Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle found it deeply frustrating that Sherlock Holmes became such an overwhelming success, as his own preferences lay elsewhere. He was far more invested in his historical novels of ancient chivalry, and in his short stories inspired by his diverse life experiences—as a doctor, traveller, missionary, amateur boxer, and patriot.

It was these stories that formed the basis of a thirteen-week late-night drama series on BBC2, that premiered on Sunday 15 January 1967.

The opening play was Lot 249 (every episode was subtitled to indicate its form—this first episode was A Horrific Tale). The setting is Oxford in 1895. Here, amid spires which can still enjoy peace enough to dream, three undergraduates are studying. Elegant Philip Hardacre (Michael Latimer – Van der Valk) and homely Tom Crabbe (Keith Buckley - Crossroads) are reading medicine, while Monkhouse ‘Monkey’ Lee (Christopher Matthews - Freewheelers) is a quiet young man who hopes to become an archaeologist. But Monkey has fallen under the influence of one Edward Bellingham (Phillip Manikum – Into the Labyrinth), another student of ancient cultures; and one day a mysterious event connected with a mummy case and a scrap of crumbling, yellowing papyrus convinces Philip that the sinister Bellingham's interest in the magic and mystery of ancient Egypt is far from being purely academic.

The second story, broadcast on Sunday 22 January, was The Croxley Master (A Heroic Tale). Being a lifelong boxing fan Conan Doyle wrote this story (in 1899), telling how the indigent medical student Hardacre is desperate for cash to pay his tuition fees. He has taken a vacation job as assistant to a stern and tight-fisted practitioner named Dr. Lichfield (John Bailey – Doctor Who: The Evil of the Daleks), but this pays barely enough to keep him going. So he decides to do battle for a much-needed hundred-guinea purse. Then an encounter with a local bruiser leads to his being matched with the terror of the district—Silas Craggs (Michael Goldie - Smith), the Croxley Master of the title. This episode also stars George A. Cooper (Grange Hill) and George Sewell (Special Branch).

The Chemistry of Love (A Romantic Tale) is the third episode, an adaptation of ‘A Physiologist's Wife.’ Monkhouse Lee's uncle, Professor Ainslie Grey (Michael Hordern - Jackanory), is a physiologist at Oxford and a hardened misogynist. Captivated by the charming, intelligent widow Mrs. O’James (Billie Whitelaw – Napoleon and Love), he agrees to carry on her husband's work. The emotional Professor soon realises that he is in love and much to the surprise of everyone, proposes to her. Their marriage is a happy one until one day the Professor receives a visitor. Suddenly decisions have to be taken and someone must be hurt.

Reviewing this story on 9 February 1967, the actress turned critic Marjorie Norris wrote in The Stage newspaper that the series was “extraordinary good value” and, despite being overshadowed by The Forsyte Saga on BBC1, it showed “every sign of having been a labour of love equal to that of the Saga." Praise was also heaped upon Billie Whitelaw who, "irradiated the part [of the widow] with her own special quality of warm vitality. It was impossible," she continued, "to doubt that she could arouse a devoted love in the most confirmed misogynist." The part of Professor Ainslie Grey "fitted Michael Hordern like a glove made of the softest leather."

The fourth episode, The Lift (A Desperate Tale), takes place in 1890s Paris. Tom Crabbe visits the Eiffel Tower with his girlfriend Vicky Heald (Michele Dotrice – Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em), but their holiday takes a horrible turn when the lift stops abruptly on the way down. This episode also starred André Maranne (The Saint), Helen Shingler (Maigret) and John Slater (Z Cars).

Crabbe's Practice (A Comic Tale) is the 5th episode. No one knew better than Conan Doyle just how difficult it was for a young doctor to get started in practice in the days before the National Health Service was ever heard of. To ‘tout’ for patients was unethical and unthinkable. So you just set up your surgery and waited hopefully. Tom Crabbe, now finally qualified and married to Vicky, has moved to Brisport to start a career as a general practitioner. He has found a fine house and equipped it comfortably; he has prepared his consulting-room with the most up-to-date apparatus and furnished his plush waiting room. Everything's there except the patients—because all the potential ones have been collected by Brisport’s two established doctors. To remedy this deplorable state of affairs, Vicky calls in Tom’s two Oxford friends Monkey and Philip—and the schemes they produce to drum up trade are ingenious and hilarious. The regular cast were joined by Iain Cuthbertson (Budgie) as a pompous practitioner with antiquated theories of medicine and Mike Pratt (Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)) as a carefree Irish doctor.

