Ghost Hunters (TV series)

Ghost Hunters
File:GHlogo.jpg
Developed by	Pilgrim Films and Television Inc.
Starring	See Investigators below
Narrated by	Mike Rowe
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	70 (as of October 1, 2008)
Production
Executive producers	Craig Piligian Tom Thayer
Running time	60 minutes (including commercials)
Original release
Network	Sci Fi Channel
Release	October 6, 2004 – present

For other uses of the name, see Ghosthunters (disambiguation).

Ghost Hunters is a reality television series featuring Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, who work a day job as Roto-Rooter plumbers and investigate places that are reported to be 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 format

Jason Hawes and Grant 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 believe is capable of detecting paranormal activity. TAPS' 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 typically 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 makes a static background noise and theorized to act as a catalyst for assisting entities in making 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. In more recent episodes, the team has used the K-II EMF detector which uses a series of LEDs to meter the strength of an energy field instead of a numerical LCD. During the Manson Murders investigation in particular, the team used a K-II meter in an attempt to get "yes" and "no" responses to verbal questions posed to a supposed entity in a room.

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 EVPs, 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 Sci-Fi Channel 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. Jason and Grant are Executive Producers of "Ghost Hunters" now. Since their departure as plumbers for Roto-Rooter, they are spokesmen for the company, and use the equipment to advertise their sponsors.

Success and growth

Ghost 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. It has since been syndicated on NBC Universal sister network Oxygen.

In the early shows, TAPS was headquartered in a trailer located behind Jason Hawes' house, and they drove one white van to investigations. 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.

In addition to the success of the television show, TAPS have ventured into the venue of radio broadcast hosting a 3 hour weekly show called "Beyond Reality". New episodes are broadcast every Saturday from 7 - 10pm EST, though sometimes may skip a week with possibilities of the hosts being busy with other ventures. The radio show goes into topics in a vast array of areas such as cryptozoology, spiritualism, UFO's, and ghosts. The show is hosted by Grant Wilson & Jason Hawes and includes guest appearances from other TAPS members and special guests like John Zaffis, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Chris Fleming and others which specialize in certain fields.

Criticism

Ghost Hunters has attracted various critics and skeptics, such as Joe Nickell who has criticised their methodology in the Skeptical Inquirer. Many other authors, such as Joe Nickell and Lynne Kelly 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 (which Hawes and Wilson say are not necessarily paranormal). As Grant and Jason say "If you set out to prove a haunting, anything will seem like evidence. If you set out to disprove it, you will end up with only those things you cant explain away.". Others, such as Allison Smith contend that the show's claimed evidence of the paranormal could be easily hoaxed. With each new season, critics of Ghost Hunters continue to publish skeptical analysis and theories on the Internet, often employing frame-by-frame analysis of episode footage which they believe debunks the show's findings.

Spinoff series

Ghost Hunters International

Main article: Ghost Hunters International

A spin off series which premiered Wednesday, January 9, 2008 and features investigators Robb Demarest, Shannon Sylvia, Barry Fitzgerald (who appeared in the Summer 2007 Ireland episodes of Ghost Hunters), Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois, and Donna La Croix. The format is similar to Ghost Hunters but features investigations in various locations around the world. In mid season one, Donna, Brian and Shannon have departed the show and have been replaced by Dustin Pari and newcomer Brandy Green.

UFO Hunters

Main article: UFO Hunters (Sci Fi Channel)

Ghost Hunters producers Craig Pilligan and Tom Thayer released another paranormal investigation series titled UFO Hunters which first aired on January 30, 2008, however the show only aired one episode and the series appears to have been shelved for the time being. The show followed New York Strange Phenomena Investigators (NY-SPI) co-founders Oliver Kemenczky and Ted Davis, along with paranormal researcher Dennis Anderson, as they investigate claims of alien encounters and UFO sightings. The format was similar to Ghost Hunters with most of the program dedicated to the investigation and wrapped up with a review of findings and evidence that was gathered. This series should not be confused with the History Channel series with the same name.

