Ghost Hunters (TV series)
| Ghost Hunters | |
|---|---|
| File:GHlogo.jpg A screenshot of the title in the introduction of Ghost Hunters, featuring Race Rock Light, which was investigated during season one. | |
| Starring | (See Investigators below.) |
| Narrated by | Mike Rowe (intro only) |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 99 + 6 specials (as of Nov 4, 2009) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Craig Piligian Tom Thayer Alan David Rob Katz |
| Running time | 60 minutes (including commercials) |
| Production company | Pilgrim Films & Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syfy(formerly SciFi) |
| Release | October 6, 2004 – present |
Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004 on the SciFi Channel (now called Syfy). The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as a day job while investigating locations at night. Since the show's success, the series now takes precedence in their lives, but they are still honorary employees with the company and continue to do jobs for them if time permits.[1]
The show should not be confused with the original 1996 Inca Productions show Ghosthunters produced for the Discovery Channel. The format was sold to Pilgrim Films & Television in the United States to become Ghost Hunters. The only remaining link between the two shows is presenter Ian Cashmore who anchored the UK/Europe show. Cashmore piloted the U.S. show, but chose not to remain part of the U.S. venture after he filmed the promos.
Investigative procedures
Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, along with other team members who belong to the group they founded, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), investigate locations of interest by using various electronic equipment which they believe is capable of detecting paranormal activity.
When investigating a location, TAPS team members first survey the property with its owners, who describe their experiences at the site. Next, the team sets up electronic equipment in the apparent paranormal "hot spots." The TAPS team then spends several hours taking electromagnetic field and temperature readings, recording audio for EVPs, and filming with digital video cameras. Many times, they will even try to verbally coax the "ghosts" into responding, while recording. Afterwards, the team spends several hours analyzing all of the data for signs of possible paranormal activity.
A few days after reviewing the information, Hawes and Wilson discuss their findings with the location site owners, offer suggestions for dealing with any apparent activity, and answer any questions the owners may have.
TAPS does not believe every piece of evidence gathered is proof of the paranormal. To lend credibility to their investigations, the team tries to debunk what they find and look for reasonable explanations for things such as "cold spots" (that may be drafty windows), "moving objects" (that may have been accidentally bumped or tugged), "phantom lights" (that may be reflections of light from a passing vehicle), and "strange noises" (that may be a thumping branch or vermin in the walls).
Since the show began airing, TAPS has recorded thousands of hours of audio and video data. Most investigations, according to TAPS, turn up cold with very little, if any, paranormal activity occurring. The ghost hunters claim to have several good recordings of strange mists, odd lights, moving objects, and shadowy figures that manifest before the camera which are highlighted at the end of the show.
Syfy categorizes the show as a docu-soap. In addition to the investigative aspect, the show highlights personal conflicts and relationships among members of the TAPS team. Portions of some episodes portray Jason and Grant involved with their plumbing job or personal lives, but this varies by episode and is not always included. As the series has progressed the "behind the scenes" and "docu-soap" aspects have been reduced and the 5th season (currently airing as of September 2009) has so far focused primarily on the investigations with virtually none of the docu-soap material that characterized early episodes.
Equipment
TAPS' equipment includes digital thermometers, EMF (electromagnetic field) scanners, infrared and night vision cameras, handheld digital video cameras, digital audio recorders, and laptop computers.
The team has also experimented, in at least one episode, with a geiger counter during their investigation to see if it would register any anomalous readings.
Starting around the third season, the team has used the K-II EMF detector[2] which uses a series of LEDs to meter the strength of an energy field instead of a numerical LCD display. During the Manson murders investigation in particular, the team used a K-II meter in an attempt to get "yes" and "no" responses to verbal questions posed to a supposed entity in a room.
In the fifth season "Edith Wharton Estate" case, the team introduced two new pieces of equipment. One is a custom made geophone which detects vibrations and flashes a series of LEDs that measure the intensity of the vibration. The second is a new EMF detector that makes a buzzing sound while in the presence of an electro-magnetic field and the stronger the field, the louder it buzzes. In the episode, the geophones were recorded on video flashing to the vibrations of what sound like footsteps across a floor even though no one was supposedly in the room.
Other gear not typically shown on screen are an Ion Generator – a device that charges the air with electricity and theorized to help spirits manifest, and the White Noise Generator – an audio device that makes a static background noise and theorized to act as a catalyst for assisting entities in making EVPs.[3]
Success and growth
Ghost Hunters has garnered some of the highest ratings of any Syfy programming.[4] From the start, the show has found an audience for its mix of paranormal investigation and interpersonal drama. It has since been syndicated on NBC Universal sister cable channel Oxygen and also airs on the Canadian cable network, OLN.
