Well, friends… it’s Gothic Week at Cozy Comfort Club, and we’re stepping inside some houses where I would have questions before agreeing to stay the night!
In this episode, we explore what makes a story Gothic, a little of its literary history, and how those ideas appear in British television and film.
Then we work our way from cozy ghost hunting to darker, more unsettling stories, with three picks on PBS Masterpiece, BritBox, and Acorn TV, plus a bonus outside our usual platforms.
And of course, I have two books for your TBR, too!
In This Episode
What Makes a Story Gothic?
We chat about:
* Why Gothic storytelling involves more than ghosts and old houses
* Unsettling places, buried secrets, unequal power, and a past that refuses to stay in the past
* How grief, guilt, and obsession can haunt a story
* Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto and the development of Gothic fiction
* How Gothic literature connects to television, film, and the atmosphere of Halloween
* Classic films to explore, including The Innocents, The Haunting, and Hammer’s Dracula
The Lighter Side: Agatha Raisin & the Haunted House
Our Acorn TV pick is Agatha Raisin & the Haunted House, Season 3, Episode 1.
We chat about:
* Agatha’s newly opened detective agency and a ghost-hunting investigation at Ivy Hall
* How the episode borrows Gothic elements while keeping its cozy mystery humor
* The house’s troubling history and uncertainty about its apparent haunting
* Ashley Jensen, Mathew Horne, Jamie Glover, and the ensemble’s banter
* Why I think you can enjoy this mystery without watching the entire series first
My rating: 4.25 out of 5 starsMy cozy rating: 4.75 out of 5Where to watch: Acorn TV
Gothic Period Drama: The Miniaturist
Our PBS pick is The Miniaturist, adapted from Jessie Burton’s novel.
We chat about:
* Nella’s arrival in a secretive household in 1686 Amsterdam
* The historical setting, religious expectations, wealth, and social restrictions
* A miniature replica of the family home that seems to reveal more than it should
* The uncanny, domestic power, and the question of whom Nella can trust
* The relationships and performances that made this such a memorable watch for me
My rating: 4.75 out of 5 starsMy cozy rating: 2.75 out of 5Where to watch: PBS with PBS PassportLength: Three episodes, approximately 53 minutes each
A Classic Ghost Story: The Turn of the Screw
Our BritBox pick is the adaptation starring Jodhi May, Colin Firth, Pam Ferris, and Caroline Pegg.
We chat about:
* Henry James’s Gothic novella and its isolated country estate, Bly
* A young governess hired to care for Flora and Miles
* Apparitions, household secrets, and uncertainty about what we’re seeing
* Jodhi May’s performance as the governess becomes increasingly unsettled
* Why you should manage your expectations if you’re watching for Colin Firth!
I’m keeping the ending to myself, but this one left me with plenty to think about.
Where to watch: BritBoxLength: Approximately 90 minutes
Darker Bonus: The Living and the Dead
My bonus pick is The Living and the Dead, the 2016 supernatural drama starring Colin Morgan and Charlotte Spencer.
This is a first-impressions discussion based on episode one, rather than a full-season review.
We chat about:
* Nathan and Charlotte Appleby returning to their family farm in Somerset in 1894
* Nathan’s work in psychology and his search for rational explanations
* Grief, painful memories, and the possibility of supernatural haunting
* The contrast between beautiful countryside and disturbing events
* Why I’m interested in continuing the series for Halloween
Where to watch: Free with ads on Tubi; also listed with a Prime Video subscriptionLength: One season, six episodes of approximately an hour each
Streaming availability can change.
Gothic Books for Your TBR
We talk about:
* Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: An isolated house, a secretive family, and a young woman trying to understand what’s happening to her cousin in 1950s Mexico. I’m halfway through, so I’m sharing reading-in-progress thoughts rather than a final review.
* The Clinic by Cate Quinn: A psychological thriller set at a remote rehabilitation clinic. I discuss its Gothic elements, including isolation, vulnerability, unequal power, and a place of care becoming threatening.
I read The Clinic in May 2025 and gave it 5 out of 5 stars. With my background in psychology and marriage and family therapy, it felt like reading a mysterious case study!
Content Notes
These picks vary considerably in tone. My cozy ratings describe my personal viewing experience.
* Agatha Raisin & the Haunted House: Murder and spooky scenes.
* The Miniaturist: Death, distressing childbirth scenes, violence, harm to animals, racial bigotry, persecution, homophobia, and sexual content.
* The Turn of the Screw: Suicide, death, disturbing scenes involving children, and themes of child abuse.
* The Living and the Dead: My episode-one discussion includes bereavement, references to child death, and disturbing possession-like scenes involving a teenage girl.
The books also explore heavier subjects, including grief, addiction, trauma, racism, and threatening situations. These notes are not exhaustive.
Gothic References & Further Reading
These sources helped inform the episode’s discussion of Gothic storytelling:
* “Gothic motifs” by Professor John Bowen, British LibraryAn introduction to recurring Gothic features, including the uncanny, threatening places, power, and supernatural uncertainty.
* “Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film,” British Film InstituteA discussion of Gothic literature’s influence on film and television.
* The Innocents: Gothic classroom resource, British Film InstituteFurther reading on the classic screen adaptation of The Turn of the Screw.
* “The Living and the Dead captures Victorian anxieties about science and the supernatural,” University of OxfordBackground on the series’ treatment of science and supernatural belief. Contains discussion of later episodes.
The connections between these ideas and my selected picks reflect my own interpretations and viewing responses.
Spooky Month at Cozy Comfort Club
I created a CCC Spooky Month Bingo Board so we can play along together throughout October.
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Keep Track of Your Fall Watchlist
If your fall watchlist is already getting out of control…mine too.
I created the Cozy Comfort Club Fall Watchlist & Tracker, a $5 digital download to help you organize what you want to watch, keep track of what you’ve started and finished, and plan a few cozy nights in.
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Discussion About This Episode
Which pick is going on your watchlist?
Do you prefer cozy ghost hunting, a secretive period-drama household, or something darker?
What British show gives you the strongest Gothic feeling? And which fictional house would you absolutely refuse to stay in?
Tell me your picks!
Come for murder, stay for tea.
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