New Shows on SyFy
It looks like SyFy has a couple new Paranormal themed shows in the hopper. I guess we should be thankful they’re not Ghost Hunter spinoffs. I’m not quite sure if these sound interesting or just down right goofy.
Personally, I’d like to see a show where a team goes to each of the major locations the Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventure teams have been and tries to debunk everything. Considering the Scientists didn’t come up with anything at Eastern State, I’d like to see what they come up with at other places like Waverly Hills. How about a debunking show? Can we have a debunking show?
So who’s looking forward to these new shows?
Paranormal Files
From Dimitri Doganis & Bart Layton, the acclaimed creative team behind "Locked Up Abroad", this tense, filmic and high-octane drama-documentary series brings to life the stories of people who have lived through paranormal experiences that defy explanation. Using the mixture of intimate first-hand testimony and grittly realistic drama that production company Raw is known for, Paranormal Files will take the audience into a world turned upside-down by extraordinary and terrifying events.
Paranormal Files is a production of Raw TV. Executive Produced Dimitri Doganis & Bart Layton.
Untitled Artifact Search Series
From Michael Agbadian & Dwight Smith, this fast-paced action-adventure series travels the world in search of some of history’s greatest relics and artifacts, all of which are believed to hold hidden powers and mystical significance for ancient and modern cultures. Each episode will include Indiana Jones-type adventure and Da Vinci Code-style connections as the hidden truths and alternative theories of these mythical objects are explored like never before.
Untitled Artifact Search Series is a production of Mission Control. Executive Produced Michael Agbadian & Dwight Smith.
Didn’t Tia Carrere star in this show about 10 years ago?
Syfy’s new reality development slate: magicians, inventors & more
Other Articles of Interest:
- SyFy Fall 2010 Schedule
- Destination Truth – Live 4 Hour Investigation in Ireland
- Funny how the paranormal has changed
- The Exorcist Files – Infestation – S01E01
- Destination Truth
- Ghost Hunters Academy – Almost making Ghost Lab look good
- Ghost Hunters 100th Episode from Alcatraz. But not live.
- Paranormal TV – Which shows are coming back?
- When will the paranormal bubble burst?
- Ghost Encounters: The Queen Mary
Destination Truth – Season 1 and Season 4
Or is it 3.5? Maybe 3.14159? Who can understand how SyFy counts their seasons…
But at any rate, we finally get to have Destination Truth Season 1 on DVD today! This has probably been the longest wait for a DVD set of a modern show. We’re three seasons in (again, depending on your counting method) and now we get to jump back all the way to the beginning and watch the original antics of Josh and crew as they search for things which might, or might not exist.
For those unfamiliar with Destination Truth it’s a show about a guy who has the worst luck with motorized vehicles. And camels. They just don’t seem to like him.
Josh Gates is a globe trekking Cryptozoologist who’s on the hunt for some of the worlds most elusive legends, including, but not limited to, the Yeti, Werewolves, El Chupacabra, Skunk Ape and Bigfoot as well as abandoned towns and villages like Chernobyl, the Haunted Forest and the Island of the Dolls. He’s also been known to visit some off the beaten path locales like the Bermuda Triangle, King Tut’s tomb and the Haunted Lost City. Are these places real? And are they really cursed? Well, that’s what Josh and his ever changing crew are going to find out.
Part paranormal investigation, part adventure travel, part what not to do in a foreign country, Josh and team investigate if there’s any truth to these legends and sightings and what could be their real world explanation. If you remember the old "In Search Of" narrated by Leonard Nimoy then you’re on the right track. That might be going back way too far for some of you, so here’s a link to get you up to speed.
You don’t have to be a fan of the paranormal to get a kick out of watching Destination Truth. If you enjoy visiting exotic and off the beaten track destinations, or enjoy watching a guy with night vision goggles run around in the middle of the night wondering what just bit him, or think that throwing caution to the wind and jumping in the bucket and winching yourself across the ravine is a grand idea or if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be in a small boat, in the middle of a Loch, while chasing a see creature, and you can’t find the shore because of the fog, and you’ve just about run out of gas, and can’t reach your team by radio, then you need to tune in.
Josh has a great narrative style and always seems to get himself into some strange predicament and meets some very interesting people. And unlike Jason and Grant, or Kim and Amy, there’s no sitting on the couch; usually because he’s in the middle of a field or abandoned village and there is no couch. And when he hears something there might be a "Dude, Run!" but it’s towards the noise, or the light, or the glowing eyes, or big splash in the water.