Investigators

See also: The Atlantic Paranormal Society § Known members (present)

• Jason Hawes - Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Founder
• Grant Wilson - Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Co-founder
• Steve Gonsalves - Technical Manager/Evidence Analyst
• Dave Tango - Investigator/Evidence Analyst
• Kris Williams - Investigator/Evidence Analyst/Historical Researcher/Case Manager
• Heather Drolet - Investigator/Case Manager
• Mike Dion - Investigator/Director
• Kristyn Gartland - Investigator/Case Manager
• Jen Rossi - Investigator
• Joe Chin - Investigator-in-training
• Dustin Pari- Investigator/Film tech

Credited Crew

• Jason Hawes - Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Founder
• Grant Wilson - Producer, Lead Investigator/TAPS Co-founder
• Craig Piligian - Executive Producer
• Tom Thayer - Executive Producer
• Rob Katz - Co-Executive Producer

List of Ghost Hunters episodes

Season One

Ep#	Original Airdate	Episode Title	Investigation
101	October 6 2004	Altoona Tantrum	Altoona, PA - private home
102	October 13 2004	Mishler Theatre	Altoona, PA - Mishler Theatre and Railroad Museum
103	October 20 2004	The Lighthouse Inn	Connecticut - Lighthouse Inn and Ashland, MA - John Stone Tavern
104	October 27 2004	Race Rock Lighthouse	New London, CT - Race Rock Light
105	November 3 2004	Eastern State Penitentiary	Philadelphia, PA - Eastern State Penitentiary
106	November 10 2004	The Converted Church	Upstate New York - converted church/private home
107	November 17 2004	The Armory	New Bedford, MA - armory
108	December 1 2004	Fortuna & Topton	Philadelphia, PA - Fortuna Apartment and Topton, PA - Topton Tavern
109	December 8 2004	New Boston Inn	Sandisfield, MA - New Boston Inn
110	December 15 2004	The Negative Entity	Albany, NY - two private homes

Season Two

Ep#	Original Airdate	Episode Title	Investigation
201	July 27 2005	Myrtles Plantation	St. Francisville, LA - Myrtles Plantation
202	August 3 2005	Cranston & Grafton	Cranston, RI and Grafton, MA - private homes
203	August 10 2005	The Red Room	New Orleans, LA - Brennan's Restaurant and a private home
204	August 17 2005	Mordecai House	Wilmington, NC - USS North Carolina Museum and Raleigh, NC - Mordecai House
205	August 24 2005	The Playhouse & The Firehouse	Putnam, CT - Bradley Playhouse and Firehouse
206	August 31 2005	The Ledge Lighthouse	New London, CT - Ledge Light and New York City - Merchants House Museum
207	September 7 2005	Two Houses	Springfield, MA - Tanguay House and Sutcliffe House
208	September 14 2005	Beechwood Mansion & Garden State	Newport, RI - Astor Mansion and a private home in New Jersey
209	September 21 2005	Dave Tango & Rolling Hills	Bethany, NY - Rolling Hills Asylum and Worthington home in New Hampshire
210	September 28 2005	Return to Eastern State	Philadelphia, PA - Eastern State Penitentiary (revisited), and vacation house
211	October 5 2005	R.M.S. Queen Mary	San José, CA, Winchester House and Long Beach, CA, RMS Queen Mary
212	October 12 2005	The Lizzie Borden House	Fall River, MA, Lizzie Borden's Home and Mansfield. OH, Mansfield Reformatory
213	October 19 2005	The Crescent Hotel & Dr. Ellis	Eureka Springs, AR - Crescent Hotel
214	March 29 2006	Waverly Hills	Louisville, KY - Waverly Hills Sanatorium
215	April 5 2006	Ghostly Grace & The Palladium	Holliston, MA - private home, and Palladium Theatre investigation
216	April 12 2006	Red George & Valentown Museum	Canandaigua, NY - TAPS investigates two cases in Jason's home town
217	April 19 2006	Two Brothers & Willard Library	Evansville, IN - Willard Library's "Grey Lady" ghost and a private home in Massachusetts
218	April 26 2006	Hartford Conservatory	New Jersey - private home, and Hartford, CT - Hartford Conservatory music school
219	May 3 2006	St. Augustine Lighthouse	St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Light
220	May 10 2006	Domani's & The County Jail	New Jersey - Domani's Restaurant, and St. Augustine, FL - Old St. Johns County Jail
221	May 17 2006	The Stone Lion	Guthrie, OK - Stone Lion Inn, and Massachusetts - private home
222	May 24 2006	The Best of Ghost Hunters	Recap of the 20 best season one and two investigations
223	May 31 2006	The Stanley Hotel	Estes Park, CO - The Stanley Hotel (which inspired Stephen King's novel "The Shining")

