Ghostwatch Redux

Had a vid night on Thurs night after a busy day and settle in with Ally, Nigel and Nat to watch Ghostwatch, the infamous BBC hoax production from Halloween 1992, and I'm pleased to say it stands the test of time.


For those who don't know the plot, Ghostwatch was centered around a family, a mother and two daughters, who were taking part in a 'live' evening of ghosthunting at their house. Sarah Greene was the reporter on the scene with, the ever reliable, Michael Parkinson in the studio taking phonecalls and talking with the resident expert. There are various incidents of bumps and other sounds throughout the programme which represent the evil 'Pipes' ghost, who seems to live in the cupboard under the stairs. Things come to a head when it's discovered that the airing of the programme has created a mass seance and let the evil 'Pipes' loose on the world. Chaos ensues in the studio and at the same time Sarah Greene is dragged into the cupboard under the stairs, never to be seen again, after which Parky turns all Linda Blair and talks to camera in a strange voice....end transmission.

Apart form the slightly dodgy acting from the mother character and the inability to take Craig Charles seriously, the prog is surprisingly scary. 'Pipes' pops up from time to time in the background throughout the programme and that whole 'figure hidden in the shadows' sends an shiver down your spine. Then there's those damn cats...now I'm a cat lover, but towards the end, the sound of disembodied cats resounds throughout the house and again in the studio when 'Pipes' takes over. It's all about what you don't see or what you think you can see, and this creates a truly creepy and sometimes freakyily atmospheric piece of TV. Just ask Ally who refused to look at the screen when 'Pipes' put in an appearance in the kids bedroom, hiding in the curtains.

I was slightly unnerved also with the prospect of walking down the darkened corridor back to my bedroom, me the TV & Film student who's seen Ghostwatch before, twice!....come to think of it I shat myself then too!

We even had to put on a second DVD that evening to lighten the mood a little before going to bed, namely D.A.R.Y.L, and that was Nigel's idea...yes Nigel, a soldier, defender of our country, hardened fighter and trained to kill,which he claims was purely for the benefit of us girls, naturally ;-).