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Ghost Hunters

Follows the Ghost Hunters team as they cross the country searching for answers in the nation's most haunted locations. Follows the Ghost Hunters team as they cross the country searching for answers in the nation's most haunted locations. Follows the Ghost Hunters team as they cross the country searching for answers in the nation's most haunted locations.

• Jason Hawes
• Steve Gonsalves
• 95 User reviews
• 10 Critic reviews
• See more at IMDbPro

Episodes 299

Photos 1300

• Self - Investigator

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• Self - Co-lead Investigator …
• Self - Co-lead Investigator
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and Amy Bruni are non-Rhode Island TAPS residents; Steve lives in Massachusetts; Tango in New Jersey and Amy in California.

Jason Hawes : When in doubt, get the Hell out.

• Connections Featured in Syfy 20th Anniversary Special (2012)

User reviews 95

• Nov 5, 2004
• How many seasons does Ghost Hunters have? Powered by Alexa
• October 6, 2004 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Cazafantasmas
• Warwick, Rhode Island, USA
• Alan David Management
• Pilgrim Films & Television
• Pilgrim Media Group
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour

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Full Cast & Crew: Ghost Hunters (2004– )

Series cast (381).

Jason Hawes

Self / Self - Lead Investigator / Self - Investigator / Self - TAPS Founder / Lead Investigator (261 episodes, 2004-2023)

Steve Gonsalves

Self / Self - Investigator / Self - Lead Investigator / Self - Tech Specialist (224 episodes, 2004-2023)

Self / Self - Investigator / Investigator (207 episodes, 2005-2023)

Grant Wilson

Self / Self - Lead Investigator / Self - Team Leader / Lead Investigator (186 episodes, 2004-2021)

Self / Self - Investigator / Self - Guest Investigator / Investigator (122 episodes, 2008-2022)

Britt Griffith

Self / Self - Investigator (102 episodes, 2008-2014)

Kris Williams

Self / Self - Guest Investigator / Guest investigator (87 episodes, 2007-2023)

Self / Self - Investigator / Self - Guest Investigator (84 episodes, 2010-2022)

K.J. McCormick

Self / Self - Investigator / Self - Announcer (64 episodes, 2010-2016)

Dustin Pari

Self / Self - Investigator / Self - Guest Investigator (62 episodes, 2005-2023)

Narrator / Announcer / Self - Narrator / Self - Announcer (47 episodes, 2004-2016)

Shari DeBenedetti

Self - Investigator (43 episodes, 2015-2023)

Brian Harnois

Self / Self - Case manager (38 episodes, 2004-2007)

Donna LaCroix

Self / Self - Interviewer (35 episodes, 2004-2007)

Samantha Hawes

Self - Investigator / Self - Guest Investigator (26 episodes, 2014-2022)

Kristen Luman

Self - Co-lead Investigator / Self (24 episodes, 2015-2020)

Kristyn Gartland

Self (22 episodes, 2005-2009)

Daryl Marston

Self - Co-lead Investigator (21 episodes, 2019-2020)

Mustafa Gatollari

Self - Team Researcher (21 episodes, 2019-2020)

Brandon Alvis

Self - Tech Manager (21 episodes, 2019-2020)

Richel Stratton

Self - Investigator (21 episodes, 2019-2020)

Brian Murray

Self (16 episodes, 2008-2014)

Andy Andrews

Self (15 episodes, 2004-2007)

Self (12 episodes, 2007-2013)

Lisa Dowaliby

Self (10 episodes, 2005-2007)

Ashley Troub

Ashley Troub (10 episodes, 2012)

Carl Johnson

Self / Self - Demonologist (8 episodes, 2004-2006)

Self (8 episodes, 2004-2007)

Barry Fitzgerald

Self (8 episodes, 2006-2010)

Michelle Tate

Self - Investigator (8 episodes, 2013-2014)

Paula Donovan

Self (7 episodes, 2005-2006)

Ian Cashmore

Self (5 episodes, 2004)

Bruce Tango

Self / Self - Investigator (5 episodes, 2008-2014)

Cody Ray Desbiens

Self - Guest Investigator (4 episodes, 2022-2023)

Satori Hawes

Kenny kayne.

