Ghostwriter
The Ghostwriter team. From left to right: Gaby Fernandez (Mayteana Morales), Alejandro "Alex" Fernandez (David López), Lenni Frazier (Blaze Berdahl), Tina Nguyen (Tram-Anh Tran), and Jamal Jenkins (Sheldon Turnipseed).
Genre	Children's (Mystery)
Camera setup	{{{camera}}}
Picture format	{{{picture_format}}}
Running time	approx. 30 minutes (per episode)
Creator(s)	Liz Nelson
Developer(s)	{{{developer}}}
Executive Producer(s)	{{{executive_producer}}}
Starring	Todd Alexander (1992-1993) Blaze Berdahl David López Marcella Lowery Tram-Anh Tran Sheldon Turnipseed Mayteana Morales (1992-1994) William Hernandez (1993-1995) Melissa Gonzales (1994-1995) Lateaka Vinson (1994-1995)
Narrated by	{{{narrated}}}
Country of origin	USA
Original network/channel	PBS (Discovery Kids in Latin America)
Original run	October 4, 1992 – February 12, 1995
Total no. of episodes	74 (18 mystery arcs, each with 4 or 5 episodes devoted to each case.)
[{{{website}}} Official website]
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Ghostwriter was a television series co-produced by the Children's Television Workshop and the BBC, originally aired on PBS in the United States from October 1992 to February 1995. The series featured a group of New York City teenagers who solved mysteries with the help of an invisible ghost, who can communicate with the kids only by manipulating whatever text and letters he can find and using them to form words and sentences. Image File history File links Wbmbs28. ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... Look up Mystery in Wiktionary, the free dictionary In common usage, a mystery is a description for something which is unknown or yet unexplained. ... Marcella Lowery (born April 27, 1946 in Queens, New York) is an American actor. ... William Willie Hernandez (born November 20, 1979 in New York City) is an Puerto Rican-American actor. ... PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... Discovery Kids Channel is a digital cable television channel, owned by Discovery Communications (see Discovery Channel) with programming for education of children. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Childrens Television Workshop (or CTW), is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational childrens programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States), as well as Noggin, a joint venture with Viacom... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation. ... PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... A manufactured image of a ghostly woman ascending a staircase A ghost is an alleged non-corporeal manifestation of a dead person (or, rarely, an animal). ...

Overview

The series was designed to teach reading and writing skills to elementary and middle school children. Each mystery was presented as a story arc, covering four or five thirty-minute episodes; children were encouraged to follow each mystery, and use the reading and writing clues given to attempt to solve them just as the Ghostwriter team does in the show.

Ghostwriter was critically acclaimed and honored for presenting a realistic, racially diverse world in its two-hour mystery stories. By the end of its third season, Ghostwriter ranked in the top five of all children's shows on American television. The program was cancelled after the third season, not because of a lack of popularity, but because of a lack of funding. Ghostwriter has been broadcast in 24 countries worldwide, and generated a number of foreign-language adaptations, including the top-rated program on Discovery Kids Latin America (Fantasma Escritor). Discovery Kids Channel is a digital cable television channel, owned by Discovery Communications (see Discovery Channel) with programming for education of children. ... Fantasma Escritor is the Latin American version of the American television series Ghostwriter that airs on Discovery Kids Latin America. ...

Some commentators have complained that the show has a liberal bias. This accusation mostly came from the fact that, save for Rob and Lenni, the entire cast was made up of minorities, and the villains most often turned out to be white males. Also, issues in the cases included liberal issues such as environmentalism, homelessness, and racial prejudice. Liberal bias is a common phrase used in American political discourse to express the view that the American media generally has a liberal bias. ...

Characters

Ghostwriter

The titular character of the series was an enigmatic figure. The question of who Ghostwriter actually was never fully answered, although several clues are given during the course of the series in several of the mystery arcs.

