Haunting of Cassie Palmer

"The Haunting of Cassie Palmer" is a British television drama for children produced in 1981 by TVS (Television South) and first broadcast on 26 February 1982. The series was based on a novel by Vivien Alcock. In the United States, it was carried on the Nickelodeon television channel as part of the series "The Third Eye". [http://members.tripod.com/~djfury/latz.html]

Nickelodeon had only been a cable channel for a short time when it added "The Third Eye" series to its live-action line up. The Third Eye was a sci-fi/supernatural anthology that included "Into the Labyrinth", "The Haunting of Cassie Palmer", "Children of the Stones" and "Under the Mountain". Later "The Witches and the Grinnygog" was added.

Some modern sources state that "The Haunting of Cassie Palmer" was shot in New Zealand, whereas contemporary sources indicate Sussex, England. The confusion has probably arisen because of a 1986 New Zealand TV production called "The Haunting of Barney Palmer".

Cast

*Mary Palmer: Ruth Adcock
*Tom Palmer: Stephen Bint
*Cassie Palmer: Helen Probyn
*Deverill: Geoffrey Rose
*Mrs. Palmer: Elizabeth Spriggs

Crew

*Director: Dorothea Brooking
*Writer: Alfred Shaughnessy
*Producer / Executive Producer: Anna Home
*Original Music Composer: Kenyon Emrys-Roberts
*Production Designer: John Newton-Clarke
*Stunt Arrangers: Sue Crossland & Paul Weston

Plot outline

"The Haunting of Cassie Palmer" is a story of 13 year old Cassie Palmer who lives with her mother, older brother, and sister. Cassie's mother is an eccentric "psychic" (medium). After some of her clients are incensed to discover her mother has tricked a woman into thinking that she is communicating with her deceased husband by brushing her face with a feather, the clients threaten to prosecute her. Mrs. Palmer pleads with them not to as such an action would render her homeless.

Mrs. Palmer explains to Cassie that her powers are only intermittent, and as result she sometimes has to embellish the reading to produce results her clients will be happy with. Mrs. Palmer explains that Cassie, being seventh child of a seventh child, would develop great psychic powers as she reached maturity. However, Cassie has no wish to be a psychic. Unfortunately, these abilities have already manifested and Cassie is simply unaware of them.

Desperate to protect her mother from charges of fraud, Cassie goes to a cemetery to try to call up a spirit Charlotte Webb who died as a small child. Instead a dark figure appears from behind a tombstone. He tells her his name is Deverill and wants to know why she's called him out. Cassie runs away.

Cassie eventually tells her mother. Upon learning this her mother is gravely concerned for their safety. Deverill appears to Cassie several more times. Unsure of Deverill's intent, she invites him to her house so that her mother can find out what his motives are. He complies but vanishes before her mother can discern if he is a sinister or benevolent entity.

Eventually the Palmers have to sell their house and move as a result of poor business and the bad reputation acquired from the clients who accused Ms. Palmer of fraud. Deverill reveals to Cassie that when he was alive he buried a small treasure in the floor boards of a house in town. Cassie finds the treasure and is able to purchase a new home for herself and start a new life. In exchange for this good deed Mr. Deveril was able to leave this plane of existence. Cassie had freed his restless spirit of an eternity of darkness and torment. Her psychic powers apparently where burned out during the struggle thus enabling her to lead a normal life, free from the influence of the supernatural.

Episodes

There was only one season of this television program, which consisted of six half-hour episodes. At this time it is not commercially available for sale.