Ghostwriter (1992 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ghostwriter |
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Genre |
|
| Created by | Liz Nealon |
| Starring |
|
| Composer(s) |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 74 (18 story arcs, with four episodes in each arc, except 1 and 5, where they have five episodes) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Miranda Barry |
| Production location(s) | Brooklyn, New York |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Distributor | Tradewinds Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Original release | October 4, 1992 – February 12, 1995 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Ghostwriter (2019-present) |
Ghostwriter is an American children's mystery TV show. It was created by Liz Nealon. The show was made by the Children's Television Workshop and BBC Television. It first aired on PBS on October 4, 1992. The last episode was shown on February 12, 1995.
The series is about a group of friends from Brooklyn. They work together to solve mysteries and crimes in their neighborhood. They get help from a friendly ghost named Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter cannot speak aloud. Instead, he uses letters and words he finds around him to communicate. He forms them into messages for the kids. The show was filmed in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
Contents
About the Show
The main goal of Ghostwriter was to help school children learn reading and writing skills. Each mystery was like a "case." These cases usually lasted for four 30-minute episodes. The first and fifth cases had five episodes. Kids watching the show were encouraged to follow along. They could use the reading and writing clues to try and solve the mysteries. This was just like the Ghostwriter team did on TV.
Ghostwriter was very popular and received many awards. People praised it for showing a realistic world with many different cultures. By its third season, Ghostwriter was one of the top five children's shows in America. It was shown in 24 countries around the world. Some countries even made their own versions. For example, in Latin America, it was called Fantasma Escritor.
Even though it was popular, the show ended suddenly after its third season. This was because it did not have enough money to continue. The original series was shown again on PBS from 1995 to 1999. It also had reruns on UPN Kids in 1997 and on ABC for a short time in 1999. From 1999 to 2003, it aired on the Noggin cable network. Noggin was started by the Children's Television Workshop and Nickelodeon.
Episodes
List of Ghostwriter episodes
Main Characters
- Sheldon Turnipseed played Jamal Jenkins.
- Blaze Berdahl played Lenni Frazier.
- David López played Alex Fernández.
- Mayteana Morales played Gaby Fernández (from 1992 to 1994).
- Tram-Anh Tran played Tina Nguyen.
- Todd Alexander Cohen played Rob Baker (from 1992 to 1993).
- William Hernandez played Héctor Carrero (from 1993 to 1995).
- Melissa González played Gaby Fernández (from 1994 to 1995).
- Lateaka Vinson played Casey Austin (from 1994 to 1995).
- Marcella Lowery played CeCe Jenkins.
- Samuel L. Jackson played Mr. Jenkins, Jamal's father.
Books and Products
Ghostwriter was more than just a TV show. It also had magazines, guides for teachers, and computer software. There were home videos, games, and other products. These items reached over a million children every month. Many Ghostwriter books were released. Some books retold the TV episodes, while others were brand new stories. Bantam Books published these books.
Awards and Recognition
- Writers Guild of America, USA, 1995
- Won, WGA Award (TV) for Children's Script. This award went to Carin Greenberg Baker for the episode "Don't Stop The Music".
- Young Artist Awards, 1993
- Nominated for Outstanding Performers in a Children's Program. The nominated actors were Todd Alexander, Blaze Berdahl, David López, Mayteana Morales, Tram-Anh Tran, and Sheldon Turnipseed.
The New Ghostwriter Mysteries
| The New Ghostwriter Mysteries | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Children's Mystery Fantasy |
| Created by | Liz Nelson |
| Starring | Charlotte Sullivan Erica Luttrell Kristian Ayre |
| Composer(s) | Alex Khaskin |
| Country of origin | Canada United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Naomi Janzen |
| Production location(s) | Toronto, Ontario |
| Cinematography | Rhett Morita |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Decode Entertainment Children's Television Workshop |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 13 – December 6, 1997 |
In 1997, CBS aired a new version of the show called The New Ghostwriter Mysteries. However, it was canceled after only one season because not enough people watched it. This new series was quite different from the original. Ghostwriter looked different on screen. It had completely new characters. Also, the stories were not told in a long series of episodes like the first show. This new series was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It featured a new team of three kids: Camella Gorik (Charlotte Sullivan), Emilie Robeson (Erica Luttrell), and Henry "Strick" Strickland (Kristian Ayre). In this version, Ghostwriter only appeared in two colors: silver and gold.
Ghostwriter's Story
Kermit Frazier, a producer and writer for Ghostwriter, shared some information about Ghostwriter's past in a 2010 interview. He said that Ghostwriter was once a person who helped others learn to read and write. After he passed away, his spirit became linked to a special book. When Jamal opened this book in the first episode, Ghostwriter was set free.
Radio Show
In the summer of 2006, BBC School Radio created a radio series based on Ghostwriter. It was made for elementary school students. The characters from the TV show kept their names, but new children voiced them. The original music and theme song were also used. A new musical sound was created by Sesame Workshop to let children know when Ghostwriter appeared.
New Versions
In September 2019, news came out that a new Ghostwriter show would be on Apple TV+. This new series started on November 1, 2019. It was nominated for eight Daytime Emmy Awards.
A spin-off show, Ghostwriter: Beyond the Page, is set to premiere on April 1st.
Images for kids
-
Ghostwriter: Season One DVD cover art.
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Fantasma escritor para niños
