Ghostwriter (TV series): Difference between revisions

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If you're looking for the trope that could have gone here, see [[Playing Cyrano]]. Not to be confused with a ''literary'' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter ghostwriter], defined by [[That Other Wiki]] as "a writer who writes books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person". Also not to be confused with the film ''[[The Ghost Writer (Film)|The Ghost Writer]]''.
If you're looking for the trope that could have gone here, see [[Playing Cyrano]]. Not to be confused with a ''literary'' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghostwriter ghostwriter], defined by [[That Other Wiki]] as "a writer who writes books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person". Also not to be confused with the film ''[[The Ghost Writer (Film)|The Ghost Writer]]''.
{{tropelist}}
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=== This show provides examples of: ===
* [[Adult Fear]]:
* [[Adult Fear]]:
** The "Over a Barrel" arc. Your kids helping out in an inner-city community garden can only be good, right? Except when they're getting sick from toxic waste and the government's dragging its heels over cleaning it up.
** The "Over a Barrel" arc. Your kids helping out in an inner-city community garden can only be good, right? Except when they're getting sick from toxic waste and the government's dragging its heels over cleaning it up.
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* [[Brother Chuck]]: Craig.
* [[Brother Chuck]]: Craig.
** The second episode (which was Craig's first, and only, appearance) was actually the pilot of the show; producers would later shoot a new premiere episode to better explain the origins of Ghostwriter.
** The second episode (which was Craig's first, and only, appearance) was actually the pilot of the show; producers would later shoot a new premiere episode to better explain the origins of Ghostwriter.
* [[Can't Get Away With Nuthin]]
* [[Can't Get Away With Nuthin']]
* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: Tina was around in the first arc, but didn't see Ghostwriter until the second.
* [[Chekhov's Gunman]]: Tina was around in the first arc, but didn't see Ghostwriter until the second.
* [[City of Adventure]]: Usually Brooklyn, once London, seeing as the BBC co-produced the series.
* [[City of Adventure]]: Usually Brooklyn, once London, seeing as the BBC co-produced the series.
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* [[Feet of Clay]]: Almost every episode.
* [[Feet of Clay]]: Almost every episode.
* [[Five Five Five]]: Many phone numbers which prove key to solving cases.
* [[Five Five Five]]: Many phone numbers which prove key to solving cases.
* [[Five Man Band]]: Briefly, before cast changes made it moot.
* [[Five-Man Band]]: Briefly, before cast changes made it moot.
* [[Five Token Band]]: Played somewhat realistically.
* [[Five Token Band]]: Played somewhat realistically.
* [[Foreshadowing]]: Every episode.
* [[Foreshadowing]]: Every episode.
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* [[Put On a Bus]]: Rob moved to Australia.
* [[Put On a Bus]]: Rob moved to Australia.
* [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]]
* [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]]
* [[Revival]]: 1997's ''The New Ghostwriter Mysteries'', which aired on CBS, replaced the entire cast, and made a number of other changes to the series ([[Hey Its That Guy|Hey, it's that girl from]] ''[[Harriet the Spy]]''!).
* [[Revival]]: 1997's ''The New Ghostwriter Mysteries'', which aired on CBS, replaced the entire cast, and made a number of other changes to the series ([[Hey It's That Guy|Hey, it's that girl from]] ''[[Harriet the Spy]]''!).
* [[The Rival]]: Calvin.
* [[The Rival]]: Calvin.
* [[Sesame Workshop]]: Produced this show.
* [[Sesame Workshop]]: Produced this show.
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{{quote| '''Gooey Gus''': [[Sesame Street|"It's not easy being purple!"]]}}
{{quote| '''Gooey Gus''': [[Sesame Street|"It's not easy being purple!"]]}}
* [[Show Within a Show]]: Gaby is a huge fan of the ''Galaxy Girl'' TV series.
* [[Show Within a Show]]: Gaby is a huge fan of the ''Galaxy Girl'' TV series.
* [[Six Student Clique]]
* [[Six-Student Clique]]
* [[Sixth Ranger]]: Rob.
* [[Sixth Ranger]]: Rob.
* [[Soapbox Sadie]]: Lenni is a [[Downplayed Trope|downplayed version]] of this. She never tries to force anyone else to think her way, thus avoiding the usual [[Broken Aesop]] about that comes with the trope, but she often speaks out about her beliefs, especially through her music.
* [[Soapbox Sadie]]: Lenni is a [[Downplayed Trope|downplayed version]] of this. She never tries to force anyone else to think her way, thus avoiding the usual [[Broken Aesop]] about that comes with the trope, but she often speaks out about her beliefs, especially through her music.
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** Specifically [[Intangible Time Travel]] and [[Write Back to The Future]]: Ghost Writer is the one doing the [[Time Travel|TimeTraveling]], and he carries messages back and forth.
** Specifically [[Intangible Time Travel]] and [[Write Back to The Future]]: Ghost Writer is the one doing the [[Time Travel|TimeTraveling]], and he carries messages back and forth.
* [[Token Minority]]: Subverted; there are actually fewer white characters on the show than minorities. This is [[Justified Trope|justified]] since it takes place in the ethnically diverse New York.
* [[Token Minority]]: Subverted; there are actually fewer white characters on the show than minorities. This is [[Justified Trope|justified]] since it takes place in the ethnically diverse New York.
* [[Two Lines No Waiting]]
* [[Two Lines, No Waiting]]
* [[Very Special Episode]]: The episode "What's Up With Alex?" centered on Alex being accused of smoking marijuana by his father. It even aired with a warning that the episode would deal with issues that kids would need to ask their parents about for more information when it first aired on PBS. It never re-aired on Noggin.
* [[Very Special Episode]]: The episode "What's Up With Alex?" centered on Alex being accused of smoking marijuana by his father. It even aired with a warning that the episode would deal with issues that kids would need to ask their parents about for more information when it first aired on PBS. It never re-aired on Noggin.
* [[Viewer Friendly Interface]]: Complete with ''ridiculously'' slow typing.
* [[Viewer Friendly Interface]]: Complete with ''ridiculously'' slow typing.
* [[Viewers Are Morons]]: What seemed to be the basis of many plot points/storytelling tactics.
* [[Viewers are Morons]]: What seemed to be the basis of many plot points/storytelling tactics.
* [[Why Couldn't You Be Different]]: Rob's father initially thinks he should be more athletic.
* [[Why Couldn't You Be Different?]]: Rob's father initially thinks he should be more athletic.
* [[You Meddling Kids]]
* [[You Meddling Kids]]


