SciFiAndTvTalk

Sneak Peek At This Week ' s Ghost Hunters - 09 - 30 - 09

[caption id="attachment_3367" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Legendary rocker Meatloaf (third in from left) joins Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes along with the rest of their team on this week's Ghost Hunters. Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] MUSICAL legend and diehard Ghost Hunters fan Meatloaf accompanies the TAPS team on an investigation at one of the finalist locales from last year's "Great American Ghost Hunt" search, a haunted private island in Thousand Islands, New York. Stretching over four acres, the island boasts a towering 10-bedroom mansion and boathouse. The area was formerly part of the Underground Railroad and was also used as a monastery. The Claudia family has owned the premises for the past 50 years; however, they may not be the only ones inhabiting the island. Floating heads, phantom music and glowing figures have scared the Claudias and their houseguests senseless. It's up to the Ghost Hunters to flush out the spooks and stop them from disturbing the peace. Will the team solve the riddle of America's most haunted island? A Bat Out of Hell airs Wednesday, September 30th @ 9 p.m. EST on The Syfy Channel. Click on the following link to view a preview clip from this episode -  https://rcpt.yousendit.com/745440603/6683eb6524bc6360b9ad042ce98c30c5 As noted above, the photo is courtesy of and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Sneak Peek At This Week ' s Destination Truth - 09 - 30 - 09

[caption id="attachment_3351" align="aligncenter" width="202" caption="Destination Truth's Josh Gates takes viewers on another global mystery tour this week. Photo courtesy and copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] IN this chilling episode of Destination Truth, entitled Ghosts of Chernobyl/Sal'awa, the team embarks on a paranormal investigation at the desolate site of the world's worst nuclear accident, the Chernobyl power plant, located in what is now the Ukraine. The tragic disaster in 1986 resulted in numerous deaths, and today, some locals living on the edge of the disaster zone tell stories about apparitions of the deceased still present among the affected towns, particularly in the abandoned town of Pripyat, the former home for the Chernobyl workers. Ghosts of Chernobyl/Sal'awa airs Wednesday, September 30th @ 10 p.m. EST on The Syfy Channel. The Destination Truth crew is the first film crew ever to obtain permits and film inside the Chernobyl reactor zone overnight. After gathering their research, Josh Gates and his team use high-tech anti-radiation suits and travel through several remote checkpoints before entering the abandoned towns. Armed with state-of-the-art dosimeters and Geiger counters to measure radiation, the team beings a nail-biting investigation of one of the world's most devastated destinations. Ghost Hunters Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson make a guest-appearance to help analyze the team's footage. The team then heads to the blistering sands of Cairo, Egypt, where locals claim to have been attacked by a monstrous creature thirsty for human blood - the Sal'awa. Click on the following line to view a clip from this episode - https://download.yousendit.com/Y1RvclVLeFh6RS92Wmc9PQ As noted above, photo courtesy and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Ghost Hunters International ' s Barry FitzGerald and Dustin Pari - Kindred Spirits

[caption id="attachment_2660" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ghost Hunters International teammembers (L-R): Barry FitzGerald, Brandy Green, Robb Demarest, Angela Alderman, Dustin Pari and Joe Chin from the fifth season Ghost Hunters episode "Crossing Over." Photo by Cheryl Senter and copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] Before The National Enquirer became a trashy supermarket tabloid, it used to run a variety of stories, including those about haunted houses, castles and other properties in foreign countries, typically England. Whether or not there was any truth to such stories, they made for interesting reading. After all, there is nothing quite like a good ghost story to get your blood flowing and send a chill up your spine. These days there are plenty of TV shows that investigate paranormal phenomenon around the world. Not many, though, employ the latest high-tech know-how to not only try to prove the possible existence of ghosts, but in some cases debunk legends and stories. Ghost Hunters International is one such show. A spin-off of the hugely popular Syfy Channel series Ghost Hunters, its hosts have traveled to exotic, strange and remote places to try to communicate with spirits, both good and evil. Two of GHI's familiar faces, Barry FitzGerald (lead investigator/tech manager) and Dustin Pari (investigator), actually began their TV paranormal careers on the original GH. "I had been involved with paranormal research within Ireland, and when the Ghost Hunters team came across the pond [for the season three episode Attack of the Irish Elemental], they needed someone native to the area to help them with their work," says FitzGerald. "So for me, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time and it took off from there. Dustin is very different, though. He has a greater story than I have and with lots of bells and whistles." Says Pari, "I was living back in Rhode Island and was actually up late one night watching TV when I caught an episode from the first season of Ghost Hunters. At that time I had no idea that the show was actually based not even 15 minutes from my house. Having been interested in the [paranormal] field since I was about 16 years old, I sought