The Ice House is the last of the eight short films originally broadcast as part of the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas series of the 1970s, the first not directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark; Clark had become a freelance director and was working for ITV. The film was instead directed by Derek Lister. It was first shown on BBC One on 25 December 1978. Like its predecessor, it was an original story. It was written by John Bowen who had earlier adapted The Treasure of Abbot Thomas in 1974. The film stars John Stride, Geoffrey Burridge and Elizabeth Romilly.