Self - Camera Operator (3 episodes, 2022-2023)

Heather Drolet

Self (4 episodes, 2004-2008)

Self (4 episodes, 2004-2009)

Robb Demarest

Self (4 episodes, 2008-2010)

Keith Johnson

Self / Self - Demonologist (3 episodes, 2004-2006)

Reanna Wilson

Self / Self - Grant's Wife & Investigator (3 episodes, 2004-2020)

Self (3 episodes, 2004)

Self / Self - Guest Investigator (3 episodes, 2009-2022)

Self / Self - Guest Investigator (3 episodes, 2010-2022)

Self (3 episodes, 2004-2005)

Haley Hawes

Self (3 episodes, 2011)

Akos Kovach

Self - Economic Development Coordinator (2 episodes, 2020)

Self - Owner, Clifton Hotel (2 episodes, 2020)

Dakota Laden

Self - Destination Fear (2 episodes, 2022-2023)

Tanner Wiseman

Dalen Spratt

Self - Guest Investigator (2 episodes, 2022)

Alex Schroeder

Mike robinson.

Self - Historian (2 episodes, 2022)

Marcus Harvey

Kendall Whelpton

Self / Self - Director of Photography (2 episodes, 2006-2019)

Kristin Allen

Self (2 episodes, 2004-2006)

Frank DeAngelis

Self (2 episodes, 2004)

Ron Milione

Self (2 episodes, 2005-2006)

John Zaffis

Self (2 episodes, 2005)

Amanda Tapping

Self (2 episodes, 2008)

Steve Valentine

Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin

Susan slaughter.

Self (2 episodes, 2009-2010)

Karl Pfeiffer

Meaghan Rath

Self (2 episodes, 2010)

Allison Scagliotti

Kofi Kingston

Haily hawes.

Self / Self - Investigator (2 episodes, 2011-2013)

Shawn Porter

Self - Tech Designer (2 episodes, 2014)

Jeremy Rennegarbe

Self - Client (1 episode, 2019)

Maureen Gilly

Self - Owner, St. Joseph Plantation (1 episode, 2019)

Chelsea Dyer

Susan beauregard, christy mershon.

Self - Co-President, Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau (1 episode, 2020)

Skylar McGuire

Self - Halsingland Hotel Employee (1 episode, 2020)

Adam Kimmell

Self - Owner, Madison Seminary (1 episode, 2019)

Kendra Rennegarbe

Frank budreck.

Self - Owner, Galena Marine Hospital (1 episode, 2020)

Sarah Glenn Marsh

Self - Glenn Family Descendant (1 episode, 2020)

Tony McMurtrie

Harry sharp, jimmy landoll.

Self - Owner, Landoll's Mohican Castle (1 episode, 2019)

Lisa Delonas

Self - Principal, Pocatello High School (1 episode, 2019)

Deanna Simpson

Craig mince.

Self - Executive Director, The Athenaeum (1 episode, 2019)

Tina Mattingly

Self - Owner, Waverly Hills Sanatorium (1 episode, 2020)

Marianne Capra

Self - Client (1 episode, 2020)

James Morris

Self - Former Airport Director (1 episode, 2020)

Shayla Landoll

Kathy hussey.

Self - Camp Faculty (1 episode, 2020)

Self - Security Officer (1 episode, 2021)

Emily Burkhart

Self - Director of Operations (1 episode, 2022)

Self - Executive Director (1 episode, 2022)

Self - Mayor, Walton, KY (1 episode, 2022)

Brad Talcott

Self - Client (1 episode, 2022)

Jack Willard

CEO Battleship New Jersey / Self - Director (1 episode, 2022)

Meagan Marsh

Self - Argo Hotel Owner (1 episode, 2022)

Richard Miller

Greg peerbolte.

