This article is from 2021 and may be outdated. We're working on restoring a newer version.
Among shows I’ve seen, Extreme Paranormal was one of the worst TV shows about ghosts. The stars of that show can tell you why.
Many other, short-lived series — especially “fear” style shows — have been perfectly awful, too.
Don’t blame the stars of those shows. Some are actual paranormal researchers, and good ones. (Sadly, you’d never guess it from the shows.)
Where do the problems come from? Usually, it’s how the shows are produced, written, directed, and edited.
From the few snippets I’ve seen, Dead Files is on my worst list… but only if people take the show seriously. What I saw looked like a parody of what researchers like me really do.
The Haunted Collector show disappointed me more than most. I’ve know John Zaffis since we both spoke at paranormal conferences in the late 1990s or so.
John is a tremendous researcher, and an authoritative “walking encyclopedia” of paranormal insights and information.
The show’s producers never seemed to get that, or showcase his expertise. That was tragic.
But, in general, ghost hunting and TV shows are two very different things. When you watch a ghost hunting TV show or movie, remember that.
Personally, I’m interested in ghost research, not the TV shows.
The only reason I watch “extreme” ghost-related shows is to understand the context of the emails and comments I receive.
When something seems to come out of left field, it’s usually the result of a TV show.
I’ve been sorry to see producers and networks cancel good TV shows. However, the demise of the worst TV shows about ghosts… that’s been a relief.