A live TV broadcast from a house, hoping to find out if it is haunted…

Ghostwatch was broadcast on the BBC on Halloween night in 1992. The BBC has never broadcast it again. There were numerous complaints, a number of viewers who watched it, thought it was all happening for real. In some ways, you get the feeling the BBC would rather forget all about it.

But over the years since it has been broadcast, it has become an influence either directly or indirectly on the found footage horror subgenre. Apparently it was cited by the director of Paranormal Activity, Oren Peli, as an influence. You can see aspects of it on the likes of The Blair Witch Project. One of the makers of recent horror, Host, cited it as an influence. It came up many times in the documentary, The Found Footage Phenomenon as important to the found footage format. Even the BBC has been influenced by it, the TV series Inside No.9 doing an episode that was live, Dead Line, that certainly leans into Ghostwatch for inspiration.

But looked at now, does it really still hold up? Or has time diluted its impact?

Ghostwatch was written by Stephen Volk. Apparently it was originally going to be a six part series before Volk was convinced to adapt it into the 90 minute drama it became. Structurely, it does follow a pattern, taking its time, setting everything up, revealing backstory, as it slowly drops in little moments, compunded with the brilliant idea of having people phoning in, implying they are seeing something in what is being broadcast. Of course, this is all part of the structure, although the BBC did set up a real phoneline for people to call during the drama, but it works well.

But the real coup is in the casting. Having the ‘programme’ hosted by Michael Parkinson, a veteran of hosting TV programmes and a highly repsected interviewer, along with other experienced TV presenters Sarah Greene and Mike Smith also adds to the realism of the set up. Having Craig Charles there too, bringing moments of humour to the story at times, adds a layer too, as it is the sort of thing a ‘live’ broadcast can sometimes too, have someone to bring ‘fun’ at times. Their performances help make the programme more believable. It is also likely too, that while the programme was billed as a drama, if people turned it on late, seeing them in the show may have convinced some it was in fact a real event.

What also works in its favour was the decision to cast, to my mind anyway, actors who I think were relatively unknown to audiences at the time (something The Blair Witch Project would do a few years later) which added to that sense of realism. The performances from Gillian Bevan as an expert in the paranormal, Brid Brennan, Michelle Wesson and Cherise Wesson as the family at the heart of the story are good and convincing.

Director Lesley Manning stages the drama and horror well, apparently using actual BBC personnel instead of actors to man the cameras and sound equipment to add to the realism aspect of the story.

As the scares hit and the story develops, it brings to mind the likes of Nigel Kneale’s The Stone Tape as the supernatural and technology come together to a superb, chilling ending. It may not have been the writer’s intention but I do think Kneale was an inspiration for Ghostwatch. Or, of course, I’m way off on that one!

But back to that question. Does Ghostwatch still hold up?

Yes it does. The scares work, the horror side works, the performances hold up. It doesn’t feel dated at all. It still leaves you feeling chilled to the core by the time the credits roll and due to the superb sound design, even after.

When it was first broadcast, I saw it then and enjoyed it. If I was scared by it then.

And I still find it scary now.

Rating: **** out of 5