[3] An impressionable young governess (Jodhi May), the youngest daughter of a poor Hampshire parson, is employed by the Master (Colin Firth) to take charge of his orphaned nephew and niece.

The young woman, known as 'Miss' to her charges, finds a friend and ally in the housekeeper, Mrs Grose (Pam Ferris), but soon comes to believe that the orphans are communicating with the ghosts of the previous governess and her lover.

A review in Variety said: Filmed countless times for both the bigscreen and the tube, Henry James' timeless ghost story still carries a provocative charge.

This straightforward, solid adaptation for Masterpiece Theatre brings nothing especially new to the rich material, but fine performances and a seamless production deliver the requisite chills.

[4] Walter Goodman, the critic of The New York Times, wrote: Despite the periodic scenes of the unstable governess running around the stately mansion bearing a candle that does little to lighten the gloomy staircase and corridors, the apparitions or ghosts are not particularly spooky...[5] Actress Jodhi May, who played the unnamed governess in the drama, said that she believed that Nick Dear's adaptation focused on the darkness of the novel: He has captured in his version her constantly having a sense of doubt whether the children are innocent or incredibly sophisticated.