Anthology Flashback #10: CBS Series ‘The Television Ghost’ (1931–1933)

Anthology horror efforts come and go, with some being more memorable than others. However, not every one of them has been preserved forever. Such is the case with the CBS series, The Television Ghost, broadcast way back in the early 1930s! Due to its early, experimental nature, neither the audio nor visual have been captured and preserved. The only remnants we have are some publicity stills. If that’s not enough, I can’t even find details on the emotions and stories of the ghost host, played by George Kelting (who is not known for any other roles, apparently, so we don’t even have that to go on!).

So, what is there to even talk about here? Maybe the medium itself, which was incredibly new at the time. Not only would this be one of the first TV experiments, but the medium of film itself was invented only a little earlier in history in 1888.

The Television Ghost actually barely even counts as a TV character, as he was apparently just a still image with sounds broadcasted along with it. So, basically, a viewer (to use the term loosely) would have to pay close attention to the story, much like with radio. If they didn’t, they would easily lose track of whatever narrative was taking shape. Still, if you put yourself there into that time, it could have been an exciting experience.

Imagining The Television Ghost Now

Because there is so little to even discuss here, I’ll take the luxury of imagining what The Television Ghost might have been like and some weird things that could still be done with such stories.

I can imagine viewers closing their eyes and listening, and Kelting would appear and mentally/metaphysically take the viewer’s hand, venturing into the mysterious regions of the story. He would drag his hand up to his face and remove his wet hat, dampened from the pouring rain outside. In truth he would be silent, making no sounds, but the viewer would accept the concept of hearing a story, letting this freakish new medium hypnotize them. It is the mental creating of the visual and the haunting, self-conjured audio that holds the viewer’s attention. Then there would be the unnerving quiet and calm as the story ends, staying with the target.

The feeling of the room and its atmosphere is entirely captured through the use of this medium, but then numbness settles in. The visuals created by this method are better and more realistic than any theatrical screen, and the viewer’s mind and body become possessed by The Television Ghost, doing exactly as it commands. Would the viewer awaken from the mind-numbing nightmare or would it truly consume their very essence?

Anyway…

That was just me goofing around with the idea of The Television Ghost, my cute attempt to twist this into a freaky story about the mind-altering fears of new technology. There are so many more resources now in the medium of television, and it’s growing all the time.

With the advancement of technology, the storytellers be able to incorporate the use of drones to capture the image of Kelting’s spirit floating in the air, telling his stories in real-time. This method would allow the viewer to see the real scene as the ghost tells the tale! Well, okay… that’s not true, either. Use your imagination. This apparently was a real show, but details are so sparse. Hopefully, my little spiel was at least mildly entertaining.

What are your thoughts on The Television Ghost and the fact that I made most of this article up due to a lack of readily available information? Haunt us in the comments!