Posted by smash on October 27, 2009, 22:02:27
Absolutely superb TV this about the history of Ghost Stories on TV. The most entertaining was an description of the production and public reaction to a BBC production called "Ghost Watch", a 1992 "War Of The Worlds" type of event in british tv history that i can't remember. From the wiki page:
The 90-minute film was a horror story shot in a documentary style and appeared as part of BBC Drama's Screen One series. It involved BBC reporters performing a live, on-air investigation of a house in Northolt, Greater London at which poltergeist activity was believed to be taking place. Through revealing footage and interviews with neighbours and the family living there, they discovered the existence of a malevolent ghost nicknamed "Pipes" from his habit of knocking on the house's plumbing. As the programme went on, viewers learn that "Pipes" is the spirit of a psychologically disturbed man called Raymond Tunstall, himself believed to have been troubled by the spirit of Mother Seddons - a 'baby farmer' turned child killer from the 19th century. These manifestations became more bold and terrifying, until, at the end, the frightened reporters realise that the programme itself was acting as a sort of "national séance" through which "Pipes" was gaining horrific power. Finally, the spirit escaped and began to escalate its poltergeist activity in the BBC studios themselves, possessing Michael Parkinson as a prelude to its unleashing on the world.
Apparently the original idea was that Pipes would unleash himself onto the world through the publics TVs. Also;
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!), 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 it simply got an engaged tone.
The aftermath;
The BBC was besieged with phone calls from irate and frightened viewers, 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.
Hilarious stuff, check the BBC4 listings - it may well be repeated.
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