A closer look at ‘ghost hunting’ shows, the pros and the cons

Paranormal Old Pueblo: A closer look at ‘ghost hunting’ shows, the pros and the cons

by Elsa Cook
Here are my reviews of my four favorite ghost hunting shows. You are welcome to share the pros and cons of your favorite shows in the comments section.

1. T.A.P.S/Ghost Hunters with team leaders Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes – PROS: I have watched the Transatlantic Paranormal Society show since it’s inception. This team genuinely wants to help people and I appreciate that. I also like the way Grant and Jason have empowered their team members and have trained them to be professional ghost hunters. As a result, they are able to readily debunk questionable paranormal activity and well as successfully capture true haunting activity. ( The St. Augustine lighthouse was incredible!) A majority of really great haunting evidence has been captured with their huge cache of cameras and instruments. Some of the longtime team members have graduated to the T.A.P.S spin-off Ghost Hunters International. The team members are calm, rational and professional. No one has run off screaming into the night when encountering an apparition. They bring a sense of peace and closure to their clients. CONS: In the beginning,T.A.P.S had dissent among their ranks with team member Brian who was a flinty sort of knucklehead. The struggles with him should have been edited out and replaced with more ghost hunting activity. Now, a large part of the novelty has worn off and Grant and Jason look as bored as if they were on a Roto-Rooter job, which is their daytime livelihood. Mercifully, someone has at last either mentioned to or coached Jason on good grammar when speaking. When Jason would begin an explanation, for example, with “Grant and me took a look …” I would literally cringe. Still a good show, but could use some life breathed into it and more real time evidence displayed.

2. Ghost Adventures with Zak Bagans, Nick Groff and Adam Goodwin – PROS: These guys use real time technology to show haunting evidence and have caught some utterly amazing footage from various locales (see Washoe Club, Virginia City , NV.) CONS: Zak Bagans is a loud, self-aggrandizing megalomaniac with too much hair product. His “calling out” or provoking of negative entities is disrespectful, abusive and potentially dangerous to amateur would-be ghost hunters looking to emulate him. The three don’t appear to want to help anyone and can be counted on to run and scream epithets when they do encounter a manifested spirit. Why do I watch? The evidence that they collect, I do find compelling and they do their homework researching the haunted locales.

3. Paranormal State – PROS:Caring professional students of the paranormal looking to help those plagued by potentially haunted activity. Well versed in the types of hauntings as well as debunking questionable haunted activity.. They are respectful to their clients as well as respectful when attempting to communicate with spirits. They have state of the art equipment and enter situations with a prayer of protection and with reverence for the dead. CONS: Evidence collected shown in real time would make this show a bit more exciting. They sometimes employ Psychic Chip Coffey in their investigations whose irritating, snippy smugness I find really annoying.

4. Paranormal Cops – PROS: This short-lived series featured detectives and officers from the Chicago Police Force. These men were well-versed in interviewing clients, debunking, and used a check sheet rating the type and level of paranormal activity found at the various locations, to present to the clients at the conclusion of the investigation. They conducted thorough prior research on the various locales and were knowledgeable of tumultuous history of inner city Chicago as well as its’ hinterlands. They seemed to provide a feeling of security to the clients by being in law enforcement (Serve and Protect!) and were able to wade deftly through questionable evidence and bring the truth to the forefront. CONS: The show was cancelled after just a couple of episodes.

Do you have a favorite Ghost Hunting show? Review your favorites right here!