Horror 101 – Episode 58: Halloween Special with Ghostwatch – October 21st, 2016
The reality ghost show that frightened an entire generation…
Welcome back to the Horror 101 podcast! Another Halloween is upon us! This year we’re featuring a television special which was broadcast by the BBC1 back on October 31st, 1992. Not since Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds radio broadcast in the 30s has a live show ever caused so much uncertainty and panic. Way before mass communication like the internet was available as a social crutch to validate the facts, this show took an unprecedented approach at reality TV as real journalists were used in a mockumentary which investigated paranormal activity. All the stops were pulled to invent a realistic and frightening scenario which many viewers believed was really happening. Its quite possibly the most effective and terrifying hoax ever released on television and has been the influence for several reality TV productions that followed. And for these reasons the Horror 101 team is spotlighting BBC’s Ghostwatch starring Michael Parkinson and Sarah Greene. We take some time to remember The Godfather of Gore, Herschell Gordon Lewis who passed away the day we recorded. Join us for this year’s Horror 101 Halloween Special!
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:
01:00 Prelude to Terror…
03:10 Halloween III revisit???
04:35 Retraction from the Tales From the Crypt show…
06:15 Remembering Herschell Gordon Lewis…
10:30 “The program you’re about to watch…”
12:08 Using real news people and journalists…
14:50 The insidious disappearing spectre…
17:30 The ‘Pipes’ sightings…
18:30 Gloryhole…(its not what you think)
20:20 The hoax within a hoax…
22:00 Nood’s problem with the host…
23:23 From disarm to alarm…
26:30 And now you question your reality…
33:00 The public outrage…
35:08 Scoring the show…
37:40 Conclusion…thanks for listening and Happy Halloween!
Directed by: Leslie Manning
Produced by: Ruth Baumgarten & Richard Broke
Written by: Stephen Volk
Starring:
Michael Parkinson as Himself – Presenter
Sarah Greene as Herself – Reporter
Mike Smith as Himself – Phone-in Presenter
Craig Charles as Himself – Interviewer
Gillian Bevan as Dr Lin Pascoe
Brid Brennan as Pamela Early
Michelle Wesson as Suzanne Early
Cherise Wesson as Kim Early
Keith Ferrari as Pipes
All video, pictures and audio used from Ghostwatch is copyright © 1992 by The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Used for educational purposes. No reproductions of any kind.