Paranormal and Ghosthunting Shows: Ghosties, Ghoulies and Things That Go Bump in the Night

[Lili]

On 5/3/2018 at 3:14 PM, Kiki620 said:

Has anyone watched "Ghost Stalkers"?  It's not on regularly and I don't think they have many episodes but I caught it again last night.  The drama level is high.  The younger guy reminds me of Shaggy from Scooby Doo.  The tiniest of unthreatening noises will send him clinging to the rafters.  In one episode, they are exploring an abandoned school.  To stimulate activity, he sits on a stage and pulls out a recorder and starts playing Hot Cross Buns while sitting Indian style.  Not only is it the most ridiculous thing ever, then he starts yelling at the unseen entities, "do you like my song...Hot Cross Buns?".  My husband and I routinely say this to each other.  It will never stop being hilarious. 

Yeah, I've seen Ghost Stalkers. All 6 episodes. I wish it wasn't cancelled so soon, because I thought the show had a pretty interesting concept.

[Happy Belly]

Did anyone besides me watch the new Jack Osborne show, “Portals To Hell” last night? I was a bit underwhelmed Im sorry to say.

[Gramto6]

I watched it. Yeah underwhelming is exactly how I would describe it! I mainly tuned in for the Alaska location.

[Ubiquitous]

I don't know the name of the show, but I kept seeing commercials for one in which it appears they put a burlap sack over someone's head and abandon him in a haunted house. WTF?

[jewel21]

That sounds awesome, lol. 

[scarletine]

On 5/6/2019 at 5:37 AM, Ubiquitous said:

I don't know the name of the show, but I kept seeing commercials for one in which it appears they put a burlap sack over someone's head and abandon him in a haunted house. WTF?

"Ghost Bait". It's terrrrible. And yet highly entertaining at the same time.

Not too jazzed about "Portals to Hell", but I like Jack and Katrina, so I'm going to keep watching, and see if they hit their groove. 

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎5‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 4:41 PM, scarletine said:

Not too jazzed about "Portals to Hell", but I like Jack and Katrina, so I'm going to keep watching, and see if they hit their groove. 

Your instincts are correct. It's lame.

Speaking of which, when did the Travel Channel become the Paranormal Chanel?

[walnutqueen]

5 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

Your instincts are correct. It's lame.

Speaking of which, when did the Travel Channel become the Paranormal Chanel?

Seriously.  Besides the requisite paid programming, there is nothing but "paranormal"  on this channel - not a single travel show to be found.

[Ubiquitous]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but CW recently had a special which once again investigated what happened at Roswell. I was hoping for something credible, but gave up after:

1. The investigators were a UFO true believer and an ex FBI agent who was into government conspiracies.
2. They teased the discovery new physical evidence; if evidence were found, we would have heard about it on the news long before this show aired.
3. They went to that tourist trap museum in Roswell to do their research, leading one of them wonder why a woman was denied access to the weather balloon because it was beyond her security clearance, without mentioning they weren't just weather balloons...

Three strikes, and I was out of there.

[Ananayel]

So, Travel Channel is cannibalizing some of its sibling networks - Ghost Brothers is coming to TRVL (from Destination America, along with Mountain Monsters,) with the series possibly now named "Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests." That was the promo Dalen put on his Instagram, so I don't know if the format changed, or if that's just a promo image, or what. I will just be delighted to see them again - they are awesome.

[Steff]

9 hours ago, Ananayel said:

So, Travel Channel is cannibalizing some of its sibling networks - Ghost Brothers is coming to TRVL (from Destination America, along with Mountain Monsters,) with the series possibly now named "Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests." That was the promo Dalen put on his Instagram, so I don't know if the format changed, or if that's just a promo image, or what. I will just be delighted to see them again - they are awesome.

I absolutely LOVED Ghost Brothers.  I had become so jaded by Ghost shows that their honest scared over every little thing was great.  When Juwan jumped up and noped the hell out when something they asked to happen actually happened was awesome.   And gotta love anyone that will follow a cat around & let it find the ghosts for them.  

  And anyone looking for REALLY bad tv that is weirdly very entertaining, Mountain Monsters fits the bill.  

