On Halloween in 1992, the BBC spooked the nation with the mockumentary Ghostwatch, an apparently live broadcast from Britain’s most haunted house. Despite its being advertised as drama, many viewers believed it was real; some even thought that presenter Michael Parkinson was actually possessed by a poltergeist called Pipes. Naturally the complaints poured in. Ghostwatch’s cult status will get a boost from this affectionate tribute from Northern Ireland: a nicely acted, good-natured lo-fi horror with some creepy moments but nothing properly scary to keep you awake.
It is 1998. A Northern Irish TV channel is broadcasting live on Halloween from a suburban house where a poltergeist has been terrorising a mum and her two kids. Inside the house is Gerry Burns (Mark Claney), a veteran daytime favourite in the Eamonn Holmes mould with an easy, slightly ironical manner. He’s partnered by enthusiastic children’s TV presenter Michelle (Aimee Richardson), who is freezing outside in the “ghost tent” watching footage from the house with a pair of charisma-free paranormal researchers.
