Post by Nalkarj on Jul 3, 2018 14:55:31 GMT
Inspired by rating Ancient Aliens below—though I liked GH, in its earliest seasons, better than AA. Both mindless programming that I enjoyed, though.
We actually have a Ghost Hunters sub-board here, but it’s woefully little-used. Here’s what I wrote about the show there:This was a fun show in its first few seasons before Grant left, when it began indulging in soap-operatics (complete with its own Abbott and Costello, that atrocious comedy duo “Steve and Tango”). I wouldn’t be at all surprised to hear that they faked ghostly material in the later seasons, but I would be surprised if they did in the early seasons, in which they were (wonder of wonders!) fairly skeptical and never exactly said “it’s a ghost”; if they found something they couldn’t explain, they’d merely say that they couldn’t explain it.
Were they more willing to accept the paranormal than, say, Joe Nickell? Of course, with a title like Ghost Hunters. Were they blindly willing to accept the paranormal? I don’t think so, though some skeptics would be rigid and absolutist (“if you even think for a second that it could be a ghost, you’re a moron!”) about it.
Anyhoo, favorite episodes…
I never liked the big “name haunted locations” (e.g., the Stanley Hotel, Eastern State Penitentiary, Gettysburg, Lizzie Borden House), where the whole enterprise, with obvious scripted dialogue, came off as impossibly goofy.
There was an excellent early episode with noises (and footprints?) in a locked room, and a door closing on its own, that I really enjoyed—I think it was a private home. Anyone know this one?
St. Augustine Lighthouse is a fan favorite, and it’s an excellent episode, with that claustrophobic space and the shadow running up the stairs.
There was another good lighthouse one—maybe Race Rock Light, on Fisher’s Island? I see that one high in the rankings, but I can’t remember if it’s the one I’m thinking of.
And a fun one in which they investigate a Revolutionary inn that they’d bought themselves.
My absolute favorite, though, may be somewhat unexpected—it’s that restaurant in California where the team finds out that the owners are faking everything. Brilliant example of how closely connected the ghost story and the detective story are: Jason and Grant’s detective work is tons of fun, especially the way in which they gradually debunk everything. Steve and Tango, on the other hand, are (as scripted, probably) utter nincompoops.
Were they more willing to accept the paranormal than, say, Joe Nickell? Of course, with a title like Ghost Hunters. Were they blindly willing to accept the paranormal? I don’t think so, though some skeptics would be rigid and absolutist (“if you even think for a second that it could be a ghost, you’re a moron!”) about it.
Anyhoo, favorite episodes…
I never liked the big “name haunted locations” (e.g., the Stanley Hotel, Eastern State Penitentiary, Gettysburg, Lizzie Borden House), where the whole enterprise, with obvious scripted dialogue, came off as impossibly goofy.
There was an excellent early episode with noises (and footprints?) in a locked room, and a door closing on its own, that I really enjoyed—I think it was a private home. Anyone know this one?
St. Augustine Lighthouse is a fan favorite, and it’s an excellent episode, with that claustrophobic space and the shadow running up the stairs.
There was another good lighthouse one—maybe Race Rock Light, on Fisher’s Island? I see that one high in the rankings, but I can’t remember if it’s the one I’m thinking of.
And a fun one in which they investigate a Revolutionary inn that they’d bought themselves.
My absolute favorite, though, may be somewhat unexpected—it’s that restaurant in California where the team finds out that the owners are faking everything. Brilliant example of how closely connected the ghost story and the detective story are: Jason and Grant’s detective work is tons of fun, especially the way in which they gradually debunk everything. Steve and Tango, on the other hand, are (as scripted, probably) utter nincompoops.
