Director: Lesley Manning
Screenplay: Stephen Volk
Starring: Michael Parkinson, Sarah Greene, Mike Smith, Craig Charles, Gillian Bevan, Brid Brennan, Michelle Wesson, Cherise Wesson
Country: UK
Running Time: 92 min
Year: 1992
BBFC Certificate: 12
Writer Stephen Volk originally planned to make a six-part drama series about investigations into paranormal activity in a London housing estate but couldn’t get the interest of producers. One suggested he make just one episode into a TV film instead though and he picked the final story that would later become the cult classic Ghostwatch.
The film followed a paranormal investigation presented as a live TV broadcast, a unique idea at the time, and was aired on the BBC on 31st October 1992. To say that audiences were unprepared for it is a grand understatement.
The BBC received an unprecedented number of complaints following the screening. Not only was it a lot scarier than most of the channel’s output back then, it’s been suggested that many people complained purely because they felt stupid being hooked in by the false reality of the film. Unsurprisingly, the British tabloids played it up too, damning the BBC for showing Ghostwatch, claiming the film was duping license-fee-paying audiences into thinking it was real (if they’d read the opening credits they’d have instantly known otherwise).
I was only 10 when Ghostwatch aired, just the right age to watch and be impacted by the film, but I didn’t actually see it. I distinctly remember everyone talking about it afterwards at school though. It became legendary and I’ve wanted to watch it ever since, though the over-inflated playground talk about the film has made me a little wary of approaching this reportedly terrifying piece of television.
Due to the controversy surrounding its release, Ghostwatch was never aired on TV again in the UK. It made it to DVD and VHS in 2002, courtesy of the BFI, and has later been available on a 101 Films vanilla disc and streamed on the BBC’s ill-fated digital BBC Store, but it deserves more love now, all things considered.
Thankfully, 101 Films are giving Ghostwatch another lease of life with an all-singing all-dancing Blu-ray as part of their Black Label range. I got hold of a copy to see if it lived up to the hype.
Ghostwatch sees British TV legend Sir Michael Parkinson present the titular live broadcast in the studio, often speaking to paranormal expert Dr Lin Pascoe (Gillian Bevan), whilst intrepid reporter Sarah Greene is on-site to investigate the paranormal happenings at a small house in Greater London. Her husband, Mike Smith, keeps us updated in the studio on what’s been happening on the phone lines, as viewers ring in to tell us their spooky experiences and offer their thoughts on what’s happening on the show. Craig Charles is also on the scene, adding comic relief to the outside broadcasting elements and speaking to some of the neighbours about what they’ve seen and heard.
In the house, we meet single mum Pamela Early (Bríd Brennan) and her two kids, Suzy (Michelle Wesson) and Kim (Cherise Wesson). We’re told by the Earlys that they’ve been experiencing poltergeist activity in the house, with loud noises being heard, household items flying about and strange scratches appearing on one of the girls’ faces. This is all blamed on a spirit the family call ‘Pipes’. There is some previously shot material to back up their claims but the team want to capture something live so Greene stays with the Early family for the evening to see what happens.
After having finally seen Ghostwatch after all these years, I can safely say it lives up to the hype. It still had me jumping and shuddering on occasion but, perhaps more notably, I was impressed by how well it was made.
So much is done to add to the authenticity of the programme that it’s no surprise audiences were shocked by it back then. There are no convenient cheats as you get in most found footage films, which often present material that wouldn’t normally be shot in such a situation or offering pin-sharp sound even during frantic chases. In Ghostwatch everything looks and sounds as exactly as it should, following the TV telethon format at every turn, helping even the most sceptical among the audience get sucked into the seeming reality of it all.
Also helping sell the idea are the number of trusted, familiar faces anchoring the film, with a couple that had only ever done ‘factual’ presenting roles before. The script for some of the cast consisted of bullet points rather than dialogue, to allow for improvisation and more naturalistic performances. Parkinson was reportedly very nervous about taking on a dramatic role like this but, reportedly, his wife talked him into it. It’s a good job too as he’s a big part of making the film as believable and successful as it is. His delivery of the standard studio elements and how he reacts to the unusual activity later on is pitch-perfect.
Ghostwatch was made before what we now think of as ‘reality TV’, so it was based more closely on live TV broadcasts such as Children in Need, as well as reality shows like Crimewatch, 999 and Hospital Watch, though those tended to use reconstructions rather than documentary or on-location footage. As such, I’m not sure if younger viewers who didn’t experience this style of telethon would appreciate the stylistic choices here.
