presents   THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST     Following on from Six of the Best, on Saturday 6th December 2003 Kaleidoscope presented The Ghosts of Christmas Past, a special evening of programmes with a festive theme:   WHODUNNIT - "A Piece Of Cake" (Thames, 26th December 1974)   London 1928 - Captain Anderson is murdered at the family Christmas Eve meal. But whodunnit? Nicola Pagett and Ronald Hines are the most recognisable names amongst the actors - Patrick Mower, Wendy Craig, Derek Nimmo and Leslie Crowther try to solve the mystery aided (or hindered) by chairman Jon Pertwee who coincidentally appeared in a film called A Piece Of Cake in 1948.   MARKHEIM (Scottish, 24th December 1974)   A Christmas tale of treachery in Victorian times based on a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Stars Derek Jacobi in the title role and Julian Glover as the "stranger". Directed by Tina Wakerell.   DEEP AND CRISP AND STOLEN (Rediffusion, 21st December 1964)   Comedy-drama from the pen of Dave Freeman. Raymond Francis in dual role as No Hiding Place's Det. Supt. Lockhart and small-time crook, Percy Turner, both being involved - on one side of the law or the other - in a plan to steal the Christmas Eve takings from Tarringes department store. Also features Dennis Price, Maggie Fitzgibbon and a host of Rediffusion stars including Muriel Young in a rabbit costume.   Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without WALLACE AND GROMIT and, as a special festive treat we showed two of their lesser-known appearances, in "The Christmas Cardomatic" and "The Snowmanotron", short films from CRACKING CONTRAPTIONS.   All this was interspersed with extracts from 1973's CHRISTMAS NIGHT WITH THE STARS.   The evening, complete with a Christmas tree, mince pies and liquid refreshment, proved a great success and a fine way to round off Kaleidoscope's activities for 2003. Thanks to everyone who attended.   As usual, The Ghosts of Christmas Past was in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and we had another successful night of fund-raising for this worthy cause. Donations from this evening came to £48.57, bringing Kaleidoscope's total raised for the RNLI in 2003 to £430.33 and our overall total since 1994 to £3268.26.     Back to Kaleidoscope Home Page