The 65+ Best Ghost Hunter Reality Shows, Ranked
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Vote up the best paranormal reality about ghosts and hauntings.
The allure of the unknown and the spine-chilling thrill of ghostly encounters have captivated audiences worldwide. Paranormal investigation shows, in particular, have carved a niche for themselves in the realm of television. These shows offer not only an extreme adrenaline rush but also the chance to explore the unseen world of spirits, ghouls, and ghostly phenomena that lurk in the world's shadowy corners. Whether you're a full-fledged paranormal enthusiast or simply enjoy a good fright night, these ghost hunter shows are sure to make your hair stand on end.
The global fascination with the supernatural has resulted in a plethora of paranormal TV shows making it to our screens. These programs take viewers on riveting journeys into the eerie world of ghost hunting, offering a real-world glimpse into the work of investigators who dare to tread where many fear to go. Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Lockdown are two such standout shows that have marked their territory in this genre, taking audiences on edge-of-the-seat explorations of haunted locations.
Ghost Hunters, the trailblazer of paranormal TV shows, has been acquainting viewers with the otherworldly since 1999, leaving no stone unturned in the quest for evidence of the ethereal. In a similar vein, Paranormal Lockdown has earned its acclaim by confining its investigators in reputedly haunted locations for an unprecedented 72 hours, intensifying the suspense. Other noteworthy mentions include Ghost Nation and Kindred Spirits, each adding a unique spin to the paranormal investigation genre. And the best part? Finding these thrilling programs is as simple as one click with streaming options available on major platforms including Netflix, Hulu, Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Paramount+ located conveniently below each entry.
These paranormal investigation shows have successfully woven stories of the supernatural with hard-nosed detective work, blurring the line between reality and the beyond. They've channeled our human curiosity about the unexplained into an immersive viewing experience that not only provides bone-chilling entertainment but also leaves audiences pondering the mysteries of the universe. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, these top ghost shows provide fascinating insight into the spectral world and the daring individuals who seek to unveil its secrets.
Ready for a chilling, thrilling ride? Venture into the world of the paranormal - if you dare.
Most divisive: Ghostly Encounters
Over 900 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 65+ Best Ghost Hunter Reality Shows, Ranked
- 1Amy Bruni and Adam Berry help families tormented by paranormal activity in their homes find closure.
- Premiered: October 21, 2016
- 2Jack Osbourne and Katrina Weidman explore locations purported to be gateways to the underworld.
- Premiered: April 26, 2019
- 3Ghost hunters live in haunted locations for three days at a time as they collect data.
- Premiered: March 4, 2016
- Investigating supernatural encounters, mysterious creatures and extraterrestrial occurences.
- Premiered: February 12, 2020
- 5A homicide detective and a psychic investigate crime scenes separately, then compare notes.
- Premiered: September 23, 2011
- 6Investigations into paranormal events that have yet to be explained.
- Premiered: October 15, 1999
The Best Episodes Of 'Ghost Hunters,' RankedSee all
- 1Haunted Lighthouse214 Votes
- 2Haunted Sanatorium118 Votes
- 3Shining Hotel268 Votes
- 7Dakota, Chelsea and Tanner travel across the country in an RV spending nights in haunted locations.
- Premiered: October 26, 2019
- Experts analyze paranormal videos from around the world; eyewitnesses give firsthand accounts.
- Premiered: December 30, 2018
- 9Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango respond to urgent calls from paranormal investigators.
- Premiered: October 11, 2019
- 10True stories of the paranormal told by those who have experienced real-life horror tales.
- Premiered: October 28, 2005
- 11Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests (Travel Channel, 2019) is an American paranormal reality television series and a spin-off of the show Ghost Brothers. Best friends and ghost hunters Dalen Spratt, Juwan Mass and Marcus Harvey respond to pleas from families experiencing paranormal activity in their homes.
- Premiered: 2019
- Unorthodox paranormal investigators explore hotspots across the country.
- Premiered: April 17, 2021
- 13Research society members explore mysteries, hauntings and ghostly appearances.
- Premiered: December 10, 2007
- 14Haunted History is a 1998 UFA/Cafe Productions series exploring the supernatural. Executive Producer Ed Babbage for Cafe. The American version of the show also debuted in 1998 with the same premise of exploring the world to investigate the "haunted history" of reportedly haunted locations.
- Premiered: 1998
- 15Ghost Hunters (A&E, 2019) is an American paranormal reality television show and a return of the 2004 series of the same name. After 11 seasons, the series that introduced the world to the field of authentic paranormal investigation returns with a familiar face and a brand-new spook squad led by Grant Wilson, one of the original team leaders.
- Premiered: 2019
- 16People recount their paranormal experiences.
- Premiered: July 17, 2010
- 17Paranormal investigators examine haunted locations around the world.
