First live 'exorcism' to air on TV for Halloween

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

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)

“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' (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.