• He was a man. ("Ghost Story")
• He is now a ghost. ("Ghost Story")
• He wanted to protect "the children." ("Ghost Story")
• At one point, he remembers he was chased by dogs. ("A Crime of Two Cities")
• He can only be seen by those he reveals himself to. ("Ghost Story")
• He can only read or feel emotions. He cannot see or hear. ("Ghost Story")
• He can travel through time. ("Just in Time")
• He can travel across the Internet. ("Who is Max Mouse?")

The Ghostwriter team

When the show began, it was based around four main characters, all students at Zora Neale Hurston Middle School and Washington Elementary School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York. The "team" later expanded to include six (later seven) active members, one MIA member, one member in Australia, two members in England, and three members in the year 1928. The neighborhood of Fort Greene is listed on the National and New York State Registry of Historic Places, and is a New York City designated Historic District. ... Main article: New York City A map of New York City, highlighting Brooklyn. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

To become a member of the team, a kid would have to be able to read the words that Ghostwriter manipulates. There was normally an induction ceremony for each new member that join the team. At this ceremony, they would be given a special pen with a string to be placed around the neck so the members could write to Ghostwriter no matter where they happened to be. When a team meeting was required, one of the members would use Ghostwriter to send out the message "rally", followed by the first initial of the member that was hosting the meeting.

Jamal Jenkins

Jamal (portrayed by Sheldon Turnipseed) is a level-headed, intelligent African-American boy; the first person Ghostwriter reveals himself to and the de facto leader of the Ghostwriter team. In the first episode of the series, "Ghost Story, Part 1", seventh grader Jamal is cleaning out the basement of his family's brownstone, when a spirit emerges from a book that has fallen on the ground and begins communicating with Jamal through words. An African American (also Afro-American or Black American, or black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about the building material. ...

Jamal lives with his parents (his father is portrayed in the first few episodes by Samuel L. Jackson) and his grandmother (portrayed by Marcella Lowery); his older sister Danitra is away at college. Midway through the second season, Jamal's young cousin Casey also comes to stay with the family. Jamal's interests include karate and science; he dreams to one day be "a scientist that performs experiments in outer space." Jamal applies for enrollment in the High School of Science, and in the final episode of the series is accepted. Jackson as The Man Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Marcella Lowery (born April 27, 1946 in Queens, New York) is an American actor. ... Karate or karate-dō is a martial art of Okinawan origin. ...

Major story arcs for Jamal include:

• "Ghost Story": Jamal discovers Ghostwriter.
• "Who Burned Mr. Brinker's Store?": Jamal is accused of burning a local video store, causing discord in the team following his covering up of the facts.
• "Who's Who": In a secondary arc, Jamal's grandmother is sick.
• "Just in Time": Takes place in Jamal's home, circa 1928. Ghostwriter is also working hard in this case due to the "future" of Jamal's family.
• "Who is Max Mouse?": Jamal introduces the team to the Internet. Also, Jamal is a suspect for causing false alarms and changing grades at school.
• "A Crime of Two Cities": Jamal travels to London and gets involved with a mystery that spans the Atlantic Ocean.

1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Lenni Frazier

Lenni (portrayed by Blaze Berdahl) is the second person to "see" Ghostwriter. A headstrong young lady, Lenni is an aspiring singer, rapper, and songwriter. Lenni lives with her divorcee father (portrayed by Richard Cox during the first season, and Keith Langsdale afterwards), in a loft above the Fernadezes' bodega. Richard Cox may refer to: Richard Threlkeld Cox, U.S. physicist Richard Cox, bishop of Ely in the early 16th century Richard Cox, Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1703-1707 Richard Cox, birth name of U.S. actor Dick Sargent Richard Ian Cox, British actor Richard Cox, British horticulturalist, created Cox... The term loft mainly refers to two different types of rooms: An upper room or story in a building, directly under the roof, used either for storage (as in most private houses),for a specific purpose, eg. ...

