Paranormal State

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Paranormal State
Format	Reality series
Created by	Four Seasons Productions and Go Go Luckey Productions
Starring	Ryan Buell, others
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	20
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	A&E Network
Original airing	December 10, 2007

Paranormal State is a docu-drama reality television series for A&E about a student-led college club, the Penn State Paranormal Research Society. The show depicts the students' investigations of paranormal activity and supernatural phenomena.

Contents 1 Production background 2 Episode Guide 3 Critical reception 3.1 Positive reviews 3.2 Negative reviews 4 Ad campaign 5 Ryan's Demon Stalker 6 Controversies 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Production background

The show is produced by Four Seasons Productions International and Go Go Luckey Productions (which produced MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County, and A&E's now-cancelled Rollergirls). Gary Auerbach and Julie Auerbach (who head Go Go Luckey Productions) and Emmy-nominated^{[citation needed]} Betsy Schechter (Four Seasons) are the executive producers.^[1][2]

The show was tentatively titled "Out There," "Dead Time" and "Paranormal U" before the name "Paranormal State" was chosen.^[1][3]

Each episode of the show is outlined by the production team first, co-executive producer Tina Gazzerro has said, to ensure that a produceable episode will result. "We try to identify where we get our discovery moments, our 'Ah-ha!' moments," Gazzerro told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Information about the event under investigation may also be held back from the students in order to create dramatic tension, and only situations which will have a conclusive outcome are investigated. "We may have information we don't give to [the PRS team]," Gazzerro said, "but we need to make sure [the episode is] produceable." Story arcs are also outlined for each "character" on the show, and the production team has publicly expressed its hope that a romantic relationship will develop between Buell and one of the women on the series. The production team and the show's researchers say that no pressure is put on the research team to act in certain ways or make paranormal discoveries.^[4]

A&E had high hopes for the new series. Cable television reality shows about the paranormal require only about a quarter of the budget for a scripted show of the same length. They also draw much-coveted younger viewers, and skew slightly more female than male (a difficult demographic to draw for most cable networks not explicitly targeting women).^[5]

Fourteen half-hour episodes were ordered for the first season. A&E upped that order to 20 shows after seeing the pilot and the first few episodes.^[6][4] Had the show not been picked up by A&E, Buell said he had another series deal in the works with the Auerbachs and their production company.^[7]

The show was initially scheduled to debut in May or June 2007, but was pushed back to December 2007 (although no reasons were reported).^[8]

The show debuted on December 10, 2007, with 2.5 million viewers watching the first two back-to-back episodes,^[9] making it the third-most watched show on A&E since 2004.^[6] The cable network reported that this included 1.6 million people aged 18 to 49 (a highly coveted demographic by broadcasters and advertisers). It also included 1.5 million viewers in the 25-to-54 age range, A&E's target demographic.^[10]

