Late Night With The Devil Has No Chance Of Surpassing Its Banned BBC Inspiration

Warning: Major spoilers for Late Night with the Devil below!

Summary

• Late Night with the Devil draws inspiration from a banned BBC special Ghostwatch, but wisely avoids trying to convince viewers its events are real.
• Ghostwath caused panic among viewers in 1992 by blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
• Late Night with the Devil replicates the style of a retro talk show, but utilizes a recognizable actor to prevent confusion about its authenticity.

Late Night with the Devil has been a surprise horror hit, but it had no real chance of topping the impact of its banned BBC inspiration. The Blair Witch Project not only popularized the found footage genre, but it was also one of the few times audiences could have been tricked into believing it was a genuine documentary. The movie is framed as being recovered footage from a missing documentary crew, with the effect proving so convincing in 1999 that many unsuspecting viewers believed it was real.

Of course, in a post-internet world, it would be near impossible to replicate that same impact now. 2024’s Late Night with the Devil uses a true story framing device for its found footage approach, with the film being presented as a recovered episode of a late-night talk show from the 1970s. Last Night with the Devil casting a recognizable name like David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad) should remove any question of what’s happening onscreen being real, though the film still does a great job at replicating the style of a retro talk show.

Late Night With The Devil Was Inspired By The Banned TV Special Ghostwatch

Ghostwatch terrified a nation in 1992

In an interview with THR, Late Night with the Devil directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes revealed that while the BBC special Ghostwatch wasn’t a major influence on their film, the two definitely shared DNA. Aired during Halloween 1992, Ghostwatch was fronted by veteran British talk show host Michael Parkinson, with the special presented as being a live broadcast. This saw Parkinson and his co-hosts investigating a supposed haunted house, where a family is being tormented by a malicious spirit called Mr. Pipes.

While the BBC has never outright stated the special was banned, somewhat tellingly,

Ghostwatch has never been rebroadcast in the UK.

The BBC did a poor job of underlining that Ghostwatch was a piece of fiction, so many viewers tuning in on the night it aired believed it was all genuine. The presence of familiar presenters like Parkinson, Sarah Greene and Red Dwarf star Craig Charles only added to this effect, with the film underplaying its horror until events descend into chaos during the finale. While exact numbers vary, according to GhostwatchBTC, an estimated one million viewers called the BBC to complain about the special.

In the aftermath, both the BBC and the filmmakers were widely criticized in the press for deceiving and terrifying viewers. While the BBC has never outright stated the special was banned, somewhat tellingly, Ghostwatch has never been rebroadcast in the UK. That said, it is easily available to stream online or purchase on home media; a copy has also been uploaded to the Internet Archive. In Late Night with the Devil, the impact of the original episode being aired live on Halloween 1977 appears to have caused a similar sense of outrage among viewers.

Why Ghostwatch Was So Disturbing In 1992

Ghostwatch intentionally shattered the barriers between reality and fiction

In movies and television, there used to be clear, dividing lines between fact and fiction. Moving into the 2000s and following the success of movies like The Blair Witch Project, those barriers have become less distinct. Ghostwatch was broadcast during an era when audiences trusted that what they were watching was real, and the special itself never indicates it’s just a piece of fiction. This fourth wall-shattering approach is what proved so shocking about Ghostwatch when it aired, which is one reason why it is nearly impossible for movies like Late Night with the Devil to rival its shock factor.

When Ghostwatch’s finale reveals that Mr. Pipes has been using the broadcast as a national seance to invade the homes of those tuning in, this caused a real panic. There is also the fact this was long before the internet, mobile phones or the advent of multiple streaming options, so the number of people tuning into the “live” Ghostwatch was much higher than it would be now. A quick look at the backlash that followed indicates just how major an event the special was – and why the BBC did its best to distance itself from the ensuing controversy.

One of the people who called in to complain about
Ghostwatch
was Michael Parkinson’s concerned mother.

Late Night With The Devil Wisely Moves Away From Ghostwatch’s Approach

Despite obvious comparisons, Ghostwatch & Late Night with the Devil are quite different

Ghostwatch is a perfect companion to Late Night with the Devil but as the latter’s filmmakers have stated, the special was only a minor influence on their film. The most obvious comparisons between them include rewinding footage to see if a spooky event was captured on film, and both taking place “live” on Halloween night. The big difference is that Late Night with the Devil never tries to convince audiences that the events playing out onscreen are real. The movie is fronted by a well-known character actor, and the supernatural elements that take place are intentionally heightened and overblown.

There’s also the so-called behind-the-scenes footage, where host Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian) and his crew are followed by an unseen documentary crew. Why there would be such extensive behind-the-scenes filming for a random Halloween special is never addressed, and is simply an excuse for Late Night with the Devil to fill in some story gaps. The film could never rival Ghostwatch’s controversy, and wisely never even attempts to.

Source: THR, Ghostwatchbtc, Internet Archive