Major story arcs for Lenni include:

• "Ghost Story": Lenni discovers Ghostwriter and meets Jamal.
• "Into the Comics": Gets the team involved in a scavenger hunt so they can win the grand prize, and become characters in a comic book.
• "Get the Message": Lenni's father and Alex & Gaby's father bicker over a car accident, causing discord within the team.
• "Who is Max Mouse?": With Jamal, Lenni is a suspect for causing false alarms and changing grades at school.
• "Don't Stop the Music": Lenni and the team are given the chance by Smash Records to shoot a video for Lenni's song "You Gotta Believe"

Alex Fernández

Alejandro "Alex" Fernández (portrayed by David López) is the third person to be introduced to Ghostwriter. A first generation Salvadoran American, Alex is an aspiring detective and skilled basketball player. Alex and his younger sister Gaby live with their parents in the back of the family store (or bodega), which is located under Lenni's apartment. Alex is prone to a hot temper at times, but also displays a notable amount of courage and determination.

Major story arcs for Alex include:

• "Ghost Story": Alex discovers Ghostwriter and meets Jamal.
• "To Catch a Creep": Alex runs for class president and encounters much opposition.
• "Who's Who": Alex begins a romantic attachment with team member, Tina.
• "Get the Message": Lenni's father and Alex & Gaby's father bicker over a car accident, causing discord within the team.
• "What's Up With Alex?": Alex's basketball teammate Kevin offers him marijuana, and Alex struggles to get Kevin out of a robbery scheme.

Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ...

Gaby Fernández

Gabriella "Gaby" Fernández (portrayed by Mayteana Morales in season 1, season two, and "A Crime of Two Cities"; and by Melissa Gonzalez in "Four Days of the Cockatoo" and "Attack of the Slime Monster") is the fourth person to "see" Ghostwriter. She is Alex's younger sister, goes to Washington Elementary, and is best friends with her teammate Tina. Gaby lives up to her nickname, as she is prone to not knowing when to stop talking.

Major story arcs for Gaby include:

• "Ghost Story": Gaby discovers Ghostwriter and meets Jamal.
• "Over a Barrel": Gaby gets sick due to tetrachloroethylene contamination in the community garden.
• "Am I Blue?": Gaby steals money from the bodega's register to buy a "Galaxy Girl" costume.
• "Four Days of the Cockatoo": Gaby finds a rare palm cockatoo, treasured by a pair of dirty crooks.

Tetrachloroethylene Cl2C=CCl2 is a manufactured chemical that is widely used for the dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. ...

Tina Nguyen

Although Vietnamese American Tina (portrayed by Tram-Anh Tran) is present in the first mystery arc of the series, she does not "see" Ghostwriter until the second arc. She wants to be a filmmaker, and is often seen with a camcorder in her hand. She attends acting classes, and lives with her parents and her brother Tuan and sister Linda in a traditionalist Vietnamese household. Her best friend in Gaby, and she has a romantic relationship with Gaby's brother Alex.

Major story arcs for Tina include:

• "Who Burned Mr. Brinker's Store?": Tina first "sees" Ghostwriter.
• "Who's Who": Tina becomes a "girl Friday" for classic movie actress, Lana Barnes, and begins a romance with Alex.
• "Over a Barrel": Tina first kisses Alex.
• "Lost in Brooklyn": Tina begins middle school, and becomes friends with Safira, a new student from Africa.

Rob Baker

Rob (portrayed by Todd Alexander) is a shy transfer student from a military family. He wants to be an author, and thus writes many different short stories. Rob has a bad habit of getting himself into trouble. Rob's family decides to move during the "Lost in Brooklyn" story arc, and Rob's place in the team is assumed by Héctor.

Major story arcs for Rob include:

• "To Catch a Creep": Rob is introduced as a suspect, but later "sees" Ghostwriter.
• "To the Light": In searching for his homeless friend Double T, Rob is trapped in a subway tunnel.
• "Building Bridges": Rob becomes friends with a former gang member and is attacked in their hideout.
• "Lost in Brooklyn": Rob's last story arc, moves to Australia.

