This might be a little bit of a cheat, but once you've watched this BBC Halloween special that aired in the early nineties, you're unlikely to complain. Or do anything, really, because you'll be too paralysed by fear. Presented as if it were an actual live broadcast, Ghostwatch was hosted by chat show legend Michael Parkinson from the studio and Craig Charles and Blue Peter's Sarah Greene on the scene at a suburban home in Greater London which, for the past few years, had been the site of an ongoing poltergeist haunting. Greene and Charles interview the house's occupants - a woman and her two young daughters - and locals about the supposed supernatural goings on. The first half an hour or so is amiable and silly in the way most live TV broadcasts by the Beeb are, with a little of that Most Haunted eeriness thrown in for good measure. Back in the studio Parky puts across his reservations to a paranormal researcher, who's convinced that ghosts are real. Then everything goes a little weird as the nature of "Pipes", the spirit that's been plaguing the family, is revealed, and he starts to make his presence known. The original broadcast was so effective many believed it was real, and the ensuing controversy lead the BBC to make a statement telling viewers the show wasn't real, and have never transmitted it again since. Which is a shame, because it's absolutely terrifying - and the presence of real-life TV hosts helps. Don't hurt Rimmer!
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
