''Ghostwatch'' is a British
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
–
horror/
pseudo-documentary
A pseudo-documentary or fake documentary is a film or video production that takes the form or style of a documentary film but does not portray real events. Rather, scripted and fictional elements are used to tell the story. The pseudo-documentary, ...
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
, first broadcast on
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
on
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
night, 1992. Written by
Stephen Volk
Stephen Volk (born 3 July 1954) is a Welsh screenwriter and novelist who specializes in the horror genre. , and directed by Lesley Manning, the drama was produced for the BBC anthology series ''
Screen One
''Screen One'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide, that was transmitted on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. A total of six series were broadcast, incorporating sixty individual films, ...
'' by Richard Broke, Ruth Baumgarten and Derek Nelson.
Despite having been recorded weeks in advance, the narrative was presented as
live television
Live television is a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. In a secondary meaning, it may refer to streaming television over the Internet when content or programming is played continuously (not on demand) ...
. During and following its first and only UK television broadcast, the show attracted a considerable furor, resulting in an estimated 1,000,000 phone call enquiries to the BBC switchboard on the night of broadcast, comprising a mixture of complaints and praise for the programme's unique presentation.
''Ghostwatch'' has never been repeated on UK television. It has been repeated internationally, on stations such as the Canadian digital channel
Scream
Scream may refer to:
*Screaming, a loud vocalization
Amusement rides
* Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany
* Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England
* Scream! (roller coaster), at ...
for Halloween 2004, and the Belgian channel
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handbags ...
in 2008. From 2017 to 2019, ''Ghostwatch'' was available on the American streaming video service
Shudder
Shudder may refer to:
*Shivering
* ''Shudder'' (album), a 2008 album by American band Bayside
*Shudder (streaming service)
Shudder is an American over-the-top subscription video on demand service featuring horror, thriller and supernatural fic ...
, and was made available on the
Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
in 2017.
There have been two UK home video releases. In 2002, the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
released a 10th Anniversary edition on
VHS and
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
, and in 2011,
101 Films issued a DVD release. In 2016,
BBC Store
BBC Store was a video on demand store that launched in the UK on 5 November 2015 and opened the BBC Archive to consumers, allowing them to buy episodes or series of a show and download them (using dedicated BBC Store apps). BBC Store was approve ...
made the film available as part of the ''Frightmares'' collection, marking Halloween.
A retrospective documentary, ''
Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains'', based on the film's lasting impact, was released on DVD in 2013 (having been in production between 2007 and 2012), featuring interviews with many of the original cast and crew. It too was made available as part of the BBC Store ''Frightmares'' collection, and shortly after release, the
BFI Mediatheque
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
.
Overview
Plot summary
''Ghostwatch'' is presented as a live broadcast, hosted by
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...
, in an attempt to present concrete evidence of paranormal phenomena. To achieve this, the programme launches an on-air investigation into a house in the fictional Foxhill Drive,
Northolt, Greater London. Pamela Early (
Brid Brennan
Brigid ( , ; meaning 'exalted one' from Old Irish),Campbell, MikBehind the Name.See also Xavier Delamarre, ''brigantion / brigant-'', in ''Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise'' (Éditions Errance, 2003) pp. 87–88: "Le nom de la sainte irlandais ...
) and her daughters Suzanne (Michelle Wesson) and Kim (Cherise Wesson) are tormented by a
poltergeist
In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descr ...
referred to by Kim as “Mr. Pipes”, his name originating from the noises made by the house’s plumbing. Pipes routinely possesses and harms Suzanne, and is said to dwell in the house’s
basement
A basement or cellar is one or more floors of a building that are completely or partly below the ground floor. It generally is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, ...
, referred to as the “Glory Hole”.
Parkinson is supported by fellow hosts
Sarah Greene
Elizabeth Sarah Greene (born 24 October 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She co-presented ''Blue Peter'' from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted the Saturday-morning series ''Saturday Superstore'' and ''Going Live!''.
Ea ...
, who ventures into the house to spend the night with the Earlys; her husband
Mike Smith, who oversees staged phone calls from the public who wish to share their own ghost stories; and comedian
Craig Charles
Craig Joseph Charles (born 11 July 1964) is an English actor, comedian, television and radio presenter. He is best known for his roles as Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera ''Coronation ...
, who interviews the locals regarding the street’s violent history. Greene is accompanied by her camera crew, Chris Miller and Mike Aiton, played by actual BBC technicians. Parkinson is joined in the studio by Dr. Lin Pascoe (
Gillian Bevan
Gillian Bevan (born 13 February 1956) is an English actress, best known for her roles in British television shows and West End theatre.
