Customer Reviews

Ghostwriter: Ghost Story [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I used to watch every episode I could when I was younger. This would be the first DVD I would buy if it came out. I wish the makers of this show would look at all of the online petitons, there are over 400 people wanting it on DVD.

In a world awash with unimaginative children's programming, inappropriate dialog, and overly disciplined rules, one show stood out above the rest. "Ghostwriter" fans will always remember the diverse team of kids who ran around Brooklyn cracking codes and solving mysteries. Some people have teased the show for its early 90's look of colorful outfits, trendy headgear, mild rap music, and brief introduction to the internet. But the show didn't reek of ignorance like some programs of today. The kids were hip in their time but the messages are timeless. While the Ghostwriter team worked on solving mysteries, they also learned about environmentalism, drug abuse, violence, war remembrance, and family feuds.

So who IS Ghostwriter? We don't know. In this pilot episode, a ghost suddenly pops out of a book in the basement of 12-year-old Jamal Jenkins. He's depicted as a bubble that floats around the screen before diving into books or a computer. Ghostwriter cannot hear or talk. It takes Jamal and his friend Lenni Frazer a few tries until they realize he can only communicate through words. Ghostwriter doesn't remember who he is or where he came from but he does want to "protect the children". The enigma surrounding Ghostwriter never went away but the idea of a word-searching ghost caught on. Because Ghostwriter can move from afar, he's able to transmit clues and tips back to the team and their notebooks.

This show was intended to teach reading and writing skills but the idea of New York smart kids with a word-tracking ghost for an ally gave the stories a unique feeling that was different from "Nancy Drew", "Hardy Boys", or even "Scooby Doo".

The pilot mystery is about the origins of Ghostwriter, the team, and their first mystery. When Gaby Fernandez is walking to school one day, her bag is stolen by a stranger in a two-headed mask. She's only one of many kids who have had been robbed lately, all in the same manner. Jamal finds a coded message and a button with the word THABTO as his only clues. His friend Alex, Gaby's older brother, tries to help him crack the code. Together, Jamal, Lenni, Alex, and Gaby team up to discover the true identity of the backpack thieves.

There's something wonderful, almost magical, about watching the story through the wide-eyed children. They're all a bit frightened by Ghostwriter at first but gradually, they learn to accept his help in solving the mystery. From Lenni's affection in hugging the computer screen to Gaby's shriek when she finds the message on her wall ("Gaby thirsts for knowledge?" "Yeah! It means she always wants to know stuff.") to Jamal's modest but heroic actions to Alex's daring plan to infiltrate the THABTO meeting, each of them shines with his or her special qualities.

We sympathize with Jamal who feels a letdown when the case ends. Then he rallies everybody together at his house and suggests they continue working as detectives. The Ghostwriter team is officially initiated. After all, it's never the end of an adventure. It's only the start of a new one. Whether you're showing this video to a younger generation of kids or reliving old memories ("old" meaning you watched this in elementary or middle school) you'll be glad you knew about "Ghostwriter".

This was the first Ghostwriter movie, the one that started the series. It would be nice if you all could bring it back (we have a copy of this video and my daughter loves it), but this time, it would be very, very nice if you could also release some of the others as full length movies.

My mind recalls the episode where Ghostwriter travelled back to the 1920s and helped a little boy and girl, named Frank and Catherine to solve a mystery. Many years later in 1993, Catherine is a well-known old-lady mystery writer, and Frank has died, but because Ghostwriter helped them to solve the crime back in the 1920s, Frank became a doctor and saved one of the future kid's daddy. I really wish you all would put this episode into a full-length movie and release it so we could all buy it and enjoy it.

Another one I really liked was the one where Lennie cut the video on the kids against drugs campaign at her school. "You Gotta Believe, and reach for the stars..." It was just beautiful. May I urge the producers of this show to please, please release these videos for us to buy?

All of these that were 4 and 5 part series could be released onto videos. I'm sure there would be no trouble selling them.