Self - Homeowner (1 episode, 2022)

Michelle Menningmann

Self - Asst. Executive Director (1 episode, 2022)

Avery Vance

Self - Co-Owner (1 episode, 2022)

Scott Douglas

Self - Property Owner (1 episode, 2022)

Jennifer Hurst-Wender

Self - Preservation Virginia (1 episode, 2022)

Sarah Trimmer

Self - General Manager (1 episode, 2022)

Self - Owner, Church Brew Works (1 episode, 2022)

Dawn Reichard

Self - Volunteer, Friends of White Hill Mansion (1 episode, 2022)

Shawn Steffey

GHOST HUNTERS RETURNS WITH ALL-NEW EPISODES AND SPECIAL GUESTS BEGINNING THURSDAY, APRIL 6 AT 9 P.M. ET/PT

March 16, 2023 · Travel Channel

The TAPS Team – Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and Shari DeBenedetti – Kick Off a Chilling Lineup of New Investigations at a Haunted California Prison With Actor Chandler Riggs

The world-renowned TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) team – paranormal investigators Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and Shari DeBenedetti –are back with all-new episodes of GHOST HUNTERS beginning Thursday, April 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channe l and discovery+ . Traversing the country, they’ll investigate chilling new locations and hauntings including eerie paranormal activity inside prisons, mines, mansions and even the Hoover Dam. Armed with state-of-the-art technology, their proven methodology and special guest investigators, the GHOST HUNTERS team tackle disturbing activity head-on, leaving no stone unturned to reach the dead among the living. Eight all-new, one-hour episodes will premiere weekly.

Joining the core team are a host of experts from different paranormal backgrounds who add their own perspective and prowess to each unique case. In the premiere episode, special guest, actor Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”), meets up with TAPS in California to investigate strange activity inside The Bastille, an abandoned 125-year-old former Wild West jail. Guest investigators Satori Hawes and Cody DesBiens also join as they confront the ghostly inmates trapped inside this imposing old building with a horrific past.

Upcoming Episodes:

“Dead Man Walking” – Premieres Thursday, April 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

In downtown Hanford, California, sits an imposing, abandoned county jail more than 125 years old. The Bastille, as it is known today, has captured the imagination of the residents who, for decades, have reported encountering apparitions and other strange activity in this building. In the years since this former Wild West jail was shuttered, many businesses have come and gone inside the old building, but they all share one commonality – claims of chilling paranormal phenomena. Now, many believe that the decades of suffering and tragic deaths that occurred inside the jail are behind the ongoing hauntings. Joining TAPS on this investigation is actor Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”), as well as investigators Satori Hawes and Cody DesBiens.

“Trapped in Terror” – Premieres Thursday, April 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

TAPS is called to California’s Gold Country to investigate the Argonaut and Kennedy mines. On the heels of the 100th anniversary of the state’s largest mining tragedy, the team, joined by paranormal explorer Dakota Laden and the “Destination Fear” crew, faces frightening phenomena that remains on these properties from decades gone by.

“The Hoover Damned” – Premieres Thursday, April 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

The TAPS team dive into unchartered waters at the Hoover Dam as they gain exclusive access to investigate the iconic superstructure. Investigators Dustin Pari and Kris Williams join in as they seek out the lost souls and terrifying shadow figures that haunt this massive landmark.

“The Mansion of Misfortune” – Premieres Thursday, April 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

TAPS investigates an Alabama mansion that was once home to high society gatherings – as well as ample misery and misfortune. Guest investigators Satori Hawes and Cody DesBiens help dig up secrets from beyond the grave and bring peace to spirits seemingly in search of days long past.

“Unholy Matrimony” – Premieres Thursday, May 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

TAPS and guest investigator Dustin Pari investigate the home of an American Founding Father, and where a betrothed couple intends to have their wedding. A dark, aggressive energy has overtaken the house, leading to fears that the haunting will upend the impending nuptials.

“The Myth of St. Ignatius” – Premieres Thursday, May 11 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

TAPS and special guest Tory Belleci (“Mythbusters”) descend on the small town of Colfax, Washington, where chilling spirits haunt the hallways of the now abandoned St. Ignatius Hospital. The century-old building harbors the dark energy of illness, death and a tragic scandal, putting plans to turn it into a hotel at risk.