Season Three

Ep#	Original Airdate	Episode Title	Investigation
301	October 11, 2006	Tombstone	Tombstone, AZ - Bird Cage Theatre
302	October 18,2006	OK Corral	Bisbee, AZ - Copper Queen Hotel, and Tombstone, AZ - O.K. Corral
303	October 25,2006	Shadow People	Chester, VT - private home, and Moundsville, WV - West Virginia State Penitentiary
304	November 1, 2006	Whispers & Voices	Gardner, MA - Victorian mansion and Washington, MA - Bucksteep Manor
305	November 8, 2006	Best of the Stanley Hotel	Review of The Stanley Hotel 2006 Halloween Special
306	November 15, 2006	Attack of the Irish Elemental	Ireland - Leap Castle
307	June 6, 2007	Irish Ruins	Ireland - Lisheen Ruins, and London, England - Viaduct Tavern
308	June 13, 2007	Hellfire Caves	Buckinghamshire, England - Hellfire Caves
309	June 20, 2007	Nightmare Noises	Private homes in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
310	June 27, 2007	Toys of Terror	Chesapeake, VA - Keffer Home and Charlestown, RI - General Stanton Inn
311	July 11, 2007	U.S.S. Lexington	Corpus Christi, TX - USS Lexington and Warwick, RI - Warwick City Hall
312	July 18, 2007	Manson Murders	Hollywood, CA - Manson Murders and Los Angeles, CA - Jim Henson Studios
313	September 26, 2007	Lost Souls	Sedro-Woolley, WA - Northern State Hospital and Seattle, WA - Seattle Underground Tunnels
314	October 3, 2007	Spirits of San Francisco	San Francisco, CA - The Presidio and Lullaby Lane Baby Store
315	October 10, 2007	Ghostly Houseguest	Sammamish, WA - Gibbons House and Seattle WA, The Moore Theatre
316	October 17, 2007	Houses of the Holy	Prosser, WA - St. Matthew's Church and Cranston, RI - Sprague Mansion
317	October 24, 2007	Salem Witch	Salem, MA - Lyceum Restaurant and Hawthorne Hotel
318	November 7, 2007	Sanatorium Live Results	Review of the Waverly Hills Sanatorium 2007 Halloween Special and Athol, MA - private home
319	November 14, 2007	Revelations	Special TAPS Q&A Session with host Joshua Gates

Season Four

Season four is currently airing and the information below is subject to change.

Ep#	Original Airdate	Episode Title	Investigation
401	March 5, 2008	Fort Mifflin	Philadelphia, PA - Fort Mifflin
402	March 12, 2008	Two to Tango	Mount Holly, NJ - Burlington County Jail and Norwich, CT - private home
403	March 19, 2008	Words From Beyond	Belchertown, MA - Clapp Memorial Library and North Attleborough, MA - private home
404	March 26, 2008	The Fear Cage	Cashtown, PA - The Cashtown Inn
405	April 2, 2008	Ghostly Bounty Hunter	Norton, MA - private home and Trinway, OH - Prospect Place
406	April 9, 2008	Wright-Patterson Air Force Base	Dayton, OH - Arnold House and Building #70 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
407	April 16, 2008	Ghostly Conversation	North Providence, RI - Ruffstone Tavern and Bretton Woods, NH - Mount Washington Hotel
408	April 23, 2008	Spirits of the Old West	Goldfield, NV - The Goldfield Hotel and Virginia City, NV - Old Washoe Club
409	April 30, 2008	Haunted Asylum	Weston, WV - Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
410	May 28, 2008	House of Spirits	New Haven, CT - private home and Manchester, NH - Palace Theater
411	June 4, 2008	Widow's Watch	Cape Cod, MA - Colonial House Inn and Moss Beach, CA - Moss Beach Distillery.
412	June 11, 2008	Garden State Ghosts	Clinton, NJ - The Red Mill and Perth Amboy, NJ - Proprietary House
413	June 18, 2008	Fort Delaware	Pea Patch Island, DE - Fort Delaware
414	September 3, 2008	Iron Island	Buffalo, NY - Iron Island Museum
415	September 10, 2008	So She Married an Axe Murderer	Pawtucket, RI - Slater Mill and Simsbury, CT - Pettibone Tavern
416	September 17, 2008	The Boy in the Brothel	North Kingstown, RI - Hoof Fin Feathers Carriage Inn and Groton, CT - private home
417	September 24, 2008	Speaking With the Dead	Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Central Terminal
418	October 1, 2008	Ghosts of the Sunshine State	Ocala, FL - Seven Sisters Inn and St. Petersburg, FL - Renaissance Vinoy Resort
419	October 8, 2008	Oak Alley Plantation	Vacherie, LA - Oak Alley Plantation
420	October 15, 2008	Bottled Spirits	Dayville, CT - private home and Appleton, NY - Upstate New York Wine Trail