I loved the very first original ghost writer series so much! My sister and I used to watch it at 6:00 on every sunday. Our dinners got cold, because we never wanted to leave the show. I really wish they would consider putting the shows back on. or at least releasing all of the shows out on video.

I'm wondering where you found out about the Ghostwriter DVD. Many Ghostwriter fans like me have been searching for the DVD for a long time. Could you please post another comment and share the info on the DVD with us? Thank you.

This is an excellent, excellent series that teaches and demonstrates the importance of reading and writing, as well as logical thinking, problem-solving, cooperating, etc., without being preachy or didactic. They are excellent mysteries, with a great cast.

Although the series is not available on video now, it is currently being shown on the Noggin cable network--three times a day, with entire mysteries (4 episodes) back to back on weekends.

Dear Reviewer Rank 967266:

Thank you for your kind response. I have taken quite a bit of time to respond and I am sorry. I've been busy writing reviews for several other shows and movies including Friends Seasons 1 and 2, Apocalypse Now, Full House, and Full Metal Jacket. I was first introduced to the Ghostwriter team 4 years ago when Jamal, Lenny, Alex, Hector, Rob, and the gang made their way on my television set after a long day of school. I was enthralled by their analytic minds; with the help of their affable apparition, I knew they could do whatever they wanted, an inspiration for 5th graders like me. Ghostwriter made my life worth living and I found whatever way to get my hands on the DVD, even if meant taking a nonstop flight to China and buying a bootleg copy at a rural thrift shop. Friends, I don't know when the DVD will be available for the public's use in the United States, nor if it ever will be. But the point is Ghostwriter was more than just the epitome of youth-geared television. It was the journey taken on by a diverse group to make this world a little bit better than it was. And the journey will continue, even if not through the Digital Video Disc we all desire.

Ghostwriter: What a Trip.

-Sally

He's a ghost. And he writes to us. If you were Jamal Jenkins, the ensuing connection would be obvious: Ghostwriter. For the rest of us, we simply sit back and watch as Jamal, Gaby, Alex, Hector et. al. solve mystery after mystery with their associate and friend, Ghostwriter. And no, he's not an alien. Dickens, Shakespeare, Thoreau - the list of genius wordsmiths is long, yet each of these members is elite in his own right. Add Ghostwriter to this accomplished list, as he takes letters and - you guessed it - writes with them.

The Ghostwriter team was the coalition of intrepid youngsters who used a little adolescent wit and sleuthing skills along with the assistance of Ghostwriter to fight crime. How do they accomplish this, you ask? The answer, as Alex would be happy to tell you, is elementary: they check out clues, and solve mysteries.

Friends, I urge you to purchase this incredible icon of early 1990's youth-geared television. Find out how great the combination of Ghostwriter and his team can be. And unlike the Ghostwriter team, you should tell everyone you know about our ghost friend, so that the entire world can smile when the familiar theme song begins its symphony.

Due to my viewing of Ghostwriter years ago, my felt-tip pen handwriting is impeccable, my reading skills are top-notch, I utilize a superior vocabulary and I can keep track of any investigation with the simple tool of a casebook.

Ghostwriter - what a trip.

Ghostwriter was a series in the '90s that noone could get their hands on. The only place you could get your hands on Ghostwriter is n the library and on ebay for the highest bidder. I think they should air this show back on television or atleast show a marathon of every single episode. This show has hundreds of petitions saying it should be on DVD. This show not only should be on DVD but they should get the cast and crew together to make bonus features on the disk and they should make a collectors edition like they did with the godfather. When this show comes on the air I would'nt even care about the superbowl I'd watch this.

Ghostwriter is quite possibly the greatest show ever created. I am surprised that Hector is now on "The Real World" and is gay. He was a great character, full of regret but ever joyful. I enjoyed it when he spelled 'science' 'cience' because he is Latino. I'm glad Alex helped him with that. The DVD will be coming out shortly. I've already pre-ordered it. The VHS version above is great, and should be bought by everyone so the company can earn greater revenue, produce more Ghostwriter apparel, and be happy with its life.

-Sally