“Generations of Ghosts” – Premieres Thursday, May 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

TAPS answers a desperate call for help at historic Rose Mont, a former cattle and thoroughbred farm and plantation in Gallatin, Tennessee. Reports of hauntings at this grand mansion go back for decades, but a recent spike in harrowing paranormal phenomena has put the staff on edge.

SEASON FINALE: “Diocese of the Dead” – Premieres Thursday, May 25 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Travel Channel and Streaming on discovery+

TAPS is called to Ogdensburg, New York, to investigate a large family home. Once a church rectory, this imposing limestone manor is filled with terrifying entities that tie back to its religious beginnings. Alongside Jason’s son, Austin Hawes, and guest investigator Dustin Pari, TAPS hopes to calm the family’s fear of being in their house.

Follow @TravelChannel and #GhostHunters on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram and TikTok for additional content. Plus, check out @discoveryplus on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter .

GHOST HUNTERS is produced by Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group for Travel Channel and discovery+.

About Travel Channel

For the bold, daring and spontaneous; those adventurers who embrace the thrill of the unexpected; those risk-takers who aren’t afraid of a little mystery; if you’re up for anything, down for whatever, and above all, love great stories, journey on to Travel Channel. We’re more than you expect and everything you didn’t know you were looking for. Reaching more than 79 million U.S. cable homes, Travel Channel is the world’s leading travel media brand. Fans also can visit Travel Channel for more information or interact with other fans through Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest and Instagram . Travel Channel is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a leading global media and entertainment company available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages whose portfolio also includes Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com .

About discovery+

discovery+ is the definitive non-fiction, real-life subscription streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery. With the largest-ever content offering at launch, discovery+ features a wide range of exclusive, original series across popular passion verticals including lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; as well as science, tech and the environment, and a slate of high-quality documentaries. For more, visit discoveryplus.com , or find the discovery+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.

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Cast Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango at the Higgins House

Paranormal investigators and ghost-hunting pioneers Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango are back for all-new adventures to the other side in Travel Channel’s new series Ghost Nation . Only this time, they’re not alone. Now, the pioneers of the genre respond to urgent calls from local paranormal investigators nationwide who have reached a dead end with their high-stakes personal cases. The team will endeavor to track down the true source of these hauntings and restore peace to the living... and the dead.

JASON HAWES

Paranormal Investigator, Executive Producer, Author, Radio Host, Founder of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS)

Cast member, Jason Hawes - Higgins House

Jason Hawes has been investigating claims of paranormal activity since 1990 and is looked at as the leading authority in the field of supernatural and paranormal studies. Due to his pioneering efforts, the practice of paranormal investigation has advanced to international phenomenon status. Hawes has handled cases for law enforcement, religious organizations and U.S. government agencies. He formerly served as the co-creator, narrator, producer and star of “Ghost Hunters,” which ran for 11 Seasons on the Syfy Channel. Hawes is a New York Times best-selling author of six books on the paranormal and is the creator and co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Beyond Reality Radio.” He is also the founder of the most visited paranormal website in the world, The-Atlantic-Paranormal-Society.com, and he has created a network of paranormal researchers known as “The TAPS Family” that spans the globe with bases in more than 40 U.S. States and 14 Countries. He has been featured on the “Today Show,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “The View,” “CNN, MSNBC, “Dateline,” “20/20” and more.