[Happy Belly]

Ghost Hunters returns on A&E on August 21. Stars Grant, and from what i can make out, Steve, Tango and it looks like that old guy who has that haunted item museum and a few others

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎7‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 12:13 PM, Ananayel said:

So, Travel Channel is cannibalizing some of its sibling networks - Ghost Brothers is coming to TRVL (from Destination America, along with Mountain Monsters,) with the series possibly now named "Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests." That was the promo Dalen put on his Instagram, so I don't know if the format changed, or if that's just a promo image, or what. I will just be delighted to see them again - they are awesome.

I noticed Travel Channel has been renaming old paranormal shows and passing them off as new lately. It's beginning to annoy me b/c I'll watch something that sounds interesting and have a bad sense of daja vu before I realize it's not really a new show.

Speaking of which, is UnXplained, hosted by Bill Shatner, a new or refurbished show? I remember him hosting a paranormal/mystery show several years ago but do not recognize the eps I have seen thus far.

[jewel21]

On ‎7‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 10:32 PM, Happy Belly said:

Ghost Hunters returns on A&E on August 21. Stars Grant, and from what i can make out, Steve, Tango and it looks like that old guy who has that haunted item museum and a few others

There's actually a thread for Ghost Hunters here where a couple of people have mentioned the reboot. 

[Ubiquitous]

Saw a new show this week in which they investigated the Lizzy Bordon house and teased discovering something that would solve the case, but realized we would hzve heard about before this show aired. I think they borrowed some equipment from Scooby Douche b/c one device showed a stick figure laying on the floor. 😃

[jewel21]

Quite a few investigators have been using the SLS camera. I don't like these newfangled gadgets. Whatever happened to a camera and a digital recorder? Those are the only two pieces of equipment I trust.

[Ananayel]

Did anyone watch the revamped Ghost Brothers last night? I really like these guys, though I not sure what they can really do to "help," unlike supposedly Amy Allan. But they're so much fun, and I love the way they interact with not just themselves but the people they encounter.

[Steff]

10 hours ago, Ananayel said:

Did anyone watch the revamped Ghost Brothers last night? I really like these guys, though I not sure what they can really do to "help," unlike supposedly Amy Allan. But they're so much fun, and I love the way they interact with not just themselves but the people they encounter.

I watched.  I seriously LOVE these guys.  Their reactions & honest "awwww HELL NO" moments just crack me up. 

[crazycatlady58]

On 8/17/2019 at 9:59 AM, Ananayel said:

Did anyone watch the revamped Ghost Brothers last night? I really like these guys, though I not sure what they can really do to "help," unlike supposedly Amy Allan. But they're so much fun, and I love the way they interact with not just themselves but the people they encounter.

Does Ghost Brothers have it's own thread?,  Forum or whatever the correct word is.

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 1:43 PM, jewel21 said:

Quite a few investigators have been using the SLS camera. I don't like these newfangled gadgets. Whatever happened to a camera and a digital recorder? Those are the only two pieces of equipment I trust.

I always wonder how they test those devices...

[Ananayel]

Wow. Travel Channel really should either change its name or create a spinoff paranormal channel (called Boo - or Bu with the long vowel symbol, so they can trademark it.) Look at all these new shows! Dakota Laden's years-ago spoof video of Ghost Adventures didn't just lead to a job on that show, it led to his own show. And our Ghost Brothers are referred to as "paranormal All-Stars." I can't wait actually.

[Vivigirl10]

Quote

I always wonder how they test those devices...

Me too!  First, how they even come up with an idea?  And then test it and declare - yep, it works! 

[jewel21]

I watched a show last night for the first time called Ghost Bait. Has anyone seen it? A guy and a girl investigate haunted locations and use the client’s fear to seek out the entity. They do this by putting a potato sack on the client’s head and leaving them alone in a room to confront their fear and the entity. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

[Steff]

19 minutes ago, jewel21 said:

I watched a show last night for the first time called Ghost Bait. Has anyone seen it? A guy and a girl investigate haunted locations and use the client’s fear to seek out the entity. They do this by putting a potato sack on the client’s head and leaving them alone in a room to confront their fear and the entity. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

I couldn't even make it thru a full episode of Ghost Bait it was so bad. 

I gave the reboot of Ghost Hunters a shot, but was bored to tears. I mean, I get it, they are trying to be the grown ups in the ghost shows room, but snooooooooooooooooze.  I have the feeling that Ghost Nation will be like that also.   so I'm sticking with Ghost Brothers for now. They make me laugh & I enjoy their interactions with each other. 

[crazycatlady58]

Ghost Brothers is fun to watch.