In 1988 she played Dorothy in the Royal Shakespeare Company's revival of their version of '' The Wizard of O ...
), a psychologist studying the phenomena.
At first, the broadcast seems harmless, but supernatural phenomena occur in the house, until Suzanne is exposed making noises, convincing Parkinson that the whole affair is a hoax. Suzanne then speaks with a demonic voice and develops scratches across her arms. The public share their ghost stories, but numerous callers mention they have seen Pipes lurking in the house, and that paranormal incidents are happening in their own homes.
Pipes’ background is slowly pieced together. An interviewed neighbour mentions of Mother Seddons, a Victorian
baby farmer
Baby farming is the historical practice of accepting custody of an infant or child in exchange for payment in late-Victorian era, Victorian Britain and, less commonly, in Australia and the United States. If the infant was young, this usually in ...
, who murdered children, reimagined as a
bogeyman
The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...
by the locals. Later, an anonymous call from Pipes’
probation officer
A probation and parole officer is an official appointed or sworn to investigate, report on, and supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation or those released from incarceration to community supervision such as parole. Most probati ...
reveals he is named Raymond Tunstall, a disturbed paedophile who believed he was possessed by Seddons, hanging himself in the Glory Hole, where his body was eaten by his relatives’ cats.
As the house grows increasingly more dangerous, Suzanne disappears and is heard from within the locked Glory Hole. The camera crew force the door open, only for a mirror to fall and wound Aiton. Abruptly, the footage shows the house has returned to normal. However, Pascoe realises the footage is from earlier in the broadcast. She realises that Pipes has used the broadcast to create a nationwide
séance
A séance or seance (; ) is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word ''séance'' comes from the French word for "session", from the Old French ''seoir'', "to sit". In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, spe ...
circle, invading the public's homes. The live broadcast resumes as Pamela, Kim, and the injured Aiton are evacuated from the house. Inside, Greene and Miller attempt to rescue Suzanne, but Greene is dragged through the cellar door, which slams shut.
The programme concludes with Pipes taking over the studio, causing all on-set save Parkinson to flee. Parkinson wanders about in the darkened studio, beginning to show signs that he has been possessed by Pipes.
Behind the scenes
The story is based on the tale of the
Enfield Poltergeist
The Enfield poltergeist was a claim of supernatural activity at 284 Green Street, a council house in Brimsdown, Enfield, London, England, United Kingdom, between 1977 and 1979. The alleged poltergeist activity centred around sisters Janet (11) ...
. The presentation contained realistic elements which suggested to a casual viewer that it was an actual documentary. The studio scenes were recorded in Studio D, BBC Elstree Studios, Clarendon Road. The scenes at the house and the street were all shot on location around 5–6 weeks before the recording of the studio scenes. The recorded scenes in the house and street were then played into the studio, where Michael Parkinson, Mike Smith, and the fictional Dr. Pascoe had to interact with them.
A phone number was shown on the screen so that viewers could "call in" and discuss ghostly phenomena. The number was the standard BBC call-in number at the time, 081 811 8181 (also used on programmes such as ''
Going Live!
''Going Live!'' was a British children's television series that aired on BBC1 from 26 September 1987 to 17 April 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Annabel Giles, Phillip ...
''), and callers who got through were connected first to a message telling them that the show was fictional, before being given the chance to share their own ghost stories. However, the phone number was besieged by callers during the showing and many people who telephoned simply got an engaged tone. This commonly happened when phoning BBC "call in" shows and inadvertently added to the realism instead of reassuring viewers that it was fiction.
''Ghostwatch'' was originally conceived by writer Stephen Volk as a six-part drama (similar to ''
Edge of Darkness
''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and politica ...
'') in which a fictional paranormal investigator and a TV reporter investigate poltergeist activity at a North London housing estate, gradually discovering more elements of the mystery each week. This would have culminated in the final episode in a live TV broadcast from the property, in the vein of
Nigel Kneale
Thomas Nigel Kneale (28 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter who wrote professionally for more than 50 years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and was twice nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British S ...
's ''
The Quatermass Experiment
''The Quatermass Experiment'' is a British science fiction serial broadcast by BBC Television during the summer of 1953 and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells th ...
'' and ''
Quatermass and the Pit
''Quatermass and the Pit'' is a British television science-fiction serial transmitted live by BBC Television in December 1958 and January 1959. It was the third and last of the BBC's ''Quatermass'' serials, although the chief character, Profe ...
