Bagans back for new ghost series

The Daily News (Genese, Wyoming and Orleans, NY Counties): Bagans back for new ghost series

Ghost-hunting celebrity Zak Bagans was in Batavia in early April, and clues point to the area being featured in his upcoming Travel Channel series "Paranormal Challenge."

Bagans posted several pictures April 5 on his Twitter account, including one of himself outside the Pok-a-Dot diner. He didn't identify the location as Batavia, though the image clearly shows the Ellicott Street landmark's colorfully-dotted exterior and sign with Pepsi logos on either side.

"So I guess they are famous for a sandwich called "Beef on Wick" ... time to give it a shot," Bagans posted.

He posted four other pictures dated April 5, including a beef on weck, a pay phone, a hotel fitness room and a birthday cake that included a logo for "Paranormal Challenge."

"Paranormal Challenge" is a new series scheduled to premiere 9 p.m. June 17 on Travel Channel. Bagans will hosts the series, which will feature two teams on ghost-hunting missions.

At the same time Bagans was in town, film crews were spotted at Rolling Hills Asylum in East Bethany. The venue noted on its Facebook page on March 29: "network tv show filming here all week." About three dozen photographs from the shoot are posted on the Rolling Hills' Facebook page. Most of the photographs show equipment being carried into the building, where it fills hallways and rooms. The shoot was April 4 to 8, according to the page.

On April 7, Bagans tweeted: "WOW!!!! WHAT AN EXPLOSIVE Paranormal Challenge episode filmed tonight!!!!!"

A spokeswoman for the Travel Channel confirmed Monday afternoon that Bagans was at Rolling Hills filming an episode of his new series in early April. The episode is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. July 8, according to publicity coordinator Katelyn Balach.

In each episode of "Paranormal Challenge," Bagans will invite two teams of amateur ghost hunters to spend the night locked down inside haunted hotspots. During the night, the teams put their paranormal skills to the test by conducting a ghost investigation with high-tech gear and their own knowledge. The teams will then present their findings to Bagans and a panel of three paranormal experts who judge the teams on teamwork, use of technology and evidence collected during the lockdown, according to a series description from Travel Channel.

The series has already filmed at Eastern State Penitentiary near Philadelphia, Pa., and an old prison in Mansfield, Ohio, and about a half dozen other locations.

Bagans had previously visited Rolling Hills for his other Travel Channel series, "Ghost Adventures." The series featured Rolling Hills in an episode that originally aired in September 2010. (A new season of "Ghost Adventures" is scheduled to begin 9 p.m. May 13.)

Rolling Hills, which is said to have a high rate of paranormal activity, is a popular destination for ghost hunters and has been featured on several such programs. The 11-acre property has been used as a location for films.

The property opened in 1827 as the county poorhouse and has been greatly expanded over the years. It's been the county orphanage and nursing home, and host to a succession of businesses.