Ghost Hunters - The Complete First Season

I'd like to preface my review by saying I'm halfway between a skeptic and a believer - but only because I've had my own experiences that can't be explained away. Point being - I can relate to where these guys are coming from (the 2 lead investigators) in that they are both skeptics and seem predisposed to explain away everything, even evidence that might warrant further investigation. I understand that they were financing their own adventures (at least in the beginning) so maybe they just didn't have the resources to stay for more than a few hours at any single location, or follow up by returning at a later date.The real issue I have with the series so far (only seen season 1) is that it's called "Ghost Hunters," but they never seem to FIND anything. Might as well call it "Dust Busters," since even the orbs they discover are always explained away as dust. I have no problem with that - better a rational explanation than an airy-fairy true believer on the loose - so I can appreciate the healthy skepticism. I'm mainly disappointed because I had hoped to see SOME evidence of SOMETHING other than our mundane (and finite) human lives. All humans need to believe we have some sort of afterlife (even those who pretend they don't believe it at all). It's called a healthy survival instinct - we want to live, even after we die. Some of the people who were experiencing the paranormal events were very convincing - I believed something had happened to them and that they were genuinely looking for answers. Others along the way seemed like they were looking for some sort of proof that their business establishment was "haunted" so they could put it on their Facebook page as a lure to potential customers. Either way - the ghost hunters were always fair and gracious, so I can't fault them for that.My only other gripe is that too many of the team members seem to do a lot of infighting on camera - and while some may find that fun to watch, I just find it to be a waste of time. In any work environment, there will always be conflicts, personality issues, and so forth. I'm hoping that kind of inner bickering will disappear from future seasons or be kept to a minimum.Overall, there were a couple of high points in the first season - the one of Race Rock Lighthouse when the chair moved by itself and was actually caught on film, and the other in a subsequent episode when the sound man was seemingly attacked, knocked to the ground, and clearly shocked by whatever happened. Beyond those 2 incidents... it was mostly a bunch of guys running around in the dark. Like I said, I don't fault them for their skepticism, but unless the series improves dramatically in subsequent seasons, I'll probably hunt some different ghosts.

For years I looked forward to watching “ Ghost Hunters” every Wednesday. So happy to be able to order the DVD’s. The picture isn’t that clear, but I’m okay with that, beings its mostly filmed in the dark. What is important to me is being able to hear it. CONS: I’m hearing impaired and was so disappointed to find that there is no choice for the CLOSE CAPTION.PROS: Didn’t realize how much I missed the down to earth guys Jason and Grant (and the others) and the series until I watched this again.

I have never followed the paranormal field, including ghosts. I always used to find the topic silly. I like a good ghost story (such as what might come from the hand of Shirley Jackson or Richard Matheson), but ghost stories as told by a next door neighbor or some tourist attraction with claims of a skulking "blue lady" (how many "blue ladies" are there, anyway?) have never interested me in the least. I have always waved all this off as over-active imaginations.So when Sci Fi Channel started running this series, I'd flip right on by it. I saw a few of the commercials and snickered to myself. I have seen way too many set-up "reality" TV shows. Take for example one of the earliest: Divorce Court. The host would whisper into the microphone during transitionary moments to explain what is going on, as if he was standing in a real court room during a real session. And they would presume to show you a real court case unfolding. It was all phony. It was not a court room, it was a set on a sound stage at a studio lot. The host was reading from queue cards, and all the participants were actors and the entire audience were extras. How do I know for sure? Because I was there, on set around 1986 or so, watching them tape the show (I believe it was at the Burbank studios). I watched take after take. Whether it was based upon a "real" case or not didn't matter, the show itself was an act. Fiction.And not to rain on anyone's parade, but most reality shows are set-ups. Some more than others. But don't fall for everything that proudly calls itself "reality."I figured Ghost Hunters featured a crew running around rigging things OFF camera so that they could make a big deal about it ON camera. I figured it was all phony, trying to pass as real.So I missed many episodes, until one day, in early 2008, I just happened to stop on an episode while flipping by. My finger poised over the channel button. There was something that captured my interest: They were proving that a house was NOT haunted. Huh???Slowly my finger left the channel button. Slowly I set the remote aside.This was opposite what the previews made it seem. These guys are trying to DISPROVE hauntings, not prove them. Jason's philosophy is that if you rule out every possible realistic explanation and you still can't explain it, you *may* have evidence for paranormal, and in more extreme cases, a haunting.Now that makes sense, and it's very interesting. So I kept watching.I watched a few more episodes, and a few more. Fast-forward a couple weeks, and my DVR had recorded back-to-back reruns, and I was staying up late after the kids went to bed to sneak in a few more episodes. I bought their DVD's and Jason's book. I was hooked.I do not like the Sci Fi production itself: they use too much "spooky music" and introduce flashes of silly ghost images in the editing. I think this not only hides the more interesting native sound from the camera, which would give us a "baseline" for the environment, but the distracting images and cheap FX which are intended to entertain are just irritating and dumb the show down. None of this has anything to do with Jason & Grant and their crew however.So after being mostly a pure skeptic and having no interest in this kind of show, I am now a fan of Ghost Hunters and I'm on the fence as to what these guys are capturing. It is impossible for me to really cross the line and *believe* without actually being there to debunk myself. There are lots of questions I would ask that I don't hear asked on the show, and scientific experiments I would like to see conducted that aren't. Probably because time constraints simply edit a LOT of things out. I have to put some faith that these guys are doing the best they can.Every now and then they bring in someone who uses divining rods, or practices some pagan craft, in order to evaluate a possible haunting, but I'm not sure what this really accomplishes toward debunking. It seems to serve only to entertain the serious paranormal believers watching the show, but I'm not that audience, so I try to look past these sidekicks. I have lots of doubts about "sensitives," I think most of them are attention junkies. It's the attempts at debunking that make the show, especially when they've tried their best to debunk and simply couldn't explain something they caught on camera or on digital audio. A chair moves, a shadow blocks the light, etc.Another aspect of this show that seems wanting is that everyone on crew is a believer. Most of them are grounded, yes, but they are believers in ghosts, no question. It'd be nice to have a really serious skeptic on the show, perhaps someone who is skilled at magic or cons -- a James Randi type of person. (Not that Jason & Grant can't detect a con -- they easily found several, but, as the old saying goes, you can't trick a trickster, and magicians are pros at it.) It would be chilling for a skeptic of this discipline to say, after a thorough inquiry and analysis, "well, that was weird, and I just have no reasonable explanation."I am especially interested in all the EVP evidence, as that seems to be the most abundant, and I've never heard this kind of thing before outside of fiction. The causes are pretty limited: a) hoax / tampering b) possible radio frequency interception (very doubtful, based on what I heard) c) re-used tapes (bleed from previous voice recordings, also doubtful considering all the surrounding noise and the timing of some of the answers) d) legitimate disembodied voices.Out of those possibilities, (b) and (c) are too weak to support. As for (a), if all these EVPs are tricks -- purposely made for the show -- someone on the "inside" is going to spill the beans sooner or later and that'll be the end of Jason and Grant. They just don't seem like the kind of guys would want to take that kind of risk, not with all their fans now watching. Unless someone is pulling the wool over their eyes, unbeknownst to them -- but how could that continue for so long without them catching on? They seem to have a sharp eye for skulduggery.That leaves (d) as the strongest possibility: It's real. Which really clashes with my traditional sensibilities.I recommend this series if you are a curious skeptic or a grounded believer. If you're a hard-core skeptic, forget it -- you'll never believe anything no matter what; and if you're a hard-core believer, what's the point? You'll believe every creaking door is a ghost entering the room. For the rest of us, open-minded and logical, this is a worthy show to study.

