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The coolest priest to ever ride a motorbike and talk about skyquakes is back! Fans of legendary paranormal TV series Fortean TV will be delighted to hear the Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe, presenter of the show, is back, as a guest star in Kestel Investigates.

A web series that began screening online in 2018 and is now between its second and third season, Kestrel Investigates follows inept paranormal investigator Agravain Kestrel (Stephen Mosley) and his reluctant documentarian Mike, played by writer-director Oliver Semple. The pair previously worked on the fantasy-comedy film Kenneth, directed and co-written by Peter Anthony Farren, now streaming on Amazon.

Reverend Fanthorpe, now aged 88 and retired, became involved after the idea of A Christmas Carol-style story was pitched to him by the creators: “Filming with the Kestrel team brought me as much fun and excitement as working on Fortean TV – and it made me feel twenty years younger!” says Fanthorpe, who hosted Fortean TV from 29 January 1997 to 6 March 1998 on Channel 4.

Filmmakers Semple and producer Miles Watts (whose own web series Zomblogalypse has just been given the movie treatment) will be releasing online teasers ahead of the episode which airs on Christmas Eve, following Kestrel and his cameraman Mike as they are dragged unwillingly through a series of Scrooge-like visions. Oliver Semple: “Kestrel is thinking about quitting his paranormal investigations until he is visited three ghosts, kicked off by a zoom call from Lionel Fanthorpe in place of Marley’s ghost, with each ghost trying to convince Kestrel that for the good of mankind, he must not give up!

“Kestrel Investigates is very British in that it follows in the footsteps of classic sitcoms like Steptoe & Son or Only Fools and Horses: humour mixed with working class misery and pathos. I’m also a huge fan of Christmas, so this is our take on the classic Dickens tale. Working with Rev. Lionel Fanthorpe has been a dream come true for us, as we were all huge fans of Fortean TV back in the day – and he was an absolute gentleman to work with.”

You can subscribe to watch the episode on the Kestrel Investigates YouTube channel, and by searching for Kestrel Investigates on all social media outlets.