Crackanory is set to return for a fourth series on Dave in January with lots of TVO names attached. Here’s what we can expect from the eight new episodes…

A Close Shave

Monday 30th January at 10pm

Written by Tony Way, narrated by Dara O’Briain.

Set in ancient Rome, a slave who works in a playwright’s household helps him finish his latest opus. Little does he know he’s effectively conceived his own death.

Living with a Lie

Tuesday 31st January at 10pm

Written by Nico Tatarowicz, narrated by Sheridan Smith.

A frustrated writer fabricates an elderly relative to get time off work to start his novel. But when the doorbell goes and ‘Aunt Janet’ is standing on his doorstep, he realises his lie has come to life and he’s got to deal with the old battle-axe for real.

The Despot of Tea

Wednesday 1st February at 10pm

Written by Arnold Widdowson, narrated by Bob Mortimer.

An out of work actor does an advert for tea in an isolated former Soviet state, only to return years later to find that his character Sir SlurpingtonBoots is a national treasure.

The Survivor

Thursday 2nd February at 10pm

Written by Alex Kirk, narrated by Anna Friel.

1850. A man wakes after a long illness and he finds he’s being cared for by a group of strangers and a beautiful woman. If he is really their ‘guest’ as they keep insisting, why isn’t he allowed out of the house?

Proxy Lady

Monday 6th February at 10pm

Written by Katherine Jakeways, narrated by Mel Giedroyc.

Beth is contacted out of the blue by a reclusive girl who used her picture on a dating website and has now met the love of her life. Is Beth willing to go and meet him in her place?

Devil’s Haircut

Tuesday 7th February at 10pm

Written by Sarah Morgan, narrated by Doc Brown.

Set in 1940s New York. A baritone in a barbershop quartet unwittingly sells his soul to the devil to ensure his group wins the national finals.

The Disappearance

Wednesday 8th February at 10pm

Written by Toby Davies, narrated by Mackenzie Crook.

London 1910. An illusionist performs his routine ‘the lady vanishes’ act, only to find that she disappears without a trace. So he begins to wonder if he’s acquired genuine magic powers.

Pickled 

Thursday 9th February at 10pm

Written by Kevin Eldon, narrated by Miriam Margolyes.

A down on his luck former aristocrat who squanders away his fortune, stumbles upon an old house with a mysterious inhabitant.

Throughout the series, the cast bringing these stories to life alongside the star narrators will include Nicholas Burns, Alex Kirk, Steve Oram, Nico Tatarowicz, Gareth Tunley and Ellie White.

Episodes from the first three series of Crackanory are available to watch via UKTV Play whenever you like, and for those of you  outside the UK, a selection of stories can be seen through director Richard Pengelley’s Vimeo account.