Winter and the Gothic Historical Television Drama

Keynote paper. This paper examines the connections between the winter season and Gothic historical television dramas. It defines Gothic historical television dramas as dramas with a historical setting that take on a Gothic aesthetic and emphasise themes of trauma which are active in the past and continue to be active in the present. It also summarises the connections between horror and the Christmas season within UK, particularly English, culture, especially as seen on television. The two ideas are brought together in a close reading of the Stephen Knight 2019 adaptation of A Christmas Carol for the BBC, demonstrating how the adaptation introduces and draws out the Gothic elements of the narrative