[edit] Episode Guide

Episode #	Episode Name	Airdate	Episode Summary
1	Sixth Sense	December 10, 2007	A worried mother calls PRS to help her son Matthew, a boy who sees dead people. Matthew’s story strikes a chord with team leader Ryan Buell who also experienced paranormal activity as a child. Could this just be the active imagination of a child? Ryan discovers some amazing evidence that might actually prove that the boy sees ghosts.
2	The Name	December 10, 2007	Ryan Buell and company set out on one of their most dangerous cases to date–to help a single mother who is experiencing paranormal activity in a home that was once the site of brutal murders. The team enlists the assistance of psychic Chip Coffey, but the case is turned upside down when it’s discovered that Ryan himself is the target of a taunting demon whose name spells pure evil.
3	Devil in Syracuse	December 17, 2007	The clients are new, but the spirit is all too familiar as Ryan Buell prepares himself to battle the taunting demon that has been following him. He assembles his top investigators; a priest, a psychic and a demonologist couple as he faces his most harrowing case yet. One that ends in a full blown exorcism.
4	Dark Man	December 17, 2007	A grieving mother suspects her deceased son may have fallen victim to a mysterious entity called “The Dark Man.” She calls Ryan Buell and the Paranormal Research Society (PRS) for help as she fears her son is being held in purgatory by a strange entity. The PRS team sets out to the woman’s isolated country farmhouse to make things right–employing a psychic, a grief counselor, and a moonlight pagan cleansing on the ominous pond that could be the source of the mystery.
5	Vegas	December 24, 2007	The Paranormal Research Society travels to Sin City to investigate a 14-year old medium who claims to be visited by the spirit of a dead girl she calls “Emily.” When Ryan discovers that “Emily” may be the victim of a real-life murder in San Antonio, he dispatches PRS team member Katrina to the scene of the crime to investigate.
6	Pet Cemetery	December 24, 2007	Ryan and his team investigate the bizarre haunting of a woman and her dog in isolated Waterboro, Maine. The Labrador was chewing at her own fur and standing on guard on the bed, growling at unseen figures. Her master, Sybil, began hearing strange noises. As PRS discovers, Lucy may not be the first canine to experience the phenomena–at least four other animals died violently on the property. PRS unravels the mystery culminating in a gruesome discovery deep in the woods.
7	The Cemetery	December 31, 2007	PRS visits a gothic graveyard, where a jealous spirit seems to be preying on the newlywed wife of the cemetery’s caretaker. Ryan traces the haunting to a mysterious, unclaimed cremation urn on the grounds. Are the key clues buried among these human remains? There’s only one way to find out, and that’s by opening it up!
8	Man of The House	December 31, 2007	Ryan’s team is called to help a grandmother and her frightened grandson when renovations on her 19th century house stir up the pipe-smoking specter of a former tenant named Alfred. PRS locates a long-lost relative of Alfred’s and attempt to make contact with the menacing man of the house.
9	Beer, Wine, and Spirits	January 7, 2008	Brian’s Ghost Bar has a cranky customer who’s got a bad habit of breaking wine glasses. His name’s Charlie, and he’s been dead since prohibition. Ryan turns this case over to trainees Katrina & Heather until… the casualness of the case is shattered and Charlie returns to pay his bar tab.
10	Shape Shifter	January 14, 2008	PRS travels to Shapleigh, Maine, where a woman and her daughter are reporting attacks from a winged “creature” with sharp teeth. Psychic Chip Coffey arrives and senses a half-human, half animal presence–and local Native American shamen warn that a shape-shifting spirit has escaped from a vortex on the woman’s property. Ryan and crew sort the myth from the mystery.
11	Paranormal Intervention	January 21, 2008	Retiree Carol Ann stays awake every night taping the voices of the dead. Is she simply documenting–or providing a portal for dark forces eager to cross over? PRS cuts their winter break short, and teams up with legendary investigator Lorraine Warren to help Carol Ann curtail her obsession and close this doorway to the dead for good.
12	School House Haunting	January 28, 2008	PRS travels to Massachusetts to investigate a converted old schoolhouse where disembodied voices of children disturb the couple who lives there now. In a chilling EVP session, PRS hears a voice calling out the name “Katie.” The mystery takes a turn when Ryan tracks down the former tenant and her name is Katie.
13	Haunted Piano	February 4, 2008	Ryan and the PRS team are called in when unlucky antique collectors unwittingly bring a paranormally-infested piano into their home. A symphony of terror plays out as Lorraine Warren lends her haunted object expertise to our crew as they attempt to dismantle and destroy the offending instrument.
14	Woman in the Window	February 11, 2008	The PRS team investigate the haunting of a family home that was once part of the Underground Railroad.
15	Requiem	February 18, 2008	During October 2007, The PRS team headed to Plank, near Morris in Tioga Co., PA (Northcentral Pennsylvania, not Allentown as listed on the show's website -- a later episode is in Allentown, and could have been easily mixed up) to assist a woman named Kristy who has barn behind her home that is haunted. The barn and her house have been host to a series of tragedies including a child Walter who suffered from heart disease and died of croup at the house February 1934, and whose spirit is believed to linger at the home which was extensively remodeled during the 1980's and more-so in the 1990s. Also a retired military man Jim who reportedly took his life 15 years to the date before the PRS investigation was at the site, at the end of the episode PRS calls in a military color guard to hold a fitting memorial service for Jim.
16	The Asylum	February 25, 2008	The PRS investigates at a New York prison that was once a mental intuition. They investigate paranormal activity at a former insane asylum which is now a New York State prison.
17	Mothman	March 3, 2008	The Paranormal State team heads to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, to seek out the Mothman. Is he a winged alien creature who wants us all destroyed, or was he sent here to warn us of possible doom? Find out whether the legendary Mothman is fact or fiction.
18	Freshman Fear	March 10, 2008	The PRS investigates the haunting of a college freshman at Penn State and explores other campus urban legends, including the murder of a man.
19	The Knickerbocker	March 17, 2008	PRS checks into the Knickerbocker Hotel in Linesville, Pennsylvania where the owners are reporting strange noises and the appearance of phantom children in some of the rooms. Additionally, several attendees of a recent anniversary party at the 100-year-old hotel either died or experienced illnesses in the weeks following the party. Ryan and the crew invite psychic CJ Sellers to help them sort out the paranormal from the coincidental.
20	The Sensitive	March 24, 2008	PRS investigates a teenage girl who is being haunted by black mists and showing signs of possible demonic influence. Ryan questions whether it's possession, or just depression that's to blame. Or is it something else entirely? Chip Coffey joins the case and makes a psychic connection.