Follow Jason on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

STEVE GONSALVES

Paranormal Investigator, Former Police Officer, Public Speaker, Author

Cast member, Steve Gonsalves - Higgins House

Steve Gonsalves, a former police officer, has been a public speaker and educator about paranormal phenomena for more than 18 years. The paranormal pioneer helped pave the way for a worldwide paranormal explosion as a main cast member of the hit television series “Ghost Hunters,” which included the spin-offs “Ghost Hunters Live” and “Ghost Hunters Academy.” Gonsalves started his work in paranormal studies at a very young age and is well-educated in the field, having investigated over 1,000 reportedly haunted locations. He had the privilege of working closely with famed investigator and paranormal pioneer Dr. William G. Roll (Poltergeist) at the Rhine Research Center. Along with his multiple appearances on a variety of paranormal series, Gonsalves executive produced the horror short “The Captured Bird,” alongside famed writer and director Guillermo Del Toro. He has also been a featured guest on numerous television shows and radio programs, including “The View,” “Fox and Friends,” “Steve Harvey,” “Larry King Live” and “Katie” featuring Katie Couric. Aside from his work on camera, Gonsalves has been developing and producing content for television, has an untitled book project in the works and has executive produced and directed a feature length documentary being released in 2019.

Follow Steve on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

Paranormal Investigator, Tech Manager

Cast member, Dave Tango - Higgins House

Dave Tango– better known as “Tango” – is one of the world’s leading paranormal authorities, best known as an investigator and tech manager on the hit shows “Ghost Hunters” and “Ghost Hunters Academy.” Tango’s origins in the paranormal can be traced back to the stories his father (an Elizabeth, NJ police officer) told him of his unexplained encounters while on the force. As a child, Tango was always intrigued by mysteries and the unknown, which led him to pursue magic as a serious hobby, and it remains an integral part of what makes Tango tick. He attributes this background to his knack for problem solving, and his ability to distinguish between what is real and what’s simply an illusion. Trained by the best in the paranormal field, Tango’s ghost-hunting philosophy is to never be afraid to try new techniques and always experiment in the field. His trademark genuineness and sometimes strange curiosity are what fans most undoubtedly love about him. Aside from being the quirky one at his paranormal day job, Dave has been a fan of stranger things since long before it was cool – from 80s synth to video games.

Follow Dave on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

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Ghost Hunters

Series Premiere - The Ghost Hunters team travels to Altoona, Pennsylvania to investigate a reported haunting in a young girl's bedroom.

Leaving no haunting uninvestigated in their trip to Altoona, Pennsylvania; the Ghost Hunters team explores alleged hauntings in a historic theatre and railroad museum.

The Ghost Hunters team investigates reported paranormal activity in a restaurant and bar.

In a story you'll see only on Ghost Hunters, the U.S. Coast Guard, in an effort to put wicked legends to rest, asks the team to check out a haunted lighthouse.

The Ghost Hunters team moves their investigation behind bars, going after a spirit that notoriously spooked an incarcerated Al Capone.

The Ghost Hunters team visits a Rhode Island couple who claim renovations to their home (a former church), have stirred some otherworldly guests.

Cast & Crew

Jason Hawes

Steve Gonsalves

Shari DeBenedetti

Craig Piligian

Reality fare for sci-fi addicts; can be creepy.

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© 2004 Pilgrim Films & Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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The Comedy Store is rumored to be haunted. So we went ghost hunting with the pros

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Los Angeles is rife with ghosts, and paranormal investigator Zak Bagans is on the hunt. The host of the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” and his crew of spirit sleuths have roamed the city, capturing all manner of unexplained phenomena on camera. Among the haunted places they’ve explored are the dreaded Cecil Hotel , the Black Dahlia house, Hollywood’s American Legion Post 43 building, downtown L.A.’s Roxie Theatre, Pasadena’s Ritual House and the Los Angeles Police Museum.

“We focus on Los Angeles because the locations here offer so much in the form of hauntings and mysterious history,” Bagans says. “It’s a smorgasbord of pure, haunted dreams.”

Today we’re at the Comedy Store , the Sunset Strip club known for two things: launching the careers of such comedians as Richard Pryor, Jay Leno and Roseanne Barr and scaring the bejesus out of countless performers and patrons during its half-century run. Demonic growls in the basement, flickering lights on stage and manifestations of a man dressed in a World War II-era military uniform are accredited to the building’s former life, when the cavernous structure was home to Ciro’s nightclub. Celebrities and mafia bigwigs like Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen frequented the venue throughout the 1940s and ’50s. Legend has it that the place was used to extort, torture and kill those who crossed the mob, and the spirits of those unlucky victims still haunt the place today.