Revision as of 17:24, 8 January 2014
"He's a ghost, and he writes to us: Ghostwriter."
—Jamal Jenkins, Ghost Story

Surreal, quirky mystery/educational series on PBS and The BBC from 1992-1995. A group of middle-school kids in Brooklyn, New York are the only ones who can see a benevolent, amnesiac ghost, whom they dub Ghostwriter. He can only see and communicate through writing, and he uses his abilities to help the kids solve mysteries. The show never made it clear who Ghostwriter was, or why he chooses to help people. Although some episodes implied that the ghost retained more memories than he claimed to, Ghostwriter's true identity was never revealed.

His abilities, by contrast, were extremely well-defined. For example, when the kids take a comic book as evidence, Ghostwriter can't see anything in it except the speech balloons. His spying often made the perp obvious very quickly, but the kids then had to find other evidence that would be admissible in court -- with a few exceptions. Each mystery was a four-part episode, except for the premiere and "To The Light," which were five-parters.

Presumably because of PBS censorship codes, almost all violence on the show happened off-camera. This made the show painfully slow and talky most of the time. But some scenes were truly scary nail-biters. For instance, in the "Who Is Max Mouse?" climax, the only chance the heroes had to solve the case was making a high-stakes bet with the perp, and losing it would result in a guaranteed prison term for one of the kids. In an equally scary arc, one of the kids suffered chemical poisoning from improperly discarded dry-cleaning chemicals near a playground that the characters frequently visited and her friends discover in their research that the effects of this poison are potentially lethal. The villains ranged from eccentrics to raving nutcases, and were fascinating -- too much so, as they made the heroes look bland. Some episodes managed elaborate mysteries without any villain at all.

Not recommended for anyone over the age of twelve, but worth seeing just for how the writers managed to come up with tension without much on-screen violence or if you grew up with the show and see well it was back then to now. And keep an eye out for Julia Stiles, Samuel L. Jackson, and Spike Lee in guest roles.

If you're looking for the trope that could have gone here, see Playing Cyrano. Not to be confused with a literary ghostwriter, defined by That Other Wiki as "a writer who writes books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person". Also not to be confused with the film The Ghost Writer.

Tropes used in Ghostwriter (TV series) include:

 Jamal: It was his first time. We all know what that feels like.

 Gooey Gus: "It's not easy being purple!"

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