'', in both of which "all hell breaks loose". However, when producer Ruth Baumgarten doubted the viability of an entire mini-series and recommended instead a 90-minute TV special, Volk suggested that they "do the whole thing like Episode Six", portraying it as an actual "live" broadcast fronted by well-known TV personalities.
The BBC, however, became concerned about the effect the broadcast would have on the public and very nearly pulled the show shortly before broadcast. Ultimately they insisted on adding opening credits including the writer's name, in addition to a ''Screen One'' title sequence.
Supernatural depictions
The ghost
The film's fictional villainous spectre, referred to by the children as "Pipes" and credited simply as "Ghost", is depicted as a merging of negative spiritual energies, which parapsychologist Dr. Pascoe theorises have been accumulating for years, possibly back to prehistory. Its physical appearance mostly resembles that of deceased child molester Raymond Tunstall, a fictional character who, it is revealed by a phone-in caller, killed himself at the haunted property some time in the 1960s after himself being possessed by the entity. His eyes are missing and his face is badly mauled, owing to Tunstall locking himself up with his multiple pet cats prior to his suicide, and the cats having "gotten hungry" in the week prior to the discovery of Tunstall's body. The entity also wears a black woman's dress, likely that of "baby farmer" and child killer Mother Seddons.
It is suggested that the character of Suzanne Early may become the next "layer" in the ghost's spiritual make-up, and in the final moments of the film the entity possesses television host Michael Parkinson.
In May 2010, at a public screening of the film at
The Invisible Dot in Camden, director
Lesley Manning revealed that she provided the voice of Pipes the ghost after the professional voice artist hired for the production could not accurately replicate the style of voice she had intended.
Technology
Many methods familiar to modern
ghost-hunting shows such as ''
Most Haunted
''Most Haunted'' is a British paranormal reality television series. Following complaints, the broadcast regulator, Ofcom, ruled that it was an entertainment show, not a legitimate investigation into the paranormal, and "should not be taken seri ...
'' are demonstrated in the show, some of which were either genuine state-of-the-art technology at the time or simulated to give the idea they were real. The house was allegedly equipped with motion detectors, temperature sensors, and covert cameras. The temperature sensors were referred to as being able to check for dramatic changes in temperature that ghost hunters link to real-life ghost sightings. One major feature of the show was a genuine
thermographic camera
Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal video and/or thermal imaging, is a process where a thermal camera captures and creates an image of an object by using infrared radiation emitted from the object in a process, which are examples of infrared ...
, which, although it did not pick up any ghosts, came in very handy when all the lights failed at the end of the show.
Ghostly depictions
The programme makers used many examples of allegedly paranormal
phenomena
A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfried W ...
. During the course of the programme there are many references to characters being allegedly
possessed
Possessed may refer to:
Possession
* Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else
** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body
*** ...
by a ghost who, whilst doing so, maniacally recites nursery rhymes. This happens in a tape recording of the eldest daughter Suzanne, later in a 'live' section to the same character and eventually
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...
himself is seen to be possessed. The show references temperature changes being linked to ghosts and claims to be monitoring the temperature in each room of the house to check for this. Mutilated household objects are shown which were purportedly analysed by the Army and found to have been subjected to rapid temperature change. In both alleged recordings and live segments of the show we see objects moving of their own accordwhich, it is claimed, is a result of
poltergeist
In ghostlore, a poltergeist ( or ; German for "rumbling ghost" or "noisy spirit") is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descr ...
activityalso, a perfectly round patch of water appears on the living room carpet, and animal scratch marks appear on Suzanne's face. Banging noises are intermittently heard during the climax of the show. At one point the producers play on this by exposing Suzanne as the one causing the banging noises, creating a hoax within a hoax. However, this later occurs when both girls are accounted for. Near the end of the programme, when a wind whips through the studio, the cups and plates brought in by Dr. Pascoe as evidence of the poltergeist activity in the house begin to move on their own, and one cup falls onto the studio floor and smashes into pieces. Although the ghost of the story is only heard to speak through the voices of others we hear the disembodied sounds of cats whenever phenomena are taking place.
Controversy
Although ''Ghostwatch'' was aired under the ''
Screen One
''Screen One'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and distributed by BBC Worldwide, that was transmitted on BBC One from 1989 to 1998. A total of six series were broadcast, incorporating sixty individual films, ...