The Willow House School (A Mysterious Tale) is the 6th episode, an adaptation of ‘The Story of the Latin Tutor.’ Beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to paid employment, and the aspiring young archaeologist Monkhouse Lee is made painfully aware of this fact of life. Just down from Oxford, ‘Monkey’ needs a temporary job to keep him while he continues his archaeological research at the British Museum, and school-mastering seems the obvious answer. But the trouble is, he’s not qualified for the better prep school posts; he only holds a pass degree, and what is infinitely more important is that he never won a Blue or even a Half-Blue. So he’s forced to accept a job at the Willow House School, a sinister establishment with an unsettling headmaster (Maurice Denham - Porridge) and a tyrannical tutor, Theophilus St. James (Alan Howard – Emergency-Ward 10), who terrorises the students. The school harbours secrets, and staff rarely remain long.

The Brown Hand (A Fantastic Tale) is the 7th episode. Sir Dominic Crabbe (Felix Aylmer – Oh, Brother!) invites his nephew Tom to his secluded, rural manor house for an undisclosed purpose. On arrival, Tom discovers his uncle is being haunted by a strange apparition that torments the household and has already led to the death of the maid.

The Mystery of Cader Ifan (A Tragic Tale) is an adaptation of ‘The Surgeon of Gaster Fell.’ Enjoying a break in Wales, Philip Hardacre meets the mysterious and beautiful Julia Lambert. But when he tries to relocate to a secluded house near the Cader, Julia becomes fearful and tries to persuade him otherwise. This episode saw the TV debut of Charlotte Rampling (Broadchurch) in the role of Julia Lambert.

The New Catacomb (A Scandalous Tale) is the 9th episode of the series. In Rome, Lee has discovered a new catacomb, rumours of which attract his rival, the Hon. Hugo Danvers (Barry Justice – The Doctors), a very confident young man to whom seduction is an art. Each girl he meets is a challenge and when he meets Monkhouse Lee’s girlfriend Mary Bradshaw (Marian Diamond – Brookside), his interest is aroused. She falls desperately in love with Hugo—but when the question of marriage is raised, his interest fades. Lee decides to take his revenge—in a sinister way.

Redhanded (A Bloody Tale) was next. An adaptation of ‘The Story of B 24’—a burglar, Bates (Norman Rossington – A Hard Day’s Night), fiercely protests his innocence when accused of the murder of Lord Mannering in his stately home. At the trial it is his word against that of the respected Lady Mannering (Georgina Ward – Weavers Green). Is Bates guilty or innocent? When Tom refuses to help the man prepare his case, Vicky steps in.

The Black Doctor (A Strange Tale) is the 11th episode, an adaptation of ‘The Story of the Black Doctor.’ Frances Norton (Suzanne Neve – The Portrait of a Lady) is engaged to Dr. Manuel Lana (Ray Chiarella – Jason King) but is dumbfounded when he calls off their engagement without notice. Suddenly he dies and the Police Inspector says it is murder, accusing Frances’s brother Arthur (Philip Bond – The Onedin Line). But is it murder? This episode features Jack Wild (H.R. Pufnstuf), Noel Howlett (Please Sir!) and George Layton (Doctor in the House).

The Beetle Hunter (A Mysterious Tale) is the 12th episode. Philip Hardacre answers an advertisement in The Times and soon finds himself employed by the eccentric (some might say sinister) Lord Linchmere (Marius Goring – The Scarlet Pimpernel) who wants him to befriend his brother-in-law, the reclusive Sir Thomas Rossiter (Eugene Deckers – The Rat Catchers) and help him catalogue his enormous collection of beetles. But life at Delamere Court has its mystery and Philip discovers that he must solve it. This story also features Nicholas Smith (Are You Being Served?).

The thirteenth and final story is Playing with Fire (A Haunted Tale). Harvey Deacon (Peter Bowles – To The Manor Born) has come to stay with Vicky and Tom. Vicky soon discovers that Mr. Deacon believes she possesses psychic powers. Vicky is dismissive of spiritualism. Deacon arranges that they all take part in a séance and convinces Vicky that she could act as medium for a frustrated local artist, Oliver Mountjoy Bunn (John Cazabon – The Prisoner), which takes a terrifying turn. Is it really possible to communicate with the other side?

Reviewing the last episode for The Stage, author and critic N. Alice Frick enthused over the acting of Michele Dotrice as well as Peter Bowles' cool-headed investigator of psychic phenomena "not to be taken in by the charlatanry of Madame Florence (Frances Cuka – Friday Night Dinner) and her assistant (John Savident – Coronation Street) but convinced of the genuine powers visited upon Vicky."

Taken as a whole, the series, written by John Hawksworth, stands as a compelling showcase of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s range beyond Sherlock Holmes, blending horror, romance, comedy, and mystery into a richly varied anthology. With its strong performances, atmospheric storytelling, and evident affection for the source material, it demonstrated that Doyle’s lesser-known works could be just as engaging and dramatically effective as his more famous creations, leaving a lasting impression despite formidable competition at the time. Unfortunately, the series does not reside in the BBC's archives.