1950s haunting podcast ‘The Battersea Poltergeist’ is becoming a TV drama
A television drama based on the BBC’s Battersea Poltergeist podcast has been announced.
BBC Radio 4’s hit podcast launched in January and has been a massive hit with nearly 3 million downloads.
The Battersea Poltergeist tells the true story of one of Britain’s strangest hauntings.
Described as “a thrilling blend of drama and documentary,” the podcast is presented by Danny Robins and re-investigates a paranormal cold case from the 1950s.
The voice cast includes Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials) and Toby Jones (Dad’s Army).
The podcast follows the longest documented poltergeist haunting in history.
The official synopsis reads: “63 Wycliffe Road is an ordinary house on a quiet South London street, but in 1956 it becomes famous as the site of an alleged poltergeist. The strange events focus around teenager Shirley Hitchings – but is it a haunting or hoax?”
Blumhouse, the makers of the Paranormal Activity movies, will develop the TV series.
They’ve also also secured the right to Shirley Hitchings and James Clark’s book, The Poltergeist Prince of London: The Remarkable True Story of the Battersea Poltergeist.
It hasn’t yet been revealed if actors Dafne Keen and Toby Jones will reprise their roles from the podcast.
Executive producer Michael Seitzman commented: “Once you listen to the gripping and terrifying true story of Shirley Hitchings, it’s easy to understand why Danny’s podcast inspired two-page spreads in every newspaper in the UK.
“It was exactly what we’d been looking for to launch our new ongoing series based on true hauntings. As he did with his podcast, Danny Robins will have viewers sleeping with the lights on after they watch his show!”
Podcast host Danny Robins added: “It’s been an amazing journey making the podcast for the BBC and now I couldn’t have hoped for a better partner than Blumhouse, a leader in the genre, when looking to further develop it.
“I’m thrilled to work with them and Michael to bring the series to life visually. Ghost stories don’t get stranger or scarier than this.”
The Battersea Poltergeist will premiere on television in 2022.
The Poltergeist Prince of London: The Remarkable True Story of the Battersea Poltergeist book is available on Amazon.