'' drama banner, its documentary style led many viewers to believe the events were real, causing much controversy after the show's airing. The BBC was besieged with 30,000 phone calls from irate and frightened viewers, including Parkinson's elderly mother, and British
tabloids and other newspapers criticised the BBC the next day for the disturbing nature of some scenes, such as Greene's final scene where she is locked in an under-stairs cupboard with the howling ghost, and Parkinson's eerie possession scene.
A false rumour persisted that
Sarah Greene
Elizabeth Sarah Greene (born 24 October 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She co-presented ''Blue Peter'' from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted the Saturday-morning series ''Saturday Superstore'' and ''Going Live!''.
Ea ...
had advertised the programme on her Saturday morning children's show ''
Going Live
''Going Live!'' was a British children's television series that aired on BBC1 from 26 September 1987 to 17 April 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Annabel Giles, Phillip Hod ...
'', including a visit to the location of the "haunting," and gave the impression that she was taking part in a "reality show." This rumour was debunked via the ''Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtain'' blog (which gathered information for a documentary about the show). After acquiring the three most likely episodes of ''Going Live'' (the week before, the day ''Ghostwatch'' was shown, and the week after) the blog's editors found no reference to the show. Greene did however appear on the following Monday's
Children's BBC
BBC Children's and Education is the BBC division responsible for media content for children in the UK. Since the launch of specially dedicated television channels in 2002, the services have been marketed under two brands. CBBC (short for Chil ...
strand to reassure younger viewers the show was not real.
The programme has yet to be repeated in full on any UK-based television channel, following its initial broadcast.
Psychological effects
A number of psychological effects were reported in ''Ghostwatch''s wake:
Eighteen-year-old factory worker Martin Denham, who suffered from
learning difficulties and had a
mental age
Mental age is a concept related to intelligence. It looks at how a specific individual, at a specific age, performs intellectually, compared to average intellectual performance for that individual's actual chronological age (i.e. time elapsed sin ...
of 13, took his own life five days after the programme aired. The family home had suffered with a faulty
central heating
A central heating system provides warmth to a number of spaces within a building from one main source of heat. It is a component of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (short: HVAC) systems, which can both cool and warm interior spaces.
...
system which had caused the
pipes to knock; Denham linked this to the activity in the show causing great worry. He left a suicide note reading "if there are ghosts I will be ... with you always as a ghost". His mother and stepfather, April and Percy Denham, blamed the BBC. They claimed that Martin was "hypnotised and obsessed" by the programme. The
Broadcasting Standards Commission
The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and mail, postal industries of the United Kingdom.
Ofcom has wide-ranging powers ...
refused their complaint, along with 34 others, as being outside their remit, but the High Court granted the Denhams' permission for a judicial review requiring the BSC to hear their complaint.
In its ruling, the BSC stated that "The BBC had a duty to do more than simply hint at the deception it was practising on the audience. In Ghostwatch there was a deliberate attempt to cultivate a sense of menace." They ruled that the programme was excessively distressing and graphicreferring to the scratches on the children and the reference to mutilated animalsand that it had aired too soon after the 9pm watershed. They further stated that "the presence in the programme of presenters familiar from children's programmes ... took some parents off-guard in deciding whether their children could continue to view."
The film's producers argued that ''Ghostwatch'' had aired during a drama slot, that it was recognisable as fiction to a vast majority, and that running disclaimers or other announcements during the programme would have ruined its effectiveness. They also stated that, had they anticipated the audience reaction, they would have made its fictional nature clearer. However, after the BSC ruling, they issued an apology.
Simons and Silveira published a report in the ''
British Medical Journal
''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origi ...
'' in February 1994, describing two cases of ''Ghostwatch''-induced
post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
in children, both 10-year-old boys. They stated that these were the first reported cases of PTSD caused by a television programme. Responses to the article described a further four cases in children aged between 11 and 14, as well as one case in an eight-year-old that stemmed from watching the pre-watershed
medical drama
A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...
''
Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster
**Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare
* The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
''. The respondents also noted the potential for similar reactions in elderly people. However, the conclusion of the article states "The rapid resolution of the children's symptoms suggests that the children suffered a brief anxiety reaction to the television programme; although they may have exhibited some of the features of post-traumatic stress disorder, this diagnosis in their cases is inappropriate."
Home media
The
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
released it on
VHS and Region 2
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
in November 2002.
British label 101 Films released a Blu-ray disc in late 2022, including ''Do You Believe in Ghosts?'', a new 30th anniversary documentary on the ''Ghostwatch'' phenomenon.
