10 WTF TV Moments You Won’t Believe They Got Away With

2. Ghostwatch

BBCBBCRemember how the producers of The Blair Witch Project craftily had everyone believing the film was actually real? At least until the truth emerged on the internet that it was a hoax... spoilsports. Well, it might surprise you to know that Ghostwatch, a British TV special in which an investigation of paranormal activity at a house in Northolt takes place, actually got there first - albeit unintentionally. To add some background, the plot is as follows: a ghost called Pipes has been causing chaos and terrorising a family for some time. A series of interviews with the hauntees and their neighbours is conducted, where they all confess to seeing some very chilling things. Oh, and there's some creepy activity from Pipes, which includes dragging former Blue Peter presenter Sarah Greene behind a doorway and apparently possessing Michael Parkinson - all in the style of a live documentary. Weird, huh? Of course, the entire thing was complete poppycock and the presenters were unharmed; but, despite the disclosure of the name of the programme's writer in the opening credits, misleading advertising of Ghostwatch as a live broadcast prior to the airing had many convinced they were seeing real horror unfold. Objections abounded and, as a result, it was banned from appearing pretty much anywhere for a whole decade after its original run. Over 20 years later, it has never been repeated on UK television, and remains one of the most complained about shows of all time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHVqzRyaByM
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Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.