Paranormal television

Paranormal television is a genre of reality television. Its scope comprises purportedly factual investigations of paranormal phenomena, rather than fictional representations found in such shows and movies as The Ghosts of Motley Hall, Ghostbusters, Scooby-Doo and Rentaghost.

History

Accounts of supernatural occurrences have always been common in the print media. The 1705 pamphlet "A True Relation of the Apparition of One Mrs Veal" by Daniel Defoe is a well-known example. Local TV news programs in the UK and USA have featured ghost stories since the 1960s. Paranormal television arose from this tradition.

The earliest TV show devoted exclusively to the paranormal was One Step Beyond which broadcast 96 episodes on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. The stories were promoted as being based on actual real-life experiences, including historically well-known events such as sinking of RMS Titanic, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

It was followed 15 years later by In Search of..., hosted by Leonard Nimoy which ran for six years from 1976. Rod Serling was originally slated to host the series, but he died in 1975. In Search of... explored many paranormal topics, including UFOs, cryptozoological creatures (cryptids), lost civilizations, and other mysteries. Though the subject matter gradually lost popularity, the show gave way to future TV series following the same genre.

Ghostwatch, a fictional news broadcast about a haunted house in the UK that aired in 1992, created controversy when a majority of viewers believed the televised show was real.

Discovery Channel started to explore the genre with some success from 1996. The Fox Broadcasting Company had a news-style oriented show, Sightings, that was hosted by Tim White and this show lasted for six years. MTV's Fear premiered in 2000, establishing the visual look and editing style followed by most paranormal reality television show. In 2002, the British satellite channel Living TV launched the ghost-hunting series Most Haunted. Its success helped spawn other shows on the channel, including Dead Famous and Jane Goldman Investigates, and the channel developed a distinctive identity based on paranormal programming. The production company responsible for these programs, Antix, also produced two series of Spook School which followed the investigators of Para-Projects as they teach members of the public how to become paranormal investigators themselves.

Reactions/critics

Noting the recent trend in reality shows that take the paranormal at face value, The New York Times Culture editor Mike Hale^[1] characterized ghost hunting shows as "pure theater" and compared the genre to professional wrestling or soft core pornography for its formulaic, teasing approach.^[2]

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ed Stockly wrote that "the paranormal/supernatural-investigation subgenre that has cropped up on cable television over the last few years, which includes Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters International and a few others" promises to "take a skeptical approach in its investigations and to rely on science to confirm or disprove paranormal claims. So far not one has been able to consistently keep that promise."^[3]

