Love Creepy Shows – Try The Battersea Poltergeist

Last Updated on December 19, 2023

Check out the Battersea Poltergeist on BBC Sounds

Now I love a good ghost story or horror movie but if you’re the same you’ll probably agree there’s some very predictable, boring stuff out there. However, if there’s one great indicator of something really creepy then the story is based on real life events. Which is why, The Battersea Poltergeist is one of the very best for horror fans.

It’s not a movie I’m afraid, although similar cases have inspired The Conjuring films. It’s just an 8-part radio/podcast presentation portraying one of the most amazing ‘hauntings’ to ever be reported. The show is presented by Danny Robins who re-investigates the case known as The Battersea Poltergeist.

Here’s the trailer for the show which will give you an indication of what it’s about –

The events behind the story begin in 1956 and are spread over more than a decade in total. Dany Robbins is a journalist who has gathered all the evidence together with a panel of relevant experts to re-examine it all. Included in his investigation is an interview with the young girl from the centre of the story, who is now an 80-year-old grandmother.

Much of the actual evidence comes from the files of an amateur paranormal investigator called Harold Chibbet who investigated the events at the time.  He kept detailed records of the events which happened at number 63 Wycliffe Road, Battersea.  The story at the time was major national news and reports were spread across all the mainstream media of the time.  There was even TV coverage unfortunately which was lost over the passage of time.  The case was even raised in the House of Commons by the then home secretary.

What makes it really enjoyable though, is the story has actually been dramatized by a series of actors including the wonderful Toby Jones who plays the amateur investigator Harold Chibbet.  It makes it much easier to follow the events and portrays the real horror that the family felt.

Many people have called it the UK’s strangest ever haunting, indeed worldwide there’s been very few cases to rival the events, the number of witnesses to these events.  Strange noises, flying objects, ghosts, paranormal violence and ghostly communication – the case of the Battersea Poltergeist has them all and much more.

It’s available completely free of charge for anyone with a BBC account on BBC Sounds as an 8-part podcast.  Currently looks like it will be available until about March 2022, so plenty of time to enjoy this creepy classic.   Unlike BBC iPlayer, you can listen to BBC Sounds from anywhere in the world as long as you have a valid account.   If you have one just go directly to the main site linked above.  If you don’t then you’ll need to invest in a BBC VPN for a short time while you create the account.  You don’t need it afterwards though unless you want to watch BBC iPlayer or other UK Television shows.

The Battersea Poltergeist TV Series

To my knowledge, there are currently no TV shows created specifically about the Battersea Poltergeist yet.  there are however rumours of one being developed by Peacock TV although there’s no release date available at the time of writing.

The story is a famous British case of alleged poltergeist activity at a residential home in Battersea, London during the 1950s and 1960s. While it has been mentioned in various paranormal documentaries and radio programs, it has not been the central theme of a TV show.

However, in 2021, BBC Radio 4 did release a podcast series called “The Battersea Poltergeist” which is a deep dive into the case, combining drama and documentary elements.

Please note that the information might change in the future as new shows are produced.

 

Additional: