In the late nineties and early noughties, the BBC aired all four seasons of the TV series Goosebumps, adapted from R. L. Stine's infamous book series, as part of its children's' programming strand, CBBC. Well, they aired a fairly high percentage of it, at any rate; many episodes were censored for the 4.35pm timeslot, sometimes removing entire scenes, and twelve episodes were banned altogether, seemingly down to either just being too much for viewers, or concerns over imitable content.
(A baffling sidenote: several of the TV episodes were novelised under the banner Goosebumps Presents, to differentiate them from the books they'd originally been adapted from. These were published in the UK -- in the series' heyday we got pretty much everything except for a few of the short story collections released over here -- and the adaptations of the banned episodes were still released. One suspects a breakdown in communications between the publisher and the BBC, or possibly just no communications whatsoever.)
But if you were to glance at the Radio Times, you might not be aware that the series was so problematic for the censors. Because they only had a very short amount of space to provide synopses for children's programming, the RT listings didn't always provide a great summary... sometimes, in fact, a hilariously inappropriate one. Here, then, is my guide to the CBBC airdates of the show, via the medium of how they were billed in the Radio Times, as retrieved from the BBC Programme Index.
The first two episodes (the two-parter The Haunted Mask; shown as a single double-length episode on its original US broadcast, but I'm presuming a two-part version also existed for international airings) were amongst the banned ones, so the CBBC broadcasts started at episode 3. Also note that for whatever reason, the episodes were not broadcast in order, with different seasons being mixed together (the BBC took a similar approach to The Simpsons, which they broadcast for the first time not long before, and quite possibly other US imports I've not taken a close look at yet); they're listed here in CBBC order, with the episode numbers indicating the original US transmission order. (For reasons that will become clear later on, repeats are only mentioned if there was something notable about them.)
1.3: The Cuckoo Clock of Doom
Original UK TX 01/09/97, 4.35pm
Macabre tales. An old clock sends a ten-year-old boy back in time.
(Repeated 15/07/99, 4.35pm, this time with the inexplicable synopsis "Can Michael's father stop himself going back in time?")
1.12: Stay Out of the Basement (Part One)
Original UK TX 15/09/97, 4.35pm
Macabre tales. Two children grow curious about their father's plant collection. Concludes next week.
(Repeated 29/07/99, 4.40pm, this time with the synopsis "Margaret and Casey's father is spending too much time in the basement with his plant collection.")
1.13: Stay Out of the Basement (Part Two)
Original UK TX 22/09/97, 4.35pm
A series of macabre tales based on the books by RL Stine. Concluding a two-part story. Margaret and Casey uncover the terrible truth about their father's experiments with plants.
1.7: Phantom of the Auditorium
Original UK TX 29/09/97, 4.40pm
Macabre tales from R.L. Stine's books. A mystery figure watches the school production of The Phantom.
(Repeated 12/08/99, 4.40pm, this time with the rather better synopsis of "Brooke's school play is being watched from the wings by a mysterious, cloaked figure.")
1.9: Return of the Mummy
Original UK TX 06/10/97, 4.40pm
NOTE: As per the Programme Index's listing for the 6th October, this was originally scheduled to be the second episode broadcast on the 8th September, but was postponed for unknown reasons. I don't know for sure which episode -- if any -- ended up being broadcast on the original date...
BUT if you search the Index for "Postponed from 8 September", you will discover those words also appear in the listing for the 15 September episode of the short-lived sitcom Bloomin' Marvellous. That show broadcast its first episode on the 1st September, then as a result of the postponement didn't air on the 8th; the second episode is the postponed one, which aired on the 15th. I haven't been able to find confirmation of this, but it seems likely to me that the originally planned schedule was torn up because of coverage of the funeral of Princess Diana, and no episode of Goosebumps was broadcast on the 8th at all.
I bet you weren't expecting to ever read anything like that last sentence.
Macabre tales. An ancient spirit is reawakened when a pyramid is disturbed.
(Repeated 22/07/99, 4.35pm; this was shown second in the first repeat run, further indicating that the above theory is likely correct and no episode was shown on 08/09/97)
2.2: Attack of the Mutant (Part One)
Original UK TX 13/10/97, 4.40pm
Macabre tales. Comic book characters come to life. Concludes next Monday.
2.3: Attack of the Mutant (Part Two)
Original UK TX 20/10/97, 4.40pm
Concluding a two-part story. Skipper helps his hero.
1.8: Piano Lessons Can Be Murder
Original UK TX 27/10/97, 4.40pm
A basement conceals a haunted piano.
1.11: My Hairiest Adventure
Original UK TX 03/11/97, 4.40pm
A self-tanning lotion produces some unusual results.
1.5: Welcome to Camp Nightmare (Part One)
Original UK TX 10/11/97, 4.40pm
Summer camp does not meet up to Billy's expectations.
