Ghost Lab: Your Thoughts
Ghost Lab members
The new reality show titled “Ghost Lab” aired last night, October 6th 2009 on Discovery Channel. If you have not seen the promo, check it out:
I saw the premier of this show. Given that I had low expectations from the get-go, I was not at all that disappointed. Why? because the show proved that my expectations were right on target.
The show is a horrible, horrible idea. It is extremely edited (Think of ‘Paranormal State’ but worse). This is the type of show where one of the crew members is in the middle of an investigation and he suddenly says “Shhh…did you hear that?” and then the editing team and producers decide it’s a good idea to cue in the “scary sounds”.
Looks to me like the Discovery Channel is diving head-first into the shallow pool of the reality/paranormal bandwagon.
The team treks to different locations investigating haunted claims. Along with the crew and their trucks, they haul a pretty large “car hauler” which is called the “Ghost Lab”. In it they have expensive equipment that is there for the dramatic effect as well as lighting for that same purpose. The equipment is overkill for the repetitive approach that the team brings to the field of the paranormal.
The Klinge brothers founded ‘Everyday Paranormal’ in 2007. Now with the Discovery Channel pumping money into their group the team sets out to “tackle” the most haunted locations in this country. Starting with the “Myrtles Plantation”. (what a surprise)
Besides the over-editing that is done and the ridiculous high tech gadgetry, the team leaders (Klinge brothers) have a very rude way about them. I don’t mean the rudeness relating to manners or etiquette, I mean rude as in a non-eloquent way. I don’t know what their background is, but judging from their website’s “about us” section, it seems that they are just ex-football players who stumbled onto the paranormal as a fun hobby. Maybe that explains the rudeness I was talking about.
I would like to think that the Discovery Channel would put forth better quality shows, with good educational values and ground breaking facts. Instead we are left with a mash up of ‘Paranormal State’ and ‘Ghost Hunters’ with two ex-football players that seem to almost want to “chest slam” each other when they catch some audio anomaly.
Did anyone else catch this show?
Written by Javier Ortega - javier@ghosttheory.com
Get GhostTheory updates faster! sign up to our RSS Feeds or
add us on Twitter
I thought it was lousy. I’ve never seen a ghost oriented show be as bad as it was. I actually had high expectations but that’s because I was sold on the photos and the website. lol
What a let down.
I agree the show was absolutely horrible.
http://www.ghosttheory.com/2009/10/07/ghost-lab-initial-thoughts
Dude, my bad…I think we practically ran these two articles at the same time…:)
Gary,
LOL I know.
Well the important thing is that we both came to the same conclusion about “Ghost Lab”.
-Javier
Yeah, looks like it’ll be a dud. Remember how I read that article and told ya the brothers said they were gonna have evidence that’ll blow Ghost Hunters away. And they smack talked how Ghost Hunters was going down, I’m starting to think it’s all smack-talk.
I’ll give it another two or three episodes…
The show was nice like a divorce,or like passing kidnee stones.
I thought it was good. Finally, someone who takes an educated stance on paranormal investigation. They use smart techniques and aren’t afraid to try new methods. What were you guys looking for? More incomplete investigations? The other shows spend one night in a location and expect to get to the bottom of the problem. It takes more than one visit. GH has said for the pst ten seasons that they would return and investigate many of their sights. Has anyone ever seen them go back to the same location? Ghost lab just might be too smart for many of you. That is a shame.
That’s actually an unfair statement Matt. If you are new to the site, you might want to spend some time reading other posted articles beforehand. Believe me, we agree with ya on Ghost Hunters. Ghost Hunters has already entered the realm of being questionable as a TV show.
I wrote an article which even stated that Ghost Hunters sets a bad precedent for investigators by putting a point across that investigators are compared to the Orkin man. They are to show up and render judgement and/or fix the problem in just a night. Obviously, that is the wrong approach.
