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"Ghostwatch" (AKA "The War Of The Worlds UK")

Posted by Bryan Christian

 

Happy Halloween, everyone! Ready to watch something slightly cheesy and still get tooootally friiiiightened? Then prepare yourself for Ghostwatch, the apocalyptic Halloween '92 BBC mockumentary that prefigured Blair Witch and Ghost Hunters by 15 years and fooled Brits into thinking that one of their most beloved television presenters had been murdered by angry spirits -- and that they were probably next.

So controversial was the show's initial reception that according to Wikipedia, it was tied to PTSD and suicides in some of its viewers and has never been shown again on the Beeb. And yet, by today's standards, it's so obviously a dramatized production and not live TV -- with its dated camerawork and obviously scripted dialogue -- that... that... well, there is no "that" actually, because the ending is so claustrophobic and crazy that you'll still be spooked out. Don't say we didn't warn you!

And when you're done watching, check out the Ghostwatch YouTube channel and this fan page for all the background stuff you might not have noticed.


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About Bryan Christian

Bryan Christian has worked as a writer for Epicurious, GenArt and ID magazine; a web producer for WWD and Condé Nast; and a cameraman for his friends. He's married and lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

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