- Premiered: January 9, 2008
- 18A family of paranormal investigators hunt down haunted items bedeviling their owners.
- Premiered: June 1, 2011
- 19Kim Russo meets with celebrities who experienced paranormal events that changed their lives.
- Premiered: October 27, 2012
- 20Jack Osbourne returns to the United Kingdom to revisit his childhood home and past haunts.
- Premiered: October 2, 2022
- 21Psychic medium Kim Russo brings entertainers back to the sites of their paranormal experiences.
- Premiered: April 8, 2020
- 22
You can also vote for your favorite Ghost Adventures episodes and paranormal shows.
- Premiered: October 17, 2008
The Best Episodes Of 'Ghost Adventures,' Ranked See all- 1Bobby Mackey's Music World1,626 Votes
- 2Poveglia Island1,014 Votes
- 3Waverly Hills655 Votes
- 23
Ghosthunters
Ghosthunters is a British paranormal documentary television series that originally aired from 1996 to 1997 on the Discovery Channel. The four-series program was produced by Inca Productions of Covent Garden, London, hosted by Ian Cashmore, and narrated by William Woollard. Ian Cashmore also appeared in the promo for the American Syfy series Ghost Hunters. - Jack Osbourne and the Ghost Brothers view and discuss paranormal videos.
- Premiered: January 29, 2021
- 25
Haunted Hotels
Amy Tipton, Casey Cipriani, Cecile MonteyneHaunted Hotels is an American paranormal television series that premiered on October 24, 2001 on the Travel Channel. The series features haunted hotels in America and the ghost stories that are told from employees and guests alike who work and stay in them. They give their own personal accounts about encounters with the supernatural while working or visiting a particular hotel.- Premiered: 2001
- Stories of pets sensitive to the paranormal.
- Premiered: November 22, 2009
- Three teams spend 28 days in some of the most haunted locations in the United States.
- Premiered: October 21, 2022
- Alaskans share reports of supernatural activity; with exclusive bonus scenes.
- Premiered: December 23, 2016
- Paranormal investigator head to Butte, Mont., to help its residents break free of their fear.
- Premiered: August 21, 2022
- Chris Fleming and Gail Porter lead an expert paranormal team to investigate Scotland.
- Premiered: May 27, 2022
- 31Yvette Fielding and others spend 24 hours in reportedly haunted locations in Britain and Ireland.
- Premiered: May 25, 2002
- The Fourman Brothers investigate hauntings.
- Premiered: October 1, 2019
- 33
Great British Ghosts
Great British Ghosts (Yesterday, 2011) is a British paranormal documentary television series. Presented by Michaela Strachan, the show recounts stories of reported ghost sightings from some of the "most haunted" locations in the United Kingdom. - A family is plagued by supernatural activity when they move to a 52-acre property in Montana.
- Premiered: March 11, 2022
- 35Start a conversation about things that go bump in the night, and pretty soon everybody in the room has a story to tell. Paranormal experiences aren't just the domain of psychics and tarot card readers - in fact, many ordinary people believe they have had supernatural encounters. Ghostly Encounters looks into those incidents and the regular folks-next-door who had them, and takes the viewer on a chilling ride through a fascinating, highly personal ghost story. Using re-enactment, interviews, and archival photography, Ghostly Encounters combines the exhilarating drama of the encounter with a critical in-depth look at the questions behind it. Two incidents, linked by a recurring theme, are examined on each show. There is no question that many regular people believe they have experienced otherworldly incidents, so Ghostly Encounters approaches each event not asking IF it happened, but WHY it happened. We will walk the viewer through each emotional and fantastic paranormal story, be amazed together that it happened to somebody just like you, examine the possible reasons it happened, from scientific to paranormal to religious to psychological, and reflect on potential links between types of occurrences and groups or types of people.
- Premiered: 2005
- Eli Roth presents true stories of haunting's that have shattered the lives of people.
- Premiered: October 8, 2021
- 37Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories was an American paranormal anthology television miniseries that originally broadcast from May 15, 1991 to November 28, 1995, on CBS and UPN. This short-lived program comprised three primetime specials that featured re-enactments of ghost stories told by real people who experienced alleged paranormal activity. The docudrama series used actors and special effects, and then introduced the witnesses who reported such phenomena. The series was developed for television by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo, authors of the popular book series, Haunted Kids: True Ghost Stories.
- Premiered: 1991
- 38
Extreme Ghost Stories
Extreme Ghost Stories is a British supernatural documentary television series produced by ITV Granada, consisting of four one-hour episodes.- Premiered: 2007
- 39Brad and Barry Klinge travel America to gather proof of paranormal activity.