[Vivigirl10]

I enjoyed some of the marathon of Ghost Brothers this weekend.  They are great!  Does the blonde girl always join them?  She ruined the Winchester Mystery House episode for me.  Running around in that "period" costume but then having to repeatedly take it off and strip down to her slip because she was making the ghosts too upset.  OMG.  Stop.  

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Anyone planning on watching the 4-hour Haunted Salem: Live special on Travel tonight?  I plan on checking it out for a bit, and recording to watch the full thing later.

I don't normally watch the ghost hunting shows, except for this time of year [Oct/Halloween], but it seems like a mashup of different GH shows' casts for this.  (at least) Two of the three from the new Holzer Files are in it, the main two of another show I caught yesterday as well, plus the main two of another show/series I've yet to see.

[jewel21]

I don't get the station and couldn't see it. 

DTour aired Portal to Hell Season 1 the other night with Jack Osbourne. They showed the first episode at the Alaskan Hotel. I liked it but I found Joshua way creepy and untrustworthy. He's clearly bringing shit into the hotel. 

[Ubiquitous]

What is the Holzer Files about? From the commercials, it looked like an investigator who tried to record ghost voices on wax cylinders or something.

On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 9:21 PM, jewel21 said:

I watched a show last night for the first time called Ghost Bait. Has anyone seen it? A guy and a girl investigate haunted locations and use the client’s fear to seek out the entity. They do this by putting a potato sack on the client’s head and leaving them alone in a room to confront their fear and the entity. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

I never saw it, but I commented on the commercials back in May.

[Vivigirl10]

Has anyone watched My Haunted House on the Travel Channel?  Not a ghost hunting show but a paranormal one.  I've caught it a few times and I'm always puzzled by this.....they use actors in the portrayals of events, but they also very obviously use an actor to play the role of the narrator in the talking head clips too!  So there are two actors playing the same real life person, but they never use the real life person.  It's odd!

[jewel21]

I feel like I've seen it but not on the Travel channel and it was a couple of years back. I think there was even a thread for it here, but maybe I'm misremembering. I do recall enjoying it at the time. 

I wasn't aware the narrator was also an actor though...

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎10‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 9:08 AM, Kiki620 said:

Has anyone watched My Haunted House on the Travel Channel?  Not a ghost hunting show but a paranormal one.  I've caught it a few times and I'm always puzzled by this.....they use actors in the portrayals of events, but they also very obviously use an actor to play the role of the narrator in the talking head clips too!  So there are two actors playing the same real life person, but they never use the real life person.  It's odd!

Is that the repackaging of Celebrity Ghost Stories as a new show?

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

On 10/7/2019 at 10:43 AM, Ubiquitous said:

What is the Holzer Files about? From the commercials, it looked like an investigator who tried to record ghost voices on wax cylinders or something.

I can only give my thoughts and reaction based on having only seen the 2nd episode (missed the premiere), but its about a team of 3 who investigate newly reoccuring cases that Hans Holzer originally documented and recorded (from I want to say the [possibly very late '50s]  '60s, and into the '70s). 

The older Dave is the team lead, he gets information about past Holzer Files cases acting up again and sets out to investigate.  There, he is joined by a psychic/medium who he doesn't inform of anything about the case/location to until she's already arrived and gotten a sense of the place.  And finally, a person who helps investigate and is the 'tech' guy of the group.

Again, I only saw the one episode, but its a fairly typical ghost/poltergeist/paranormal hunting show.  I admit to being more of a skeptic than a believer, so that may color my judgement of this or any other show like it.  I watch during this month mostly because of Halloween and the dedicated channel lineups devoted to all things 'spooky'.


(I want to believe, truly, but I tend to distrust what I myself can't prove is real and/or not faked [watching these TV shows, for example] or haven't experienced first-hand)

Edited October 10, 2019 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Watching the newest HF and I'm reminded of something(s) that always gives me a sense that these shows/series are mostly staged just for creating a spooky show, instead of investigating the spooky that is supposedly already in place...

The psychic medium is an undoubtedly attractive woman, but she shows up to these sites dressed & made up like she's ready for a date or a party instead of a ghost/poltergeist hunt.  As a healthy heterosexual male, I absolutely appreciate the visuals, but as a rational and practical thinker it feels quite false.

ETA:  I guess the initial arrival and 'feel' is when she looked so dolled up, and a little more practical during the actual 'hunt', but still.

