Oncecalled the"Children ’s Television Workshop ’s most challenging educational project sinceSesame Street,“the PBS fellowship mystery seriesGhostwriterpremiered in 1992 and lasted for three seasons . For readers who missed its original run , Ghostwriterwas about a various group of child who found and became friend with a ghost ( a.k.a . Ghostwriter ) that could only communicate by manipulate letters on signs , in Word of God , and on computer screens . The ghost helped the group solve mysteries , while they also seek to figure out the mystery of its identity . Whether you watched it scrupulously after shoal , or you ’ve never seen a single episode , here are eight thing you should know aboutGhostwriter .
1. Ghostwriter was a murdered runaway slave.
The series was canceled before the kids could solve the mystery of who their trace was before he break down , but producer and writer Kermit Frazier had his indistinguishability sieve from the beginning . “ Ghostwriter was a runaway slave during the Civil War , ” Frazier toldThe New York Timesin 2010 . “ He was killed by slave catcher and their dogs as he was teaching other runaway slave how to read in the Wood . His mortal was kept in the Quran and free once Jamal ( Sheldon Turnipseed ) disclose the book . ”
2 . Samuel L. Jackson kick off the risky venture .
Jackson played Jamal ’s father in the show , though he only appeared in three episodes in the entire serial . The first episode start with father and son digging through a cellar for an old body for Jamal ’s baby to utilize at college . Jackson has the first bloodline of dialogue , and when he and Jamal move the trunk , the book that harbour the ghost falls off of the ledge .
3. There were quite a few celebrity appearances.
Spike Lee , Daisy Fuentes , Bo Jackson , Salt - N - Pepa , Dr. Dre , Ed Lover , andother familiar facesshowed up in episodes of the educational show , either play themselves or small one - off purpose .
4 . Brooklyn was an authoritative character in the series .
Atomische , Flickr//CC BY - NC - ND 2.0
Set in the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn , the writers and producers thought ofGhostwriteras a mirror image of the borough . “ We were looking for a neighborhood that was urban , multi - ethnic , but also had a bit of account to it , ” executive producer Liz Nealon toldThe New York Times . ” When we first scouted Fort Greene , I enounce , ‘ This is it . ’ ” A church there , the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church , was a stoppage on the Underground Railroad , and Nealon added that when Ghostwriter was animated , he would have discontinue in that area .
5. The show was never really about the ghost.
While giving a radical of kid a touch to interact with is a fun way to get other youngster concerned , the Maker ofGhostwriterwanted the basal focus of the show to be education . consort to a 1992 clause inEducation Week , the three end of the show were " to motivate shaver to enjoy and rate reading and writing , " " to show them how to use efficient interpretation and writing scheme , ” and " to provide them with ' compelling ' opportunities to read and write . ”
6.Ghostwriterwas funded in part by Nike.
eBay
In the early nineties , Nike was a frequent advertiser with Fox ( which premier a stalker peek of the pilot episode ) and the major underwriter ofGhostwriter . The athletic apparel and footwear companycontributed $ 5 millionto the show , which at the timewas the“largest unmarried corporate grant ever made for a fry ’s educational television task . ” Nike also promoted the show and literacy with its “ Exercise Your Head , Read ” campaign .
7 . Its first episode bump the
10 - Men : The Animated Series
premiere .
YouTube
As a part of the dealwith Nike and PBS , Fox had to do some strategic reworking of its Saturday morning sketch batting order . On October 3 , 1992,X - gentleman : The Animated Seriesdid not premiere as scheduled . It was moved to October 31 to make room forGhostwriter , but the commercial that were plan for its breaks were still shown . Also as a direction to get witness to watch both channels , part one of the premiere was read on Fox , and viewers had to tune in to PBS on Sunday evening to see the conclusion .
8. It was Julia Stiles’ first acting credit.
IMDb listsGhostwriter ’s " Erica Dansby " as Julia Stiles ’s first professional role ( on television or film ) . As the editor of the school newspaper publisher , she appeared in six instalment . But there is one clip that the net is obsessed with , in which Erica cultivate Tina ( Tram - Anh Tran ) on hackers .
