High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman
Encyclopedia
High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman is a British television comedy show broadcast on BBC Three
It features character comedian Marc Wootton
(who also appears in other programs such as Cyderdelic
, My New Best Friend
and Nighty Night
) playing an effete and slightly vicious fake medium/psychic. It is narrated by Patrick Stewart
, with animated sequences by Rex Crowle
produced by onedotzero
.
The character of Shirley Ghostman is sometimes considered to be a parody of the supposed act of controversial psychic
, Derek Acorah
and contains actual satirical references to the television show 6ixth Sense with Colin Fry in Shirley's opening speech to the audience.
The show was very successful on BBC Three and was set to move to BBC Two in the summer of 2005.
on BBC1. During the show, which also featured Nicole Kidman
and David Schwimmer
as guests, he made a number of jokes referencing 'Jews
, cancer patients and Hitler
'.
The resulting controversy resulted in the BBC being forced to apologise to viewers, after receiving 350 complaints.
The series is still shown in the United States
by BBC America
. The DVD was released 3 July 2006.
The character of Shirley Ghostman returned to BBC Three
in Wootton's new series La La Land
in April 2010.
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
It features character comedian Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton
Marc Wootton is an English character comedian. He is perhaps best known for his role as the fake medium and psychic, Shirley Ghostman, on the BBC Three series, High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman and he also appeared in Nativity!- Career :...
(who also appears in other programs such as Cyderdelic
Cyderdelic
Cyderdelic was a BBC Three spoof documentary following the activities of a 'West Country direct action group within the growing anti-capitalist movement'...
, My New Best Friend
My New Best Friend
My New Best Friend is a British Comedy broadcast on Channel 4 during 2003. The idea was a hidden camera show where a member of the public would enter into an agreement to be filmed for a whole weekend with the task of convincing their friends and family a character being played by Marc Wootton was...
and Nighty Night
Nighty Night
Nighty Night is a British dark comedy sitcom written by and starring Julia Davis. It was first broadcast on 6 January 2004 on BBC Three before moving to BBC2....
) playing an effete and slightly vicious fake medium/psychic. It is narrated by Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart
Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
, with animated sequences by Rex Crowle
Rex Crowle
Rex Crowle is a graphic designer and animation director, often operating under the name of Rexbox. He has worked on Black & White, Fable and The Movies videogames at Lionhead Studios as well as producing animation for MTV and the BBC. His personal short films have been selected and appeared in the...
produced by onedotzero
Onedotzero
onedotzero is a contemporary, digital arts organisation with a remit to promote innovation across all forms of moving image and motion arts....
.
The character of Shirley Ghostman is sometimes considered to be a parody of the supposed act of controversial psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
, Derek Acorah
Derek Acorah
Derek Acorah is a British medium. He is best known for his work on Most Haunted, broadcast on Living, between 2002 and 2005. He recently presented the series Derek Acorah on Sky Real Lives...
and contains actual satirical references to the television show 6ixth Sense with Colin Fry in Shirley's opening speech to the audience.
The show was very successful on BBC Three and was set to move to BBC Two in the summer of 2005.
Programmes demise
The BBC shelved the series after Wootton (as Ghostman) appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan RossFriday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross was a British comedy chat show presented by Jonathan Ross. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 November 2001. The programme featured Ross's take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
on BBC1. During the show, which also featured Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
as guests, he made a number of jokes referencing 'Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, cancer patients and Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
'.
The resulting controversy resulted in the BBC being forced to apologise to viewers, after receiving 350 complaints.
The series is still shown in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
. The DVD was released 3 July 2006.
The character of Shirley Ghostman returned to BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
in Wootton's new series La La Land
La La Land (TV series)
La La Land is an American television comedy series broadcast on Showtime in the United States, BBC Three in the United Kingdom, and SBS One in Australia...
in April 2010.