“Did you see that?” Bagans asks during our interview in the Comedy Store’s empty main room. “I just saw an amber orb fly into your shoulder.” Go ahead. Make fun of us. But I’m officially freaked out because I definitely felt something , be it a waft of cold air from the AC vents, an adrenaline rush from this morning’s coffee or an otherworldly presence tugging at my sleeve. One thing’s for sure: I’m a ghost-hunting lightweight. Bagans and his team of Aaron Goodwin, Jay Wasley and Billy Tolley usually lock themselves in a location overnight and shoot in pure darkness. I requested we do our run-through during the day, with the lights on. It should also be noted that I steer clear of Ouija boards and have never made it through all two hours and 12 minutes of “The Exorcist.”

In a year of loss, I found comfort and connection in an unlikely place: paranormal TV

Often lampooned, shows like ‘Ghost Adventures’ — full of investigators, mediums, intuitives — helped bring closure in TV critic Lorraine Ali’s own life in 2020.

Dec. 10, 2020

Bagans and I look for spikes on the electromagnetic meter he’s placed between us on the sticky cocktail table. Nothing. But that doesn’t stop us from talking about the orb incident for the next two hours as we scour the rest of the club.

Faith is everything in the paranormal business, and these guys are true believers. They’re not alone. Creepy investigations, from multipart series to bite-size social media posts, have proliferated on cable TV, YouTube, TikTok and other platforms in recent years. If you haven’t seen one of these shows before, imagine the “Scooby-Doo” crew poking around a haunted hotel, except these are real folks armed with high-tech equipment and the culprit is never the innkeeper. “Ghost Adventures,” which is also available on the streaming service Discovery+, leads the pack in the spooky realm of paranormal programming. Bagans has lost count of how many episodes the series has aired, between more than 20 seasons and a raft of specials, but he knows it’s well into the hundreds .

“People keep complaining about how weird I am, and I’m like, ‘Wouldn’t you be if you did this every other week, at the darkest places you can find?’” Bagans says.

At 45, he doesn’t appear all that eccentric. In fact, you might mistake him for any other tattooed, spiky-haired dude in his hometown of Las Vegas, if not for his sixth sense and his bouts of possession caught on tape. He says he always felt “different” and had “experiences,” which is why he made the 2004 documentary “Ghost Adventures” detailing an eerie run of events he had as a film student in Detroit. The film paved the way for the Travel Channel series.

Entertainment & Arts

The Comedy Store looks to tradition to keep the future funny

The iconic comedy venue celebrates 50 years as a home for the world’s best comics and pledges to evolve with the times while keeping its old-school flair.

April 7, 2022

The tall, dark and bespectacled ghost detective now has millions of followers and fans who gravitate toward his earnestness and intensity. With each investigation he addresses spirits in a booming voice, coaxing them to come forward, and half of the thrill is witnessing his reactions. Bagans is a human meter tuned to occult vibes. He’s often startled, terrified, sad or overwhelmed “by the energy” he feels. He’s become physically ill from the encounters, or shuts down completely. It’s real, he says, and accusations to the contrary sting.

“I am sick and tired of people calling me overly dramatic,” says Bagans, who in person is a gentle soul, if not awkward and slightly nerdy. “It really upsets me. I’m a magnet for energies and I can’t turn that off. I’m a hyper empathic person. ... You start crying, I’m probably going to start crying too. There’s someone bad in the room, I’ll sense that and it’ll give me a headache. I can’t turn it off.

“Within the human brain and the conscious mind, there is an electromagnetic energy field,” he continues. “When you die, that electromagnetic field doesn’t disintegrate. Ghosts have an electrical charge to them and I’m sensitive to that. I feel it, I’ll get those goosebumps. I’ll feel that static charge.”