Legacy
Inspirations
''Ghostwatch'' has also been credited for being amongst the direct inspirations for several other successful, contemporary works.
A comment left by writer
Stephen Volk
Stephen Volk (born 3 July 1954) is a Welsh screenwriter and novelist who specializes in the horror genre. on the official ''Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains'' homepage claims that British illusionist
Derren Brown
Derren Brown (born 27 February 1971) is an English mentalist, illusionist, painter, and author. He began performing in 1992, making his television debut with ''Derren Brown: Mind Control'' in 2000, and has since produced several more shows fo ...
once told him that the film had at least partially inspired his similarly controversial "TV hoax" ''Séance''. This was later confirmed by Brown himself whilst being interviewed for the
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002 documentary ''Ghosts in the Machine''.
The makers of ''
The Blair Witch Project
''The Blair Witch Project'' is a 1999 American supernatural horror film written, directed and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez (director), Eduardo Sánchez. It is a fictional story of three student filmmakers—Heather Donahue, Mic ...
'' were reported to have seen the film before going on to make their own movie; however, when asked about this on the podcast, Diminishing Returns, the film's director, Eduardo Sanchez, stated that they were not made aware of the film until after ''The Blair Witch Project'' had been released.
More recently the creative team behind the 2020 British
Zoom
Zoom may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Zoom (software), videoconferencing application
* Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display
* Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...
-based
computer screen
A computer monitor is an output device that displays information in pictorial or textual form. A discrete monitor comprises a visual display, support electronics, power supply, housing, electrical connectors, and external user controls.
The di ...
horror film ''
Host
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
* Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
People
*Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman
* Michel Host ...
'' have credited ''Ghostwatch'' as an influence. Co-writer Jed Shepherd, who had appeared on a podcast with Volk prior to working on ''Host'', stated in an interview that he and his collaborators considered ''Host'' to be their version of ''Ghostwatch'', and noted that the film has "a lot of ''Ghostwatch'' references", including displaying a Zoom caller ID of 31101992, referring to the date of ''Ghostwatchs broadcast.
Sequel ('31/10')
As featured in his collection ''Dark Corners'', screenwriter Stephen Volk wrote a short story entitled ''31/10'', which is effectively a sequel to ''Ghostwatch''. The piece was later selected for "The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007: Twentieth Annual Collection", and nominated for the Horror Writers' Association (HWA) Bram Stoker Award, and British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story 2006.
The story itself centres on Volk taking part in a fictitious, 10th anniversary edition of ''Ghostwatch'' in 2002. Venturing into the previously sealed-off
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
studio space where the original show took place, he is accompanied by a small team of individuals whose lives were somehow affected by the broadcast, ten years previously.
A free PDF file of '31/10' can be found on writer Stephen Volk's official website.
''Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains''
''Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains'' is a retrospective documentary, completed in 2012 and released on DVD in 2013, chronicling the making of and reaction to ''Ghostwatch''.
The ''
Behind the Curtains'' subtitle is derived from where fictitious poltergeist, Pipes, 'hides' in the shared bedroom of characters, Kim and Suzanne Early. It is also one of the chapter headings on the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
''Ghostwatch'' DVD release.
Developments
On 21 February 2008, the ''GhostwatchBtC'' channel was launched on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. All that was initially revealed regarding the project was a notice asking fans of the original film to contribute any ''Ghostwatch''-related stories or recollections via the comments boxes provided.
On 31 October 2008 (exactly sixteen years after the original film was originally broadcast), a production
blog
A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...
was launched.
The first article to be published was written by the documentary's creator, Rich Lawden, in which he revealed the idea to make a retrospective first originated at a Cineformation screening held at the
Watershed
Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
.
Subsequent articles have included a special
Hallowe'en
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
message from
Stephen Volk
Stephen Volk (born 3 July 1954) is a Welsh screenwriter and novelist who specializes in the horror genre. , and a link to a new ''Ghostwatch'' article written by lead actor,
Sir Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson (born 28 March 1935) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his television talk show '' Parkinson'' from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007, as well as other talk shows and programmes both in the U ...
. Between December 2008 and February 2009, a
web forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
, and
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
,
MySpace and
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
pages were also added.
On 31 October 2011, the first official production still was uploaded to mark both Hallowe'en Night and the conclusion of ''National Séance 2011''. The image features cast members,
Sarah Greene
Elizabeth Sarah Greene (born 24 October 1957) is an English television presenter and actress. She co-presented ''Blue Peter'' from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted the Saturday-morning series ''Saturday Superstore'' and ''Going Live!''.
