Paranormal State
 |
 | It has been suggested that Pennsylvania State University Paranormal Research Society be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since March 2008. |
| Paranormal State | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Four Seasons Productions and Go Go Luckey Productions |
| Starring | Ryan Buell, others |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | A&E Network |
| Release | December 10, 2007 |
Paranormal State is a docu-drama reality television series for A&E about a student-led college club, the Penn State Paranormal Research Society. The show depicts the students' investigations of paranormal activity and supernatural phenomena.
Production background
The show is produced by Four Seasons Productions International and Go Go Luckey Productions (which produced MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, and A&E's now-cancelled Rollergirls). Gary Auerbach and Julie Auerbach (who head Go Go Luckey Productions) and Emmy-nominated[citation needed] Betsy Schechter (Four Seasons) are the executive producers.[1][2]
The show was tentatively titled "Out There," "Dead Time" and "Paranormal U" before the name "Paranormal State" was chosen.[1][3]
Show co-executive producer Alan LaGarde is credited with giving the students advanced electronic equipment which they did not previously have, and in making contacts with police, doctors, psychiatrists and other government officials and medical professionals. This permits the student-led team to more positively rule out non-paranormal explanations.[4] Each episode of the show is outlined by the production team first, co-executive producer Tina Gazzerro has said, to ensure that a produceable episode will result. "We try to identify where we get our discovery moments, our 'Ah-ha!' moments," Gazzerro told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Information about the event under investigation may also be held back from the students in order to create dramatic tension, and only situations which will have a conclusive outcome are investigated. "We may have information we don't give to [the PRS team]," Gazzerro said, "but we need to make sure [the episode is] produceable." Story arcs are also outlined for each "character" on the show, and the production team has publicly expressed its hope that a romantic relationship will develop between Buell and one of the women on the series. The production team and the show's researchers say that no pressure is put on the research team to act in certain ways or make paranormal discoveries.[5]
A&E had high hopes for the new series. Cable television reality shows about the paranormal require only about a quarter of the budget for a scripted show of the same length. They also draw much-coveted younger viewers, and skew slightly more female than male (a difficult demographic to draw for most cable networks not explicitly targeting women).[6]
Fourteen half-hour episodes were ordered for the first season. A&E upped that order to 20 shows after seeing the pilot and the first few episodes.[7][5] Had the show not been picked up by A&E, Buell said he had another series deal in the works with the Auerbachs and their production company.[8]
The show was initially scheduled to debut in May or June 2007, but was pushed back to December 2007 (although no reasons were reported).[9]
The show debuted on December 10, 2007, with 2.5 million viewers watching the first two back-to-back episodes,[10] making it the third-most watched show on A&E since 2004.[7] The cable network reported that this included 1.6 million people aged 18 to 49 (a highly coveted demographic by broadcasters and advertisers). It also included 1.5 million viewers in the 25-to-54 age range, A&E's target demographic.[11]
Episode Guide
| Episode # | Episode Name | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sixth Sense | December 10, 2007 |
| 2 | The Name | December 10, 2007 |
| 3 | Devil in Syracuse | December 17, 2007 |
| 4 | Dark Man | December 17, 2007 |
| 5 | Vegas | December 24, 2007 |
| 6 | Pet Cemetary | December 24, 2007 |
| 7 | The Cemetary | December 31, 2007 |
| 8 | Man of The House | December 31, 2007 |
| 9 | Beer, Wine, and Spirits | January 7, 2008 |
| 10 | Shape Shifter | January 14, 2008 |
| 11 | Paranormal Intervention | January 21, 2008 |
| 12 | School House Haunting | January 28, 2008 |
| 13 | Haunted Piano | February 4, 2008 |
| 14 | Woman in the Window | February 11, 2008 |
| 15 | Requiem | February 18, 2008 |
| 16 | The Asylum | February 25, 2008 |
| 17 | Mothman | March 3, 2008 |
| 18 | Freshman Fear | March 10, 2008 |
| 19 | The Knickerbocker | March 17, 2008 |
Critical reception
Critical reception for the show has been mixed.