[edit] Critical reception

Critical reception for the show has been mixed.

[edit] Positive reviews

Positive reviews are somewhat in the minority, but effusive in their praise. One positive review called the show "reality TV at its reel frightening best."^[11] Most critics who enjoy the show credit it for being "spooky".^[6] In a typical comment, one reviewer said the show was "...the perfect blend of bump-in-the-night scariness and cinéma vérité. It's 'The Blair Witch Project' meets 'Unsolved Mysteries.' But if you scare easily, don't watch this show alone."^[12]

Reviewers have pointed out that the show effectively utilizes a number of cinematic techniques common in horror film. The editing leaves open the question of whether paranormal activity is actually occurring, and the cinematography uses night-vision and infrared photography to create a suspenseful atmosphere. The writing on the show is particularly effective at creating a sense of portent and dread, one reviewer noted, and the music and graphics contribute effectively to the tension and fear as well.^[2][4][5]

At least one critic has pointed out that the investigatory team's failure to find paranormal activity each episode gives the show credibility other series about the paranormal lack.^[13]

[edit] Negative reviews

Other critics have been less than kind. The Orange County Register gave it a "dishonorable mention" as one of the worst news shows of the 2007-2008 television season.^[14] The New York Times critic Neil Genzlinger faulted the series for being too low-budget and not frightening enough (a The Blair Witch Project minus the fright). As Genzlinger wrote:

Mr. Buell tries to generate interest in his personal demons as well, but he's just not that compelling. ... Maybe "Paranormal State" is pure put-on. If so, it's not deft enough.^[15]

Some reviewers have strongly criticized the high production values which others praise.^[16] As one otherwise positive review noted, "The biggest drawback to the series is that it's over-produced, with too many eerie sounds and visual effects. Is the heavy breathing something picked up by PRS microphones, or is it a sound effect added after the fact by the show's producers?"^[13]

Critics have also pointed out that the show lacks visual punch. People interviewed in the show declare that they "feel" a spirit next to them, but nothing is shown to the TV viewer. In the series debut, the audience is told that a young boy sees ghosts, but the audience is not able to see any evidence of this.^[15][17] "The most compelling footage seems to come more from the editing room than beyond the grave," noted one industry trade publication.^[16] Reviewers say the show also fails to effectively integrate and utilize the team's (apparently) sophisticated audio and video equipment to heighten tension or help support their claims of paranormal activity.^[17]