What were are trying to state in this article (and a adjoining aritcle: http://www.ghosttheory.com/2009/10/07/ghost-lab-initial-thoughts) is the idea that so far, Ghost Lab is not coming out with any ‘new’ approach that hasn’t been done before. In fact, in previously linked article I stated the fact that I read an ariticle about Ghost Lab during the summer in which the idea being conveyed was that Ghost Lab was to tackle investigating using a scientific approach, and that the Klinge brothers stated something to the effect that Ghost Lab was going to knock Ghost Hunters off the top, and that they are going to have evidence that will ‘Blow Ghost Hunters away’.
Considering this was the pilot episode of their show, you would think they would put their best episode up front, to showcase their show, to show what they can do. This initial episode, I felt, fell way short of the claims that they were making in the article I read during the summer. We not being stupid, just being reserved, and skeptical.
Yeah…can I get back 1 hour of my life back from watching this show.
I like the show. The brothers are entertaining dudes, and they seem genuinely enthusiastic. They seem as thorough as the Ghost Hunter guys (maybe more so). I don’t agree with any comparsions to the laughable Paranormal State. Come on, guys, Ghost Lab is nothing like Paranormal State. I realize it’s not as polished and tight (boring?) as it could be, but it’s an interesting show. I like it better than Ghost Hunters right now.
Javier Ortega
Do you r ember a show called a haunting? and what are your thoughts on that show because to me it was a great show but then it was taken off.
Paul,
I love “A Haunting”.
The production values are really good. Story writing, acting and editing all combine to form good story-telling.
I have 10 episodes on my Tivo.
These are all stories taken from “true” hauntings. As far as if them being true hauntings I’m not sure, but they always include a paranormal group that has investigated the case.
Good stuff.
-Javier
The main reason I watched the first show was to compare it to GH. There is no comparison at all. On the first show Ghost Lab went to Shreveport, La. The building they investigated is a place I have been to several times. It is fairly close to my town. That is the main reason I turned into it. I was disappointed greatly. I have watched the other shows also and again I am disappointed. They are NOT very Professional at all. I think I just watched my last show.
i dont know if ‘rude’ would be the right word to describe these guys, but they do have a very obnoxious way about them, I was a football player in high school and college and they remind me of guys who fit that type. I mean, they dont seem like bad guys, but, the show just isnt good.
I personally think it’s stupid how they try and bully the spirits into reacting. What do they think they are going to do…punch one in the face or tackle them. Hello?
This is just a question and by no mean’s implies the people of Ghost Lab’s take any type of drug but I have to ask…
What ever you’re taking you need to stop because if you’re acting like this now what will the long term side affect be if you keep taking/using what you are now?
So for you’re own safety and health you really should stop..
And they just keep coming out with more! next thing you know, CryptoHunters on SYFY…followed by Demonlabs…. I’m telling ya! just poke my eye’s out with a nail!….:)
I just fell over this post while websurfing. Yes it’s an old post, but I felt I wanted to contribute to the conversation, however stale.
If I were a ghost, I’d either paste these idiots in the chops for being so obnoxious, or I’d just ignore them and clam up. If I were human, (which of course I am,
) and met either of these brothers in a bar, I would turn and RUN the other way. I’ve never seen so utterly crass and tasteless individuals. Ugh. What a dog and pony show.
I’ve been watching Ghost Lab for the last couple of months. I am a big fan of paranormal shows, if only for their entertainment value, but I’ve got to tell you, Ghost Lab is pitiful. They find absolutely nothing at the sites they visit with the exception of a few semi-interesting EVPs.
It’s seems as if the ghosts take a vacation when the Ghost Lab van pulls up front. I’ve never seen a group of individuals so prepared with a fortune of fancy equipment who can’t seem to get a ghost to show itself no matter what they do.
With that said, I have to admit that I still watch it weekly. I watch it the same way I slow down to see a car wreck, because that is what it is. Hey, can’t you just say (as they sometimes do on Ghost Hunters) that they didn’t find anything?
Maybe the Kling brothers and crew should go to the Ghost Hunters Academy and learn something about chasing ghosts!
It suks the worst ghost hunters on TV cancel it.