Positive reviews
Positive reviews are somewhat in the minority, but effusive in their praise. One positive review called the show "reality TV at its reel frightening best."[12] Most critics who enjoy the show credit it for being "spooky".[7] In a typical comment, one reviewer said the show was "...the perfect blend of bump-in-the-night scariness and cinéma vérité. It's 'The Blair Witch Project' meets 'Unsolved Mysteries.' But if you scare easily, don't watch this show alone."[13]
Reviewers have pointed out that the show effectively utilizes a number of cinematic techniques common in horror film. The editing leaves open the question of whether paranormal activity is actually occurring, and the cinematography uses night-vision and infrared photography to create a suspenseful atmosphere. The writing on the show is particularly effective at creating a sense of portent and dread, one reviewer noted, and the music and graphics contribute effectively to the tension and fear as well.[2][5][6]
At least one critic has pointed out that the investigatory team's failure to find paranormal activity each episode gives the show credibility other series about the paranormal lack.[14]
Negative reviews
Other critics have been less than kind. The Orange County Register gave it a "dishonorable mention" as one of the worst news shows of the 2007-2008 television season.[15] The New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger faulted the series for being too low-budget and not frightening enough (a The Blair Witch Project minus the fright). As Genzlinger wrote:
- Mr. Buell tries to generate interest in his personal demons as well, but he's just not that compelling. ... Maybe "Paranormal State" is pure put-on. If so, it's not deft enough.[16]
Some reviewers have strongly criticized the high production values which others praise.[17] As one otherwise positive review noted, "The biggest drawback to the series is that it's over-produced, with too many eerie sounds and visual effects. Is the heavy breathing something picked up by PRS microphones, or is it a sound effect added after the fact by the show's producers?"[14]
Critics have also pointed out that the show lacks visual punch. People interviewed in the show declare that they "feel" a spirit next to them, but nothing is shown to the TV viewer. In the series debut, the audience is told that a young boy sees ghosts, but the audience is not able to see any evidence of this.[16][18] "The most compelling footage seems to come more from the editing room than beyond the grave," noted one industry trade publication.[17] Reviewers say the show also fails to effectively integrate and utilize the team's (apparently) sophisticated audio and video equipment to heighten tension or help support their claims of paranormal activity.[18]
Others have noted that the show's stars are not particularly good performers or presenters.[16][13][2] Buell and the changing cast of supporting "paranormal trainees," psychologists, counselors and psychics seem inexperienced and are ineffectual at creating a sense of fear or suspense. "Buell looks self-conscious and sounds like he is reading from cue cards," one critic wrote. "The remaining three members of the core team ... don't seem confident or mature enough to take on a crabby Starbucks' manager, much less a demonic presence."[18]
Several observers have been extremely critical of the open-mindedness (some reviews call it gullibility) of the team of investigators. Typical of these reviews is the opinion of the Boston Herald, whose critic wrote: "There hasn't been a more suggestible crowd gathered since the last 'Crossing Over' taping with alleged psychic John Edward."[19][2]
One news report even challenged the show's popularity. Variety suggested that the show's initial popularity may have been due to its lead-in show, Intervention. The lead-in show had 2.4-million viewers the night Paranormal State debuted. It was the most-watched episode of Intervention in that show's four-year history.[11] Others pointed out that cable shows about the supernatural and paranormal have drawn extremely high ratings since 2002, and that high initial ratings for Paranormal State should not be a surprise.[6]
Ad campaign
The advertising and marketing campaign for Paranormal State broke new ground. In November 2007, a six-story billboard was erected at the corner of Prince and Mulberry Streets in New York City by BlueBlastMedia. Behind the billboard were two directional audio (or audioSpotlights) which used ultrasound to produce a highly focused beam of sound. Passers-by who walked directly in the path of the sound would hear spooky, disembodied voices whispering suggestive messages such as "What's that?" and "Who's there? It's not your imagination." But someone standing next to that person would hear nothing. The billboard had a dramatic effect on people coming within range of the "cone of sound" created by the directional audio speakers. The billboard was apparently the first commercial use of the technology on a billboard.[20] A video of the installation can be seen here.