1.6: Welcome to Camp Nightmare (Part Two)
Original UK TX 17/11/97, 4.40pm
Concluding a two-part story. Billy gets a surprise when he confronts Uncle Al.
2.1: Be Careful What You Wish For
Original UK TX 24/11/97, 4.40pm
A girl is given the chance to make three wishes.
1.15: Say Cheese and Die
Original UK TX 01/12/97, 4.40pm
A camera with strange powers is found.
2.13: Let's Get Invisible
Original UK TX 08/12/97, 4.40pm
Max, Noah and Erin discover a secret room with a mirror.
2.15: Monster Blood
Original UK TX 15/12/97, 4.40pm
(NOTE: The Index indicates this episode was erroneously billed in the Radio Times as "More Monster Blood: Part One")
Evan enters a forbidden room at his aunt's house.
2.16: More Monster Blood
Original UK TX 22/12/97, 4.40pm
Concluding a two-part story. Evan flies to America. The series returns in April.
2.18: How to Kill a Monster (probably)
Original UK TX 09/04/98, 4.40pm
Okay, here's a frustrating one: by the time the series returned from its break, the Radio Times went through a (fortunately temporary) phase of not providing episode titles, so around this time we only have the synopses to go on. And this one is too vague to pin down:
What sort of creature lies behind a door in a spooky old house?
I have guessed that this is "How to Kill a Monster" on the basis of what else was shown, and when, and on subsequent repeat runs (HtKaM was definitely shown by the BBC, as an early-morning showing listed as a repeat on 23/12/99), but I can't be absolutely certain.
2.6: Go Eat Worms
Original UK TX 16/04/98, 4.40pm
Scary drama. Todd collects worms.
1.16: A Night in Terror Tower (Part One)
Original UK TX 23/04/98, 4.40pm
Scary drama. Eddie and Sue go on a tour of Terror Tower in London.
1.17: A Night in Terror Tower (Part Two)
Original UK TX 30/04/98, 4.40pm
Scary drama. Eddie and Sue escape from the Tower, but have lost their memories.
2.7: You Can't Scare Me
Original UK TX 07/05/98, 4.40pm
Scary drama. Two boys try everything they can think of to scare their classmate.
2.8: Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes
Original UK TX 14/05/98, 4.40pm
Scary drama. Joe and Mindy's father is very proud of his garden, but his garden gnomes seem to have a life of their own.
(A later repeat uses the description "A neighbourly dispute takes a sinister turn", which, like some of these, sounds like it can be applied to a very different show.)
2.9: Ghost Beach
Original UK TX 21/05/98, 4.40pm
Two children visit a spooky beach. Just who is real, and who are ghosts?
2.17: Vampire Breath
Original UK TX 28/05/98, 4.40pm
Two children find a vampire in their cellar.
2.18: The Werewolf of Fever Swamp (Part One)
Original UK TX 04/06/98, 4.40pm
First of a two-part story. When their family moves to Florida, two children discover a terrifying secret in the swamps.
2.19: The Werewolf of Fever Swamp (Part Two)
Original UK TX 11/06/98, 4.40pm
Last of a two-part story. Grady and Emily's new friend seems to know too much about the weird happenings in the swamp.
2.5: The Headless Ghost
Original UK TX 18/06/98, 4.40pm
Scary drama. Stephanie and Duane explore a dark and spooky house, which is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a headless boy.
2.14: Scarecrow Walks at Midnight
Original UK TX 02/07/98, 4.35pm
(Note: No episode aired on the 25th due to World Cup coverage meaning CBBC didn't start until 5pm that day)
Scary drama. After two days on their grandparents' farm Jodie and Mark begin to suspect that something funny is going on.
2.14: It Came from Beneath the Sink (probably)
Original UK TX 09/07/98, 4.35pm
And here's another frustrating one: the Radio Times lists this one only as "scary drama". (If you'd like an insight into my writing process, it was at this point that I retitled this post from "Children's BBC: Goosebumps".)
On 30 December 1999, a daytime (8:45am!) airing of "It Came from Beneath the Sink" (with the immortal synopsis "A girl is stalked by a killer sponge") is marked as a repeat, so I'm guessing that's what the episode shown here was.
