On Halloween 1992, Sir Michael Parkinson’s prank reportedly left some viewers deeply disturbed.
Ghostwatch, a mockumentary, tricked millions of viewers as Parky and former Blue Peter host Sarah Greene “investigated” paranormal activity in a family home.
It appeared as a regular news report, with two of Britain’s most trusted figures leading the broadcast. Why would anyone doubt it?
Airing at 9:25 pm, the show featured “home footage” showing a ghost terrorizing children, with their mother desperately trying to get them out.
The realistic portrayal led to over 30,000 complaints to the BBC within an hour, as parents voiced outrage over their children’s fear.
The episode was banned from British TV indefinitely, with the BBC maintaining its restriction even after Parkinson’s passing in 2023.
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Three decades later, Ghostwatch clips on TikTok continue to elicit comments from people claiming they were “scarred for life.”
This eerie show, starring Michael Parkinson, was crafted by horror writer Stephen Volk, who initially proposed a six-episode horror series but adapted it into a single 90-minute program upon request.
In Examiner Live, Volk shared that they initially planned a post-show discussion to alleviate the tension. “To deliver a horror gag effectively, you can’t undermine it by revealing the truth,” he explained.
He continued, “We expected the BBC to hold a discussion afterward. Instead, the show ended abruptly with the announcer introducing Match of the Day.”
Parents of an 18-year-old named Martin Denham blamed Ghostwatch for his death. Denham, who had learning difficulties, took his life days later, troubled by unexplained phenomena in his home that he felt mirrored the show.
His parents filed a complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC), which found the program “excessively distressing and graphic.”
The BSC stated, “The BBC had a duty to be clearer about its deception. Ghostwatch deliberately created an atmosphere of threat.”
Source My Celebrity Life.