10 TV Shows That Blatantly Trolled Viewers

On 31st October 1992, BBC1 aired a TV special called Ghostwatch, which focused on "the most haunted house in Britain". Though plenty of viewers were expecting a cheesy documentary, they were scared out of their minds after seeing a sinister spectre called Pipes tormenting the TV presenters and camera crew.

Of course, the whole thing was staged. Despite being depicted as a "live documentary," Ghostwatch was heavily scripted, and filmed long before it aired.

Sadly, the majority of viewers didn't see the funny side of it. BBC was besieged with a million phone calls and 2,000 official complaints. With reports that children were left traumatised after watching the program, Ghostwatch instantly gained a reputation in infamy. It caused such a furore, it's never been aired again on British television.

Contrary to popular belief, the mockumentary wasn't meant to fool anyone! Not only was Ghostwatch advertised as a drama, it opened with a "written by" title card.

But since many watchers tuned in late, they didn't catch on. The fact it had the legendary Michael Parkinson as a presenter further cemented the show's legitimacy.

Despite the fact Ghostwatch successfully duped a nation, it was never meant to.