* * *
It is at this point that the series takes another break, lasting until September, and things get very hard to figure out at this point. The Programme Index has the following listings:
07/09/98: Perfect School - Part One
14/09/98: Welcome to Dead House - Part One
21/09/98: The Blob That Ate Everyone
28/09/98: Perfect School - Part One
05/10/98: Perfect School - Part Two
As you may have noticed, this would have made no fucking sense whatsoever. Although the 28/09 listing for "A Perfect School" does not indicate it is a postponed broadcast of the original airing, my presumption is that there was a last-minute change (perhaps they planned to show "A Perfect School" to tie in with the start of a new school year, but decided at the last moment that that was a bad idea), and the following actually happened:
07/09/98: Welcome to Dead House - Part One
14/09/98: Welcome to Dead House - Part Two (wrongly listed in the Radio Times as part one)
21/09/98: The Blob That Ate Everyone
28/09/98: Perfect School - Part One
05/10/98: Perfect School - Part Two
I can't be certain of this, but unless anyone who remembers the original broadcasts can help me out here, I will presume it is what happened.
* * *
2.20: Welcome to Dead House (Part One) (probably)
Original UK TX 07/09/98, 4.40pm (probably)
No Radio Times synopsis available for the original broadcast due to the above kerfuffle. (A repeat from 30/05/00 went with "Amanda and Josh move to a new town with very strange inhabitants.")
2.21: Welcome to Dead House (Part Two) (probably)
Original UK TX 14/09/98, 4.40pm (probably)
Horror drama series. Things get creepier. (This would not make sense for Part One, which bolsters my theory: this was indeed Part Two, despite being wrongly listed in the Radio Times as Part One.)
2.23: The Blob That Ate Everyone
Original UK TX 21/09/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama series. Zack's writing ambitions take a sinister turn when he finds an old typewriter.
3.11: Perfect School (Part One)
Original UK TX 28/09/98, 4.40pm (probably)
The 28/09 listing says: In the first of a two-part story, Brian is sent to summer school.
The apparently cancelled 07/09 listing was: Brian is sent to summer school to be transformed into the perfect student.
(It also seems worth noting at this point that this story was based on one from a short story collection that was, as far as I can tell, never published in the UK...)
3.12: Perfect School (Part Two)
Original UK TX 05/10/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Brian makes a discovery.
3.2: My Best Friend is Invisible
Original UK TX 12/10/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Sam befriends a ghost.
3.1: Shocker on Shock Street
Original UK TX 19/10/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Erin and Marty try the studio tour.
3.18: Say Cheese and Die... Again
Original UK TX 26/10/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Greg finds an evil camera.
3.22: Don't Wake Mummy
Original UK TX 02/11/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Jeff's father sends home a mummy's tomb. (Another story based on a short story that apparently never saw print in the UK.)
3.8: One Day at Horrorland (Part One)
Original UK TX 09/11/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Lizzie, Luke and their parents stumble upon a scary amusement park.
3.9: One Day at Horrorland (Part Two)
Original UK TX 16/11/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. The Morris family are trapped by monsters in an amusement park.
3.6: An Old Story
Original UK TX 23/11/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Dahlia cooks prune cookies.
(I would be remiss in not pointing out how amazing that synopsis is on so many different levels, obviously, but this is also based on a short story from a book not published in the UK.)
(Repeated 21/08/00, 4.40pm, this time with the slightly better synopsis of "Tom and John's Aunt Dahlia cooks up some strange dishes in the kitchen.")
3.10: The Haunted House Game
Original UK TX 30/11/98, 4.40pm
Horror drama. Nadine and Johnathon find a haunted house game in an old mansion. (Another story not printed in the UK...)
3.7: The Barking Ghost
Original UK TX 07/12/98, 4.40pm
Horror. Two vanishing dogs scare Cooper.
3.5: Click
Original UK TX 14/12/98, 4.35pm
Horror drama. Seth receives a special remote-control through the post.
3.4: Don't Go to Sleep
Original UK TX 21/12/98, 4.40pm
Matt wakes to find everything has changed. Last in the series.
3.22: Teacher's Pet
Original UK TX 01/04/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. Schoolgirl Becca Thompson goes on an exciting nature trip.
3.19: Chillogy Pt 1 - Squeal of Fortune
Original UK TX 08/04/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. Jessica finds herself in a miniature town.
3.20: Chillogy Pt 2 - Strike Three... You're Doomed
Original UK TX 15/04/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. When Matthew is depressed over losing a baseball game, Karl makes him an offer he can't refuse.
3.21: Chillogy Pt 3 - Escape from Karlsville
Original UK TX 22/04/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. Conclusion. Jessica and Matthew have to rescue Matthew's little brother, Todd.
4.3: The Ghost Next Door (Part One)
Original UK TX 29/04/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. Hannah befriends the strange boy next door. Then a phantom appears.
(You've got to love how the synopsis doesn't specify any connection between those events.)
4.4: The Ghost Next Door (Part Two)
Original UK TX 06/05/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. As the mysterious phantom closes in, Hannah doesn't know if the ghost is Danny or herself.
3.15: Awesome Ants
Original UK TX 13/05/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. Dave Warren sends off for a giant ant farm so he can study their behaviour. (Another short story not published in the UK.)
