Ghostwatch

On Halloween night in 1992, the BBC airs a live probe into a house whispered to be haunted, led by legendary chat show host Michael Parkinson. The broadcast team includes reporter Sarah Greene, interviewer Craig Charles, phone-in host Mike Smith, and Dr Lin Pascoe, packing the show with studio segments, on-site vigils, and viewer calls. The aim is to separate fact from folklore as they probe what locals call Britain’s most haunted residence. What begins as a bold real-time experiment gradually feels unsettled, with noises, flickering lights, and on screen anomalies that blur the line between on-air entertainment and genuine fear. The crew debates how far to push the live format for audiences worldwide tonight and skeptics.

Directed by Lesley Manning, Ghostwatch originated from a screenplay by Stephen Volk for a BBC television film that aired in 1992. It was crafted to resemble a live investigative program and features a real time feel that unsettles viewers today.

Ghostwatch's live presentation style left a lasting imprint on horror, blurring the line between fiction and reality and prompting early ethical backlash from viewers and BBC staff. It's widely cited as a forerunner of found footage and meta-horror, influencing later TV and cinema, and its controversy kept the conversation going.

Critics were divided on Ghostwatch when it aired, some praising its nerve and realism while others called out the deception behind a supposed documentary. The film digs into media power and belief, questioning how live broadcasts shape fear, trust, memory and the line between entertainment and danger in audiences everywhere.

The project was produced for television and did not see a theatrical release, so there is no box office to report. Its legacy rests on home audiences who watched it unfold in real time and debated its truth afterwards together in forums.