The Treasure of Abbot Thomas

Our take

A treasure hunt that turns into a trap, with a witty script, a deliciously smug hero and the strand's only original score, all counter-tenors and clanking percussion. Michael Bryant's slow unravelling from clever cleric to frightened old man is superb, and the cathedral locations are glorious. A favourite of Mark Gatiss, and one of the most enjoyable of the classic films.

What happens

In the 19th century the Reverend Justin Somerton, a clever and composed scholar who gently mocks the fake mediums entertaining the ladies of the neighbourhood, takes on young Lord Peter Dattering as his pupil. In an old stained-glass window they find a clue to the hidden treasure of Abbot Thomas, an alchemist who set a guardian over his hoard and seems to have left clues deliberately, to lure treasure hunters in. The trail leads through the cathedral to a flooded waterway beneath it, where the treasure lies behind loose bricks. Somerton goes in alone, and what waits in the darkness is a thing of slime. Shaken, he puts the treasure back and believes he has got away with it, but he is not left in peace. Dattering, once an admiring pupil, grows waspish and then callous towards his haunted tutor, and in the final moments walks off arm in arm with his mother, leaving Somerton alone in a bath chair as the autumn evening falls, awaiting the Abbot's final visit.

Can the kids watch it?

Rated PG by the BBFC for mild psychological threat, so suitable for older children who like a scare, though it builds real dread.

Cast and crew

Starring

• Michael Bryant as The Rev Justin Somerton
• Sheila Dunn as Mrs Tyson
• Anne Blake as Local Lady
• Frank Mills as Mr Tyson/Father Dominic
• Paul Lavers as Lord Peter Dattering

Writer

• John Bowen

Director

• Lawrence Gordon Clark