Our hunt through the Comedy Store isn’t a highly charged encounter as far as the annals of “Ghost Adventures” go. I blame myself for insisting this be a daytime affair. The spirits are disgusted by my cowardice. Bagans and the crew say I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. Ghosts can be shy, like people, and just because there was no quantifiable response to Bagans’ repeated requests that entities show themselves, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

We walk up a narrow staircase to the Belly Room, the crew loaded with more equipment than an Area 51 surveillance team. Along with the aforementioned EMF detector is a highly sensitive audio recorder that picks up electronic voice phenomena (EVP), a camera with a special lens, a temperature-sensitive video device and Goodwin’s old-school Polaroid. “I snap like a billion of these just to prove that whatever we see on the other cameras isn’t doctored.” Goodwin is the comic relief. Fans of the show refer to him as “ Zak’s bait of choice.” He’s sent into the worst situations, alone, just to see how he’ll react: “I want to market a ‘Ghost Adventures’ diaper because I’m always getting the s— scared out of me.”

Not a lot happens during our mini-investigation, but, to be fair, it’s more of a walkthrough designed to show this Times journalist how the process works. My big discovery: Lugging all that equipment around is a chore. “We want to show there’s a whole other dimension of life that’s undetectable by the human eye, Bagans explains of the infrared light, ultraviolet light and digital recorders when I ask if all this stuff is really necessary. By the time we reach the spooky green room, the tiny space is so hot and claustrophobic I put aside my fear and hope for an evil presence to chill the air. The more sinister, the better.

Review: Netflix makes rare true-crime misstep with salacious series on L.A.’s Cecil Hotel

The first season of the streamer’s new anthology docuseries, “Crime Scene,” falls too in love with the Cecil’s lore to tell its central story effectively.

Feb. 10, 2021

It’s rare that the team catches a fully materialized apparition on film. They say their best catch was a cowboy materializing on camera during their exploration of California’s Cerro Gordo ghost town in 2019. They do capture unnerving EVPs of disembodied voices demanding they “GET OUT,” “DIE” or “HELP.” The current season of the show features such hair-raising “evidence” from the so-called Los Feliz murder house — two episodes’ worth of scares — and the shuttered Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.

Bagans, the crew and I wind up back down in the main room, where we try once more to conjure a response from dead gangsters or the poor stool pigeons rumored to be buried in the basement. “We usually have to pick through 30 hours’ worth of footage, recordings and other stuff for the few minutes we capture on the show,” Bagans says. We have only two and a half hours for our investigation, but the Ghost Adventurers have been here before and they documented plenty of mysterious activity. I’m pretty sure I’ve put a damper on the hunt — until I check my own cellphone footage and spot a frenetic spec of light jetting around the guys. They watch it excitedly, but my finding is debunked as a reflection from a mirror. Disproving phenomena is also part of the process.

When I get home and go over the rest of my footage and spot a floating orb of light about Bagans’ head. Finally, something! I email the footage to a representative for the show who passes it on to him. The “dust particles wouldn’t be picked up like that without your phone light,” he told his rep, “and the trajectory of it is also a little unique and jagged, whereas a dust particle would have more of a floating effect, like a snowflake.” Bagans couldn’t definitively say it was supernatural but was “definitely intrigued” given the “other light anomalies he experienced earlier.”

I’m hooked, and ready for the Cecil Hotel. Bring it on, haunted L.A.

Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.

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Lorraine Ali is television critic of the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she was a senior writer for the Calendar section where she covered culture at large, entertainment and American Muslim issues. Ali is an award-winning journalist and Los Angeles native who has written in publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and GQ. She was formerly The Times’ music editor and before that, a senior writer and music critic with Newsweek magazine.

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Grant S. Wilson leads the charge of Ghost Hunters and has been actively involved in all types of paranormal investigations since his first intense encounter with the supernatural at age 15. He has paved the way for much of the modern field through his work with The Atlantic Paranormal Society (T.A.P.S), a group he co-founded nearly 30 years ago. Grant’s uniquely tempered approach to the discipline helped capture the world’s attention on Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International, both of which produced. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people and impacted millions more worldwide with his extensive knowledge and down-to-earth technique.

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