Others have noted that the show's stars are not particularly good performers or presenters.^[15][12][2] Buell and the changing cast of supporting "paranormal trainees," psychologists, counselors and psychics seem inexperienced and are ineffectual at creating a sense of fear or suspense. "Buell looks self-conscious and sounds like he is reading from cue cards," one critic wrote. "The remaining three members of the core team ... don't seem confident or mature enough to take on a crabby Starbucks' manager, much less a demonic presence."^[17]

Several observers have been extremely critical of the open-mindedness (some reviews call it gullibility) of the team of investigators. Typical of these reviews is the opinion of the Boston Herald, whose critic wrote: "There hasn't been a more suggestible crowd gathered since the last 'Crossing Over' taping with alleged psychic John Edward."^[18][2]

One news report even challenged the show's popularity. Variety suggested that the show's initial popularity may have been due to its lead-in show, Intervention. The lead-in show had 2.4-million viewers the night Paranormal State debuted. It was the most-watched episode of Intervention in that show's four-year history.^[10] Others pointed out that cable shows about the supernatural and paranormal have drawn extremely high ratings since 2002, and that high initial ratings for Paranormal State should not be a surprise.^[5]

[edit] Ad campaign

The advertising and marketing campaign for Paranormal State broke new ground. In November 2007, a six-story billboard was erected at the corner of Prince and Mulberry Streets in New York City by BlueBlastMedia. Behind the billboard were two directional audio (or audioSpotlights) which used ultrasound to produce a highly focused beam of sound. Passers-by who walked directly in the path of the sound would hear spooky, disembodied voices whispering suggestive messages such as "What's that?" and "Who's there? It's not your imagination." But someone standing next to that person would hear nothing. The billboard had a dramatic effect on people coming within range of the "cone of sound" created by the directional audio speakers. The billboard was apparently the first commercial use of the technology on a billboard.^[19] A video of the installation can be seen here.

[edit] Ryan's Demon Stalker

In the episodes, "The Name", and "The Devil in Syracuse", references have been made to a "demon" who continually haunts Ryan Buell, following him from investigation to investigation and haunting innocent people in order to get at Buell. The name of this demon is once written on a slip of paper during the show to confirm that someone else besides Buell is sensing the same demonic presence that haunts Buell; while this name is hidden from the cameras, not stated on the air, and even censored on the Penn State Paranormal Research Society's forum^[20], it has been revealed to be "Belial."^[21]

As of January 3rd, 2008, Ryan Buell claims the demonic entity is no longer following him. In a Q&A section of the Penn State Paranormal Research Society's forums, he responded to a question on the topic by stating, "I haven't been troubled by any bunnies (in PRS we call demons bunnies, btw) as of late. There came a point in my life where I let go of some of that baggage. When it comes to that whole side, there's a back story that involves my group dealing with a case three years ago. I kind of reached a resolution with that. Coincidentally, the bunny tried to make another cameo appearance when we were filming the final investigation of the season, but we just told it to go to you-know-where. I hope it makes the cut!"^[22]

[edit] Controversies

Paranormal State has been the subject of several controversies. Many center on whether the show is depicting real or faked paranormal activity, and whether the show is documentary or scripted entertainment.

In the episode entitled "School House Haunting," which first aired on January 28, 2008 the "client" whose home the team investigated Shannon Sylvia, a cast member of another paranormal show, Ghost Hunters International. On January 29, 2008, Ryan Buell posted an entry to his blog^[23] on the Official Penn State Paranormal Research Society Web site concerning his view of psychics and, in particular, the inclusion of psychic Chip Coffey on the show. In the comment section of the blog, several people questioned Shannon Sylvia's inclusion in the series, asking why a high-profile paranormal investigator would hire the Penn State Paranormal Research Society to investigate her property when she essentially has a team of her own. In his blog, Ryan mentions that it was his visit which brought Shannon Sylvia into the study of the supernatural as an investigator, herself.^[24]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Paranormal State Episode Guide
• Paranormal State at the Internet Movie Database
• Paranormal State - Official A&E Web site