It is hard to imagine how a phenomenon like Ghostwatch could happen today. With gossip and rumours being disseminated by the internet at the speed of light, the concept would be old news long before the broadcast date. But back in 1992, the 90-minute film duped millions of Britons into believing they were watching a live haunting.
Screened as part of BBC’s Halloween schedule, Ghostwatch was the fictional account of a suburban poltergeist, which masqueraded as a live documentary complete with studio audience and well known presenters. And despite being referred to in both television listings and on-screen continuities as a scripted work of fiction, the show’s post-watershed broadcast caused so much controversy that the BBC banned it from being repeated.
Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene and Ghostwatch
The main cause for concern was the programme’s frighteningly realistic escalation in threat, from half glimpsed ethereal reflections and strange noises to the climactic chaos that left Sarah Greene dead and veteran presenter Michael Parkinson possessed. The script and direction were pitched at just the right level to convince even rational viewers that what they were watching was genuine. And even after the ban was lifted, Ghostwatch has never been repeated on British television, eventually reaching a larger audience through VHS and DVD distribution.
Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains is a suitably enigmatic project that was announced back in 2008 and is currently scheduled for release in 2012, the 20th anniversary of the original broadcast. Billed as a retrospective documentary the work currently comprises an assortment of pages scattered throughout the World Wide Web. There is an official blog, a dedicated YouTube channel, a Facebook page, and various forums and discussion groups. In fact the momentum of the project seems to be fuelled as much by fan contributions as by the official writers and presenters.
Behind the Curtains on YouTube
The original show’s writer, Stephen Volk, and its creator, Richard Lawden, have both recorded introductory snippets confirming their involvement, and Michael Parkinson has penned an entry on the official blog, but beyond that there is little evidence to suggest exactly what to expect next year. The vast majority of content across the various sites consists of little more than archive and contemporary footage of Ghostwatch being discussed or mentioned in other shows and media.
And perhaps that is the intention of all those involved. If Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains is to have anything like the impact of the original, then the myriad clips and blogs could be acting as an effective smokescreen for what is really going on. Maybe that is the way a programme like Ghostwatch can work in the 21st century.
Rowan Darby - Rowan Darby is a writer and journalist who hovers somewhere indefinite between London and the South West of England. He attended ...
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