Ryan's Demon Stalker
In the episodes, "The Name", and "The Devil in Syracuse", references have been made to a "demon" who continually haunts Ryan Buell, following him from investigation to investigation and haunting innocent people in order to get at Buell. The name of this demon is once written on a slip of paper during the show to confirm that someone else besides Buell is sensing the same demonic presence that haunts Buell; while this name is hidden from the cameras, not stated on the air, and even censored on the Penn State Paranormal Research Society's forum[21], it has been revealed to be "Belial."[22] From the Hebrew for "without value", Belial is mentioned in "The War of the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness" - one of the Dead Sea Scrolls: "But for corruption thou hast made Belial, an angel of hostility. All his dominions are in darkness, and his purpose is to bring about wickedness and guilt. All the spirits that are associated with him are but angels of destruction."[23] He is also mentioned in numerous other texts, including Milton's Paradise Lost.[23]
As of January 3rd, 2008, Ryan Buell claims the demonic entity is no longer following him. In a Q&A section of the Penn State Paranormal Research Society's forums, he responded to a question on the topic by stating, "I haven't been troubled by any bunnies (in PRS we call demons bunnies, btw) as of late. There came a point in my life where I let go of some of that baggage. When it comes to that whole side, there's a back story that involves my group dealing with a case three years ago. I kind of reached a resolution with that. Coincidentally, the bunny tried to make another cameo appearance when we were filming the final investigation of the season, but we just told it to go to you-know-where. I hope it makes the cut!"[24]
References
- ^ a b Martin, Denise. "Reality Sets in for New A&E Series." Variety. March 13, 2006.
- ^ a b c d Lowry, Brian. "Paranormal State." Variety. December 9, 2007.
- ^ Hughes, Elaine. "A&E Begins Filming Paranormal Show." Penn State Daily Collegian. Nov. 10, 2006.
- ^ Kratzer, Emily. "Spirit Quest: LaGarde Helps Produce A&E's 'Paranormal State'." Westchester Journal-News. December 10, 2007.
- ^ a b c Owen, Rob. "Ghost-Hunting Is All in a Normal Day's Work for Penn State Researcher." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 9, 2007.
- ^ a b c Becker, Anne. "Networks' Scary Strategy." Broadcasting & Cable. December 10, 2007.
- ^ a b c Nordyke, Kimberly. "Some Freaky Goings-On in A&E's 'Paranormal State'." Hollywood Reporter. December 17, 2007.
- ^ Hughes, Elaine. "Club May Get TV Exposure." Penn State Daily Collegian. April 6, 2006.
- ^ Scrabis, Johanna. "Paranormal TV Series to Investigate Ghosts, Myths." Penn State Daily Collegian. February 5, 2007.
- ^ Levin, Gary. "Nielsens: 'The Hills' has Millions of Eyes." USA Today. December 18, 2007.
- ^ a b Dempsey, John. "'Paranormal State' Intrigues Viewers." Variety. December 11, 2007.
- ^ Elkin, Michael. "Ghost Listeners." Jewish Exponent. December 27, 2007.
- ^ a b Toby, Mekeisha Madden. "'Paranormal': It's a Real Ghostbusters." Detroit News. December 10, 2007.
- ^ a b Owen, Rob. "Penn State's Double Dose of National Media Exposure." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 5, 2007.
- ^ Hewitt, Michael. "The Best and Worst Shows of 2007." Orange County Register. December 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c Genzlinger, Neil. "Television Review: 'Paranormal State'." New York Times. December 16, 2007.
- ^ a b Weprin, Alex. "'Paranormal State' Undermines Own Concept." Broadcasting & Cable. December 14, 2007.
- ^ a b c Peterson, Karla. "The Difference Between Fright and Wrong." San Diego Union-Tribune. December 10, 2007.
- ^ Perigard, Mark A. "'Paranormal' Doesn't Stand a Ghost of a Chance." Boston Herald. December 10, 2007.
- ^ Mindlin, Alex. "For Your Ears Only." New York Times. December 9, 2007.
- ^ Hoff, Melissa. "Can't get the name out of my head" Penn State Paranormal Research Society Forums December 20, 2007.
- ^ BOO! "He Who Shall Not Be Named" Penn State Paranormal Research Society Forums December 13, 2007.
- ^ a b Krista. "Belial - Demons, Demonology, and Evil in Judaism and Christianity" Delirium's Realm March 26, 2003.
- ^ Buell, Ryan "Ask RYAN BUELL a question..." Penn State Paranormal Research Society Forums January 3, 2008.
External links
- Paranormal State Episode Guide
- Paranormal State at IMDb
- Paranormal State - Official A&E Web site