Jason Hawes announced on Beyond Reality Radio on May 24, 2008 that there will be a total of 27 episodes in season four.

Jason Hawes announced on Beyond Reality Radio on August 23, 2008 that there will be a season five in 2009 with a total of 26 episodes.

Specials

• 2005 Halloween Special - aired October 31, 2005, TAPS went to Savannah, GA to investigate the Moon River Brewery and The Sorrel Weed House, a historic museum that conducts Savannah tours.
• 2006 Halloween Special - Ghost Hunters Live - aired October 31, 2006 at 11PM EST. It was a six hour broadcast originating from The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. ECW Superstar CM Punk joined the Ghost Hunters throughout the investigation. The viewing audience was able to interact with the team via PDA/cellphone text messages.
• 2007 Halloween Special - Ghost Hunters Live - aired October 31, 2007 at 9PM EST. It was a six hour broadcast originating from the Waverly Hills Sanatorium near Louisville, KY. Joining the team was guest ECW Superstar Elijah Burke. The episode was hosted by paranormal investigator Joshua Gates from the show Destination Truth who was stationed in an on-site "interactive center" which posted real time photos to SciFi.com. Also employed was a "Panic Button" message feature where viewers could alert the investigators of any strange happenings as they occurred. Simultaneously, SciFi.com ran an online poll, "The Hunt for the Hunter", Where viewers picked the new TAPS member who chosen among three finalists, Patrick Clark, Mark Fusetti, and Deanna Hoffman. Mark Fusetti was picked as the new TAPS member during the review of the Halloween Special on November 7th.
• Return to St. Augustine Light - aired January 9, 2008. TAPS conducted a special follow up investigation at St. Augustine Light in Florida. It aired before the premiere episode of Ghost Hunters International.
• 2008 Halloween Special - Ghost Hunters Live - will air October 31, 2008. TAPS conducts a seven-hour, live, return investigation of Fort Delaware with guest host Joshua Gates of Destination Truth.

DVD releases

• Best of Ghost Hunters Vol. 1
• Best of Ghost Hunters Vol. 2
• Ghost Hunters - The Complete First Season - (3 DVD set)
• Ghost Hunters - Season 2 Part 1 - (4 DVD set)
• Ghost Hunters - Season 2 Part 2 - (4 DVD set)
• Ghost Hunters - Season 3 Part 1 - (3 DVD set)
• Ghost Hunters - Season 3 Part 2 - (3 DVD set)
• Ghost Hunters - Season 4 Part 1 - (4 DVD set)
• Ghost Hunters - Stanley Hotel 2006 Halloween Special
• Ghost Hunters - Waverly Hills Sanatorium 2007 Halloween Special

Notes

• The Stanley Hotel episode is notable for reaching #2 in ratings for its time slot that night. Ratings Note
• The building that was featured at the end of the show's opening sequence and throughout the end credits along with a number of advertisements and other related materials through Season 3 was the Race Rock Lighthouse, which was investigated in the first season, viewed from the dock.
• It is no longer shown in any episode's end credits, following Season 4's format of running credits alongside the final minute of the episode

See also

• Ghost Hunters International
• The Atlantic Paranormal Society
• List of U.S. paranormal guides
• Ghost
• Haunted house
• Haunting
• Paranormal
• Paranormal Investigation
• Taps Para Mag

External links

• Ghost Hunters at IMDb
• The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) Official Website
• Ghost Hunters official website at SciFi.com
• Pilgrim Films Ghost Hunters Website
• DV magazine behind-the-scenes story on making the show

Interview links

• Interview with Grant Wilson of Ghost Hunters
• Interview with Steve Gonsalves of Ghost Hunters
• Jim Reaper comic features Ghost Hunters Brian Harnois

Independent examination links

• The Skeptical Viewer. Independent review of television footage.