Edited October 11, 2019 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[Ubiquitous]

They need to play this again on Octobers.

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

On 10/12/2019 at 4:23 PM, Ubiquitous said:

They need to play this again on Octobers.

Oh man.   Does that bring back the memories.

That series of shows was watched numerous times every October for the years that Bravo aired it.

So glad its available online to this day.

Edited October 23, 2019 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

30 minutes ago, iRarelyWatchTV36 said:

Oh man.   Does that bring back the memories.

That series of shows was watched numerous times every October for the years that Bravo aired it.

So glad its available online to this day.

To this day - haven't seen it in some time - I still remember the one guy (opposite of Rob Riggle) throwing out a funny line while talking about the scene from The Sentinel.

"... What is it?  ...  Did she build a robot and forgot about it??"

[Annber03]

I loved Rob Zombie talking about The Exorcist in that countdown. "First time babysitting my little brother, it's just the two of us at home, and I was like, 'Ooh, let's watch The Exorcist!' Yeah, that was a bad idea." 

And when Romero talks about Night of the Living Dead, I like how he punctuates the fact that they took the footage and "literally threw it in the trunk of a car". 

That list introduced me to some good movies. There's still some from there I've yet to see that I want to check out at some point. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by Annber03

[iRarelyWatchTV36]

Anyone watching, or has seen, this "special" running on Travel Channel right now [10/23, 7-9p CST], called Helltown?  (based off a town called Boston, in Ohio)

Its shows like this that really try my sense of belief.  Is all this true, or is it all just a really very elaborate fake/mockumentary?

Again, I truly want to believe, but some of the miraculous happenstances that lead to getting interviews [for the first time ever], etc, just happen to seem too fortuitous to be totally believable.

Edited October 24, 2019 by iRarelyWatchTV36

[jewel21]

Is anyone atching Dakota's (from Ghost Adventures) new show "Destination Fear?" I'm actually enjoying and the destinations they've visited so far have been really creepy. I also really like his sister and the camera guy. 

[Vivigirl10]

Quote

What is the Holzer Files about? From the commercials, it looked like an investigator who tried to record ghost voices on wax cylinders or something.

Hans Holzer apparently was dubbed the first ghost hunter.  For some reason, I can't seem to watch an entire episode but it appears he taped his investigations and also used a psychic who could channel spirits and have them speak through her.  That is absolutely the creepiest part to me!  The whispery way she speaks and what she says.  Who knows how legit it all was.  It could have just been a great parlour trick.

I wish more people were watching, I'd love to hear feedback.  Unlike when Amy from Dead Files does her walk, nothing is removed from the location ahead of time.  For instance, the modern day psychic in HF did a walk through a museum and it was very clear that educational placards were all over the walls.  You're telling me she didn't peek?

They always have Holzer's daughter at the table when they are initially reviewing the case.  A nice touch, but the poor thing is such an awful actress with reading her lines.  It's so awkward.      

[Ananayel]

There doesn't seem to be a separate thread for it, but let's talk about Paranormal: Caught on Camera. Travel Channel, they find/people submit videos of UFOs, Bigfoot, orbs, poltergeists, phantasms, etc. Some are old, and some are clearly fake, and frankly I'm surprised it got a second season. 

However, the one video I have the most trouble with is allegedly from Russia (there are several from Russia.) This Russian dude, walking in the Russian forest with his dog (named Tarzan - okay, I mean I could name a dog Rasputin, so...) filming said Russian dog in the aforementioned Russian forest, narrates the experience in English.  Compare to other Russian clips, where the native Russian speakers speak Russian. That to me is a red flag for a fake, which I guess is appropriate. 

[jewel21]

It's funny you should mention that show and that particular episode because I watched it yesterday with my mother. It was definitely strange. I couldn't figure out how that girl was levitating. It appears a lot of weird shit happens in Russia, lol. 

The show I really enjoyed was Destination Fear that I mentioned above. It had 10 episodes and I'm hoping it's renewed for a second season. It all depends on ratings, sadly. They got some pretty cool evidence and the four investigators worked well together but that's what happens when two are siblings and the other two are their childhood friends. I'm a bit bummed I appear to be the only one watching it though as I would have loved to discuss it while it was airing. 

I'm also watching Ghost Brothers but I'm not  feeling that show too much. 

[Ananayel]

I love the Ghost Brothers! I wish that the new season had more episodes, and I don't know if it will get renewed. I wasn't sure I'd like the new format, but I love how they interact with everyone. 

