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Ghost Hunters
Ghost HuntersGhost Hunters (Courtesy Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Ghost Hunters is a reality television series featuring two Roto-Rooter plumbers, Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, who investigate homes and other structures that residents believe are haunted. The show debuted in October 2004 on the American Sci-fi Channel. It should not be confused with the original 1996 Inca Productions show Ghosthunters produced for the Discovery Channel. The format was sold to the US 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 US venture after he filmed the promos. Episode formatHawes and Wilson, along with other team members who belong to the group they founded, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), investigate locations of interest by using electronic equipment which they feel is capable of detecting paranormal activity. TAPS's equipment includes digital thermometers, EMF (electromagnetic field) scanners, infrared and night vision cameras, handheld digital video cameras, digital audio recorders, and laptop computers. Other gear not 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 creates a static background noise and theorized to act as a catalyst for assisting entities in creating EVPs. 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.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 EMF and temperature readings, recording audio for EVP, 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. 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 and disappear quickly - all highlighted at the end of the show. 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). In addition to the investigative aspect, the show highlights personal conflicts and relationships among members of the TAPS team, which may be why the SciFi network categorizes the show as a docu-soap. In earlier episodes, part of the hour showed Jason and Grant during their plumbing job or personal lives but that has diminished since then. Success and growthGhost Hunters has garnered some of the highest ratings of any Sci-Fi Channel network programming. From the start, the show has found an audience for its mix of paranormal investigation and interpersonal drama.In the early shows, TAPS was headquartered in a trailer located behind Jason Hawes's house. Within one season, they had moved the entire operation to a storefront in downtown Warwick, RI, and acquired several new TAPS vehicles equipped with surveillance instrumentation. 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. CriticismGhost Hunters has attracted various critics and skeptics. Some question the scientific validity of the investigations conducted by the TAPS team, its methodology, and particularly its use of instrumentation, as there is no scientifically-proven link between the existence of ghosts and (for example) cold spots or electromagnetic fields. Of ghost hunting in general, skeptical investigator Joe Nickell says, "...the approach of the typical ghost hunter"a nonscientist using equipment for a purpose for which it was not made and has not been shown to be effective"is sheer pseudoscience". Others contend that the show's claimed evidence of the paranormal could be easily hoaxed, since third party review of evidence collected by TAPS is not encouraged, and those who have contacted the group asking for full footage from everything recorded at the haunted locations have also gone unanswered. With each new season, critics of Ghost Hunters continue to publish skeptical analyses and theories on the Internet, often employing frame-by-frame analysis of episode footage which they believe debunks the show's findings.StorylinesLike many reality shows, Ghost Hunters has developed some storylines which carry over from episode to episode.
Investigators
Credited Crew
List of Ghost Hunters episodesSeason One
Season Two
Season Three
Specials
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