Ea ...
and
Mike Smith sitting with an interviewer, and two additional crew members, in an aircraft hangar. A quote beneath the picture reads, "Stay tuned for 2012, Ghostwatchers".
On 24 October 2012, one week before the show's 20th Anniversary, a teaser trailer for the project was announced on SFX.co.uk. A DVD of the completed film was released by the producers on
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
in March 2013, and within hours, had to be re-listed directly on the Lawman Productions website after quickly selling out. In October 2013, a companion book, written by Lawden, was released on
Lulu
Lulu may refer to:
Companies
* LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer
* Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer
* Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia
* Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...
containing a Foreword by writer
Stephen Volk
Stephen Volk (born 3 July 1954) is a Welsh screenwriter and novelist who specializes in the horror genre. , the sequel story ''31/10'', new interviews, and an extensive production diary for the documentary itself.
In October 2016, it was announced that the online platform
BBC Store
BBC Store was a video on demand store that launched in the UK on 5 November 2015 and opened the BBC Archive to consumers, allowing them to buy episodes or series of a show and download them (using dedicated BBC Store apps). BBC Store was approve ...
was to offer both ''Ghostwatch'' and the retrospective ''Behind the Curtains'' documentary as part of the new ''Frightmares'' collection, in time for Halloween. Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that the documentary had ranked among the best performing titles in the collection, also making the top ten best sellers for the first two weeks, after launch.
''National Séance''
To mark the show's 18th anniversary, a "live" event took place in lieu of a full repeat screening on British television. Dubbed ''National Séance'', fans were asked to simultaneously play their personal recordings of the show at precisely 9.25pm (just as ''Ghostwatch'' was originally broadcast) and
tweet about the screening as it happened on the social networking site
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. The event has subsequently become a yearly tradition. The event is known for celebrating the original Drama by the unveiling of special artwork, or occasionally unseen or unheard material relating to its production, and often directly contributes to the
hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag that is prefaced by the hash (also known as pound or octothorpe) sign, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services such as Twitter or Instagram as a form of user-generated ...
''#ghostwatch'' trending on the national leader-boards.
The Tenth Anniversary edition took the form of a live YouTube stream via Zoom hosted by Rich, called ''National Séance Live'', featuring special guests, Mike Aiton (Soundman/himself), Gillian Bevan (Doctor Pascoe), Richard Drew (Assistant Set Designer), Sarah Greene (Reporter/herself), Lesley Manning (Director), and Stephen Volk (Writer). Producer Ruth Baumgarten was also expected to make an appearance, but ultimately could not. The event was made available to view on the ''Behind The Curtains'' YouTube page.
Critical reception
The film was met with a positive response from both fans and critics alike. Notably, leading film and TV magazines ''SFX'' and ''Starburst'' awarded 4/5 and 8/10 ratings respectively.
The film was subsequently selected for inclusion in the
BFI Mediatheque
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, for the upcoming ''Haunted'' collection, from December 2013-onwards.
See also
*
Mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
*
"The War of the Worlds" (1938 radio drama)
* ''
Mermaids: The Body Found'', 2012 TV
mockumentary
A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary.
These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...
mistakenly believed to be true by many who watched it.
*''
Alien autopsy
The alien autopsy is a 17-minute black-and-white film supposedly depicting a secret medical examination or autopsy of an alien by the United States military.Barton, Steve (September 30, 2010)"Ray Santilli, Gary Shoefield Talk the Real Alien Auto ...
''
*
List of ghost films
Ghost movies and shows can fall into a wide range of genres, including romance, comedy, horror, juvenile interest, and drama. Depictions of ghosts are as diverse as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Beetlejuice, Hamlet's father, Jacob Marley, Freddy Kru ...
*
Found footage (film technique) Found Footage or found footage may refer to:
* Found footage (appropriation), the use in a film of footage previously made for another purpose
** Collage film, a film assembled entirely from found footage
* Found footage (film technique), a style ...
References
External links
*
* {{Amg movie, 273892
''Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains'' blogInterview with Steven Volk writer of ''Ghostwatch''
at ''Action TV Magazine'' website
overview of ''Ghostwatch'' featuring video and audio clips
Full video on Google->
1992 controversies
1992 horror films
1992 films
1992 in British television
1990s supernatural horror films
BBC controversies
BBC television dramas
British mockumentary films
British supernatural television shows
English-language television shows
British supernatural horror films
British television films
Halloween horror films
1990s English-language films
1990s British films