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Paranormal TV shows: listings and reviews of the best and the worst

There's no denying the fact that the paranormal is hot right now, and it's not just a seasonal thing.  Shows abound on TV, and here are a few of them with their times, a brief description, and a small review.

 

Celebrity Ghost Stories (Biography, Sat)  This new show started life on the Biography channel as a special and now anchors their Saturday Paranormal Zone, which begins at 7ET.  Celebrities, such as Carrie Fisher, Joan Rivers, David Carradine, Dee Snider and Sammy Hagar, share their experiences with ghosts and the spirit world.  The re-enactments can be a little cheesy, but it's refreshing to see celebrities tell their true stories without shame.

 

Extreme Paranormal (A&E) According to A&E, "irreverent paranormal explorers Shaun, Nathan and Jason investigate chilling local legends, attempting to seek the truth by provoking spirits."  In reality, these former juvenile delinquents have no place on TV.  A recent episode had one of the boys exploring a New Mexico prison, the site of a bloody revolt that resulted in 33 people hacked to death, burned alive and tortured in other equally gruesome ways.  They attempted to provoke the spirit of a man burned alive by first performing a blood ritual that had one of the boys slitting his wrist and then using his blood to write occult symbols on the spot where the man died.  When that didn't work, they recreated the murder by setting the place on fire, and when that still didn't elicit a response, they locked another member in a cell and then proceeded to vandalize the location.  Folks, this is not how paranormal investigation works.  This is somehow getting away with illegal activities on TV that could get impressionable teenagers locked up or, worse, killed.  This show couldn't be found on A&E's permanent schedule, so hopefully that network has wised up and pulled the plug early.

 

Ghost Adventures (Travel, 9E/P) Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin travel the world in order to explore and investigate haunted locations.  While they do introduce the viewers to some great locales, the guys, in reality, are pretty funny sometimes.   They startle easily and don't always investigate some pretty eye-opening events they witness.  This leads one to wonder just how brave these guys really are.  However, they're worth watching just to see where they'll land next.

 

Ghost Hunters (Syfy, Wed 9/8C) While it may not be the first ghost show on TV, it is the one that started the current craze.  Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson were plumbers by day and founders of The American Paranormal Society (TAPS) at night.  Now they're just celebrities who have even been parodied on South Park.  Most of the time, these guys and their team find very little paranormal evidence, if any, and every episode has become extremely predictable, but Ghost Hunters is still one of the most realistic ghost hunting shows on TV because ghosts don't perform on command.  Patience remains ghost hunter's most useful tool. 

 

Ghost Hunters Academy (Syfy) The latest Ghost Hunters spin off premieres Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 10/9C.  TAPS members Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango take recruits to suspected haunted locations and teach them the latest paranormal investigation techniques. 

 

Ghost Hunters International (Syfy) A spin off of Ghost Hunters, the GHI team travel the world to investigate haunted locales that range from Vlad Dracul's castle to the forgotten underground city of Mary King's Close in Scotland.  While it doesn't have the charm of Ghost Hunters, GHI is worth watching just for the locations most of us can only dream of investigating.

 

Ghostly Encounters (Biography, Sat) Another offering from Biography's Paranormal Zone gives us ordinary people's extraordinary encounters with ghosts and spirits.  These are just straight-forward stories about people's brush with the paranormal.  Nothing fancy, but can be pretty interesting.

 

Haunted History (Biography, Sat) It may have begun life on the History Channel, but Haunted History is now part of sister channel Biography's Saturday Paranormal Zone.  Discover ghosts in historic locations, such as the White House, as well as encounters with historic figures, including Marilyn Monroe and Wyatt Earp.  Sometimes cheesy, but often fascinating, especially if you're a history buff.

 

Most Haunted (Travel)  The Most Haunted crew is currently filming new shows in the United Kingdom and return to the air on Friday, Feb. 6.  You can bet the new season will be full of seances, spirit possessions, squeals and Brits scared out of their knickers. 

 

Paranormal State (A&E, Mon 11ET) Ryan Buell founded the Paranormal Research Society at Penn State in 2001 as a way to connect with others who might understand his personal paranormal experiences.  Today, they have their own TV show and demonologist Lorraine Warren on speed-dial. If you think most ghosts are evil and see demons at every turn, then this is the show for you. 

 

Psychic Investigators (Biography, Sat) What happens when detectives and police departments call in psychics to help solve real-life crimes? You get another piece of Biography's Paranormal Zone.  Sadly, there's no evidence that the psychics have helped solve any of the crimes featured in this series.

 

Psychic Kids (Biography, Sat) These children see dead people, predict the future and more, and it's not an easy childhood.  However, Biography's Psychic Kids team helps them come to terms with their abilities and develop them.  While this writer likes psychic/paranormal investigator Chip Coffey, here he sometimes appears more like that creepy uncle you're scared to be around than a mentor you can trust.

 

Many networks also show reruns of shows such as Scariest Places on Earth, as well as various specials.  Check your local listings to see when they'll air.