Programs

Program	Original Run Years (Premiere–Finale)	Original Channel/Network
6ixth Sense with Colin Fry	2002-2003	Living TV (UK)
111: A Nelson Number	2007-2008	NTV (BANGLADESH)
Ace of Wands	1970-1972	ITV (UK)
Afterlife	2005-2006	ITV (UK)
Alien Mysteries	2013	Discovery Channel (Canada)
America's Haunted Castles	2005	Travel Channel
America's Psychic Challenge	2007	Lifetime
Ancient Aliens	2009-present	History
Ancient Mysteries	1994–1998	A&E
Ancient Secrets		National Geographic Channel
Ancient X-Files	2010	National Geographic Channel
Åndenes Makt (Power of the Spirits) (Official site)	2005–present	TVN (Norway)
Animal X	1997-2002	Discovery Channel
The Antiques Ghost Show	2003	Living TV (UK)
Apparitions	2008	BBC One (UK)
Artemis 81	1981	BBC (UK)
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe	1995	ITV (UK)
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World	1980	ITV (UK)
Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers	1985	ITV (UK)
Badi Door Se Aaye Hai	2014-present	SAB TV (INDIA)
Beast Hunter	2011	National Geographic Channel
Beast Legends	2010	Syfy
Beasts	1976	ITV (UK)
Bedlam	2011-2012	Living (UK)
Being Human	2008-2013	BBC Three (UK)
Being Human	2011-2014	Syfy (USA) Space (CAN)
Beyond	2005-2007	Space (CAN)
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction	1997–2002	Fox
Beyond Reason	1977-1980	CBC Television (CAN)
Bhoot Aaya	2013-2014	Sony Entertainment Television (India) Sony Entertainment Television Asia
Bishaash	2010-2011	BTV (BANGLADESH)
Catweazle	1970-1971	ITV (UK)
Celebrity Ghost Hunt	2011	Biography Channel
Celebrity Ghost Stories	2009–2014	Biography Channel
Celebrity Paranormal Project	2006-2007	VH1
The Champions	1968-1969	ITV (UK)
Chi and Me	2004-2006	Zee TV (INDIA)
Children of the Stones	1977	HTV West (UK)
Chiller	1995	ITV (UK)
Chills		(UK)
The Clifton House Mystery	1978	HTV (UK)
Creepy Canada	2002–2006	OLN (CAN)
Crooked House	2008	BBC Four (UK)
Crossing Over with John Edward	1999–2004	SyFy
Dark Matters: Twisted But True	2011-2012	Science
Dark Skies	1996-1997	NBC
Dead Ernest	1982	ITV
Dead Famous	2004–2006	Living TV (UK)
The Dead Files	2011–present	Travel Channel
Dead of Night	1972	BBC Two (UK)
Deadly Possessions	2016-present	Travel Channel
Decoding the Past	2005-2008	History
Deep South Paranormal	2010-2013	Syfy
Demons	2009	ITV (UK)
Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns	2005–2006	Living TV (UK)
Destination Fear	2012	(CAN) Travel Channel (USA)
Destination Truth	2007–2012	Syfy
Encounters: The Hidden Truth	1994-1996	Fox
Enigma		(CAN)
Exploring the Unknown	1999	Saban Entertainment, Fox Kids
The Extraordinary	1993–1996	Seven Network (AUS)
Extreme Ghost Stories	2006	ITV1 (UK)
Extreme Paranormal	2009	A&E
Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files	2010–2012	Syfy
The Fades	2011	BBC Three
Fear Files: Darr Ki Sacchi Tasvirein	2012-2014	Zee TV (INDIA)
Feminine Masculinity	1999	TVB Jade (HK)
Fenómeno	2000	RTP2, Mínima Ideia (POR)
Finding Bigfoot	2011-present	Animal Planet
Fortean TV	1997–1998	Channel 4 (UK)
Future Fantastic	1996	BBC (UK)
Ghost Adventures	2008–present	Travel Channel
Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks	2014	Travel Channel
Ghost Asylum	2014–present	Destination America
Ghost Hunt	2005–2006	TV2 (New Zealand) (NZ)
The Ghost Hunter	2000-2002	BBC One (UK)
Ghost Hunters	2004–present	Syfy
Ghost Hunters Academy	2009–2010	Syfy
Ghost Hunters International	2008–2012	Syfy
Ghost Hunting TV Talk Show	2015–present	LIVE TV, Get Scared TV, YouTube Tv Show (UK)
Ghost Lab	2009–2011	Discovery Channel
Ghost Mine	2013	Syfy
Ghost Stalkers	2014	Destination America
Ghost Stories	1997–1998	FOX Family Channel
Ghost Stories	2009–2010	Travel Channel
Ghost Story	2006	(UK)
Ghost Trackers	2005-2008	YTV (CAN)
Ghosthunters	1996-1997	Discovery Channel Europe (UK)
Ghosthunting With...	2006-2011	ITV2 (UK)
Ghostland Tennessee	2013	Animal Planet
Ghostly Encounters	2005–2011	Viva/W Network (Canada)
The Ghosts of Motley Hall	1976-1978	ITV (UK)
The Girly Ghosthunters	2005	Space (CAN)