these guys out and, interestingly enough, they gave me an interview at a Starbucks. After that, I joined the home team and worked off-camera, and then they gave me a chance to be on the show. [caption id="attachment_2661" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="(L-R): Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari and Barry FitzGerald from the season one GHI episode "Restless Souls of Sweden." Photo by Mikael Pilstrand and copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] "The first time I shot an episode it was absolutely fascinating because I'd never had access to the type of equipment that they were using. Having previously done this sort of investigating with a couple of my high school buddies, we just used tape recorders along with still cameras and lots of flash photography. So to all of a sudden be using this kind of equipment was really interesting. And then to be where I am now, it's mind-blowing to be travelling the world, seeing incredible historic sites, and having the chance to investigate places that I would never have dreamed I'd ever have access to. It's a long way from doing the supposed haunted house on the outskirts of town that people tell stories about, to being in these huge castles and homes all across Europe." Given GH's tremendous success, Syfy decided to cast its paranormal net further afield and GHI was born. Having left the original GH series to start a family, Pari was eventually reunited with Barry FitzGerald and together they joined with lead investigator Robb Demarest and fellow GHI investigators to begin their global exploration into the supernatural world. While the prospect of further ghostly encounters was sure to draw viewers, FitzGerald identifies another aspect that would make the new series interesting to those watching. "Obviously they decided to set the series around my good looks and wonderful accent," he jokes. "No, seriously, I think a major plus for GHI is that we're touching on history throughout the world. You can go onto a site in Ireland and sometimes reach as far back as 900 AD. We have a set of tombs that I keep going on about that predate the Great Pyramids of Giza, so our history goes back a long, long way. "Of course, once you get to Africa and places like that, the history starts stemming back 30,000 years, which just blows me away. There's also the opportunity to see the different types of hauntings that can occur both north and south of the hemisphere and discover the commonalities between them. That's extremely important and it gives us a better understanding when it comes to the question of what happens after death. [caption id="attachment_2664" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="(L-R): Robb Demarest, Barry FitzGerald and Shannon Sylvia investigate "Evil Unearthed." Photo by Gareth Phillips and copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] "The first GHI investigation we did was at Chillingham Castle in England. Having been involved in paranormal research in Ireland and the United Kingdom I had heard a lot of reports about the castle, but never had the chance to go there. So to be part of that investigation was wonderful, and the experiences that Donna [LaCroix, case manager] and I had in the underground entrance to the castle were remarkable. The noises that were coming from that location were just tremendous and certainly guiding us along to see what else we could uncover." Despite having a proven winner in GH to draw inspiration from, GHI still faced challenges getting started, including trying to establish its own paranormal foundation to build upon. "Getting this show off the ground was difficult as far as finding the first set of locations," explains FitzGerald. "We were up against [the British series] Most Haunted, especially within the UK, because they had aired, I believe, four seasons in front of us. So it was tough trying to compete with them, but once we got started we soon found our niche and slipped into it. Our show is very different now, even from Ghost Hunters, because we're focusing a lot on new technology as well as advancing the field and trying to explain it all in an environmental situation that the layman can understand. And the response we've received so far has been wonderful." Continues Pari, "I really do feel as well that we're focusing a lot more on the technological aspects with the development of the full-spectrum camera that Barry has brought into the team. We've really garnered some incredible results capturing photographs from several locations, and with the episodes that people are seeing this [second] season, we've combined that technology with video using the full-spectrum DVR camera and are also seeing results there. "I think this kind of advancement is very important in the field. When you being to get results using certain tools, there's a tendency to fall into a familiar routine. Yes, you get some positive results, but there are no advancements being made, and I think what we're doing now is really pushing those boundaries. And on behalf of Barry and myself, we also have a personal respect for the metaphysical realm and that side of things, which is important to bear in mind during investigations as well. It's a matter of keeping yourself open and gathering better and better evidence. That's what sparked Barry and me to put together our new book, which is called The Complete Approach [published in the U.S. on August 7th, 2009]. It combines the metaphysical understanding of this field along with the scientific research and approach to it. It's something we're really proud of and it's already received a great deal of interest, which, again, has come out of advancements we've made within the field." [caption