- Premiered: October 6, 2009
- 40
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe was a popular twenty-six part television series looking at unexplained phenomena across the universe. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom by independent television network ITV. It premiered on July 15, 1995. It was the sequel to Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World and Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers. The series is introduced by acclaimed science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke in short sequences filmed at his home in Sri Lanka, with individual episodes narrated by Carol Vorderman. The series was produced by John Fairley and directed by Peter Jones, Michael Weigall and Charles Flynn.- Premiered: 1995
- 41Paranormal experts attempt to break cycles of trapped paranormal activity.
- Premiered: December 27, 2019
- 42Zak Bagans investigates the haunted homes of everyday people who are living in terror.
- Premiered: May 19, 2022
- 43The team from "Help! My House Is Haunted" investigates paranormal activity for British celebrities.
- Premiered: January 21, 2022
- Five queer ghost hunters crisscross the country, helping the living by healing the dead.
- Premiered: October 18, 2023
- 45Zak Bagans and his crew investigate the most haunted places in the world.
- Premiered: January 4, 2021
- 46Revisiting some of the most noteworthy paranormal investigations.
- Premiered: September 30, 2019
- 47MTV's Fear is an US-American paranormal reality television series that originally aired from 2000 to 2002 on MTV. The program follows a group of five or more contestants being left at an allegedly haunted location and led them on a series of dares over two nights to explore and confirm whether or not the place is haunted. The show was created by Martin Kunert and Eric Manes. The pilot episode was Co-Executive Produced and directed by George Verschoor. The series aired the first two episodes in a pilot run, which received outstanding reviews and a full season was ordered. After eight more episodes, another season was ordered. The second season ended after 6 episodes aired. The series was not cancelled due to a lack of interest, but due to the high cost of producing each episode. A DVD, MTV's Inside Fear, was released on November 6, 2001. Fear was named #6 on Entertainment Weekly's "15 Taboo-Breaking TV Moments."
- Premiered: 2000
- 48Extreme Paranormal is an American paranormal documentary TV special that premiered on Monday, October 26, 2009 on A&E Network at 10pm EST. It aired as a two-part 1 hour special for Halloween and followed the missions of three paranormal investigators that go to extremes in order to make contact with spirits during their investigations.
- Premiered: 2009
- 49
Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks
Zak BagansGhost Adventures: Aftershocks (Travel Channel, 2014) is an American paranormal documentary television series that is a spin-off of Ghost Adventures series. Host Zak Bagans interviews former Ghost Adventures interviewees, to find out how their lives have changed, since those GAC "lockdowns"/investigations from the past.- Premiered: 2014
- The crew spent two weeks quarantined inside Zak Bagans' Haunted Museum in Las Vegas.
- Premiered: June 11, 2020
- 51
Most Haunted Live!
Yvette Fielding, Ciarán O'Keeffe, Derek AcorahMost Haunted Live is a spin-off of the paranormal reality television series Most Haunted and was also produced by Antix Productions. The show consists of paranormal investigations broadcast live over a period of one or more nights, usually with interactive sections that involve the viewer.- Premiered: 2002
- 52Paranormal Challenge is an American competitive paranormal reality television series that premiered on June 17, 2011, on the Travel Channel. A spinoff of Ghost Adventures, the series was created and is hosted by lead investigator Zak Bagans, who challenges ghost hunters from around the United States to go head-to-head in a weekly competition to gather paranormal evidence by spending a night in reportedly haunted locations in the United States. The first season of the show ended on September 16, 2011. Lead judge David Schrader announced on Darkness Radio that the show would not be renewed for a second season.
- Premiered: 2011
- 53
Derek Acorah's Ghost Towns
Derek Acorah, Angus Purden, Danniella WestbrookSpiritual medium Derek Acorah travels across Britain.- Premiered: November 7, 2005
- 54
Celebrity Paranormal Project
Jordan Browne, Gary Busey, Donna D'ErricoActors, musicians, athletes and comedians are invited to test their fears when left alone in haunted locations as they investigate paranormal phenomenon. With the help of modern technology, these celebrities document their experiences as they search for ghosts. Some of the places they visit include a tuberculosis hospital and an asylum for the criminally insane.- Premiered: October 22, 2006
- 55Zak, Aaron, Jay and Billy watch episodes of "Ghost Adventures" in their screening room.
- Premiered: January 2, 2020
- 56
Dead Famous
Gail Porter, Chris Fleming, Richard SenateA trip along America's West Coast in search of celebrity ghosts of the stage and screen.- Premiered: June 15, 2004
- 57
The Antiques Ghost Show
Derek AcorahThe Antiques Ghost Show was a 'reality' show commissioned in 2003 by Living TV. Members of the public would bring self-proclaimed psychic Derek Acorah their antiques. After Acorah has made claims about the history of the item, using a method he calls psychometry, Christopher Gower and a genealogist are given 48 hours to verify the assertions. When analysing the history of an antique, Acorah will often act out events he believes has happened. The show was sold to Bravo! in Canada and other networks in Australia, where in terms of ratings, it was immensely popular. In terms of critical reception, it was met extremely poorly, with critics noting that just as much could be learnt about the history of the antiques without Acorah's readings.- Premiered: 2003
- 58
Ghosthunting With...