In the early shows, TAPS was headquartered in a trailer located behind Jason Hawes' house, and they drove one white van to investigations. Within one season, they had moved the entire operation to a storefront in Warwick, RI, and acquired several new TAPS vehicles.
In addition to their successful television venture, TAPS operates a website where they share their stories, photographs, and ghost hunting videos with an ever-growing membership list. Because of the popularity of the show, TAPS cast members have signed contracts with at least two talent agencies, Escape Artistry and GP Entertainment, to manage their appearances at lectures, conferences and public events.
In addition to the success of the television show, TAPS have ventured into the venue of radio broadcast hosting a 3 hour weekly show called Beyond Reality. New episodes are broadcast every Saturday from 7 - 10pm EST, though sometimes may skip a week with possibilities of the hosts being busy with other ventures. The radio show goes into topics in a vast array of areas such as cryptozoology, spiritualism, UFO's, and ghosts. The show is hosted by Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes, and includes guest appearances from other TAPS members and special guests like John Zaffis, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Chris Fleming and others which specialize in certain fields.
Criticism
Ghost Hunters has attracted various critics and skeptics, such as Joe Nickell of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, Skeptical Inquirer author, Lynne Kelly,[5] James Randi, and Benjamin Radford. The Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society (SAPS) was founded with the intent to recreate and debunk segments of the show.[6]
Unscientific methodology
Critics point to a lack of scientific methodology and critical examination in their investigations as well as questionable production aspects involving editing, action that is rarely captured on tape, and findings that are unsupported by evidence. Tools are used in ways that are not proven effective, or in ways in which they have been proven ineffective, such as infrared thermometers that are claimed to detect cold spots in the middle of rooms when such tools are able only to measure the surface temperature of objects unless equipped with a probe accessory. The show has been seen using a probe attached to the infrared thermometer that would then give the temperature of both the surface it is pointed at and the area around the probe.[6]
Techniques with thermal imaging cameras, Geiger counters, electronic voice phenomenon, and EMF detectors are used with little or no explanation as to how the techniques have proven to provide evidence of ghosts or other entities. Concerns with regard to how the devices are used are common, such as how Benjamin Radford puts it in an article for CSI, "you may own the world's most sophisticated thermometer, but if you are using it as a barometer, your measurements are worthless. Just as using a calculator doesn't make you a mathematician, using a scientific instrument doesn't make you a scientist."[7]
Accusations of faking evidence
Following the seven-hour long, live Halloween show on October 31, 2008[8] at least two events took place that critics have attacked: One is where Grant Wilson, a lead investigator, has his jacket collar pulled down by an unseen force three times; all the while one of his hands remained at his side, which led detractors to claim he was pulling a hidden string. Another is when a supposed disembodied voice tells the hunters, "You're not supposed to be here." Critics have claimed the voice sounded like it was piped in from an external audio source. Video of the incidents has been meticulously scrutinized on various websites.[9] In regards to the scrutiny, Grant and Jason defended themselves, stating that they are accused of faking evidence all the time, and maintained that everything in the show is real.[10]
Spinoff series
Ghost Hunters International
A spin off series which premiered Wednesday, January 9, 2008 and has featured investigators Robb Demarest, and Barry Fitzgerald (who appeared in the summer 2007 Ireland episodes of Ghost Hunters) since the onset along with other rotating members from the TAPS family.[11] The format is similar to Ghost Hunters but features investigations in various locations around the world. The team has included former Ghost Hunters investigators Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois, Shannon Sylvia, Donna LaCroix, Dustin Pari and Joe Chin.