The concept and structure of the programme are completely plausible though. On top of possibly influencing the found footage boom of the early 2000s, that came in the wake of The Blair Witch Project, Ghostwatch likely helped spawn the ‘real’ ghost hunting reality shows that followed, such as Most Haunted.
It’s not all perfect though. A couple of the performances aren’t quite as believable as those of the presenters, most notably the two Early kids, though they were very young so you can’t expect miracles. The finale in the studio also pushes things a little too far out of the realm of plausibility, but the end is still very creepy so I didn’t mind.
The slow build of Ghostwatch aids the success of the finale, with both the story and chills taking their time to really kick in. It’s a very effective approach, lulling you into a false sense of security with its initially ‘cosy’ presentation style, jokey asides and suggestions of a hoax before jolting you with an intense climax.
Little glimpses of ‘Pipes’ in the background or shadows provide most of the shocks but there’s a general sense of unease that builds too as we hear more about the disturbing history of the house. An infrared camera filter, which was relatively new at the time, is also put to great use in the chilling finale.
It’s all expertly handled by the director, Lesley Manning. It’s a crying shame she didn’t go onto bigger and better things after this, likely due to the idiotically negative press that the film received.
Overall, Ghostwatch is a great concept that’s brilliantly executed, pulling out all the stops to deliver an experience that feels authentic throughout. It shows signs of age now perhaps and has some rough edges here and there but, on the whole, it remains as spine-tingling as it is groundbreaking.
Film: 
Ghostwatch is out on 31st October on Limited Edition Blu-Ray in the UK, released by 101 Films as part of their Black Label range. You can order it here. The picture quality is unusual to rate as it was shot on video for TV, so it was never going to look pin sharp or rich with colour and detail. The print 101 Films has sourced retains the original look and feel though, presenting it in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio with a nicely cleaned-up but authentic-looking picture. A small blip flashes in the upper left corner of the screen at regular intervals though, which is a little distracting. The stills used in this review are grabs from the disc, to give you an idea of the picture quality, though these have been compressed.
The audio sounds clear and authentic. I noticed a strange quality shift near the beginning with Parkinson’s dialogue but I imagine this is an issue with the original recording. I’m guessing they changed from one mic to another during his walk across the studio.
Brand new extras
– ‘Do You Believe in Ghosts?’, a brand new 30th anniversary documentary on the Ghostwatch phenomenon
– Commentary with film historians Shellie McMurdo and Stella Gaynor
– Commentary with writer Stephen Volk, producer Ruth Baumgarten and director Lesley Manning
– Shooting Reality by Lesley Manning
– Limited Edition Booklet: Includes ‘Extra Sensory Perception Management’ by Sarah Appleton, ‘Ghostwatch – As it Happened’ by Tim Murray and short story ‘31/10’ by Ghostwatch writer Stephen Volk
– Reproduced script, annotated by director Lesley Manning
– Set of six art cards
The Shellie McMurdo and Stella Gaynor commentary occasionally plays out a little more like a fan track than a particularly insightful analysis but the pair do make some interesting observations. It’s a fun listen and their love of the film rubs off and helps you appreciate what the makers achieved.
Speaking of the makers, the Stephen Volk, Ruth Baumgarten and Lesley Manning track is invaluable for those wanting to know how the film was made. It’s packed with eye-opening tales behind the scenes and it’s interesting to hear their thoughts on the overblown aftermath.
It’s a shame the feature-length documentary ‘Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains’, which was co-produced and edited by Manning, wasn’t included, as that sounds great but has been out of print for a while now.
The new documentary is excellent though, with some welcome contributions from a lot of the main players and creative forces, as well as filmmaker fans Rob Savage and Jed Shepherd (who admit to being inspired by Ghostwatch to make Host). It nicely covers the beginnings of Ghostwatch, its production, reception and subsequent influence.
The ‘Shooting Reality’ piece is only short at 7 ½ minutes, but is a welcome addition, showing archive material such as annotated scripts, rough storyboards, floorplans and schedules. Manning provides a commentary over the top of these, explaining the difficult process of putting the film together.
Unfortunately, I didn’t receive a copy of the booklet to comment on that, but it looks to contain some valuable content.
So, whilst there might have been opportunities for a little more extra material (some Watchdog/news clips from the original backlash would have been great to see too) the commentaries, documentary and archive piece add a huge amount of value to the set. My guess is the physical extras will also be worth the higher limited edition price tag. Very highly recommended.
Disc/Features: