British children’s television series during the late 70 right up to the late 80s period were quite interesting; slightly spooky but not too spooky, with a tinge of creeping dread. I'd never heard of ‘The Watch House’ but, had heard it mentioned in the same tones as Moondial, Children of the Stones and The Owl Service. Just hearing it mentioned with those greats had me interested and so, over the course of an evening, I watched all three 30 minute episodes.
The story is quite simple:
Following the difficult break-up of her parents, young teen Ann is left to stay with friends of the family at an old life-brigade watch-house. Whilst cleaning it up, she realises that the place is haunted but what is the spirit (or spirits) trying to tell her?
No-one does creepy folk horror quite like the British and this sort-of ghost story is effectively produced, featuring lots of location shoots that add some sense of place and atmosphere to proceedings. For a 1988 production, I can imagine it costing quite a bit but the shoot really adds a gorgous setting in which to set-up this ghost story. The special effects are obviously dated and we're made on a limited budget but, when the shipshead comes alive and the flashback of the ghosts is revealed, they are effective.
Whilst some of the adult actors do come across as quite hammy and theatrical, and some of the child actors precocious to the point of annoying, the whole thing generally works. Sure the story is quite basic and doesn't linger in the memory like the shows that left their endings more open (such as Children of the Stones), but what we do have is a short serial with a feisty female protagonist (played by Diana Morrison) trying to get to the bottom of a mystery.
As an adult with no nostalgia for this show, it is pretty forgettable but I don't feel like I wasted my time on this. Not every show has to be an all-time classic and this is pretty basis but effective enough.
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