After watching the banned BBC program Ghostwatch on You Tube the other night (after one of our British bretheren, Darkening, I believe, mentioned it in Oldfella's Paranormal Activity review thread), I was obviously reminded of the great, original phony newscast that terrified America in 1938, Orson Wells' version of H.G.Wells' War of the Worlds, on the CBS Mercury Theater. And in a similar vein, the 1975 TV movie, The Night that Panicked America, which dealt with several fictional responses by the public as they listened to the broadcast, unaware that it was a dramatization, since most folks had been listening to Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy (I know, a ventriliquist act on radio?, but it was big time at the time ), and thus missed the disclaimer at the beginning of the program. Starring folks like John Ritter, Michael Constantine, Will Geer and Vic Morrow, it's a pretty good watch, including some re-creations of the show from inside the studio. I've never been able to find this on DVD, but I have found it on You Tube, and I now submit it for your seasonal enjoyment. [YT="The Night that Panicked America,ABC-TV, 1975"]W6zIPFRYALk[/YT] It's presented in nine chapters, so in case you'd prefer to just vist the playlist, it's at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6zIPFRYALk Any old Halloween specials or memories that anyone wants to share will be welcome in this thread as well as discussing the movie, so let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
Anybody remember a show in, I think, the 80s, prsented in the same manner as WotW? It was a faux news program about terrorists hold New Orleans hostage with a nuke. They came back from every commercial with a text disclaimer that "this show is only fiction. Do not panic. All is well." My grandfather (not the brightest bulb in the family chandelier) still fell for it and went running around the house telling everybody to gather round the TV.
Theres a show called 'most haunted, live' on TV here at the moment. Ive never watched it because, well its shit, but tonight they are live from my hometown. They are running the show from the very old 'judges lodgings' which is now a museum. I might even tune in meself for a bit. If it gets shown over there check it out.
