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Ghost Hunters TV Series
Director: Mike Rowe
Release Date: October 6, 2004 – present, Sci Fi Channel
Starring: Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango, Kris Williams, Heather Drolet, Dustin Pari, Mike Dion, Kristyn Gartland, Jen Rossi, Joe Chin
Language: English
Country: United States
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Ghost 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 (which Hawes and Wilson say are not necessarily paranormal). Of ghost hunting in general, skeptical investigator Joe Nickell says, “…the approach of the typical ghost hunter—a non-scientist 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. 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.
A new spin off series Ghost Hunters International premiered Wednesday, January 9, 2008 and features Robb Demarest, newcomer Shannon Sylvia, Barry Fitzgerald (who appeared in the Summer 2007 Ireland episodes of Ghost Hunters) and former TAPS members Andy Andrews, Brian Harnois, and Donna La Croix. The format is similar to Ghost Hunters but features investigations at locations mostly around Europe.
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:
- 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
- Dustin Pari – Investigator/Evidence Analyst/Tech Specialist
- Mike Dion – Investigator/Director
- Kristyn Gartland – Investigator/Case Manager
- Jen Rossi – Investigator
- Joe Chin – Investigator-in-training
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