Héctor Carrero

Hector (portrayed by William Hernandez) joins the cast mid-way through season two. He meets Alex through the Big Brothers mentoring program. He was born in New York, but grew up in Puerto Rico, and can't read English very well. Hector in particular enjoys playing handball. William Willie Hernandez (born November 20, 1979 in New York City) is an Puerto Rican-American actor. ... Big Brothers Big Sisters of America was founded in 1904 as New York Big Brothers by Ernest Coulter, who was influenced by Julius Mayer, a judge in the New York Childrens Court. ... Team handball (also known as field handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport where two teams of seven players each (six players and a goalkeeper) pass and bounce a ball trying to throw it in the goal of the opposing team. ...

Major story arcs for Hector include:

• "Lost in Brooklyn": Hector meets the team and Ghostwriter.
• "Just in Time": Hector defeats a bully.

Casey Austin

Casey (portrayed by Lateaka Vinson) joins the cast mid-way through season two. She is Jamal's younger cousin; a practical joker with a fondness for peanut butter.

Major story arcs for Casey include:

• "Don't Stop the Music": Casey is suspected of causing pranks on the set of Lenni's music video; and first "sees" Ghostwriter.
• "Attack of the Slime Monster": Casey enters the team in a contest to write a scary story about "Gooey Gus the Slime Monster".

Craig Mitchell

Craig Mitchell (portrayed by Jeremy Miller) is an electronics expert, and only appears in the "Who Burned Mr. Brinker's Store?" arc. Jeremy Miller (born October 21, 1976 in West Covina, California) is a Jewish-American actor best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver on Growing Pains and its two reunion movies. ...

Other cast members

Other cast members include Lt. Isaiah McQuade (Mike Hodge), and the team's enemies: Calvin Ferguson (Wil Horneff in "Ghost Story", Joey Shea thereafter) and Jeffrey Baxter (Jon Hershfield). The show's numerous guest stars included Samuel L. Jackson as Jamal's father, Julia Stiles, Max Wright, Spike Lee, Daisy Fuentes, Judge Reinhold, Orlagh Cassidy, Melinda Mullins, Annabelle Gurwitch, Robin Leach, Michael J. Fox, Salt-n-Pepa, and Harry Connick Jr. Jackson as The Man Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Julia Stiles in Mona Lisa Smile (2003) Julia OHara Stiles (born March 28, 1981) is an American stage and screen actress. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Spike Lee Shelton Jackson Lee (born March 20, 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia), better known as Spike Lee, is a controversial film director, producer, writer, and actor noted for his many films dealing with social and political issues. ... Daisy Fuentes Daisy Fuentes (born November 17, 1966 in Havana, Cuba) is an American model who became an actress. ... Judge Reinhold Judge Reinhold (born May 21, 1957 in Wilmington, Delaware) is an American actor best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop and Ruthless People. ... Melinda Mullins is an American theater and film actress. ... Robin Douglas Leach (born August 29, 1941) is an English celebrity writer famous for hosting his first show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in the 1980s, which focuses on the lavish luxurious mansions, cars, yachts of celebrities, and sometimes has interviews with them, either at home, or on their... Michael J. Fox on the cover of his book, Lucky Man Michael J. Fox (born June 9, 1961) is a Canadian-born actor, made famous by his roles as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy and as Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties. ... Salt, DJ Spinderella, and Pepa on the cover to their 1999 CD single, The Brick Track Verses Gitty Up Salt-N-Pepa is an American R&B and hip hop group, consisting of Cheryl James and Sandy Denton (Salt and Pepa, respectively), and Deidre Dee Dee Roper (DJ Spinderella). ... Harry Connick, Jr. ...

Episodes

The first season

Highlights from the first season, which premiered in October 1992, include:

• The formation of the Ghostwriter Team.
• Alex's campaign for class president.
• Rob being stuck in a subway tunnel.
• The team working for movie star, Lana Barnes.
• The team fighting for the environment in "Over a Barrel".

