Ghostwatch - BBC-1, 1992
Discussion
Last night I watched the Channel 5 documentary, Ghostwatch: The Night That Terrified Britain. It dealt with a BBC programme that was shown at Halloween in 1992, which had such an effect that it was never shown again except for brief clips, was never streamed and wasn't even issued on DVD until 2002.
In case you missed its only showing, the original 90-minute show was a live investigation of a house in Northolt that was said to be haunted. The woman and two daughters who lived there claimed they were being terrorised by an entity they referred to as "Pipes" due to its habit of banging on water pipes. The roving reporter on the spot was Sarah Greene, and Craig Charles was conducting interviews with people who lived nearby.
Back in the studio was Michael Parkinson, who was joined by a parapsychologist, who believed this rubbish, and a rational scientist, who didn't. Also present was a team of people answering phone calls from viewers talking about their own paranormal experiences, and Mike Smith (husband of Sarah Greene) sifting through the calls.
In the house, Sarah was interviewing the mother and two kids, CCTV footage of some of the happenings were shown, then the noises etc, started for real. Viewers were phoning in claiming they had seen shadowy figures in dark corners as the action unfolded on screen. When the time came for the programme to end, the following one was cancelled so they could stay with it. Everything had now reached fever pitch, with one of the girls speaking in a strange guttural voice, Greeney trapped in the house panicking, and weird goings on in the studio itself. Soon the lights had failed, everyone had rushed out and the place was empty except for Parky who as the programme ended seemed to be possessed himself.
What nobody had been told was that the entire thing was fake. Apart from the four presenters and the camera crew, all those involved were actors and it wasn't even live.
Over the next few days, the Beeb got over 50,000 complaints. Viewers who had seen through the ruse were disgusted that the BBC could pull such a stunt, those who hadn't were traumatised, many on behalf of their kids; despite starting after the watershed, many were watching.
The BBC had to promise they would never do anything like that again, but those who saw it, particularly as kids (I was all right at 38!) still talk about it and the effect it had on them. It has also been credited with inspiring 'found footage' productions such as the Blair Witch Project.
Did anyone else on here see the only original showing or the C5 doco, and if so what are your thoughts?
In case you missed its only showing, the original 90-minute show was a live investigation of a house in Northolt that was said to be haunted. The woman and two daughters who lived there claimed they were being terrorised by an entity they referred to as "Pipes" due to its habit of banging on water pipes. The roving reporter on the spot was Sarah Greene, and Craig Charles was conducting interviews with people who lived nearby.
Back in the studio was Michael Parkinson, who was joined by a parapsychologist, who believed this rubbish, and a rational scientist, who didn't. Also present was a team of people answering phone calls from viewers talking about their own paranormal experiences, and Mike Smith (husband of Sarah Greene) sifting through the calls.
In the house, Sarah was interviewing the mother and two kids, CCTV footage of some of the happenings were shown, then the noises etc, started for real. Viewers were phoning in claiming they had seen shadowy figures in dark corners as the action unfolded on screen. When the time came for the programme to end, the following one was cancelled so they could stay with it. Everything had now reached fever pitch, with one of the girls speaking in a strange guttural voice, Greeney trapped in the house panicking, and weird goings on in the studio itself. Soon the lights had failed, everyone had rushed out and the place was empty except for Parky who as the programme ended seemed to be possessed himself.
What nobody had been told was that the entire thing was fake. Apart from the four presenters and the camera crew, all those involved were actors and it wasn't even live.
Over the next few days, the Beeb got over 50,000 complaints. Viewers who had seen through the ruse were disgusted that the BBC could pull such a stunt, those who hadn't were traumatised, many on behalf of their kids; despite starting after the watershed, many were watching.
The BBC had to promise they would never do anything like that again, but those who saw it, particularly as kids (I was all right at 38!) still talk about it and the effect it had on them. It has also been credited with inspiring 'found footage' productions such as the Blair Witch Project.
Did anyone else on here see the only original showing or the C5 doco, and if so what are your thoughts?
I was 11 in '92 with a very, very overactive imagination and it totally s
t me right up for a number of months afterwards.
Seem to remember on CBBC the next day they had Sarah Greene on for an interview and the host (Schofield maybe?) said something like "from one cupboard to another!" referencing her being sucked into the cupboard under the stairs where "pipes" was meant to have topped himself...
The ending was crap - the bit in the studio with the papers flying around and everything, but by that point the "what if..." seed had been sown in my mind and my imagination took it and wholeheartedly ran with it!
t me right up for a number of months afterwards.Seem to remember on CBBC the next day they had Sarah Greene on for an interview and the host (Schofield maybe?) said something like "from one cupboard to another!" referencing her being sucked into the cupboard under the stairs where "pipes" was meant to have topped himself...
The ending was crap - the bit in the studio with the papers flying around and everything, but by that point the "what if..." seed had been sown in my mind and my imagination took it and wholeheartedly ran with it!
I was also 11, watched it in my bedroom on my new tv that I'd purchased a few weeks prior from a car boot sale. Didn't sleep well that night!
Here it is
https://archive.org/details/Ghostwatch
Here it is
https://archive.org/details/Ghostwatch
I watched this, spent the night with a milf still wearing a summer dress but that is a story for another time.
The thing was it was supposed to be serious, a documentary and not embellished at all, that's why it was so shocking, it was from the beeb. It was truthful, respectful and real.
I was certainly reaching in to rooms to switch the light on before i went in to them
The thing was it was supposed to be serious, a documentary and not embellished at all, that's why it was so shocking, it was from the beeb. It was truthful, respectful and real.
I was certainly reaching in to rooms to switch the light on before i went in to them
I think I was 6 or 7 when it was aired and it was past my bedtime. My mum fell asleep with this on the TV, I couldn't change it otherwise I'd be sent to bed so I sat silently and watched this from start to finish!
I remember it all, especially the panic when one of the daughters goes missing and they find her cuddly toy with the water running in the kitchen sink.
I also remember being terrified of Chrimea:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101577/
God they made some really weird messed up programmes in the 90's!
I remember it all, especially the panic when one of the daughters goes missing and they find her cuddly toy with the water running in the kitchen sink.
I also remember being terrified of Chrimea:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101577/
God they made some really weird messed up programmes in the 90's!
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