Martin’s Close, on PBS

Judge George Jeffreys was the Roy Bean of the Stuart Era. The hanging judge probably made his share of ghosts if you believe in that sort of thing. However, a haunting allegedly plays a role in a case the old witch-finder presides over in Mark Gatiss’s Martin’s Close, based on another M.R. James short story, which airs this month on participating PBS stations.

Frankly, an elitist squire like John Martin never really believed the law applied to him, but it most definitely does when Judge Jeffreys presides. He might be over-zealous, but the ancient jurist is incorruptible. Nevertheless, this case will be unconventional.

Martin stands accused of murdering Ann Clark, a “simple” village girl, whom the squire “trifled” with, for his own ironic amusement. Tragically, when her clinginess grew inconvenient, he somehow disposed of her, permanently. However, according to witnesses called by Dolben, the King’s Counsel, Clark’s ghost returned to implicate her murderer.

In terms of fairness, this might be one of Judge Jeffreys’ best trials. However, from a modern legal perspective, much of the proceedings with be highly questionable. It also rather prompts an odd question. If the accused did indeed murder someone, but they return as a ghost, should the resulting sentence be reduced, since the victim is not completely gone?

One thing is certain, nobody would want to be prosecuted by anyone who resembles Peter Capaldi. In this adaptation, four or five characters receive roughly equal screen-time, but Capaldi is just as magnetically watchable as ever portraying crafty Dolben. Elliot Levey is rather pompous, in an aptly judgy kind of way as sour old Jeffreys.

As a bonus, Simon Williams (who appeared in the folk horror cult favorite Blood on Satan’s Claw, the Amicus anthology The Uncanny, and the Peter Sellers spoof The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu) delivers some refreshingly boozy comic relief as the port-imbibing narrator, who acquired the transcripts of the case on the collectors’ market.

Martin’s Close is a cleverly constructed ghost yarn that is probably even more effective on the printed page, but Gatiss and his well-chosen ensemble successfully translate its essence to the screen. It is a jolly spooky tale that will appeal to fans of the British horror tradition, particularly as represented by M.R. James and the Amicus studio. Highly recommended for fans of James and Capaldi, Martin’s Close airs this Friday (10/18) on Louisiana Public TV, 10/27 in Dayton, and 11/1 in North Texas, as well as other participating PBS stations. It also streams on BritBox and Tubi.