Shot in Aukland, New Zealand, this six episode series aired in America on Nickelodeon. Nick had only been a cable channel for about 3 years back then and 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.
Based on a novel by Vivien Alcock, 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). Although the first clients we see her with are mortified to discover she has used an ostrich feather to brush a woman's face who thought she was communicating with her dead husband. The clients threaten to prosecute her for having done such a thing. To which Mrs. Palmer replies it would put her and the kids out on the streets.
Mrs. Palmer then has to explain what happened to Cassie, saying that some nights she feels the power stronger than others. And she has no choice but reduce herself to gimmicks to give a believable reading. Cassie is unaware of her own psychic abilities but Mrs. Palmer assures her that Cassie, being seventh child of a seventh child, would develop unimaginable powers. Cassie would never have to rely on such cheap tricks to amaze her audience. Cassie has no wish to be a psychic.
Feeling guilty for not yet having any psychic ability and fearing her mother will be jailed for charges of freud, Cassie goes to a cemetary to try to call up a girl named Charlotte Webb who died at age seven. After a moment a tall, 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, nervous and scared, tells him she was not calling him and runs off.
Cassie finally reveals to her mother that she had called a spirit. Cassie's mother is overwhelmed. Later on Deverill appears to Cassie several more times. She is not sure of Deverill's intent and doesn't understand why he follows her. She invites him to her house because Mrs. Palmer is interested in talking with him. He complies but vanishes suddenly in the middle of Mrs. Palmer's questioning.
Later the Palmers' house is put up for sale and the family is forced to move away. Deverill tells Cassie that, when he was alive, he buried a small treasure in the floor boards of a house in town. Sure enough the treasure was there and Cassie's family got to move to a small cottage outside of town. Cassie had freed Deverill of an eternity of darkness and torment. Her powers had burned themselves out in end and Cassie was able to continue a normal life - free from the supernatural.
This was one of my favorite shows as a kid. Unfortunately it is no longer available on any commercial media. The only way of getting any of the The Third Eye series is through collectors or tape trading.
