THIS WAS NOT REAL!
If you know this isn't real it's still scary. Actual known presenters with what seem like real people in a real scary situation - An active poltergeist centered around 2 young girls and a lone mum trying to cope with a nerve jangling time.
In the studio we have friendly Micheal Parkinson aka Parky with the Chief Paranormalist Lady Doctor. On Phones is Mike Smith. Out in the field we have Craig Charles to provide a few light moments and inside the house is children's TV Favourite Sarah Green, real life wife of Mike Smith.
We have a dynamic with Parky as the voice of reason, Mike Smith fearing for the safety of his Ghostbusting wife, Sarah in the path of a scary and active ghost and Craig Charles to relieve heavy moments.
We are introduced to the household, Mum and 2 daughters. The older of whom the haunting seems to be centered around, she has manifested voices (a recording is played over a tape) and scratches appear on her face (we are shown a picture). At first nothing seems to happen until mum is asked to go out of the house to do a studio link in the OB truck.
(Why a room in the house couldn't have been set-up for this purpose seems questionable) Mum has been removed to add a sense of danger to the kids and start to draw you in. Tape is shown of the girls bedroom and "Pipes" the ghost is seen for a split second clearly in the curtain, it is more difficult to see on a 2nd viewing and is gone on a 3rd.
Sarah investigates a patch of possible ectoplasm on the carpet which is a perfect circle. This is never explained as either hoax or real. The DVD commentary could have been more helpful there.
Neither of the children have someone with them at all times (I would have thought that would have been a must to prove this wasn't a hoax haunting), So when Sarah Green hears noises I'm amazed she doesn't go and check on the kids right away. The fact that the noises stop and then the 2 kids rush into the room with her and the camera-man urging them to check downstairs.
(Excellent Goof here, the little girl hits her head on the doorway as she leaves the room, see her put her hand up to her head to hold the bumped area).
Sarah goes into the kitchen to find a path of perfectly laid out drawings done by the kids (which should make you suspect this "ghostly" phenomena and you get another quick glimpse of "Pipes" reflected in the glass. The camera is cleverly moved so you don't see the actor playing the ghost standing with the rest of the crew in the kitchen.
Back in the studio the story is expanded by some people calling in to tell some more of the house and it's history. We learn about a child minder or "Baby Farmer" who used to kill children that she was supposed to be caring for. A tape of the older child manifesting an ghostly voice is played, as the studio lights go down "Pipes" appears briefly behind the lady scientist and you are left thinking "Did I just see that or was I imagining it?".
Craig Charles talking to people in the street about local strange occurrences, to 2 ladies about a dog killed in a local park and a local man who tried to exorcise the whole street (apparently "Pipes" appears in the crowd during this interview behind Craig, I'll have to look because I missed that!)
Update! I re-watched it, Pipes is standing half behind some people near the fence as Craig walks back to the house. I had to watch the scene 4 times (3 times on real slow to spot Pipes) and then I found Pipes.
After more descriptions from people who phoned in having seen "Pipes". A film is later shown with one of the girls duplicating the description but this film was shot months before and only just shown now.
Some of the noises of "Pipes" are finally revealed to be a hoax when the oldest daughter can not be seen on camera, when caught she is hitting the water and heating pipes in a wall closet with a hammer. Is the hoax finally revealed? The child breaks down and tells their mother she thought she was going to leave them.
Later the oldest daughter is seen covered in scratches but has no fingernails long enough (did nobody check her younger sisters fingers?) and mum wants to get the kids out of the house, as the camera pans round the room once "Pipes is there in the curtains once more but gone when the camera man does a double take.
Outside the house all seems calm, in the studio they finally realize they are watching old tape and all is not well in the house. The youngest Child is discovered in the kitchen behind the fridge and the room under stairs starts to make noises.
"Pipes" makes a fleeting appearance as a reflection in a mirror, as the camera-man tries to open the room under the stairs the mirror falls on him, "Pipes" is seen again as the door opens and closes.
The youngest child is rushed outside with mum, we cut to inside as Sarah tried to find the older girl and realizes she is under the stairs with something very real. Through the thermal camera chaos is visible and Sarah tries to save the girl but is sealed in under the stairs.
Back in the studio cameras and lights are exploding - "Pipes" is seen on the lighting gantry. Parky is possessed and we fade to black.