Yvette Fielding, John Thomson, Geoffrey BeattieGhosthunting With... was a British paranormal television programme based on investigating purported paranormal activity. Yvette Fielding hosts the programme, broadcast on digital channel ITV2 between 2006-2011, where she took celebrities to haunted buildings to investigate.- Premiered: 2006
- 59
Haunted Homes
Mia DolanHaunted Homes is a British reality television series made by September Films Productions. The show began with a pilot in 2004 which aired on ITV and a 'fictitious' episode of an Ouija Board. The show was then picked up in 2006 by ITV2. The show centers around psychic Mia Dolan, ghost hunter David Vee, actor Mark Webb and professor/rent-a-sceptic Chris French. They spend two nights in a supposedly haunted house, trying to find out if there are any ghosts present, and to remove them if they are - if not, to remove them anyway to make the show. Other similar shows include Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters. It is currently shown in the U.S. on Fine Living channel Tuesday and Sunday nights.- Premiered: 2004
- 60
The Girly Ghosthunters
The Girly Ghosthunters was a 30-minute Canadian paranormal TV series. It was first broadcast on Friday, January 14, 2005, on the Canadian SPACE speciality channel. The thirteenth and last episode was broadcast April 15, 2005. The show featured four young women visiting alleged and/or documented haunted locations in the province of Ontario. To visit these locations, they have a motorhome with the Girly Ghosthunters logo on the sides, driven by a guy named Schultzy. Also, they used modern ghost hunting equipment, in an attempt to document any existence of ghosts, apparitions and other phenomena in any of those places. Before doing so, they interviewed a few people at each locale to understand the history of the building and hear how the place was haunted. After the investigation was over, you are shown any evidence they collected from the chosen location they feel was, in their opinions, has paranormal activity. YOU DECIDE for yourself whether it is true or an elaborate hoax. The show was produced by Buck Productions, Inc. - 61
Ghost Trackers
Joe MacLeodGhost Trackers is a children's reality show on HBO that was previously aired on Discovery Kids Canada, & YTV. It ran for fifty-two episodes in four seasons from 2005-2008.- Premiered: 2005
- 62Kesha checks off her creepy bucket list by delving deeper into the unknown with guests.
- Premiered: July 8, 2022
- 63
Dead Tenants
Deryl Mitzen, Jane Doherty, Kenny RoginskiParanormal investigators explore homes claimed to be haunted by previous tenants to uncover the mysteries that lie within.
- Premiered: 2005
- 64
The Othersiders
Derek Shetterly, Jackie, KcThe Othersiders is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on June 17, 2009, on the Cartoon Network. The program follows a group of five teenagers who are interested in the paranormal and explore reportedly haunted sites to discover any paranormal activity. Aimed for a teen audience, it has a similar concept as Ghost Hunters. The series is part of the Cartoon Network programming block CN Real. The second season of The Othersiders premiered on October 7, 2009.- Premiered: June 17, 2009
- 65Most Haunted: Midsummer Murders is a spin-off series of the paranormal television series, Most Haunted. It ran on Living TV between 19 June 2007 and 7 August 2007.
- Premiered: 2007
- 66
School Spirits
Aliza RajanTestimonials of students and staff that have encountered paranormal activity in schools.- Premiered: June 20, 2012
- 67
I'm Famous and Frightened!
Lucy Pinder, Linsey Dawn McKenzie, Claire SweeneyI'm Famous and Frightened! is a Living TV reality TV show in which eight celebrities stayed for three nights in a "haunted" castle. They had to then do terrifying challenges in order to raise money for charity; each one was evicted until only the winner was left. From Series 2 onwards, a spin-off show, titled I'm Famous and Frightened Extra was introduced, presented by Brian Dowling.- Premiered: 2004
- 68Teams are stranded at haunted locations in America and record the experience with hand-held cameras.
- Premiered: February 27, 2013
- 69
Scared!
Scared!, formerly titled as Scared on Staten Island!, is an American paranormal public-access television cable TV series that was first shown on September 12, 2002, on Staten Island Community Television. Produced by Core Films and Thousand Hats Productions, the program follows and stars a Staten Island-based team of urban explorers who venture into abandoned and condemned buildings in search of paranormal activity. In each episode, three main members, who are collectively known as "The SCARED! Crew" and who vary throughout the series, represent three points of view or beliefs: the psychic, scientist and skeptic.- Premiered: 2002
- 70
Pitch Black Investigations
Carrie Archibald, Owen Pendlington, Nicola Louise Wilson ClementsA bold team of investigators explore some of the darkest and most foreboding locations, documenting the eerie presence that evades the light.
- Premiered: 2018