3.13: Werewolf Skin (Part One)
Original UK TX 20/05/99, 4.40pm
Horror drama series, based on books by R.L. Stine. Alex visits his aunt and uncle's home near a wood rumoured to be inhabited by wolves.
3.14: Werewolf Skin (Part Two)
Original UK TX 27/05/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. Alex is convinced the next-door neighbours are werewolves.
4.1: How I Got My Shrunken Head (Part One)
Original UK TX 03/06/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. Mark finds his aunt has disappeared when he visits her on her jungle island.
4.2: How I Got My Shrunken Head (Part Two)
Original UK TX 10/06/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. Armed with only a bizarre trophy, Mark tries to rescue his aunt from the villains after her magic.
4.5: Cry of the Cat (Part One)
Original UK TX 17/06/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. After Allison runs over a cat with her bike, the creature begins to haunt her.
4.6: Cry of the Cat (Part Two)
Original UK TX 24/06/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. Allison learns that the cat haunting her is draining the life-force of humans to keep its nine lives intact.
4.7: Deep Trouble (Part One)
Original UK TX 01/07/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. Billy and Sheena spend a summer vacation with their strange uncle, Dr Deep.
4.8: Deep Trouble (Part Two)
Original UK TX 08/07/99, 4.35pm
Horror drama series. Billy and Sheena investigate the mysterious happenings.
* * *
The first repeat run at 4.35pm begins the following week; however, on Friday 27 August, the show is repeated for the first time as part of the morning block of CBBC programming, at 9.30am. But here we come to a big problem... because not all of those episodes were repeats. This listing for 17/04/00 bills a 9am showing of "Bad Hare Day" as a repeat, but this looks like it might be a mistake, and that was actually the first time the episode had been shown! "Calling All Creeps" also appears to have debuted on 25/04/00 at 9am (and was seemingly never repeated). (I don't know if any episodes originally shown in the afternoon then repeated in the daytime were censored further than they already were, but it seems possible.) The only alternative explanation is that there's some showings that don't appear when I search the Programme Index because of some mistake in the listing, but after some extensive experimentation with all the different keywords I can think of, this seems unlikely.
Anyway, after several months only in the early morning slot, Goosebumps returns to the afternoon block on 24/07/00 at 4.35pm. The first episode shown is "Bad Hare Day", but after that the episodes are repeats of ones already shown in the afternoon block. So, for the record:
2.4: Bad Hare Day
Original UK TX 17/04/00 (daytime - 9am), 24/07/00 (afternoon - 4.35pm)
Original airing: Tim and his sister Ginny get more than they bargain for when they go to see Amazo the magician on stage.
First afternoon airing: A magician performs some bizarre tricks.
2.19: Calling All Creeps
Only UK TX 25/04/00, 9am
Tired of being constantly picked on at school, Ricky hatches a plan to get his own back on the bullies - especially Tasha.
* * *
In July 2001, CBBC runs the stunt of "Eek! Week", which as you might expect Goosebumps featured heavily in: on Monday they ran the first episode of "The Ghost Next Door" at 9am, during the morning block, then the second episode as part of the afternoon block at 4.35pm. The rest of the week they just showed episodes at 9am, repeating "Werewolf Skin" and "How I Got My Shrunken Head". At the conclusion of this week there's also a viewer vote to choose which of Goosebumps, Big Wolf on Campus, The Wild Thornberries or Kenan and Kel gets an extra repeat showing, but I don't know which one won (or what the bloody hell those last two were doing in the mix). Not long after, Goosebumps disappears from CBBC altogether, with the final episodes being daytime repeats during the summer holidays of August 2001.
This leaves the following twelve episodes which, as far as I can tell, were never broadcast by the BBC:
1.1/1.2 The Haunted Mask
1.4 The Girl Who Cried Monster
1.10 Night of the Living Dummy II
2.10 Attack of the Jack O Lanterns
2.11/2.12 Haunted Mask II
2.24/2.25 Night of the Living Dummy III
3.3 The House of No Return
3.16 Bride of the Living Dummy
3.17 Strained Peas
I am guessing that content played a part in banning these, but maybe once the first "Haunted Mask" was deemed unbroadcastable the second one got banned by default, and a similar story with all the "Living Dummy" episodes. "Strained Peas", which concerns the protagonist trying to get rid of their newborn baby sister who turns out to be a monster, was likely banned due to concerns over imitable behaviour.
...But here's a thing. There are three daytime repeats where the listing doesn't specify which episode was shown: 27/08/99, 02/09/99 and 03/09/99, all at 9.30am. I would say it's extremely unlikely that one of those banned episodes was actually shown then and wrongly marked as a repeat, but if you happen to know for sure what was shown on those occasions, do please leave a comment.
And I think you must all know more about this subject than you could ever possibly have wanted to.
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