Glitch	2015-present	ABC1 (AU)
Gravity Falls	2012-2016	Disney Channel Disney XD
Great British Ghosts	2011-2012	Yesterday (UK)
The Green Man	1990	BBC One (UK)
Harry and the Hendersons	1991-1993	Syndication
Haunted	1967-1968	ITV (UK)
Haunted	2002	UPN
The Haunted	2009–2011	Animal Planet
Haunted Collector	2011–2013	Syfy
Haunted Encounters	2012	Biography Channel
Haunted Highway	2012–2013	Syfy
Haunted History	1998–2008	History Channel Biography Channel
Haunted History	2013	H2
Haunted Homes	2004-2010	ITV (UK)
(America's) Haunted Hotels	2001–2005	Travel Channel
Haunted Houses: Tortured Souls & Restless Spirits	2005	Biography Channel
Haunted Lighthouses of America	2006	Travel Channel
Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories	1991–1995	CBS, UPN
A Haunting	2005–2007 2012–present	Discovery Channel Destination America
The Haunting of...	2012-2016	Biography Channel LMN
Haunting: Australia	2014	Syfy
Haunting Evidence	2005-2008	Court tv
High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman	2005	BBC Three (UK)
History's Mysteries	1998-2006	History
I'm Famous and Frightened!	2004-2005	Living TV (UK)
In Search of...	1976–1982, 2002	Syndication Sci Fi Channel
In Search of Aliens	2014	H2
Investigations of the Unexplained	2007	Travel Channel
Is It Real?	2005-2007	National Geographic Channel
James Randi: Psychic Investigator	1991	ITV Granada
Jane Goldman Investigates	2003	Living TV (UK)
Jekyll and Hyde	2015	ITV (UK)
Joe Rogan Questions Everything	2013	Syfy
Journey to the Unknown	1968-1969	ABC (UK)
Kagewani	2015	Tokyo MX BS11 (JAP)
Kagewani: Shō	2016-present	Tokyo MX BS11 (JAP)
Killer Contact	2013	SyFy
Kindred Spirits	2016-present	TLC
Lawrence Leung's Unbelievable	2011	ABC1 (AUS)
Leap in the Dark	1973, 1975, 1977, 1980	BBC Two (UK)
Living with the Dead	2008-2009	Living (UK)
Lizzie Dripping	1973-1975	BBC One (UK)
Lost Tapes	2008-2010	Animal Planet
The Mind Beyond	1976	BBC Two (UK)
Miracles and Other Wonders	1990s
Miss Morison's Ghosts	1981	ITV (UK)
MonsterQuest	2007–2010	History
Monsters and Mysteries in America	2013–2015	Destination America
The Moon Stallion	1978	BBC One (UK)
Most Haunted	2002–2010, 2013–present	Living (UK) Paranormal Channel (UK) Travel Channel (USA) Really (TV channel) (UK)
Most Haunted Live!	2002–2010	Living TV (UK) Paranormal Channel (UK) Travel Channel (USA)
Most Haunted: Midsummer Murders	2007	Living TV (UK)
Most Terrifying Places in America	2009–2010	Travel Channel
Mostly True Stories?: Urban Legends Revealed	2002-2004	TLC
MTV's Fear	2000–2002	MTV
Mulberry	1992-1993	BBC One (UK)
My Ghost Story	2010–2013 2013–present	Biography Channel LMN
My Ghost Story Asia	2012–	Biography Channel (Asia)
My Haunted House	2012-present	Biography Channel
Mysterious Journeys	2002-2007	Travel Channel
Mystery Hunters	2002–2009	YTV
Mystery Hunters India	2012-2014	Discovery Kids (Asia) (INDIA)
Mystery and Imagination	1966-1970	ITV (UK)
MysteryQuest	2009	History
Nachtwakers (Official site)	2011–present	RTV Oost (Netherlands)
The New Worst Witch	2005-2007	CITV (UK)
The Next Step Beyond	1978-1979	Syndication
Nostradamus Effect	2009	History
The Oaks Trilogy	2011, 2013, 2016	ITV (UK)
The Omega Factor	1979	BBC One (UK)
The One	2008-2011	Seven Network (AU)
One Step Beyond	1959–1961	ABC
The Other Side	2014–present	APTN (CAN)
The Othersiders	2009	Cartoon Network
Out of the Unknown	1965-1971	BBC Two (UK)
The Owl Service	1969-1970	ITV (UK)
Paranormal?	2005	National Geographic Channel
Paranormal Challenge	2011	Travel Channel
Paranormal Cops	2010	A&E
Paranormal Lockdown	2016–present	Destination America
Paranormal Outlaws	2009	Discovery Networks
Paranormal Paparazzi	2012	Travel Channel
Paranormal State	2007–2011	A&E
Paranormal State: The New Class	2010	A&E
Paranormal Witness	2011–present	Syfy
Pardon My Genie	1972-1973	ITV (UK)
The Past Hunters	2015-present	YourTV (UK)
Patrick Macnee's Ghost Stories	1997
Penda's Fen	1974	BBC One (UK)
Penny Dreadful	2014-2016	Showtime (USA) Sky UK (UK)
Phenomenon	2007	NBC
Project U.F.O.	1978-1979	NBC
Proof	2015	TNT
