ArtRojasDesign

Has anyone tuned in for Ghost Lab? I caught my first episode last night.

Ghost Lab is a new show from the Discovery Channel which brings us the Klinge brothers who are on a quest to document the paranormal in ways that haven’t been done before. I assume this means they’re looking for more than just noises and cold spots like everyone else…

The Klinge brothers tackle what are thought to be some of America’s most haunted locations with sophisticated equipment housed in a decked-out travelling “ghost lab.” This 24-foot car hauler is capable of providing 200,000 watts of electricity to power audio, video and photo analysis stations; flat-screen televisions and an interactive touch-screen smartboard. The lab also houses surveillance video cameras capable of shooting 300 feet away in total darkness with a 180-degree peripheral view; temperature, humidity and dew point data loggers; various digital cameras, including thermal imaging cameras; audio recorders; and more than 8,000 feet of video cable. This on-site high-tech lab enables investigators to analyze data on the premises in real time, helping them to more narrowly focus their investigations on suspected “hot spots.”

First of all the show looks likes some sort of strange hybrid where Ghost Hunters meets American Chopper. I especially like the overly macho, arms crossed pose they have. That’s the universal sign for someone who wants to be taken seriously, right? But we’ll leave their fashion stylings for another day. If Zak can have his baggy pants, these guys stand like that.

The purpose of this show is to document the paranormal and to that end they do bring a lot of equipment to the job. It comes loaded in its own big ass trailer with Ghost Lab written on the side! Subtle indeed! Their mobile HQ is loaded to gills with all sorts of lighted gizmos, doohickeys and plenty of flat panel TVs. Nothing says you mean business like a slew of big TVs, just ask the guys over at NCIS. But when it comes to the actual investigation they are still just walking around in the dark with a camera.

I do like the idea of setting “loggers” along the path of a corridor or open area so they can log fluctuations; seems simple but effective. However, the idea of the “era cues” is really nothing new. Creating an environment or generating experiences that are similar to the life and times of the spirit is something I’ve seen on Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures. It’s a neat idea, but not sure it’s worthy of the onscreen popup cues and long explanation. It could just be an excuse for dinner theater for all I know.

Even though it was only the first episode they still had those same classic ghost hunting elements. It’s not a show on the paranormal unless you have to bleep out what they’re saying dozens of times when something appears to happen. And if you feel something “touch” you, you most certainly need to panic and get scared. Additionally, you need to overuse the word “Dude” at every turn. These are the key elements of being a paranormal investigator.

So, they have cool toys even if they don’t seem to use them. And they go to some interesting places even though they don’t really seem to spend much time there. How is the evidence?

Well, that seems to be where things come off the rails. An old door closing is not a sign of the paranormal (at least not to me). The voice in the recorder was interesting but hardly earth shattering or conclusive. That was about all they got. And then they proudly and triumphantly call the building haunted. Wow, for a group of guys that’s demanding evidence they make their claims on some pretty light stuff. I figured they would need a ghost to come and kick them in the jimmy to be convinced, I guess not. But hey, that would be some hard evidence I’ll tell ya what!

What do I think of the show? Hard to say after just one episode. I will say I was much more taken with Ghost Adventures (which I just started watching) after the first episode, but there is another episode available now and another one airing tonight so I will certainly go through those three before I get too critical. Ok, before I get even more critical.

I hope they evolve and become a little more skeptical and discriminating with the evidence they collect. Even after five years of the Ghost Hunters I haven only seen one, maybe two things which I thought were even remotely compelling so they really need get some hard evidence not just a couple of noises and a cold spot. If their goal is to document the paranormal like no one else has, then so far their “hard evidence” is pretty shaky.

More episodes are on the way so let’s see what else they have in store.

Ghost Lab

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Lab – Worst show on TV
• Ghost Hunters – Season 1 – Rating – Too Damn Funny!
• Ghost Hunters and GH International
• Paranormal Challenge Ohio State Reformatory S01E03
• Ghost Hunters Academy – Almost making Ghost Lab look good
• Ghost Hunters Halloween Special 2009 – It’s On!
• Ghost Hunters Halloween Live 2008
• Paranormal Activity – Movie Review
• Ghost Adventures – Pico House Hotel – S04E15
• The Demon House of Seattle – Revisit