BBC viewers ‘still wetting themselves’ over Halloween skit that saw 30,000 furious complaints and was BANNED from screen

THE 1992 Halloween broadcast of Ghostwatch has haunted the memories of its viewers for implicit 3 decades.

The programme took connected the guise of a emblematic investigative quality study connected paranormal activity, but it soon spiralled into 1 of the astir arguable broadcasts successful BBC history.

In the mockumentary, Sir Michael Parkinson and erstwhile Blue Peter presenter Sarah Greene were seen looking into spooky occurrences reportedly taking spot astatine a household home.

Their probe included disturbing footage of a shade terrorising 2 children arsenic their parent desperately tried to get them retired of harm’s way.

To millions watching, it felt similar a existent beingness paranormal probe - with 2 of the BBC’s astir trusted names astatine the helm.

Ghostwatch was truthful convincing that implicit 30,000 radical flooded the BBC switchboard with complaints wrong the hour.

Many claimed their children were terrified and near visibly shaken.

The backlash was truthful aggravated that the BBC made the uncommon determination of banning Ghostwatch from ever being broadcast connected British tv again.

However, the occurrence has recovered a 2nd beingness connected TikTok, wherever it continues to daze viewers.

Many of those who grew up successful the ’90s assertion to inactive beryllium "scarred for life" aft watching the broadcast, with immoderate adjacent saying that they inactive "wet the bed" reasoning of it.

Initially fearfulness writer Stephen Volk had pitched Ghostwatch arsenic a six-episode fearfulness series, but helium was asked to condense it into a 90-minute one-off special.

Stephen aboriginal shared that the archetypal program had included a station amusement treatment to "diffuse the tension," but instead, the programme ended abruptly, with an announcer cutting consecutive to Match of the Day.

Despite the alterations helium has defended the program, saying: "If you are going to archer this fearfulness gag past don’t bash it half-heartedly. If you accidental it’s not existent past you propulsion the teeth retired of unsettling drama."

The fallout from Ghostwatch extended good beyond its 90 minutes connected air.

It was yet blamed by immoderate viewers for cases of post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD) successful children.

Martin Denham, an 18-year-old with learning difficulties, tragically took his beingness conscionable days aft the broadcast.

He was reportedly haunted by ghostly events successful his ain location which resembled the occurrences portrayed connected Ghostwatch.

His parents, who believed the amusement had profoundly distressed him, lodged a ceremonial ailment astir it being shown connected telly.

The Broadcasting Standards Commission ruled that the programme was so "excessively distressing and graphic".

The Commission stated: "The BBC had a work to bash much than simply hint astatine the deception it was practising connected the audience. In Ghostwatch determination was a deliberate effort to cultivate a consciousness of menace."