Is Blumhouse producing a series based on the Battersea Poltergeist?

Have you ever listened to the docu-drama podcast “The Battersea Poltergeist”?

It’s described as “a paranormal cold case, re-investigated through a chilling blend of drama and documentary. The true story of one of Britain’s strangest hauntings, with Dafne Keene and Toby Jones. Presented by Danny Robins.”

According to Variety, as of May, the BBC Radio 4 podcast had “amassed nearly 3 million streams and downloads since its launch,” which was on March 29, 2021. The ratings on Apple Podcasts are quite high too, 4.7 out of 5 stars.

It must be pretty good because it caught the eye —um, ear?— of Blumhouse Television, which, in conjunction with Maniac Productions, have secured the rights to develop it into a scripted series that will also have an unscripted companion series.

What does all of that mean? I’m not quite sure, but let’s take a look at what the story of the Battersea Poltergeist is all about as well as what we know so far about the forthcoming series.

What is the Battersea Poltergeist?

The first place I turned to find out about this haunting was Rosemary Ellen Guiley’s Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits.

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Surprisingly, there was no entry for it. And if you can believe it, when you Google “Battersea Poltergeist” no Wikipedia entry pops up for it either.

Luckily the BBC had an article about the story of the Battersea Poltergeist, written by the man who created the podcast about the haunting, Danny Robins.

It all started in 1956 at a house at Number 63 Wycliffe Road in Battersea, a district of South West London. Robins describes the area as “gentrified now,” but back in the 1950s, he explains it was a “fairly poor, working class area.”

15-year-old Shirley Hitchings lived in the house at Number 63 Wycliffe Road with her mom, Kitty, and dad, Wally. Wally’s mom, Ethel, and her adopted son, John, also lived in the home.

As Robins describes it, “Their lives were changed forever one night when they were woken by deafening bangs reverberating through the house, shaking the walls and floors.”

That was the start of the haunting of the Battersea Poltergeist.

Battersea Poltergeist Activity

The same racket followed night after night, loud enough that people on the street could hear.

But it didn’t just happen at night. It started happening during the day too. Most troubling of all, it seemed to center around young Shirley.

Both worn out and freaked out, the Hitchings family didn’t know who to contact about their problem. They tried the police as well as several surveyors, but no one could explain the strange activity.

Well, things only escalated from there. Objects started moving on their own. Clocks flew, slippers walked across the room by themselves, pots and pans were thrown in the kitchen, rooms were trashed.

That sounds pretty familiar for poltergeist activity, right? Robins concurs and then teases about where the story took a turn:

Up until this point the case resembles many other poltergeist hauntings – chilling and unsettling, but following an established pattern, However, it then takes on a truly extraordinary life of its own. Without wanting to give any spoilers, you’ll hear spontaneous fires break out, disembodied voices, writing appearing on walls and even on paper – seemingly “letters from a ghost”.

The family ended up naming the ghost “Donald” and developed a way to communicate with him —for years.

That’s what makes the case unique. It claims to be the longest poltergeist haunting in history, spanning 12 years.

The Poltergeist Prince of London

Shirley Hitchings co-authored a book with James Clark about the haunting, The Poltergeist Prince of London: The Remarkable True Story of the Battersea Poltergeist.

Once Robins heard Shirley’s story, he read her book. Well, “devoured” it was his exact words.

Then he devoted two years to researching the case. The end result of which became his podcast that will now be turned into a television series.

Blumhouse’s Ghost Story

The series is going to be called Blumhouse’s Ghost Story, and “The Battersea Poltergeist” podcast will serve as the basis for the first season.

Michael Seitzman from Maniac Productions said, “It was exactly what we’d been looking for to launch our new ongoing series based on true hauntings.”

There’s no word yet about a release date or platform, but I’m definitely keeping my eyes open for more info. I’ll for sure follow up with further details as they become available.

For More Info

I only found episodes 4-9 of “The Battersea Poltergeist” podcast on Apple. However, you can access and listen to all 9 episodes plus the Case Updates on BBC Radio 4. Just visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0940193.

Check-In

Were you familiar with the story of the Battersea Poltergeist or is this case new to you?