You know. All you do is trash these people. your like people who sit and watch the war on TV and feed back your comments. None of you have the gall to get out there on the front lines and see what its about. Anyone can can sit and complain about things but, i dont see any of you going out there at all let alone going out there and doing your own show to SHOW ALL OF US HOWS IT TO BE DONE. As to trying to tick off the spirits to get a response and to the one who said on here, ” what are they going to do, punch one in the nose if they see one”. Well, i can tell you have no experiance at all and if you do you just started and you need to learn how its done, what and when to do certian things. If you did, then maybe you would know if you dont get anything after awhile by trying to talk to them and try to get some EVP’S, then i can tell you first hand, provoking can work great in getting responses. I have done it quite a few times when nothing else worked and then things got exciting and thats proof by my group and a group I’m still with. If you ever watched GHOST LAB closely, you would see that they do take a scientific way in trying to see what makes things more active than others and other things. When you have only so much air time to do your show you have to do what you can with the time you have. You have no idea how costly it is for a prime time spot on TV. If you ever been out there doing it, you would know it doesnt always work when you want to, but when it does its great. No one can say ” I’m going in and i’m going to get this and this and this. maybe if you spent more out there doing it and getting your own show going, then you would see where others are who are trying to do so. And, If you dont like them, guess what? YOU DONT HAVE TO WATCH IT. I’m not saying i agree with everything any of them do on TV, But I know if I’m going to say a bunch of things about someone and what they do, I think you better grab a rifle and go afield into the war zone instead of sitting back nice and cozy like a protester. I dont know if some or all of you will get what I’m saying, but if you do, then you get out there and show all of them and us how you can do a show better than any of them.
no name,
I disagree. It’s anyone’s right to critique what ever they feel like (if they have some knowledge in the subject)
I don’t really know how to answer this, you’re obviously new here so you may not know much about who we are or what we do. One of the main reasons why many are so critical of “paranormal shows” like this is because they mostly portray the wrong things. The paranormal was not something to be investigated in a total of 3 days. Have you ever noticed how the “Paranormal State” show, or “Ghost lab” come up with “evidence” on almost every show? They all “experience something paranormal” within the first night of investigation.
At any rate, you have every right to watch these shows. They have every right to produce and star in them, but let’s not start saying that these people are experts or know what they are doing. No one does. It’s called the unexplained for a reason.
I’m not new to this field, I’ve had experiences to which I could never explain. So I feel like I am qualified to write about the shows.
You know, provoking a ghost is not something new. My grandmother used to tell me stories of her grandparents provoking ghosts to get them to leave or respond. I talk to many paranormal research teams and their experiences in “haunted homes” turn up boring. Almost 95% of all cases they investigate there is nothing tangible to record as evidence.
I’m rambling. Anyways, welcome to our website!
-Javier
Welcome no name,
I agree with Javier on his response. This is why there are critics for many forms of media out there (Newspaper, movies, music, tv, etc…). Did you ever read a critic’s review of a movie that you like and thought “I thought it was good, why didn’t he like it?” only to read how critical they might be about different aspects of the movie. Does that person have any experience with producing, directing, writing movies? No. So what makes them experts? They watch a lot of movies?
I’m talking apple and oranges of course, but each of us here has had their paranormal experiences, and has spent time researching the paranormal through various sources. In the end, we do write articles and our opinions are contained therein, as your opinion is contained in your response. All I ask is that you read previous articles that are posted and you will see we are open-minded individuals with skeptical (true definition) philosophies.
Personally, I am harsh towards these shows with my critiques because I do think think they are beating the horse to death at this point. Many of the newer shows offer very little to disinterested viewers, with only a hardcore fan base waiting to watch them. I just had watched National Geographics American Paranormal episode on Eastern State Penitentiary, and I really thought it was well done (though I think they rushed the show at the end). I give them credit for how they handled, researched, evaluated and analyzed all aspects of the investigation, though I was disappointed that they stayed for one night, which seems to be the norm at this point with paranormal shows. New paranormal shows in the works would be advised to make note of that show.
One other point to make about paranormal shows at this point of time. They are saturating TV with these shows anymore, and what is occuring is a ‘water-down’ effect. These shows are becoming vanilla. If they do not do anything else to either improve the quality or rethink the structuring of these shows, they will, sooner than later, becoming passe’.