Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

ackstasis As a skeptic of all things faked or imagined, I found 'Ghostwatch (1992)' to be fantastically interesting. The programme's earnestness would have irked me, had the whole thing not been a complete put-on. 'Ghostwatch,' hosted by Michael Parkinson, aired on Halloween 1992, and purported to be a live 90-minute broadcast from a supposedly haunted suburban house. Things start off ordinarily enough, with the presenters seeming to enjoy themselves, but within 90 minutes all hell has broken loose. I suppose I might have been unnerved had I watched the programme back in 1992, especially considering the well-known and respected personalities involved, but in this case I just sat back and enjoyed the theatrics: the equipment malfunctions; the grisly anecdotes of molestation, suicide, and animal decapitation; the fleeting glimpses of a bloodied male figure. Apparently, not everybody was amused. The BBC received a multitude of complaints, and 'Ghostwatch' has even been cited as causing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in several children who were still watching after the 9pm watershed. Also probably, while we're at it, a huge influence on films like 'The Blair Witch Project (1999)' and 'Paranormal Activity (2007).'

Shawn Watson Having seen two different ghosts on separate occasions in my life, then my answer is, most definitely, yes. And no, I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't allowed to see this show back when it originally aired back in 1992, my mother and aunt were busy keeping the living room for their own drunken yacking. But I did sneak in a couple of times and saw a couple of definitive bits such as the ghost of Pipes appearing behind the curtains. I never knew it was a sham at the time but was intrigued nonetheless. Afterwards, BBC 2 screened Halloween 2 and I was more freaked out by that. But then came Sunday and the whole of Britain was buzzing about it.That particular Saturday night was probably the most iconic Halloween in a long time. The BBC even kept the show hidden away for many years afterwards because of all the controversy it stirred up. So anyone who has memories of being scared back then have not been able to see the show up until recently since the British Film Institute released a DVD. Fifteen years on, in the middle of a reality TV craze and with inattentive audiences, Ghostwatch would certainly not work in 2007. People now are just too cynical and no one really watches TV on a Saturday night now. There are many other distractions. It was the fact that so many people at Halloween parties, kids and adults alike, were fooled by this that made it so notorious. And there was hardly any advertising for Ghostwatch either and the only way people would know what was on is by checking the TV guides. Now we have the internet and almost every element of a production is scrutinized before anyone sees it.You could say that it was part of Ghostwatch's power that despite hardly any advertising and being bookended with 'this is not real' that was taken so seriously. But that would an absurd statement. It's a pretty 50/50 affair. The acting and direction is often stale and clumsy but the subliminal shots of Pipes going unnoticed by the crew make it so brilliant to watch.Set up like a Crimewatch show we have Parkinson in the studio with a Parapsychologist discussing the Pipes phenomena and other ghost stories while Sarah Greene and Craig 'No Talent Whatsoever' Charles are on location in a council estate where Pipes the ghost is making life a misery for the Early family. As you can imagine, there's a lot of hand-held camera action and quick glimpses of the ghost. I've spotted about seven but there may be more.It's rather dated and badly acted but it's still got enough in it to be interesting in these cynical times. Just try to blank out Craig Charles, why he was chosen to be in this I'll never know. I just wish that the BBC went further and push Ghostwatch to the max instead of mainly just playing it safe.

hermionegranger1979 I was 12 when Ghostwatch was shown on Holloween on BBC1! I remember sitting on the sofa with my Brother and Mam, my Dad went out before the show had began. We were pulled into the story and got scared to death by Pipes and the story of the Early family, this was years before Most Haunted hit the screens! You could spot Pipes, you could hear the stories and watch as the team falls apart! I totally believed Sarah Greene was taken by Pipes and that Parky was taken over by Pipes too, GREAT TV! Little did we know that it was due to be banned and never shown again, until the ban ran out and it was released on DVD/Video, which I had for Xmas 3 years ago! Even now I cant watch it alone or with the lights off.....the power of being 12 back then and Pipes coming to get me still shakes me up! For me Ghostwatch is pure great British TV! Sure it might be dated and some people might call it boring...but to this 26 years old...sleepiness nights happen after I watch this show 14 years later!

Simon I was 16 years old (maybe i should have lied about my age when it was on) and in hospital when i watched this. Yes i thought it was real. Yes i was rummaging for change for the hospital payphone to ring in. and yes i felt a pratt when it wasn't real - i blame the anasetic and medication i was on.Whoever thought this programme up, did a fantastic job. Its a one off, never can be repeated as it would be recognised instantly as a hoax. The whole story and play along is and was so convincing, the acting from even the children was brilliant and well done as it was believable im sure it had a lot of people fooled. Also, another of these couldn't be made as the supernatural TV world is flooded with the likes of Most Haunted (not knocking it, love M.H) so it couldn't be carried off as well as this was back in 92