Ghost TV: What’s new in 2019
By Rick Hinton
Paranormal television shows have come and gone throughout the years, with the old being replaced by the new, and a fresh cast of hopeful faces. There is definitely a continued interest in the subject, which is why they’re still around. It would appear that the Travel Channel has become the new mecca of ghosts, spirits and things that go bump in the night, with enticing offerings for 2019. Some of these include:
Haunted Hospitals
Doctors, nurses and patients give firsthand accounts of encounters with paranormal activity inside hospitals, nursing homes, morgues and medical institutions. My friend, author Nicole Kobrowski, was featured on the premier episode. This show, however, has the annoying habit – as do many reality shows – of summarizing the previous segment after returning from a commercial break. This drives me mad! Wasting precious minutes, and my memory is not that bad!
Ghost Bait
I will say it is a different approach as Bob and Tina help us common folk to face our fears and overcome by using isolation and sensory deprivation. What’s involved in that, you ask? Lights out and wearing a hood. This approach might gain popularity or spin the series into an early cancellation … it’s up to audience tolerance at the end of the day. This show previously ran in 2013 on a different channel. It’s back. …
Portals to Hell
Jack Osbourne (Ozzy’s son) and Katrina Weidman, both veteran ghost show participants – Haunted Highways, Paranormal State and Paranormal Lockdown – take us on road trips to notorious haunted locations to investigate the existence of the fabled paranormal portal. The show is nothing we haven’t already seen in the past, but Jack makes me laugh and Katrina has a level head on her shoulders.
Paranormal 911
First responders (fire, police, medical) can, and often do, find themselves in the middle of a paranormal event during a run. Who would have thunk it? How do they respond? Tune in to find out.
Paranormal Caught on Camera
Paranormal videos from across the world are broken down by a crack panel of experts as they analyze what was, and what was not captured. This could be worth a view or two.
In Search of Monsters
It’s not always about ghosts. This series will explore the truth behind infamous and iconic monsters that disturb our dreams. Think Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and Mothman, to name just a few.
Currently there are two granddads of spook TV still rolling on like well-oiled machines – Ghost Adventures and the Dead Files (also on the Travel Channel). If I am going to watch one, it would be the latter. Ghost Hunters, premiering in 2004, is perhaps directly responsible for the major interest in the paranormal today. Emulation is the sincerest form of flattery, and even today there continues to be doppelgangers of Jason and Grant out there. Co-founder Jason Hawes brought the show to a halt in 2016 when he ended the relationship with the Syfy channel. Grant Wilson had sought greener pastures years earlier. However, not to fear, Travel Channel will be bringing back not only Hawes, but also alumni Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango sometime this winter for Ghost Nation. It would seem, you can take the boys away from the ghost, but can’t take the ghost out of the boys!
Happy viewing.