I like Destination Fear too, and I feel like it will probably get renewed since I'm sure Zak Bagans will advocate for it, and he probably has some pull at Travel Channel. 

Travel is doing this weird thing where there will be new shows airing random nights at 11:00, instead of during prime time. There was one about a team investigating the disappearance of two hikers in Panama, there's one tonight called "Trending Fear" about some guy who has a Twitter account that people used to tell about their experiences, and before that at 10:00 tonight there's a new one called "Ghost Loop." I swear, Travel should just be the ghost channel now.

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎1‎/‎2‎/‎2020 at 3:11 PM, Ananayel said:

There doesn't seem to be a separate thread for it, but let's talk about Paranormal: Caught on Camera. Travel Channel, they find/people submit videos of UFOs, Bigfoot, orbs, poltergeists, phantasms, etc. Some are old, and some are clearly fake, and frankly I'm surprised it got a second season. 

However, the one video I have the most trouble with is allegedly from Russia (there are several from Russia.) This Russian dude, walking in the Russian forest with his dog (named Tarzan - okay, I mean I could name a dog Rasputin, so...) filming said Russian dog in the aforementioned Russian forest, narrates the experience in English.  Compare to other Russian clips, where the native Russian speakers speak Russian. That to me is a red flag for a fake, which I guess is appropriate. 

I thought Paranormal: Caught on Camera was a SCIENCE Channel show, unless Travel Channel has started to play repeats of it there.

So what was paranormal about the Russian dude taking Tarzan for a walk?

[jewel21]

14 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

I thought Paranormal: Caught on Camera was a SCIENCE Channel show, unless Travel Channel has started to play repeats of it there.

So what was paranormal about the Russian dude taking Tarzan for a walk?

I know it plays on the Canadian Travel Channel.

The Russian man was walking his dog and his dog started barking and led him to a young girl levitating like 10 feet off the ground while an older woman stood by. When they noticed they were being watched/filmed the girl returned to the ground and took off running. It was definitely weird.

[Ananayel]

New eps are airing on Travel, and it's aired there forever. If it started on Science, it moved to Travel like Mountain Monsters went from DestAm to Travel.

Some of the clips look like they may be legit, and others look like fakes for Youtube likes and/or a chance to be on tv. This was one of the latter, at least IMO.

[Ubiquitous]

On 1/7/2020 at 11:19 AM, jewel21 said:

I know it plays on the Canadian Travel Channel.

The Russian man was walking his dog and his dog started barking and led him to a young girl levitating like 10 feet off the ground while an older woman stood by. When they noticed they were being watched/filmed the girl returned to the ground and took off running. It was definitely weird.

I watched the show and immediately recognized it as a show I've seen before somewhere but quit watching after noticing how credulous the commentators were (to the point of not even entertaining the most likely (and least paranormal) explanation) and recognizing some of the clips having been debunked a long time ago (the night creepers clip and dubya box comes to mind). Yeah, the Russian filming it while speaking English made me suspicious and I think I could see the rope holding the girl swinging in the foreground in time with her.

http://www.hoaxorfact.com/Paranormal/flying-girl-caught-on-video-in-russian-wood-hoax.html

Edited January 14, 2020 by Ubiquitous
Added one of many debunking pages

[Vivigirl10]

Quote

but quit watching after noticing how credulous the commentators were (to the point of not even entertaining the most likely (and least paranormal) explanation) 

I'm still watching but agree with the above.  There's one particularly ridiculous commentator (woman with colored hair) who has apparently personally experienced, seen, been involved in, every type of paranormal activity that has ever been documented.

The videos are fun to watch but most of them cannot be trusted or verified and would be so easy to create.  The poltergeist hauntings being filmed in a home for example.  Not buying it.  There was an interesting one where people came upon a tree in the woods that had a huge gash in it so that the tree trunk was internally filled with fire.  It was so obvious that it had been struck by lightening, but the commentators spent entirely too much time talking about this could NOT have happened but much more likely the tree was a portal to the fires of hell.  Sure.  

[Ubiquitous]

Apparently,  The Shat has a new season of The UneXplained playing on the History channel and the first ep was about Oak Island, which just happens to be the subject of a candid reality show on the same network. 🙄

Anyhow, I thought it was plausible that the treasure exists, until they seriously considered the possibility that the Knights Templar had hidden the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail there... 🙄🙄🙄