Ghost Hunters

What a difference a year makes … It’s time to say goodbye

Published August 26, 2010 | By RottenOne

As the start of several new shows approaches, I’m actually more amazed by how many shows I WON’T be watching this time around. Some are because they’ve been taken off the air, such as Ghost Lab and Paranormal Cops, but some are because I’ve become sick of the show and the people involved.

I’m not sorry to see Ghost Lab go, but I think Paranormal Cops could have been quite interesting. Since they weren’t running around screaming like they soiled themselves or yelling "What the @#$% was that?!" every 10 seconds, it just wasn’t cut out for TV.

I’m also ditching the entire Ghost Hunter franchise. I’ve recorded all the new episodes of GHI so far, but I just can’t bring myself to watch them. I didn’t watch Ghost Hunters Academy because of the flunkies they had on that show, so I don’t want to see them on GHI. Apparently you graduate to GHI? It’s soured me off the show so it’s time to part ways.

I had a blast watching the first three seasons of the Ghost Hunters but the thrill is gone and it’s time to say goodbye to them as well. In the beginning, Jason and Grant just seemed like a couple of guys who got to explore some really neat places around the country. It was a little silly and Hollywood in those early episodes, but they settled in and it was like exploring along with them.

Everything was great until they hit the home of the Manson Murders (Season 3, Episode 12). This is when the show turned to crap. This was the start of the K2 meter (which I think it total junk) and this is where they brought in Chris Fleming (who I think is very suspect and dodgy at best). From this point forward the show changed for the worse to where the investigation where shoddy, the evidence shaky and far too many locations were labeled as haunted. And by many accounts this is where the GH team started faking evidence like the K2 meter and the temperature readings.

And the accusations are still going on, such as the jacket pulling Halloween incident. Which also coincides with the last actual Live broadcast. Plus, having arrogant and rather annoying wrestlers as guests on your show really isn’t that endearing.

I’m not saying that Jason and Grant doctored footage or evidence, but it wouldn’t surprise me and that’s part of the problem. I just can’t believe these guys any more. Good for them that their little side project turned into a multi-million dollar TV venture, which not only spawned a whole series of clones, it lined their pockets with enough cash to buy a supposedly haunted Inn of their own. But now they have to put on a good show- in more ways than one. Everything is haunted. Everything is overly dramatic. Everything is blown out of proportion. They can make or break a business by saying the place is haunted or not. A business struggling with sales can get new life if Jason and Grant say it’s haunted. And even towns are trying to revive their economies by catering to ghost hunting. It’s pure business now.

I didn’t watch any of Season 6 and barely any of Season 5. I just don’t care what they have to say any more because I can’t believe what they say.

It was a fun ride guys, but this is the end of the line for me. Good luck and don’t get caught.

While I’m at it, it’s time to wave goodbye to Ryan and the rest of the PRS crew. Paranormal State has just gone off the rails. Ryan and his interest in the paranormal has turned into a Satan hunting, exorcism performing, Holier Than Thou crusade. Demons are everywhere and Ryan has taken it upon himself to root them out.

The last episode of Season 2 (I am Six) should have been an indicator of where the show was headed. And by the time we hit the midway point of Season 3 (Return of Six) the show was just ridiculous. Absolutely nothing about the show made sense anymore. The experiments they were trying were plain stupid. Really, ping pong balls on the eyes and EMFs to the head? And of course the fight over just how dangerous it is. Lord have mercy that was moronic!

I really lost interest at this point, but held on to see if it would get better. It didn’t. By the time we hit Season 4, Episode 8, "Darkness Falls", at the West Virginia State Penitentiary I was done. Satanic symbol this. Devil worship that. Occult here. Conspiracy there. Blah Blah Blah. This is also where Ryan lost it and started fighting with his team and turned into a spoiled brat declaring he wasn’t going to share his paranormal secret with them because they were laughing. The only thing missing was the stomping feet.

Ryan’s grasp of symbolism is non-existent, and I can’t say he has come up with a single piece of evidence that actually supports a claim of the paranormal in any place he’s investigated. He’s even gone so far as to say if you keep claiming a place is haunted, it can actually become haunted.

Beyond all that, he’s just becoming an ass. Ryan, you started off interesting, but that’s no longer the case. Maybe one day you’ll grow up, and graduate.

Paranormal TV – Which shows are coming back?

Published July 27, 2010 | By RottenOne

I’m getting my desktop ready and I’m looking forward to some new seasons of investigations. It looks like we lost a few shows along the way, but to be honest, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A few of those shows needed to go and a couple more still need to go. So which ones do I think are coming back?

Shows on now:

Right now there is only one show back on the air and it’s GHI. I really liked the first season of this show but there have been dozens of cast changes and the way they break up the season is just maddening. I can’t say how much longer I’ll be on board for this one.

Shows coming soon:

I know two shows will be starting soon, Destination Truth on September 9th and Ghost Adventures starting up in September as well. These are the two I’m looking forward to the most, I just have a great time watching these and they look like they’re having a great time making the show.

