For the past few years on the Bio and A&E networks, there have been some truly eerie paranormal-themed documentary/reality series I have been watching, that have given my parents and I some of the most genuine creeps you can imagine. One of these shows is the fun interview series "Celebrity Ghost Stories", which almost feels like a classical campfire set-up.
The series is just what it sounds like- each episode a few celebrities (ranging from Z-grade "actors and TV-hosts to some surprising A-list big-names and classic film actors) each get 10-15 minutes to explain a major paranormal event from their lives that made them believe in ghosts and the other side. These interviews are done in classic "talking head" view, and are almost always inter-spliced with snippets of dramatic re- creations of the events.
For the most part, the stories are almost always thrilling. The atmospheric re-creations of the stories are well shot and edited, and the music and ambient noises are unsettling. In addition, there is a great variety in the celebrities who have appeared, including Joan Rivers, Alice Cooper, Tracey Lords, Joe Pantoliano, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, Taylor Hicks, Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Patten.
There are some downsides, though. For starters, some of the stories do drag, and some of them clearly shouldn't have gotten onto the show. A few of them really felt like filler. In addition, this isn't really a documentary series so much as just a collection of stories. This show doesn't do much to provide evidence for the paranormal. It's a show by- believers, for-believers. So if you don't believe in ghosts, the other side, or the paranormal, you probably won't be able to get into it or enjoy it too much.
That being said, as a believer in some aspects of the paranormal, I find this show to be great fun and immensely scary at times. I'm giving "Celebrity Ghost Stories" a strong 8 out of 10 for the entertainment and chills it provides. If you believe in ghosts, give it a watch!