If you haven’t tuned in, I highly recommend you pick up Season One today and see how it all started and then get set tomorrow when Josh kicks off an all new Season by hunting down Leprechauns so he can get ahold of their lucky charms. Yes, it’s Josh, searching for Leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day. What’d you expect?
You can also jump over to Hulu and IMDB and catch some of the older episodes. Their selection is a little random, but then again, so is Josh and his team.
If you want the Full Monty (and who doesn’t) Amazon has the full list of episodes, if you’re so inclined.
Other Articles of Interest:
- Destination Truth
- Destination Truth – Live 4 Hour Investigation in Ireland
- Destination Truth: Season 1 – Finally on DVD!
- Destination Truth on the Radio
- Destination Truth – Ghosts of Masada/The Leprechaun S03E10
- Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter – Available Today!
- So That Leaves …
- My Favorite Destination Truth Episodes
- Destination Truth – Vietnam’s Bigfoot – S05E01
- Interview with Josh Gates of Destination Truth
Ghost Hunters at Alcatraz 100th Episode
I’m sure you’ve been anxiously waiting for my comments on the Ghost Hunters 100th episode at Alcatraz so here they are at last.
Before we begin I really have to make a comment about Alcatraz itself. After watching American Paranormal and their experiments with infrasound I’m completely suspect of any paranormal investigation at this site. The environment itself of wind and water would lead to plenty of false positives. Not to mention the hundreds of birds, rats and who knows what else that now make Alcatraz home. How could you not expect creaks, bangs, scratches, footsteps, the moaning of the wind, the thud of the surf and dozens of others sounds from the place? With so much "noise" how can you possibly differentiate what you’re hearing?
But anyway, the Ghost Hunters team if off to the glitz and glamour of Alcatraz for their 100th episode. As I mentioned before my interest in the Ghost Hunters has come to an end. I only tuned in because Josh was hosting the interview and he brings a sense of fun and levity into everything he does. As expected both the interview and the investigation were fairly lackluster.
And by the way Dustin, I hate to break it to you, but you’re not a rock star…
The interview portion was pretty much a let down because no one actually said anything. About four questions were asked the whole night and the team was basically able to articulate nothing more than a short one sentence answer. When asked about their paranormal experience, Jason and Grant, as you might expect, dodged the question and gave a pretty non-committal answer. Even though Robb is the head man of GHI, he had one sentence to say then was ushered off stage. Kris and Amy hung off to the side and kept the couch from rolling away. Even Steve and Tango hardly had anything to say. Honestly, this train derailed dozens of times and Josh was having a heck of a time keeping it going.
I’m biased about the investigation anyway so I’ll skip through most of it. I don’t think they captured much evidence and certainly nothing that gives credence to most of the claims people have out there. It would take a lot to convince me the wind and surf aren’t responsible for most things people see and experience.
One thing that did come to mind is that once again the team shows they aren’t always sure where the other members are. Steve and Tango hear noises and say it could easily be the other team members. This just shows TAPS can actually step over themselves and give false positives by their own actions.
No denying Alcatraz is a wild place which I would certainly like to visit. The tunnels, long corridors and plenty of places without light would be fascinating to see. But whether it’s truly haunted or not remains to be seen, at least in my eyes.
And what was the big news of the night? Ghost Hunters Academy is coming back for a second season. I’ll try to contain my excitement. We’re also informed that the GHA graduates, Susan and Karl will be joining GHI. I was woefully disappointed by GHI this season and this doesn’t help matters. Now that these two are going to join the ranks I think I might be stepping away from the entire Ghost Hunters franchise. The premise and crew from GHA just rubbed me the wrong way. It was a personality clash in every sense of the word so having them on GHI doesn’t make me want to tune in. Jason and Grant have lost me for now. I may change my mind if they go to some place that really interests me, but as we start this new season I’m not on board.
Overall the 100th episode special was somewhat interesting, but not thrilling. It’s pretty obvious they see this as a business now, which unto itself is fine, but the quirky fun of the show is pretty much missing now. But congratulations to the Ghost Hunters for 100 episodes which as Josh says, in today’s climate is an achievement no matter who you are. To be something on the fringe like this is a major accomplishment. Hopefully they’ll win me back, but for now, I think we need a bit of a break from each other.
Other Articles of Interest:
- Ghost Hunters 100th Episode from Alcatraz. But not live.
