters is explored. People are just there, saying things and bumping into each other to serve a linear narrative.

Costuming is good. Back in the days of all-male educational institutions requiring refined attire.

I also wasn't impressed with the new "twist" of an ending. It didn't make any sense. Months later he readily acquires a backup mummy that just so happens to have "Lot no. 250"? I call no way.

Another failure from the unenterprising pen of Mark Gatiss, whose monopoly of the whole 'Ghost Stories for Christmas' brand has long outstayed its welcome. This one eschews the usual M. R. James for an adaptation of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's horror stories about a marauding mummy. I've read the story and loved it, but this is a pitiful attempt at an adaptation: there's no atmosphere, no depth and no workable scares at all, just a guy in bandages popping up to go boo. You can't fault the cast members, who work really hard at giving it their all, but you can fault the man response for writing and directing this tiresome nonsense.

Is it possible that a mummy, known only as lot number 249, is responsible for a series of misdemeanors at an Oxford College.

They chose a great story, suitably macabre, Conan Doyle perhaps inspired by Britain's fascination with Ancient Egypt, and all of the discoveries. Who knows what films and stories were inspired by this.

This was pretty good, more a ghost story, less of a horror, the latter could have been ramped up a little bit. Atmospheric enough, and considering the thirty minute run time, they managed to tell the story

I've read that this may well be the final Ghost story from Mark Gatiss, which is a shame, when they've been good, they've been enjoyable, this was one of the better recent offerings.

As you'd expect from this series, it looks great, and was well acted, Kit Harrington was excellent, great actor, Freddie Fox also impressed.

7/10.