Proof Positive	2004	Sci Fi Channel
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal	1996–2000	Syndication (CAN)
Psychic Detectives	2004–2008	Court tv
Psychic Kids	2008–2010	A&E
Psychic Witness	2005	Discovery Channel
The Queen's Nose	1995-2003	BBC One (UK)
Raaz	2009	Rohi Tv (Pakistan)
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)	1969-1970	ITV (UK)
Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)	2000-2001	BBC One (UK)
Rentaghost	1976-1984	BBC One (UK)
Rescue Mediums	2006-2011	W Network (CAN)
River	2015	BBC One (UK)
The River	2012	ABC
Sanctuary	2008-2011	Syfy
Sapphire & Steel	1979-1982	ITV (UK)
Sasural Simar Ka	2011	Geo Kahani Colors TV (INDIA)
Scare Week (Teasers/Previews at youtube)	2013	Beat 102 103
Scared!	2012-present	Staten Island Community Television
Scariest Places on Earth	2000–2006	ABC Family Channel
Scary...But True	2001	Syfy (USA) YTV (CAN) Chiller (USA)
School Spirits	2012	Syfy
Sci Fi Investigates	2006	Sci Fi Channel
Scream Team	2001	Living TV (UK)
Sea of Souls	2004-2007	BBC One (UK)
The Second Coming	2003	ITV (UK)
The Secret of Crickley Hall	2012	BBC One (UK) BBC America (USA)
The Secret Saturdays	2008-2010	Cartoon Network
Secrets & Mysteries	1988-1989	Syndication
Shadows	1975-1979	ITV (UK)
Sightings	1992–1997	Fox syndication Syfy
Sinbad	2012	Sky 1 (UK)
Sky	1975	ITV (UK)
The Sleep of Reason with Steve Bell	2007	Studio Universal
So Haunt Me	1992-1994	BBC One (UK)
Spine Chillers	1980	BBC One (UK)
Spine Chillers		BBC Three (UK)
Spøgelsesjægerne		(DEN)
Spook School	2007–2008	Unexplained Channel Antix Productions (UK)
The Spooks of Bottle Bay	1993-1995	CITV (UK)
The Stone Tape	1972	BBC Two (UK)
Stranded	2013	Syfy
Strange but True?	1993–1997	ITV (UK)
Strange Universe	1996-1998	UPN, syndicated television
The Successor	2007	(ISRAEL)
Supernatural	1977	BBC One (UK)
Supernatural	2005-2006 2006-present	The WB The CW
Taken	2002	Sci Fi Channel
Tales of Mystery	1961-1963	ITV (UK)
That's Incredible!	1980–1984	ABC
Thriller	1960-1962	NBC
Thriller	1973-1976	ITV (UK)
True Horror with Anthony Head	2004	Discovery Channel (UK and Ireland) (UK)
Truth or Scare	2001–2003	Discovery Kids
Turn Out the Lights	1967	ITV (UK)
UFO Abductions	1991
UFO Files	2004-2007	History
UFO Hunters	2008-2009	History
UFO Hunters	2008	Sci Fi Channel
The Unexplained	1996-2000	A&E
The UneXplained	2011-2012	Biography Channel
Unexplained Canada	2006	Space (CAN)
The Unexplained Files	2013-2014	Science
Unexplained Mysteries	2003–2004	Syndication
Unsolved Mysteries	1987–1997 1997–1999 2001–2002 2008–2010	NBC CBS Lifetime Spike
Weird Travels	2001–2006	Travel Channel
Weird U.S.	2004-2005	The History Channel
Weird or What?	2010–2012	Discovery Channel History Television (CAN)
The Well	2009	BBC Two (UK)
Witch Hunt	1967	BBC Two (UK)
The Witches and the Grinnygog	1983	ITV (UK)
World's Scariest Ghosts Caught on Tape	1990s	ABC
Worlds Beyond	1986-1988	ITV (UK)
The Worst Witch	1998-2001	CITV (UK)
Wuh kya hai? (also written as Woh kia hai? etc.)	2009–present	Express (Pakistan)
The X Creatures	1999	BBC
The X-Files	1993-2002, 2016-present	Fox

See also

• List of ghost films

References

1. "Mike Hale, Editor, The New York Times". New York Times Knowledge Network. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
2. Hale, Mike (December 10, 2009). "Consigning Reality to Ghosts". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2010.
3. "TV Skeptic: 'Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files' looks at the real 'Battle of L.A.' - latimes.com". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-07-14. The show is a part of the paranormal/supernatural-investigation subgenre that has cropped up on cable television over the last few years, which includes “Ghost Hunters,” “Destination Truth,” “Ghost Adventures,” “Ghost Hunters International” and a few others. Each promises to take a skeptical approach in its investigations and to rely on science to confirm or disprove paranormal claims. So far not one has been able to consistently keep that promise.