- More on Ghost Hunters Live Halloween Special
- Ghost Hunters Academy – Almost making Ghost Lab look good
- Ghost Hunters Live Halloween Special at Pennhurst State School and Hospital
- Ghost Hunters Season 4
- Ghost Hunters – Season 1 – Rating – Too Damn Funny!
- Has Ghost Hunters Jumped the Shark?
- What’s with all the secrecy?
- Haunt Jaunts Interview with Kris Williams of Ghost Hunters
- Ghost Hunters Academy – Episode 2 – Wilmington NC
Eastern State Penitentiary with the Ghost Hunters
After writing so much about Eastern State Penitentiary, I went back to the first season of Ghost Hunters to watch their original investigation of the site. This is perhaps their most infamous, dare I say notorious episode. It’s been several years since I’ve seen it and I forgot that not only was it the episode where Brian comes running down the hall yelling his famous "Dude, Run!" line, but it’s also the episode where they capture a figure walking around in cell block 12.
In looking back it’s pretty clear they were trying to build drama and tension into the show since they weren’t sure the paranormal angle was going to stick. We have the petty bickering between Steve and Brian, as well as the drama of whether Sheri is going to stick around. There’s the trouble with Brian Bell and his oversleeping and abandoning his post of watching the monitors at Command Central. Plus, there’s the general trouble of just trying to get everything set up and knowing how to use their equipment.
But the big topper is how Jason is an arrogant ass to everyone he runs into. He’s pushy, rude, condescending and seems to want to pick a fight all the time. He’s even pushy with Grant, telling him what to do and how to deal with Brian Bell. Just to prove he’s got a pair, he spouts off to Brian Harnois, "Yeah, we want to talk with you, you got a problem with that?" It’s actually surprising the show made it out of the first season. What’s more surprising is that Jason could walk down those narrow halls with an ego that large.
On to more important things of Brian and a cameraman tearing down the hallway screaming, "Dude, Run!" after seeing something pass right in front of them. The odd thing is, the whole episode leading up to this event has been about keeping calm and not running when you see something. How strange for them to spend so much time talking about not running from ghosts and then all of a sudden that exact thing happens, as if on cue. They certainly wouldn’t have planned something like that would they? That’s just pure coincidence, right? When you do that sort of thing in a novel it’s called "foreshadowing" but this is "reality TV", there’s no script… Right? Right?
The next big piece of excitement is the apparition they catch while everyone is off at dinner. Supposedly when everyone has left the cell block and no one is paying attention or watching the monitors or making sure someone isn’t playing around an apparition appears on camera. Of course we’re all familiar with the footage which now looks like someone with a cape over their head, wearing jeans and tennis shoes walking toward the camera then turning to run away. Strangely, that’s exactly what Jason says it is. He says it looks like someone is playing a prank on them. But try as they might, this brain trust can’t seem to replicate what they saw. Apparently it’s too dark for Stumbling Brian to walk with a cape over his head and no one else thinks to try it for themselves. So obviously if Brian can’t do it, it must be paranormal. Since Jason thinks Brian is a incompetent boob, I’m surprised he even let him try. Considering his ego in this episode I’m surprised he let anyone do anything. Odd though, I figure he would have tested it out himself. Or had Grant do it.
What I find funny is that they’ve all but admitted how it was done. Jason comes right out and says it looks like a person with a cape over their head. He admits to seeing a pant leg. He admits no one was actually up there paying attention. He admits readily it looks like a prank. So is this one of those "wink, wink, nudge, nudge" moments, that if he completely dismisses the obvious then it has to be something else. The answer is so obvious we’d be stupid to believe it?
Looking back on this episode, the entire thing feels staged and rehearsed. The comments leading up to Brian running seem so contrived. Jason saying the whole apparition is a hoax, then slyly laughing it off seems downright bizarre. The forced drama with Brian Bell and Sheri was just stupid. And Jason picking fights with everyone is painful to watch. For not having a script they sure do seem to be putting a lot of things in place.
After watching this one again, I’m not entirely sure why I found this show appealing.
Other Articles of Interest:
- Ghost Hunters – Season 1 – Rating – Too Damn Funny!
- What happened to Brian Harnois?
- Has Ghost Hunters Jumped the Shark?
- Ghost Hunters – Live From The Stanley Hotel
- Paranormal Challenge – La Purisma – S01E09
- Ghost Hunters and GH International
- Ghost Hunters Season 3 Part 1
- Haunted Towns – Cape May New Jersey – S01E06
- End of the road for the Ghost Hunters
- Ghost Lab – Worst show on TV
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