In this episode, Matt talks about an infamous TV movie – Ghostwatch – that allegedly tricked millions of Britons into believing that the BBC had inadvertently let a malevolent spirit loose on the country. The actual story is both more mundane and more interesting. Plus, Ghostwatch provides a snapshot of public paranormal beliefs of the early 1990s. Come learn about one of the best horror movies Matt has ever seen, and how it reflects paranormal beliefs, and how the movie and its aftermath are remembered.

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Transcript here

This episode featured music by Matthew Armstrong and was produced by Kaylia Metcalfe.

118 The Glorious Past and The Sordid Past – Ghosthropology

In this episode, Matt considers how ghost stories reflect different views of American history and considers the type of ghost stories that may result from current events. While Ghosthropology is not a show about politics, it is impossible to discuss current events and history, along with their representation through ghost folklore, without delving a bit into the subject.  Full show notes: kmmamedia.com/podcasts/ghosthropology-podcast/ Facebook: facebook.com/ghosthroplogy Instagram: instagram.com/ghosthropod YouTube: youtube.com/@ghosthropology  Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/c/ghosthropology Email: ghosthropology@gmail.com

1. 118 The Glorious Past and The Sordid Past 30:15
2. 117. Ghostwatch 38:57
3. 116. The Fresno Nightcrawler 19:40
4. 115 The Haunted London Underground 28:58
5. 114. Deogen 15:57

Sources:

Forbes, F., I. McClure. 1994. The terror of television made worse by family stress. BMJ, 1994;308:714. Accessed online 6/18/26 at https://www.bmj.com/content/308/6930/714.1

Hess, David. 1992. Science In the New Age. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI.

Simons, D., W. R. Silveira. 1994. Post-traumatic stress disorder in children after television programmes. BMJ, 1994;308:389. Accessed online 6/18/26 at https://www.bmj.com/content/308/6925/389. 

BBC

Everything is Scary

Higgypop (every time Pipes shows up on screen)

The Independent

Medium

The Midnight Selection

News.com.au

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