The 1957 “Spaghetti-Grows-on-Trees” Hoax

> Does this reflect positively upon the some style of comedy favoured by the Brits, or negatively about their credulity?

People function by simplistic rules of thumb rather than understanding underlying principles. We all probably do it to some extent, simply because the world is too complex to understand in full. Some people do it to a greater extent.

A good example for the HN crowd is watching people with limited understanding of the technology use a computer or a phone. A lot rely heavily memorised sequences of actions. Put them in front of a slightly different GUI and they effectively have to relearn from scratch. Something as simple as a panel on the side instead of a start men plus taskbar will complete throw people. Now apply the same thinking elsewhere.

Is that intended as a correction? If so, I said "daytime TV -ish". I meant the initial vibe was similar to the lighthearted fare the BBC and other channels put out during the day at that time, albeit with jokey "spooky" trappings, despite its post-watershed airing. I know it was on late, I watched it "live".

The fact that they were investigating night time paranormal activity even gave them an excuse for airing such seemingly kid-friendly stuff so late in the evening. A lot of parents let their kids stay up for it, including mine.

Shat me right up it did.

Yes I came to see the same thing. There was an interesting article recently using the Lenin thing as an example of people not having world models. Spaghetti tree is another good one.

https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/in-search-of-ai-psychosis

I grew up in the Washington DC area watching WDCA Channel 20, where the legendary and inimitable Dick Dyszel played the second and longest running "Bozo" (who ran live gerbil races), and the more "modern" Spock-eared "Captain 20" on the kid's shows (with the tag line "Live Long and Win Lots of Prizes", who ran live Atari tank battles), and the Dracuesque "Count Gore De Val" on the horror movie show "Creature Feature".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKC6JpqudME&list=PLaJhh0k4dk...

He shot a hilariously cheesy public service announcement that got locked into the scheduling computer and was shown so often, even after he was fired, that it is still burned into my brain: "Hi kids, I'm Captain 20, flying without an airplane, right?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Dyszel

http://www.captain20.com/screening.htm (with the original video)

Screening Room

On Sept 2, 1981, Peg Sullivan, who was one of the original liaison people from Taft Broadcasting when they purchased WDCA in 1980, came to me and said that as part of the license commitment, we were going to do a Public Service Announcement about the difference between fantasy and reality on television.

I liked the idea and asked her what she had in mind and when she wanted to shoot it. She said that there was an open spot in the production schedule that afternoon and as far as content went, "It's up to you!"

After thanking her for the advance notice, my mind went back to stories I had heard in my youth about kids being injured by trying to fly like TV's Superman. So, a few hours later, we went into the studio, I had the crew set and light a blue chromakey sweep and take a camera outside into the parking lot. There was no script, but I had in mind what I wanted to say. It took about 20 minutes to set, light and rehearse the spot. We did the first take and it was OK, except that some glare on my shoes "keyed" out and it looked bad. So, I took my shoes off and we did the second and last take. Peggy loved it. Management loved it and it was put into the scheduling computer to begin airing the following week.

The spot ran and ran and ran. The computer was instructed to run the spot on a regular schedule during kid's programming and then whenever there was an additional opening in the schedule. Because it was an important part of the license commitment, it was given a special priority code that could not be easily over-ridden.

The spot continued to run, even after I was fired Memorial Day weekend 1987, because no one knew how to override the code! Eventually they figured it out. But by then it was had run for five and a half years and was certainly the most viewed PSA in the history of the station.

To watch it with a broadband connection, click on the image below.

The podcast Criminal did an episode about Ghostwatch this past Halloween.

https://thisiscriminal.com/episode-338-ghostwatch-10-31-2025