The second season

The second season began with a special replaying the episode "Over a Barrel." Some highlights from this season include:

• Calvin pretending to be Ghostwriter (who he only knows as GW).
• Ghostwriter traveling to the year 1928.
• Hector joining the team.
• Rob's farewell party.
• The team discovering the internet.
• The team starring in an MTV music video.
• Casey joins the cast as a recurring character.

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The third season

The third season only consisted of three story arcs: "A Crime of Two Cities," "Four Days of the Cockatoo," and "Attack of the Slime Monster." Casey becomes a regular cast member. "Attack of the Slime Monster" concluded with the entire team celebrating Jamal, Alex, and Lenni's graduation from middle school. Jamal gave Lenni and Alex matching collector "Ghostwriter" pens so they can keep in touch no matter where they will go, Jamal to the High School of Science, and Lenni and Alex to local high schools.

Merchandising

Created as an integrated, branded, multi-media project, the Ghostwriter brand included magazines and teacher's guides, software (Microsoft), home video, games/licensed product, and other outreach materials that reached over a million children each month. There were many Ghostwriter books released, both novelizations of the TV episodes and new stories. They were released by Bantam Books. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT, SEHK: 4338) is an international computer technology corporation with 2005 global annual sales of close to $40 billion USD and about 64,000 employees in 85 countries and regions which develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. ... Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe; title page of 1719 newspaper edition A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Bantam Books (established 1945), owned by Random House, is a member of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group. ...

Video releases

During the mid 1990's Ghostwriter was released on VHS by two different companies, GPN and Republic Pictures. GPN is the company authorized by PBS to release all its shows on video. It has the entire series except for the last two story arcs. These videos are in the original format with each story arc divided into four or five parts. Republic Pictures released only three story arcs from the first season: "Ghost Story," "Who Burned Mr. Brinker's Store?," and "Into the Comics." In Republic Pictures' version, the four or five episodes for each arc were edited together into a feature length movie. The Republic Pictures videos are out of print now. The GPN version is still available, but they are only on VHS. Fans have been petitioning for the past couple of years for the series to be released on DVD. Currently, there are still no plans to release it on DVD. Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ... PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ... Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ... Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. ...

Awards and nominations

• Writers Guild of America, USA, 1995
  • Won, WGA Award (TV) for Children's Script - Carin Greenberg Baker, for "Can't Stop The Music".

• Young Artist Awards, 1993
  • Nominated, Outstanding Performers in a Children's Program: Todd Alexander, Blaze Berdahl, David López, Mayteana Morales, Tram-Anh Tran, Sheldon Turnipseed

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the collective bargaining representative, or labor union, for writers in the motion picture and television industries in the United States. ... The Young Artist Award is an award which is presented yearly by the Young Artist Foundation. ...

After cancellation and The New Ghostwriter Mysteries

The show halted production in February 1995 due to a lack of funding. In 1997, CBS aired a new version of the show, The New Ghostwriter Mysteries, but it was cancelled after one season due to low ratings. The new show had little in common with the original, changing Ghostwriter's on-screen appearance, introducing entirely new characters, and getting rid of the serial format of the original series. 1997 (MCMXCVII in Roman) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see CBS (disambiguation). ... Serial is a term, originating in literature, for a format by which a story is told in contiguous installments in sequential issues of a single periodical publication. ...

The original version was rerun from 1995 to 1999 on PBS. Then in 1999 it moved to the cable/satellite network Noggin, and subsequently on The N when The N became a part time channel/programming block on Noggin. It aired on The N until 2003. Ghostwriter is currently not aired in the United States, and there are no plans to release it on DVD at this time. There continue to be plans to make a movie version. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Noggin is a cable television network in both the United States and United Kingdom. ... The-N is the nighttime block on Noggin for teens. ... Noggin is a cable television network in both the United States and United Kingdom. ... The-N is the nighttime block on Noggin for teens. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Ghostwriter Informational Page
• Ghostwriter Theme Song
• IMDb: Ghostwriter
• TV.com: Ghostwriter
• TV.com: The New Ghostwriter Mysteries
• IMDb: The New Ghostwriter Mysteries
• Ghostwriter Title and Air Dates Guide