As a kid, I watched a lot of different shows. One show I had forgotten the name of, which haunted me for years (pun intended), was Ghostwriter. I remember watching it religiously but, surprisingly, I’ve found that there aren’t many people my own age who remember it. It wasn’t a masterpiece, but I loved it when I was a kid.
Initial Release
Ghostwriter is a children’s mystery TV series. It was produced by BBC One and the Children’s Television Workshop. It was the brain child of Liz Nealon, who also worked as the Creative Director on Sesame Street from 2004 – 2007.
The main goal of the TV show was to encourage reading and writing skills in young children from primary to secondary school level. It was aired on October 4, 1992 by PBS and the final episode aired on February 13th 1995. More than likely most of what I watched growing up were re-runs throughout the 90s.
It was about a group of friends from Brooklyn who solved neighbourhood crimes and mysteries with the help of a ghost named Ghostwriter. So think of the Scooby Doo crew but Scooby is a glowing florescent ball. Ghostwriter would communicate using letters and words found within the general vicinity to form words and even sentences.
By the end of its run it was ranked in the top five children’s shows on American TV. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to a lack of funding but I could see it making a comeback if someone picked it up.
The show was praised on its diverse cast, that realistically represented a racially diverse world.
My Experience
I remember watching it and getting frustrated when each episode ended without a case being solved. Each mystery was spread out over 4 to 5 episode of 30 minutes each. So this was a show that would give me endless entertainment.
I was used to reading Nancy Drew, Famous Five and watching Murder She Wrote so I already had an interest in mystery but books in particular. I love to read so having something I could watch and read along to was the best thing since sliced bread for me.
The diverse cast was always a bonus with my family; I grew up in a time when people were actively making an effort to try 
represent as many races as possible in one show and doing so realistically. The way it introduced reading to its audience was genius to me. It had a way of drawing you in and making you invested in the case. Although the idea that they were being helped by a ghost freaked me out, I still loved the show.
The identity of Ghostwriter was a mystery until 5 years ago when Kermit Frazier (producer and writer) revealed that Ghostwriter was the ghost of a runaway slave during the Civil War. He was killed by slave catchers and their dogs so I’m kind of glad they didn’t reveal that in the show, as it would have made it very dark when it was revealed. His soul was freed when character Jamal opened a book in the pilot episode.
This show didn’t treat its audience like idiots. Too many shows were dedicated to mindless entertainment and this show actively treated the viewer like a participant without being overly cheesy. I will always remember this show simply because it treated me like the mini-grown up I was desperately trying to be. I’m going to see if I can track down the DVDs.
It was a show that held its own for the run it had. As much as I enjoyed Scooby Doo, Nancy Drew and The Famous 5, there was always something about this show that I loved. I wasn’t the biggest fan of mysteries as a kid but I loved all things supernatural. Even to this day.
Occasionally there would be a series of back-to-back episodes that myself and my cousins would binge on and then try and re-create (hilarity ensued). Even the crimes depicted in the show weren’t handled too lightly. As much as people blame multimedia for influencing children with violence and the like, shows like this aimed to do the opposite. Its goal was to educate, and not just in regards to reading or writing either, but about what was right and what was wrong. I miss shows like these but I certainly won’t forget them.
If you never watched this as a kid, it might be something worth checking out, even if it is just one episode. Go on, bask in the nostalgia!
