‘Ghost Hunters’: It’s Back to Make a Believer Out of You (VIDEO)
The iconic supernatural show Ghost Hunters has returned from the dead, with one of the original cast members, Grant Wilson, leading the way.
Wilson said about the original series, “It was about the fans, and the show really helped open people’s eyes to what’s out there.” The new series promises to do the same while also digging deeper into the spirits themselves.
We talked to Wilson about his return to the show, the great team he’s assembled and why you should tune in.
Why did you decide to come back to TV now?
Grant Wilson: I loved [doing Ghost Hunters], and we had a lot of goals in mind, [and I] thought we had achieved those and it was time to get back to my family. I’ve got a wife and three kids. They were all kind of heading towards their teenage years, and I figured, “I need to be there a little more and help them.” I never stopped investigating the paranormal — [I even] was doing it with my wife for a while. My youngest is about to graduate from high school, and he’s got it all figured out, so why not get back into it?
Can you tell us about the new team you’ve assembled?
We’ve got Daryl Marston, who owns a contracting company, so he knows a lot how buildings work and he’s great with logistics. … We have Kristen Luman, who’s a hypnotherapist, and she’s dealt a lot with people who have dealt with loss, and she’s dealt with children and families, so she knows how people work. … Then we have Mustafa Gatollari, and he’s our researcher. He’s a journalist by trade. He gets rabidly excited about researching information. He’s like a little kid. … We have Brandon Alvis, who is a producer for a TV news station. He really, really understands the paranormal and how tech can be used to help find it while maintaining integrity. He doesn’t just grab whatever goofy gadget that’s out there. … Then we have Brian Murray and Richel Stratton — they’re best friends. They’re our adventure team. They’ll go in any hole or climb through any crevice. … They both have an eye for detail and [are] really good at disproving things. That’s what we’re all about. We can’t help people if we can’t find the truth, and that’s what the whole team is assembled to do.
Was there ever any talk of getting the old team back together?
Here’s the thing: Everyone kind of divided and conquered. Amy Bruni and Adam Berry from the original show — they have their show [Kindred Spirits on TLC]. Jay [Jason Hawes], Steve [Gonsalves] and Dave [Tango] announced their show [Ghost Nation on Travel Channel]. These shows are great. They’re cool concepts, but they’re not quite what I wanted to do. These guys are like family to me — I talk to them all the time. It’s exciting to see them on their adventures, and this situation provided a unique opportunity for me to share my maybe unique perspective on how to investigate the paranormal and what it all means.
What makes your show different from the others?
We’re looking less for evidence and more for the story [of] what’s happening there and why, and how can we legitimately help these people. Sometimes it’s all paranormal problems, and sometimes it’s not paranormal at all — more often than not [it’s] a combination of both. The focus of our show is integrity and heart and education. … We’re really less concerned about “Is it out there?” and more concerned about who it is and why.
Ghost Hunters, Premiere, Wednesday, August 21, 9/8c, A&E