Uncanny - BBC Sounds
I’m not usually a fan of the paranormal – I wouldn’t visit a fortune teller or ever risk the wrath of an ouija board but there is something compelling about Danny Robins’s BBC Radio 4 podcast Uncanny. Robins is an award-winning writer, performer, broadcaster and journalist. His play 2:22 A Ghost Story (starring Lily Allen and Jake Wood) won Best New Play at the 2022 WhatsOnStageAwards.
Uncanny the TV series was developed from the podcast and launched in October 2023 on BBC2. Uncanny: I Know What I Saw the live stage show toured last year and included a date at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall in June. The TV show has been so successful that a second series is in production.
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The premise of the podcast is that Robins and his team investigate real-life stories of paranormal and supernatural activity to see if they can find a reasonable explanation for the phenomena. He looks at each case from what he dubs as either the ‘Team Believer’ or ‘Team Sceptic’ perspective.
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The stories are often spine-chilling as these are not ghost stories invented to scare or entertain but real experiences which have left some of those affected deeply traumatised. Many have never spoken about these events before. Robins goes to great lengths to talk directly to those involved and also seeks advice and guidance from experts.
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The stories range from haunted houses, hotels and hospitals to UFO sightings and ghostly spectres. It is a fascinating series which at times makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, as sometimes there really doesn’t seem to be any plausible explanation for what these people have witnessed.
Robins clearly revels in the telling as he recounts the story interlaced with eerie music and sound effects. After each story he invites listeners to write in with their views. He regularly discovers others with similar experiences they have never shared for fear of being ridiculed.
Interestingly one of Robins’ first investigations centred on ‘The Evil in Room 611′ - the alleged haunting of a room at Queen’s University’s old Alanbrooke Hall student accommodation – uncanny indeed…