UFO Hunters
Ghost Hunters producers Craig Pilligan and Tom Thayer released another paranormal investigation series titled UFO Hunters which first aired on January 30, 2008, however the show only aired one episode. The episode followed New York Strange Phenomena Investigators (NY-SPI) co-founders Oliver Kemenczky and Ted Davis, along with paranormal researcher Dennis Anderson, as they investigated an alleged alien abduction case in Carteret, New Jersey and a strange fireball sighting in Normandy Beach, New Jersey. The format was similar to a typical Ghost Hunters episode with most of the program dedicated to the investigation and wrapped up with a review of findings and evidence that was gathered. This series should not be confused with the History Channel series with the same name. The pilot episode was reformatted and returned on December 13, 2008 as a special called Ny-Spi Investigates on Investigation Discovery[12]
Ghost Hunters Academy
On October 23, 2008, TV Guide reported that Syfy will launch a spin-off of the show called Ghost Hunters: College Edition, which will feature co-eds in the ghost hunter roles. [13] The name was later revealed to be Ghost Hunters Academy. It will be led by Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango and will feature college students. The Show will start airing on Nov 11 2009 at 10 Pm [14]
Investigators
- Jason Hawes – Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Founder
- Grant Wilson – Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Co-founder
- Steve Gonsalves – Investigator/Technical Manager/Evidence Analyst
- Dave Tango – Investigator/Evidence Analyst
- Kris Williams – Investigator/Evidence Analyst/Historical Researcher
- Amy Bruni – Investigator
- Heather Drolet – Investigator/Case Manager
- Mike Dion – Investigator/Director
- Kristyn Gartland – Investigator/Case Manager
- Jen Rossi – Investigator
Guest investigators
- Britt Griffith – Investigator from West Coast TAPS
- Robb Demarest – Florida TAPS investigator, now Lead Investigator for GHI/Central Florida TAPS
- Barry Fitzgerald – Guest TAPS member on Ghost Hunters Ireland case, now Lead Investigator for GHI/TAPS Europe
- Dustin Pari — Former TAPS member, now Investigator for GHI
- Joe Chin — Former TAPS member, now Investigator for GHI
- Bruce Tango – Investigator
- Joshua Gates – Investigator from Destination Truth
- CM Punk – 2006 Halloween Special
- Elijah Burke – 2007 Halloween Special
- Colin Ferguson – 2008 "USS Hornet" investigation
- Amanda Tapping – 2008 Halloween Special
- Steve Valentine – 2008 Halloween Special
- Mike Mizanin – 2008 Halloween Special
- Meat Loaf – 2009 "A Bat Out of Hell" investigation
- Eddie McClintock – 2009 "Ghost of Buffalo Bill" investigation
Credited crew
- Jason Hawes – Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Founder
- Grant Wilson – Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Co-founder
- Craig Piligian – Executive Producer
- Tom Thayer – Executive Producer
- Alan David – Executive Producer
- Rob Katz – Co-Executive Producer
- Mike Rowe – Series announcer
DVD releases
- Best of Ghost Hunters Vol. 1
- Best of Ghost Hunters Vol. 2
- Ghost Hunters — Scary Pack (Best of Ghost Hunters Vol. 1 & Vol. 2) - (2 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — The Complete First Season - (3 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Season 2 Part 1 - (4 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Season 2 Part 2 - (4 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Season 3 Part 1 - (3 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Season 3 Part 2 - (3 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Season 4 Part 1 - (4 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Season 4 Part 2 - (4 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Live from the Shining Hotel
- Ghost Hunters — Stanley Hotel 2006 Halloween Special UNCUT - (2 DVD set)
- Ghost Hunters — Waverly Hills Sanatorium 2007 Halloween Special
See also
Notes
- NBC announced on December 18, 2008 that there will be a sixth season of Ghost Hunters in 2010. [15]
- TAPS is spoofed on the South Park episode "Dead Celebrities".
References
- ^ Jason and Grant's relations with Roto-Rooter
- ^ K-II meter modification demo
- ^ "Steve's Gear Guide" Video Blog on SciFi.com
- ^ SciFi Network Ratings Release
- ^ Kelly, Lynne, The Skeptic's Guide to the Paranormal, Basic Books 2005, ISBN 978-1560257110
- ^ a b Smith, Alison (2006-08-10). "TAPS vs. SAPS: The Atlantic Paranormal Society meets the Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society". eSkeptic. The Skeptics Society. ISSN 1556-5696. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- ^ Radford, Benjamin (2004-11-12). "Reality Check: Ghost Hunters and 'Ghost Detectors' through Internet Archive". Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
- ^ http://www.411mania.com/movies/columns/89420/Ghost-Hunters-LIVE-Halloween-Special-Recap-10.31.08-Part-3:-Hours-6-and-7.htm 411Mania Review of the 2008 Live Halloween investigation
- ^ http://hollowhill.com/ghost-hunters-tv-show-fake/ Hollow Hill review of 2008 Live Halloween investigation
- ^ http://www.cliqueclack.com/tv/2008/11/14/was-the-coat-pull-on-ghost-hunters-live-event-faked/ TAPS Interview
- ^ Current list of TAPS members
- ^ http://www.ny-spi.com/ Ny-Spy Investigates
- ^ Ghost Hunters Head to College TV Guide October 23, 2008. Retrieved on October 24, 2008.
- ^ http://www.syfy.com/gha/index.php
- ^ Sci Fi Orders More Ghost Hunters