The Christmas TV Weebly archive reports that the tradition for a television network to transmit a spooky tale for the festive season will be back in 2026. Gay writer and actor Mark Gatiss has once again taken up the challenge for the BBC, and is preparing to bring the chills of what he describes as one of the "weirdest and spookiest" stories penned by nineteenth century writer Charles Dickens. In a press release, the BBC teases "1858. An inn with no name, an eccentric landlord and a lone traveller with a strangely familiar appearance. As he settles into his room for the night, the traveller is visited by an uncanny man in black, with a story to tell". The Brides Chamber written by Dickens, with input from fellow spookmeister Wilkie Collins will star Jim Broadbent, Martin Freeman, Adrian Scarborough, and India Fowler. Principal photography took place earlier this year on location at Ingatestone Hall, Essex.

Mark Gatiss says: “I’m once more thrilled and honoured to bring another Ghost Story for Christmas to BBC Two. It’s unusual to find a Dickens rarity but this is it! A weird and nasty little treasure which lurks within a work co-written with the great Wilkie Collins. A lonely inn, an incognito traveller and a ghastly tale of warped obsession. Merry Christmas!”

Mark Bell, Commissioning Editor for BBC Arts, says: "The Ghost Story for Christmas has become an essential dish on the festive TV menu, for audiences who love nothing more than settling in for a spine-tingling tale on a winter’s night. This year we’re delighted to bring you this spooky story by Charles Dickens brilliantly adapted and directed by Mark Gatiss, with a great cast, to coincide with a range of further Dickens-inspired programming set to air across the BBC in December as part of the National Year of Reading.”

The traditional Ghost Story for Christmas will air on BBC2, probably on Christmas Eve, although precise festive schedules are not published until the first week in December.