Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
I am a big fan of American shows Ghost Hunters and Paranormal States. The teams use a lot of high tech equipment to find EVPs and cold spots and places that put out high EMFs. But I also watch Most Haunted because of the places they go to. England is so rich in history and the stories are awesome.
I am a big fan of American shows Ghost Hunters and Paranormal States. The teams use a lot of high tech equipment to find EVPs and cold spots and places that put out high EMFs. But I also watch Most Haunted because of the places they go to. England is so rich in history and the stories are awesome. I know Most Haunted when I saw it didn’t rely on technical equipment, but I haven’t seen it lately.
I like the people on Most Haunted, but would equipment take away from the show or enhance it? Ghost Hunters doesn’t use mediums but PS does….and it doesn’t hurt the show at all.
Any thoughts?
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
Hi Bedb, welcome to the site and thank you for contributing. Neither programme is actually any good when looking for a template to base an investigation on, but as far as entertainment goes, well, like them or not they both keep profitable.
Unfortunately both Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters tend to investigate in the dark (big no no), use equipment that is unfit for purpose (EMF meters, Thermal Imaging Camera’s), show a bias to believing in spirit (calling out, using mediums) and present the findings of pseudoscientific experiments as evidence (EVP). Check out our Investigations Forum for topics concerning these.
From what I have seen of Paranormal States I think it is somewhat dangerous. I don’t think a group should be telling people they are possessed by demons and holding exorcisms. Seeing one episode was enough for me 🙂
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
Hi and welcome.
I agree with everything Ian said and I’ll add something of my own. 😉
What is the purpose of these shows? If it’s about telling frightening stories let it be just that. Hire good writers, a good narrator and choose a proper setting. A well made TV show about, say, Springheel Jack could net excellent ratings even without any pretense of being "scientific". You can go for years without running out of good material.
In my opinion these shows are just "instant TV": they have a limited cost, are quick to shoot and don’t require high quality production. If they connect, it’s all money in the pot, if they don’t, little money and time has been wasted.
I’ll repeat what is usually said about wrestling: when a promotion it’s hot, people will buy tickets no matter what. Matches can be full of botched spots, booking can make no sense, production can be shoddy, gimmicks can be awful… it doesn’t matter because the promotion is hot.
Right now the paranormal is hot. Show about it can be poorly produced, scripts can make little sense, the staff may seem inexperienced, science can be worse than bad… it doesn’t matter because right now the paranormal is hot and people will tune in no matter what.
Sadly there’s another side to it. All the mistakes you make will slowly add up. At one point viewers will just ask themselves "why am I watching this trash?" and will tune out. And when they’ll tune out, they won’t stop.
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
Thank-you for the kind welcome.
I don’t know if you have this saying in the UK..but when a show has run its course, we say it has jumped the shark. There is a lot of talk now that Ghost Hunters has jumped the shark. I have not stopped being interested in the paranormal…but all of the shows are beginning to go to the same places in the states…and they’ve basically become paranormal Travel Channel.
And I would love to see a show on Springheel Jack.
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
Well said Mauro! I was going to say that these ghost hunting shows are basically televised ghost walks with EMF meters but your version is much more detailed!
@bedb: yet we understand ‘jump the shark’ – came from Happy Days did it not? I enjoyed that in my youth!
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
in Ghost Hunters defence though, they did show some elements of investigating that Most Haunted don’t.
1) Interviewing witnesses
2) Site examination looking for natural causes
3) They illustrate how long and boring going over all the audio and video footage can be afterwards.
I think this made them ‘appear’ to operate on a more scientific basis when compared to other shows, but not enough by far.
As far as shows go, I’d love to do a cross between Country File and Strange But True, a magazine style show based on our gazetteer.
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
I watched "Most Haunted" three or four times, they swore like troopers and screamed
like schoolgirls when a noise was heard or something was seen, very unprofessional,
it made "Ghost Hunters" look professional. I no longer watch either show, they insult
one’s intelligence. both shows have jumped the shark.
Re: Ghost Hunters/Paranormal States versus Most Haunted
Because of work I don’t get to see anything anymore….but I saw that Barry has taken over international…that there was a bruha of some kind with the other leader.