Television Times with Steve Otis Gunn

Ciarán O’Keeffe was 13 when he phoned Columbia University after seeing Ghostbusters to ask if their parapsychology department was real. They said no. He became a parapsychologist anyway. Welcome to this year’s Halloween special.Dr. Ciarán O’Keeffe is a parapsychologist, psychologist, and author, known for his work on Most Haunted and Uncanny, and as Head of the Department of Psychology at Buckinghamshire New University. He is also the man who invented the name “Kreed Kafer” to test Derek Acorah on live television.How Arthur C. Clarke’s Mysterious World, Rent-A-Ghost, and Sapphire and Steel quietly shaped a career in parapsychology — and the burnt-down pig farm where he did his first ghost hunt at the age of sevenThe bed in the wrong room — the very first Most Haunted investigation, the moment Derek Acorah gave incredibly accurate information about completely the wrong object, and why, for Ciarán, that was the end of any doubtHow he invented “Kreed Kafer” — an anagram of Derek Faker — fed it to Derek Acorah as a spirit name, and watched it come out of Acorah’s mouth live on televisionWalking down Bold Street in Liverpool every single day, hoping the famous time slip would happen to him — despite not believing in itConnect with Ciarán here:YouTubeInstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A quick bonus episode to say hello from Leeds. It’s a short, scruffy little check-in, a bit of an interim chat between the repeats you’ve been getting and the brand new episodes, which begin at the end of this month.I just wanted to pop my head round the door, say hi, and let you know how things are going. It’s not a full-blown episode, more a cup of tea and a natter before Television Times comes back with fresh material.There’s also a song at the end, because why not.Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Danny Robins chats about how he became Britain's go-to ghost expert by accident — and now he can't get rid of them.Danny Robins is a British writer, broadcaster and playwright known for creating and hosting the BBC's Uncanny podcast and TV series, and for writing the acclaimed West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story. His work bridges comedy and the supernatural in ways that manage to be both funny and genuinely unsettling.How a comedy writer became the UK's most trusted voice on unexplained phenomena — and when the fascination really took holdWhat started as a podcast and became a BBC TV series, live tours, and a bookThe unsettling film that influenced his signature look — and the surreal experience of being interviewed by The Guardian as Basil BrushAs a Halloween Bonus: Clinton Baptiste pops in to talk theatre ghosts, plus an excerpt from Steve's Edinburgh show featuring his own spine-tingling taleConnect with Danny here:InstagramFacebookFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Bernie Clifton chats about how he once flew in a Cold War bomber to a football match, took Oswald the Ostrich up in a microlight for a newspaper stunt, and was featured on Inside No. 9. It's been quite the ride.Bernie Clifton is a British comedian and entertainer with a career spanning decades, beloved for his warmth, wit and prop comedy — including television appearances on 321, Crackerjack, and It's a Royal Knockout.The unexpected path from early ambitions through a brief RAF detour to the comedy stageThe encouragement from Bob Monkhouse and Les Dawson that helped shape his now-iconic styleHow Oswald the Ostrich came into existence — and the surreal moment he took it up in a microlightWhat decades of live performance reveal about audiences, stamina, and why comedy enduresConnect with Bernie here:InstagramFacebookOfficial WebsiteFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Graham Fellows talks about how he accidentally became Jilted John, accidentally became John Shuttleworth, and has spent several decades building one of the most quietly inventive careers in British comedy — largely by following things to see where they go.Graham Fellows is a British actor, comedian, and musician best known for creating Jilted John and John Shuttleworth. As Jilted John, he scored a late 70s hit that thrust him into the spotlight; as Shuttleworth, he developed one of British comedy's most beloved characters — a middle-aged suburban man with a deep love of music technology and dry wit.How John Shuttleworth came into existence following a publishing deal — and then refused to leaveWhat appearing on Top of the Pops in the early 80s was actually likeThe shifting world of 1980s and 90s television — Saturday Night Zoo, The Paradise Club, and what that era made possible for comedyWhy following an accidental creation wherever it leads is a more reliable creative strategy than planningConnect with Graham here:InstagramFacebookYouTubeFind us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.