The Ghost Hunters name is starting to rival CSI and Law & Order in the spinoff department. What else do all three of these franchises share? There's just as much hard paranormal evidence in the last two as appears in the first.Please don't misunderstand me -- since I've gone off on this topic before. I'm not saying ghosts don't exist. I'm not saying there's no afterlife. I don't begrudge any scientific investigation into parapsychology or realms described as paranormal. I'd just like any of the endless march of "ghost-based" shows to dig up one scintilla of proof that they found something and, therefore, deserve to be on TV every week.
The latest entry is Syfy's Ghost Hunter's Academy -- sort of Most Haunted meets The Rookies from the 70s. Each week, ghost hunting "professors" (the show's conceit, not mine) Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango welcome first-time paranormal investigators onto The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) team.
Since the greenhorns are less experienced with (never finding) ghosts, they panic easier in the dark, scream louder when there's a noise off-screen, and generally wet themselves more dramatically than the TAPS folks you see on Ghost Hunters. In the end, it's more of the same -- people sitting around in the dark talking to the camera and interpreting non-evidence as vague proof of the paranormal.
This genre has to run its course soon. How many shows like this can people watch? How much night vision do you want to see on TV? How many scenes can you embrace of average Joes stumbling around in the dark with tape recorders -- asking an empty room, "How did you die?"
I'm afraid some of these doughy ghostbusters will end up in my home years from now and will get this ghostly response to their recorded questions: "I died of boredom watching your show."
The TV Squad Podcast: The Prisoner, '80s TV, soap news and more
Let's talk about spoilers ...
The Prisoner -- An early look
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-07-2009 @ 7:10PM
caiuslupus said...
Why do they pay you to do reviews of a genre that you obviously despise? Wouldn't just putting "*Again defecates on ghost shows*" every week be much cheaper?
What a crock.
Reply
11-07-2009 @ 7:28PM
jkmkay said...
The gullibility of some people should not be underestimated. Apparently they can and do fall for the same trick every week. There's more of them out there then we might think.
Reply
11-07-2009 @ 7:32PM
Larry said...
They will be taught how to run a fishing line inside the lining of a jacket to the collar.
Ref. to 2008 Halloween show.
Reply
11-07-2009 @ 9:46PM
wulfn1 said...
I used to like the show, back in the beginning when they were more interested in proving there wasn't paranormal activity and showing neurotic housewives how their floors squeeked when the heat came on, and electrical or plumbing issues were the cause of their fears.
As I said recently, it's become a travelogue of tourist traps that cater to the needs/whims of those wanting to get a thrill or see a ghost.
The show lost its edge a while ago, and I'm sad about that. I enjoyed it in the beginning. Not so much now, in fact when it's on I only glance up now and again from whatever I am doing ..that's usually enough to figure out the whole theme of the week's episode.
Reply
11-08-2009 @ 10:01AM
eric f. said...
"As I said recently, it's become a travelogue of tourist traps that cater to the needs/whims of those wanting to get a thrill or see a ghost. "
I particularly liked the episode this past season at Merchant House in NYC. They found nothing and the manager of the museum (which markets itself as being haunted) was pissed!
Same with the Buffalo Bill Museum. They mainly debunked.
11-19-2009 @ 6:28AM
yehuda said...
The show just does not cut it. Not take away from steve and tango but they are not schooled teachers. They are biting and not guiding. They even give wrong information. Example not sitting together. Grant and Jason sit together. So does Steve. You need someone who knows how to teach not create tension.
I do not want for this to seem that i do not repsect either men. I do but they are techs not teachers and clearly Scy Fy came up with a great idea with the wrong people. It should have been Grant or Jason alternating or something of that sort. Not critical pressure, you blew it, you are stupid, you are dumb, what are you doing and then trying to gloss it over.
These young people are trying and they are not training they are initiating using their position and power not to teach and train but to criticize.
I turned it off. Miss the reruns. I feel bad for the people who were selected. They cannot shine because it is like they have the big bad teacher going to hammer them.
Steve and Tango are not that way on ghost hunters but this went to their head or no one explained the basics of being a trainer or teacher.
It is a looser show. sorry
11-08-2009 @ 9:57AM
eric f. said...
"I'd just like any of the endless march of "ghost-based" shows to dig up one scintilla of proof that they found something and, therefore, deserve to be on TV every week."
Isn't that what they do every week?
Reply
11-08-2009 @ 10:56AM
Chuck said...
I can't help but think that if any of the stuff they did offer up as "proof" (such as the conversations they have with dead people based on getting an electronic device to light up or whatever) had any real merit whatsoever, the scientific community would be sitting up and taking notice. As it is not, however, it only takes away from the show's less-than-stellar credibility already.
Reply
11-09-2009 @ 2:24PM
Boddah said...
This is bad. TAPS did a great thing by bringing paranormal studies to the forefront. Before the show, people who believed in ghosts, were looked upon, as crazy. Grant and Jay brought proof to our livingrooms, and made it acceptable. The spinoff, GHI was a good idea, because it brought far off investigations, like Ireland and Spain to our televisions as well. This however, is based on greed, and tarnishes everything.
Reply
11-13-2009 @ 3:49PM
Lokio said...
If a franchise can "jump the shark" - Ghost Hunters has done it with the academy. I tried to watch, but ended up tuning out shortly after the one girl claimed to be a medium for the 20th time in less than 15 minutes. It seemed like they were all trying for their own show rather than being part of GHA.
Reply
11-14-2009 @ 5:45PM
welltonguy said...
I am not all that enamored with Steve and his superior attitude, A teacher he is not a misconceived person he is. I do not like the berating that goes on in this show, it is more picking apart the person than teaching how to investigate, this style in TAPS lost me as a viewer once and will probably do so again. If I want to see this type of action, just go to any junior high school where the bully is picking or putting down a fellow student who are unable to get away from them. It is better to have a good teaching program with actual findings and better appealing teachers than someone who does not have a clue.
Reply
11-17-2009 @ 8:23PM
kitchens said...
Welltonguy, I have to agree. This thing was about as entertaining as counting rug fibers. Still, I gave it a try. I made it to about 17 minutes, and then threw in my DVD of The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, which was far better.
Summed up, this show was an hour of pretentious bullying by a couple of clowns who don't have a decent command of the English language passing themselves off as "professors." Of what? Picking on skinny girls with huge breasts? Playing with cameras and flashlights? Do any of them have degrees in anything? I didn't think so.
They air on a channel called SCIFI. That means, "science FICTION." So how can they make this stuff seem like it was critically important? Like someone's life depends on "behaving properly." Um...you're all chasing "ghosts", dude. You're kidding me, right?
Excuse me...I think I need to go count the rug fibers.
Reply
11-18-2009 @ 12:10AM
jrock said...
Tango sucks! Steve is the only one doing all the talking to the contestants. I think Tango needs to take a step down and compete with the rest of the contestants.
Reply