Very weird and very watchable.
If you know this isn't real it's still scary. Actual known presenters with what seem like real people in a real scary situation - An active poltergeist centered around 2 young girls and a lone mum trying to cope with a nerve jangling time.
In the studio we have friendly Micheal Parkinson aka Parky with the Chief Paranormalist Lady Doctor. On Phones is Mike Smith. Out in the field we have Craig Charles to provide a few light moments and inside the house is children's TV Favourite Sarah Green, real life wife of Mike Smith.
We have a dynamic with Parky as the voice of reason, Mike Smith fearing for the safety of his Ghostbusting wife, Sarah in the path of a scary and active ghost and Craig Charles to relieve heavy moments.
We are introduced to the household, Mum and 2 daughters. The older of whom the haunting seems to be centered around, she has manifested voices (a recording is played over a tape) and scratches appear on her face (we are shown a picture). At first nothing seems to happen until mum is asked to go out of the house to do a studio link in the OB truck.
(Why a room in the house couldn't have been set-up for this purpose seems questionable) Mum has been removed to add a sense of danger to the kids and start to draw you in. Tape is shown of the girls bedroom and "Pipes" the ghost is seen for a split second clearly in the curtain, it is more difficult to see on a 2nd viewing and is gone on a 3rd.
Sarah investigates a patch of possible ectoplasm on the carpet which is a perfect circle. This is never explained as either hoax or real. The DVD commentary could have been more helpful there.
Neither of the children have someone with them at all times (I would have thought that would have been a must to prove this wasn't a hoax haunting), So when Sarah Green hears noises I'm amazed she doesn't go and check on the kids right away. The fact that the noises stop and then the 2 kids rush into the room with her and the camera-man urging them to check downstairs.
(Excellent Goof here, the little girl hits her head on the doorway as she leaves the room, see her put her hand up to her head to hold the bumped area).
Sarah goes into the kitchen to find a path of perfectly laid out drawings done by the kids (which should make you suspect this "ghostly" phenomena and you get another quick glimpse of "Pipes" reflected in the glass. The camera is cleverly moved so you don't see the actor playing the ghost standing with the rest of the crew in the kitchen.
Back in the studio the story is expanded by some people calling in to tell some more of the house and it's history. We learn about a child minder or "Baby Farmer" who used to kill children that she was supposed to be caring for. A tape of the older child manifesting an ghostly voice is played, as the studio lights go down "Pipes" appears briefly behind the lady scientist and you are left thinking "Did I just see that or was I imagining it?".
Craig Charles talking to people in the street about local strange occurrences, to 2 ladies about a dog killed in a local park and a local man who tried to exorcise the whole street (apparently "Pipes" appears in the crowd during this interview behind Craig, I'll have to look because I missed that!)
Update! I re-watched it, Pipes is standing half behind some people near the fence as Craig walks back to the house. I had to watch the scene 4 times (3 times on real slow to spot Pipes) and then I found Pipes.
After more descriptions from people who phoned in having seen "Pipes". A film is later shown with one of the girls duplicating the description but this film was shot months before and only just shown now.
Some of the noises of "Pipes" are finally revealed to be a hoax when the oldest daughter can not be seen on camera, when caught she is hitting the water and heating pipes in a wall closet with a hammer. Is the hoax finally revealed? The child breaks down and tells their mother she thought she was going to leave them.
Later the oldest daughter is seen covered in scratches but has no fingernails long enough (did nobody check her younger sisters fingers?) and mum wants to get the kids out of the house, as the camera pans round the room once "Pipes is there in the curtains once more but gone when the camera man does a double take.
Outside the house all seems calm, in the studio they finally realize they are watching old tape and all is not well in the house. The youngest Child is discovered in the kitchen behind the fridge and the room under stairs starts to make noises.
"Pipes" makes a fleeting appearance as a reflection in a mirror, as the camera-man tries to open the room under the stairs the mirror falls on him, "Pipes" is seen again as the door opens and closes.
The youngest child is rushed outside with mum, we cut to inside as Sarah tried to find the older girl and realizes she is under the stairs with something very real. Through the thermal camera chaos is visible and Sarah tries to save the girl but is sealed in under the stairs.
Back in the studio cameras and lights are exploding - "Pipes" is seen on the lighting gantry. Parky is possessed and we fade to black.
Very weird and very watchable.