Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

First live 'exorcism' to air on TV for Halloween

The ritual will take place in the original 'Exorcist House' in the US

Jack Shepherd
Friday 31 July 2015 11:30 BST
Comments
6. The Exorcist, 1973 In between Linda Blair's vomiting and stair walking antics, director William Friedkin pays scrupulous attention to character development and performance. Even without the shock tactics, this would still be
6. The Exorcist, 1973 In between Linda Blair's vomiting and stair walking antics, director William Friedkin pays scrupulous attention to character development and performance. Even without the shock tactics, this would still be (Rex Features)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

“TV history” will be made this Halloween, apparently, as the first ever live televised 'exorcism' will take place.

Destination America, a Discovery owned station, will broadcast the event the night before All Hallows’ Eve, 30 October, as a tribute to the original Exorcist ritual which took place in 1949.

To make the whole affair much spookier, the exorcism will take place in the original ‘Exorcist House’, the same building the infamous ritual was performed which inspired both the novel and film The Exorcist.

Max von Sydow as Father Merrin in 'The Exorcist'
Max von Sydow as Father Merrin in 'The Exorcist' (AP)

In a statement, the network said: "No one has ever attempted to rid the lurking spirits and demons that inhabit this home — until now."

Exorcism: Live will see a team explore the haunted house, from attic to basement, searching for "whatever or whomever has scared Americans to death for decades." This won’t be some mindless wander looking for ghosts though; the team will be equipped with the latest technologies and shall be documenting everything to see if demons really do exist.

Marc Etkind, of Destination America, said: “As we step into one of the most haunted and well-known spirit destinations in America, Exorcism: Live! will show exactly what is inside this infamous, highly dangerous and possessed home. By actually exorcising this iconic house live, Destination America will do what it does best — bringing never-before-seen experiences to television.”

If you're interested in real-life exorcisms, here's a short clip from National Geographic that looks at a professional exorcist in the Phillipenes.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in