I just received this and thought it would be of interest.
Judith
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 10:48:54 +0100 From: Andrew Widger andrew.widger@bbc.co.uk Subject: GHOSTWATCH LIVE COMBINES TV AND THE INTERNET IN A REVOLUTIONARY LIVE INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST To: "'Judith@Blakes-7.com'" Judith@blakes-7.com
FYI - Paul Darrow to present a cross-media event.....
BBC Worldwide has been commissioned by UK Horizons to produce Ghostwatch Live, part of its Haunted weekend celebrations based around Halloween. Ghostwatch Live is an interactive, cross-media investigation into the paranormal and is being broadcast live from HM Tower of London on 26th and 27th October. UK Horizons will transmit the event, with both BBC America and BBC Prime taking content for broadcasting on TV and the Internet.
The event will be presented by: Claudia Christian (Babylon 5, Atlantis: The Lost Empire) and Paul Darrow (Avon from Blake's 7, The Strangers, Pie in the Sky). Experts from the Tower of London will join the team of paranormal scientists contributing to the programmes.
The event comprises the following:
· A one-hour live TV broadcast direct from the Tower of London (TX: 26.10.01) - HM Tower of London is said to be one of Britain's most haunted locations. Paul Darrow and Claudia Christian present live coverage from the event.
· Two seven-hour mixed media web-casts (TX: 26/27.10.01). Following the above programme, live coverage from the event continues in a streamed broadcast over the web. Featuring location web cameras, vox-pop interviews rolling news and features.
· Six mini-documentaries (based on prisoners who have resided at the Tower). Paul Darrow recounts the tales of some of the Tower's most famous residents, whose spirits are said to haunt the Tower to this very day.
· A one-hour documentary, Secrets of the Paranormal (TX: 31.10.01). Set against the backdrop of the live Ghostwatch event, this documentary places the live event into a wider context and seeks to explore whether ghosts are a figment of a vivid imagination or something far more real. Contributors include members of the highly respected Society of Psychical Research.
Andrew Sewell, Executive Producer for Ghostwatch Live and Head of Content for BBC Worldwide's Internet and Interactive department, said: "We're delighted to have been commissioned to produce this event, which is a first for BBC Worldwide. This is not simply a TV programme or a web cast. It has been conceived as a whole to deliver a genuinely interactive experience with viewers of the programme migrating to the web in a truly integrated fashion, to follow the scientific team's ongoing investigation at the Tower. Ghostwatch Live is a credible exploration of the subject and not a Halloween spoof event.
"For the first time, the Tower of London is permitting unprecedented broadcast access live from within its walls. Ghostwatch Live makes use of television and the Internet to uncover the truth behind its alleged hauntings and lead viewers on an interactive journey. The public has demonstrated it has a passion for TV it can get involved with and this project will take such passion to previously unexplored heights," he concludes.
Ghostwatch Live is a core element of UK Horizons' Haunted weekend of programmes about the paranormal. International viewers will also be able to join the experience as BBC America and BBC Prime are broadcasting selected TV elements and the full web-cast on their respective web sites.
Further details of the event will follow as they are confirmed.
Background information:
BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, generates income to support the UK licence fee by marketing programme-related products and services around the world. It is self-funding and exists to provide supplementary funding for the BBC's public services. In 2000 / 2001, BBC Worldwide provided cashflow to the BBC of £96 million. Its ambition is to quadruple cashflow to the BBC during the current Charter period. BBC Worldwide is financially separate from the rest of the BBC and receives no public funding.
For further information, please contact:
Andy Widger Press Officer, Internet & Interactive BBC Worldwide Tel: 020 8433 1311 Email: andrew.widger@bbc.co.uk