if you have seen any of these series then you may like me find the whole para - normal thing totally engrossing , and as the last few years has shown many more people are interested in it than was originally thought or as i remember were willing to admit to, unfortunately i feel there are very few serious attempts to look into the field , when most haunted first started i hoped we may now have a serious look at the para normal from a scientific perspective albeit with some open minded attitudes , but as time has gone on i feel it has sold out for entertainment purposes [ non - appearing ghosts dont make good t.v. ] and along with many other so called ghost programmes [ ghost towns , most haunted , haunted homes etc etc the list goes on ] have had to spice up the programmes to keep viewers watching week after week , but finally i feel this programme has tried to look at the subject manner with a scientific approach but with a lasting hope that they can gain what all these programmes want , the holy grail of what any para - normal programme yearns for , PROOF either by photos , video etc etc .this first series was for me the better one when the guys were a much smaller outfit and more focused , and it showed that they were for all purposes unknowns and were really weekend investigators . unfortunately they too it seems have gone along the commercial path more recently as you will see if you check out the most recent series , series three on satellite and cable where they investigate many more well known properties more often than the usual run of the mill joe public type places they did in series one , for instance the " SHINING " hotel , and TOMBSTONE arizona scene of the gunfight at the o.k. corral .if you like most haunted or some of the others i have mentioned then you will probably enjoy this as well but for me this series is far better than those were . it is for me far more constructed and more objective in the investigations and also far closer to that elusive " serious ghosthunter " than any of the others have been , even though those others have tried , so i say go on give it a go , i did and ended up going for season 2 as well , enjoy.

As this is their first season, it kind of shows - it is a little amateurish in parts. The first 3 seasons they concentrated a little too much on the TAPs members (showing Brian getting fired) which is uncomfortable to watch & not enough time ghost hunting. Don't get me wrong, this is entertaining & if you have watched the later ones, it's always good to see where & how it all started. I do wonder why some of the TAPs members talk about Jason & Grant behind their backs when they are being filmed - judging from how intimidating Jason can be at times...I certainly wouldn't. If you are interested in the paranormal then I highly recommend it.

I like the fact they they are attempting to make a serious investigation of the paranormal which is the reason I bought it, that and the 4* & 5* reviews.They have very good equipment and I think their intent to prove or disprove is sincere BUT and it's a big but, they spend far too much time filming things other than the investigation(s) - as examples, bitching about the team, showing their jobs as plumbers, bowling matches, their family and friends at bbq's, and very little time on analysis of their findings...perhaps because their findings are so slim.Very disappointed with this DVD. I would not recommend. Despite the fact that 'Most Haunted' can be very irritating with all their disorganisation, lack of concrete evidence, screaming and jumpiness, at least it's entertaining. Ghost Hunters is not.

TAPS which is the 'THE ATLANTIC PARANORMAL SOCIETY' which was founded by two plumbers. There HQ is a hut in the back garden of co-Founder Grants back garden in the first brilliant series. TAPS is now well known and there investigations are based on trying to de-bunk rather then prove ghostly phenomena. I find this really refreshing as the home grown British 'Most Haunted' is very biased to a ghost or spirit being at a certain location. Comedy comes from there so-called technical wizz Brian who manages to loose most of the equipment or forget to pack the vans. All in all this is a fine series and well worth watching even if there are no ghosts seen.

Not much you can say about Ghosthunters Taps you either love it or u don't and in my family we love it I record every episode on Sky+ for my brother who's in the army so when his birthday was coming up this time last year it seemed the obvious thing to do get him the dvd set and it being a collectors item well all I can say is when he opened his present and saw what it was he was chuffed to pieces over the moon - well you get the drift - yes I will be purchasing more dvd's as and when I can