Hammer Horror fans in the UK are in for a treat next month as The Horror Channel broadcasts a month-long season of classic Hammer films and TV shows, hosted by film critic Kim Newman.

As Newman commented “Where else would you find proper British acting, low-cut nighties, Cushing and Lee, ripping excitement and a touch or two of proper creepiness?.” Not to mention bats puking blood, the first decent zombie film, snake women, soul transplants, gratuitous nudity and Valerie Leon's remarkable cleavage...

The season is a mixed bag of Hammer films from the 1960s and 70s, with the surprisingly gory Scars of Dracula (pictured), Frankenstein Created Woman, the excellent Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb and mid-Sixties classics Plague of the Zombies and The Reptile, as well as all thirteen episodes of the legendary 1980 TV series Hammer House of Horror.

With Hammer Films rarely appearing on TV these days, this is a welcome season of classic horror!

The Horror Channel is on Sky 319 / Virgin 149 / Freesat 138.