Is Paranormal Television Dead? This Halloween's TV Schedule Suggests It Might Be
Photo: © Discovery+
Paranormal TV has long been a Halloween staple, filling our screens with ghost hunts, haunted locations, and spine-chilling encounters. But if you've taken a look at this year's Halloween TV listings, you might be wondering, "Where's all the paranormal content?" The absence of some of the most anticipated shows has left fans asking: is paranormal television dead?
Where's the new 'Help! My House Is Haunted'? What happened to the 'Ghost Adventures' special? We'd even take a fresh 'Shock Doc'! Traditionally, Halloween was the prime time for networks to roll out their most chilling content, and at Higgypop, we'd be eagerly awaiting press releases in the weeks leading up to October, revealing the spooky offerings.
For years, Really, the UK's free-to-air channel, has been a reliable home for paranormal programming. Last year, they went all out with a week-long Halloween schedule, including the television premiere of 'Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted' and a special 'Ghost Adventures' episode titled 'Devil's Den'. In fact, their annual '13 Nights Of Frights' used to provide fans with 13 nights of eerie entertainment. Meanwhile, in 2022, the Travel Channel in the US boasted a staggering 55 hours of paranormal programming across the month of October.
But something's shifted. The hype seems to have dwindled over the years, and this year feels particularly flat. The press releases we'd usually anticipate simply haven't arrived. Looking at the schedules, it's clear there's a noticeable lack of fresh, spooky content. Really aren't promoting a single paranormal show specifically for Halloween night, and Discovery+, the streaming hub that has housed 'Ghostober' content in recent years, hasn't released anything new for UK subscribers.
In the US, however, things are a little better. Zak Bagans' new show 'Destinations Of The Damned' launched on the Discovery Channel earlier this month and is also available on Discovery+. But for British viewers, there's a distinct lack of the usual spooky fanfare.
Really's Halloween offering is limited to six mid-series episodes scattered around Halloween. These include the final episode of 'Help! My House Is Haunted' airing before the big night, but beyond that, it's slim pickings. While fans will still get episodes of 'Death Walker with Nick Groff', 'Paranormal Caught On Camera', and 'The Dead Files', it pales in comparison to the jam-packed paranormal schedules of previous years.
Here's a rundown of Really's Halloween lineup:
'Death Walker With Nick Groff' (Season 4, Episode 20)
9pm, Friday, October 25
9pm, Friday, October 25
Nick Groff pushes the boundaries of paranormal investigation with experimental techniques and state-of-the-art equipment, hoping to not just communicate with spirits, but manifest them.
'Paranormal Revenge' (Season 1, Episode 5)
9pm, Saturday, October 26
9pm, Saturday, October 26
Real-life stories of supernatural vendettas are explored, as experts try to uncover the chilling causes behind these acts of revenge from beyond the grave.
'Paranormal Caught On Camera' (Season 7, Episode 1 & 2)
9pm, Saturday, November 1
9pm, Saturday, November 1
Scary paranormal videos from across the globe are analysed by experts, who attempt to explain what the witnesses captured.
'Ghosts Off Grid' (Season 1, Episode 1)
11pm, Saturday, November 1
11pm, Saturday, November 1
Johnny Wiebe and Jordyn Penner investigate paranormal phenomena in isolated, off-the-grid locations, cutting all electrical power in the process.
'Paranormal Revenge' (Season 1, Episode 6 & 7)
9pm, Sunday, November 2
9pm, Sunday, November 2
More terrifying tales of ghostly revenge, with investigators piecing together the clues behind these chilling supernatural acts.
'The Dead Files' (Season 9, Episode 8)
11pm, Sunday, November 2
11pm, Sunday, November 2
Amy Allan and Steve DiSchiavi combine their talents as a medium and a retired detective to solve paranormal mysteries in America's most haunted locations.
Admittedly, there's still some new content in the line-up, but for fans of paranormal television, it feels like slim pickings compared to the Halloween TV schedules of years gone by. Have streaming services and the fragmentation of content taken their toll on the genre, or is this just a temporary lull?
It's worth noting that it's only October 10, so there's still time for things to change. However, by now, we'd normally be more than a week into 'Ghostober,' with special programming already in full swing. The quiet start this year has us wondering whether the golden era of paranormal TV might be behind us.
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