Nothing says ‘Happy Halloween’ like a banned TV show that’s still making people ‘wet themselves’ 32 years later.
A mockumentary special by the BBC aired on Halloween night in 1992 and was quickly cancelled because of how spooky it was.
After it aired, it attracted over 30,000 complaints as it was proving to be a little too realistic for some.
Titled Ghostwatch, the show was based on a set of TV presenters who were taking a look at the ‘most haunted house in the UK, located in Northolt, London.
An investigation was launched after ‘home footage’ showed mum, Pam Early, and her daughters being terrorised by a ghostly presence named ‘Pipes’.
While Michael Parkinson took to the studio, reporter Sarah Greene and a film crew did a ‘real’ investigation.
At the time, viewers were absolutely terrified because Ghostwatch managed to blur the line between fiction and reality.
Though horror writer Stephen Volk was planning to air six episodes, the series was cut down to a 90-minute programme and eventually banned.
Michael Parkinson hosted the still-banned 1992 mockumentary (BBC)
He told Examiner Live: “If you are going to tell this horror gag then don’t do it half-heartedly. If you say it’s not true then you pull the teeth out of unsettling drama.
“We were of the opinion that when it’s finished then we can have a discussion about it. The BBC didn’t do that. When it cut to black at the end the announcer said, ‘And now, Match of the Day‘.”
After a clip from the programme was shared on TikTok, many remembered the horror of watching it in the 90s – with some claiming they’re still ‘wetting the bed’ over 30 years later.
One commented: “It frightened so many people thinking it was real. It was shown on Halloween. It frightened me too. No wonder it was banned.”
Ghostwatch clips have been doing the rounds on TikTok (BBC)
Another said: “I remember watching this in the 90s. I was so scared. Sarah Greene was part presenting it. It was a hoax though. Still scary.”
A third wrote: “I remember watching this n didn’t sleep for days.”
And a fourth added: “This terrified me… and I was 21 when it first aired! Would love to watch it again.”
The show was also accused of giving viewers PTSD after parents of an 18-year-old claimed it caused his death.
Martin Denham committed suicide five days after it aired and his stepfather told BBC News in 2017: “He seemed a bit upset because things were happening at that time in the house that had been happening [on Ghostwatch]. The pipes were banging.”
Mother April Denham added: “He seemed entranced with the talk of ghosts.”
