Horror Movie Blog > Horror Movie Reviews > Ghostwatch Review
Back in 1992, BBC One would air what many consider one of the most controversial television shows in their history. It was a ninety-minute live broadcast on Halloween night where unsuspecting viewers tuned in expecting an ordinary ghost-hunting documentary, but little did they know, they were about to witness an unprecedented experiment that would leave an indelible mark on British television.
Ghostwatch, as the program was titled, was not just another ghost story, it was presented as a real-time investigation into paranormal activity, hosted by trusted BBC personalities of the time, including Michael Parkinson, and this mockumentary program was aiming to capitalize on the growing fascination with supernatural phenomena.
The premise was simple yet ingenious: to convince viewers that what they were watching was unfolding live before their eyes. The show claimed to be a serious exploration of a haunted house where a family was reportedly experiencing disturbing supernatural events.
But, as the program progressed, viewers were shown home video footage allegedly capturing the paranormal activity, including encounters with an entity known as Pipes and the tension mounted as the ghostly occurrences grew more frequent and intense, culminating in a shocking twist.
Ghostwatch also employed call-in hotlines and pre-recorded segments presented as live, and this approach was reminiscent of Orson Welles' infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938, which similarly caused widespread controversy.
Over 30,000 alarmed viewers called into the BBC during and after the broadcast, many genuinely convinced that what they had witnessed was real, and the program sparked a national outcry, with British tabloids and media outlets condemning the BBC for airing what they deemed as a deceptive and psychologically damaging program. Reports also emerged of children suffering from nightmares and anxiety, while some adults claimed to have experienced genuine distress and trauma.
The BBC then faced some intense scrutiny and criticism for its role in broadcasting such a provocative and unsettling program and the controversy surrounding the show led to its banishment from UK television screens, never to be rerun or officially released for decades.
It had became a forbidden relic of television history, known only to those lucky enough to have recorded it on VHS that fateful Halloween night.
In more recent years, however, Ghostwatch has found new life and appreciation among horror fans and its influence on subsequent horror films and television shows, particularly in the found-footage and mockumentary genres. Movies such as The Blair Witch Project and even Late Night With The Devil owe a huge debt of gratitude to the the broadcast.
It can also currently be streamed on Shudder, Amazon Prime and AMC+.
Ghostwatch was, and is, a groundbreaking piece of television that continues to influence today. [Ghostwatch on IMDB]
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