历史上最受争议的短篇电视连续剧之一，当导演佛朗哥.泽菲雷里公开宣布他在本片中是把耶稣当作一般人、而不是宗教偶像来描写时，电视剧遭到了有关方面的仔细检查并引起争议。宗教激进分子们甚至在电视剧于1977年4月3日在电视台首播之前就开始表示强烈的抗议，尽管很多赞助商表示不 再支持这部电视剧，但NBC还是决定如期播放它，结果取得了出人意料的效果，使得本片成为有史以来最成功的电视剧之一

Scholar Dr. Black's seemingly mundane assignment of sorting through the assets of the Barchester Cathedral library takes an eerie turn when he comes across the papers of the late Archdeacon, who plotted to gain his position through murder. However, he soon comes to discover something truly horrific about the wooden choir stalls in the church, which are tied to a famous local tree and a sinister local legend.