If you read our news pages regularly you'll already know that independent production company Carnival Films have made three fantasy-tinged shows for the Beeb. And we've just learnt that two of them will be airing in a couple of weeks' time. (A week ago, they told us "June". Honestly... Makes you pull your hair out sometimes, this job. Anyhow...)
First up is a return for Sea of Souls, the series based around the parapsychology department of a fictional Scottish university. A one-off two-part special will air on Tuesday 17 and Thursday 19 April.
The storyline sees a young couple buying a derelict manor house. As they renovate it, they discover strange symbols painted on the floorboards (bloody students, eh?). It turns out that the house was once used by an occult group called The Golden Dawn, led by one Robert Dunbar, played by Primeval's Douglas Henshall. Sadly, he will not be accompanied by pop pixie Hannah Spearitt, in her skimpy little pants. Except in the director's cut in my mind.
Then there's Life Line, a "supernatural love story" penned by Stephen Gallagher, the man behind Eleventh Hour, Oktober, and the Doctor Who stories "Warriors' Gate" and "Terminus". This is also a one-off two-parter, and will air on Tuesday 24 and Thursday 26 April.
Ray Stevenson plays the main character, Peter. After a love affair turns to tragedy, "Peter begins to doubt his sanity as events take a series of unexpected and incredible turns". Blimey. He finds a card for a mysterious organisation called Life Line, and his phone calls to it offer some answers. Then the arrival of a stranger throws his life into confusion, and he realises that "nothing and no-one are as they seem..." They never are, are they?
As yet, there's no word on the third fantasy show we're expecting from Carnival Films - Empathy, which is billed as "the story of an ex-con whose paranormal visions assist the police in the hunt for a murderer". We'll keep you posted. Chances are, the BBC will probably plop it into the April schedule next week, they seem to like doing that sort of thing...