Shows on the fence:

Paranormal State: It has no start date listed but the fact it’s still on the books leads me to believe it will be coming back. That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last year for Satan seeking, Holy water throwing, seeing shadows in every corner, Ryan Buell and the PRS team. Ryan has become just way too damn melodramatic and quite honestly the show just isn’t that interesting anymore. Every single thing about this show seems staged and fake. The stories are weak, their reactions from the PRS team are WAY over the top, nothing is ever discovered and in the end Ryan buries a couple of medallions, tells the “spirits” they aren’t welcome, says a blessing and then heads home. And that “Director’s Log” crap is really wearing thin.

Shows that probably won’t be back:

Ghost Lab looks like it got the axe. Nothing is listed on Discovery and no new listings on IMDB. A Wikipedia entry sites they’re coming back for a second season but there is no actual confirmation of that. Their own websites lists two upcoming investigations this year, but no mention of the show. They may have had some of the coolest equipment, but their crazy antics and experiments may have done them in.

Looks like Paranormal Cops didn’t make it either. It has no return date listed in IMDB and the show has been pulled from the roster on the A&E website. There were some interesting aspects to this show, but overall it needed some work. They had procedures and guidelines which was great, but some of their fact checking seemed a little off and they made far too many connections that seemed to be huge leaps at best.

Shows that should never come back:

Ghost Hunters Academy. Please tell me we’ll never have to see or hear of this stupid show again… I can only hope.

Ghost Hunters will air again sometime this year, but really, who cares anymore?

Has Ghost Hunters Jumped the Shark?

Published March 31, 2010 | By RottenOne

I was reading this article the other day talking about whether the Ghost Hunters have jumped the shark. If you recall the original Happy Days episode where Fonzi literally jumps the shark it was because they wanted to add something breathtaking and exciting to the show. It was so over the top as to grab people’s attention and get them talking. It was a springboard if you will, and Happy Days went on for several more seasons.

Laura makes a good point that jumping the shark is to break up the status quo, to shock the audience and do something wild and different. And if Ghost Hunters have indeed jumped the shark what wild stunt did they do it with? What have they done to shake up the entire foundation of their show? By that definition they haven’t done anything. The first step toward shaking things up would be to get off the couch. I’m not sure when this couch sitting started, but it’s gotten out of hand.

To shake things up perhaps they could stop saying they will leave if something paranormal happens. I thought the whole purpose was to document and thereby perhaps explain the paranormal. If you keep saying you will walk out if apparitions appear what exactly as you accomplishing again? "Oh yeah, the place is riddled with spirits, but when they showed up we took off. That’s why we’re the Ghost Hunters."

I’ve also seen several comments stating people want the old Ghost Hunters back. Which old Ghost Hunters do you actually mean? The Ghost Hunters from Season One, or the beat Brian Hornois era, with surly Jason who basically used everyone as a whipping boy and brow beat them as he saw fit? Watching people fight over the proper way to roll up a cable is great fun.

Or the Ghost Hunters from Season Two, the Pick on Donna era, where Donna took the brunt of the blows and Steve did his darndest to try and find a spot within the group. It’s always a thrill to watch a group try and make one of their look like an incompetent ass. Let’s tune in for that!

Or would the Old Ghost Hunters be the team from Season Three where they seemed to really get into the swing of things, with Steve constantly showing his air of superiority and constantly picking on Tango?

And let’s not forget the whole Brian is on the show, Brian is kicked off the show melodrama we had to deal with. As well as the ever rotating crew of people who came in. Remember the drama at Eastern State with Brian and Brian? Do we really have to put up with Kristyn who is basically just as ill tempered as Jason. Remember her in the 2008 Halloween Special? And all the other random one hit wonders which have made their way onto the show.

Or how about Season Four where Ghost Hunters went Hollywood and started spinning of new franchises and declaring every location paranormal regardless of what happened there?

Going by the definition of Jump The Shark, I agree with Laura that Ghost Hunters hasn’t done anything spectacular or memorable in years. I was entertained by the show because I looked at it as an offbeat travel show. They go to odd and creepy locations all over the country searching for spooks and specters. Who wouldn’t want a job like that? The show was exciting because they were excited, they were enthusiastic about what they were doing. I thought the best part was their debunking of noises, creaks and groans. They could sit and explain how the pipes were causing the banging, the house shook because of traffic outside, shadows appeared because of the way headlights could cast a reflection. That was really interesting and entertaining to watch. Plus, the whole ambiance was neat; sitting in the dark waiting for a spirit who might be lurking somewhere.

But all too quickly the arrogance level went through the roof and the show wasn’t fun anymore. They’re boring and tuning in has become drudgery. They’re ready to give up too quickly and the investigations seem short. Do they even investigate from dusk to dawn like they used to?

So which Old Ghost Hunters would I prefer? That’s a hard question considering what we have to choose from.

What was the Live Alcatraz Special like?

Published March 9, 2010 | By RottenOne

The Ghost Hunters special may be over, but you can get a sense of what it was like to be in the audience by reading this blog entry. Apparently the show was much more entertaining in person than on TV and watching the Ghost Hunters with a live audience is certainly different than just watching it on TV.

Check out this summary of what it was like to be in the audience that night.

I have to say, if I was in the area, I would have been begging to get tickets, if for no other reason than to see the gravity defying hair of Dustin! Check out the photo on the site!

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What a difference a year makes … It’s time to say goodbye

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Paranormal TV – Which shows are coming back?

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Has Ghost Hunters Jumped the Shark?

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What was the Live Alcatraz Special like?

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