id="attachment_2665" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="(L-R): Donna LaCroix, Shannon Sylvia and Barry FitzGerald at Chillingham Castle. Photo by Justin Canning and copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] As with most people working abroad, the GHI team faces the occasional hurdle that they must overcome. "I think one of the biggest challenges is getting through customs, because when you have to write down what your occupation is, it's not easy to explain that you look for ghosts," says Pari. "That always raises a few eyebrows and you have to spend time trying to explain exactly what you're doing. Language barriers, obviously, create some interesting situations. My three years of high school Spanish can only get me so far," he jokes, "but it's been going OK. One thing that I find fascinating from a sociological point of view is that people in certain countries aren't always that accepting of the paranormal. The field is viewed quite differently in some parts of the world, France, in particular. The French have had a very hard time admitting that something very conclusive is, in fact, paranormal. Some cultures embrace what we do quite a bit, and others aren't really into it, so that's something we need to address and adjust while we're on the road." Says FitzGerald, "Regarding languages, we've been finding something extremely unusual when addressing the EVP [electronic voice phenomenon] sessions during filming. The thing is, we knock ourselves out trying to learn the language that is native to where we happen to be, but in the EVP sessions a lot of the responses coming back to us are in English, which, again, is quite unusual. We still don't know why that's happening, but it's part of this field and something we're further looking into. "I'm still getting used to which side of the road we're meant to be driving on when we're travelling. That can be another obstacle because we're back and forth all the time, and if the roads aren't marked it can often lead to trouble. Food, of course, can also sometimes be an issue, especially in Italy. I'm not a great lover of pizza and pasta. I'm more the Irish potato kind of guy, and you tend not to get too much of that in Italy. When we were in Peru, I tried guinea pig, which I must admit I don't think I'd ever try again, and at the moment we're down here in Australia where I've been dining on kangaroo and things of that nature. So sometimes it's a little hard to get used to, but other times it's just fine." During GHI's first season, FitzGerald, Pari and their teammates trekked around the world and visited numerous locales including St. Mary's Close in Edinburgh, Scotland; Dartmstadt, Germany and Frankenstein's Castle; the Grande Hotel in Cambuquira, Brazil; and Castillo de la Coracera in Madrid, Spain. [caption id="attachment_2668" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="(L-R): Angela Alderman, Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari, Joe Chin, Brandy Green and Barry FitzGerald in the season one GHI episode "Restless Souls of Sweden." Photo by Mikael Pilstrand and copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] "For me, the scariest place we visited back in season one is Orava Castle [in Slovakia]," recalls Fitzgerald. "Confronting that particular entity in the Octagon Tower was very memorable. I must admit that we did go back and try to confront it again, but the first time it appeared to me, it certainly made me sit up and pay attention and try to get the hell out of there as fast as I could." Says Pari, "The [Dunedin] New Zealand trip to visit Larnach Castle is especially memorable for me because it was my first time working with the GHI team. I was reunited with some of my old GH teammates, including Barry, and I met some of the new guys, too. It was the dawn of a new era for me in this field, and I'd never really been out of the country before either, except for Ireland and England. So to fly all the way down to New Zealand was remarkable on its own. It was a good time for me to kind of start things over, and whenever I look at a map I can't believe how many places I've been to just between last season and this one." This second season of GHI, the investigators have so far gone back to Ireland to visit an 18th century prison (Wicklow's Gaol) as well as the Czech Republic and Houska Castle, reputed to have been built over the gates of Hell. They also made a first-time trip to Austria and a 500-year-old torture chamber (Witches Castle). The show's penultimate mid-season pair of cases, Spirits of Italy, unfolds at the Tuscan castle of Malaspina, former residence of the doomed lover Bianca Maria Alosia, and the Palazzo Ducale, home to Genoa's doges and their prisoners. GHI's mid-season finale, Holy Spirit, finds the team in South America to investigate the El Bosque City Hall in Chile and Santiago Severin Library in Valparaiso. "I really enjoyed the investigations we did in Italy," says Pari. "Unlike Barry, I'm a big fan of pizza and pasta, plus I grew up in an Italian household, so being there was good. We also got to see some of the sights, including Rome, the Coliseum and the Vatican. It was a fantastic opportunity, and the cases were really well-put together. I found myself staying at this little castle [Malaspina] on top of a mountain, and in the morning I'd wake up, look out the window and think, 'God, how did I ever get here?' There was a particular story about a young girl who was walled up alive, which I'm finding more and more of as I travel through Europe. Apparently, it was a popular thing back then, but I found this story quite touching. And one of our new recruits, Ashley [Godwin] had a personal experience trying to contact that girl. Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart, but those are the moments, when there is a tender story, that really make me appreciated what we do." [caption id="attachment_2669" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="(L-R from second in): Robb Demarest, Dustin Pari and Barry FitzGerald check out some "Skeletons in the Closet." Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] Adds Fitzgerald, "I would tend to agree with Dustin that Malaspina was truly memorable. To be able to go up onto the roof of the castle and watch this amazing storm front come over the top of the mountains was a remarkable experience to be had, and the activity going on there was good as well. My pastime is photography, so I got an incredible amount of photographs from that particular location once the sun started to set. Chile was an amazing place, too, and memorable because of the dogs. They have thousands and thousands of dogs that just roam the streets, but the locations themselves were most impressive." Unlike most jobs, "ghost hunting" is not your average 9-5 gig with a desk, lunch hour and two weeks vacation a year. It is, however, as FitzGerald and Pari have explained, an occupation filled with exciting, educational, unforgettable and sometimes scary moments. Not many people would have the passion, or the nerves of steel, to make it their line of work. So what first drew these GHI investigators to the paranormal world? "My interest certainly stems from the fact that I grew up in a house which presented such activity," says FitzGerald. "As a child waking up on Christmas Eve and dying of thirst, I needed to get some water, and seeing an apparition coming up the stairs that I knew wasn't my parents, frightened the absolute living hell out of me. I thought it was Santa and because I'd been caught awake, I wouldn't be getting any toys that year. For me, that was my first indication that something more was out there and it sparked the curiosity that has presently led to 10 years of research." Recalls Pari, "As a little kid I was always fascinated with Halloween. It was my favorite holiday, even over Christmas. I'm not a big horror movie guy, but I enjoy anything to do with classic ghost stories and stuff like that. When I was younger and living with my parents in a small house in Providence [Rhode Island] I had a nighttime encounter with what we now refer to in the field as a shadow figure. I remember seeing this thing in my room and being terrified, so I threw the covers over my head and, being a good little Catholic schoolboy, prayed and prayed and buried my head in my pillow. Thankfully, that thing went away, but it left a lasting imprint and an interest, which grew inside me. [caption id="attachment_2672" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="(L-R): Barry FitzGerald, Dustin Pari and Robb Demarest in the season two GHI episode "Gate to Hell." Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] "As I got older, I found myself looking more into books regarding the paranormal, and once I turned 16 and had access to a car, I began investigating local [paranormal] hot spots with my friends. So it was really something that started from way back, and since then it's taken on an even more spiritual turn for me. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or whatnot, but I find myself working in this field because I really want to prove to other people out there that there's something after this life. "Without being religion specific - I don't like to become involved in afterlife bureaucracy and such - I do think that there is some accountability for our actions here. And if I can even be an inspiration to the team that makes that final connection with some hard proof, that would be a great accomplishment for me. I think people living today would then look at their lives differently and maybe treat each other a little more respectfully while we're down here." Although the last of six new GHI episodes have aired on Syfy, there are more to come this season. As for what viewers can expect to see, FitzGerald offers up a tidbit or two. "The locations themselves are going to be extremely distant and difficult to get to. Believe it or not, at the moment [August 4th, 2009] Dustin and I are sitting in a forest [in Australia]. We never thought in our lifetimes that we'd be this far away from our homes, but there are wonderful [paranormal] things to be had and seen, including photographic evidence. And I can promise you that it's going to make people sit up and take notice." The Complete Approach - The Scientific and Metaphysical Guide to the Paranormal by Barry FitzGerald and Dustin J. Pari can be ordered on-line from such outlets as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble. com. Steve Eramo As noted above, all photos by Justin Canning, Gareth Phillips, Mikael Pilstrand or Cheryl Senter and copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

Ghost Whisperer Headlines Syfy ' s Labor Day Weekend Marathon

[caption id="attachment_2997" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Jennifer Love Hewitt as TV's Ghost Whisperer joins the Syfy family this month. Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] TO mark the official end of those hazy lazy days of summer, The Syfy Channel is setting the Labor Day weekend ablaze with all-day programming marathons. The holiday celebration includes the critically acclaimed series Ghost Whisperer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, which comes to Syfy starting Monday, September 7th in its weekly time period of 7-11 p.m. EST/PST. Syfy, experiencing the most watched summer in its 17-year history, kicks off Labor Day weekend with a Eureka viewers' choice 22-episode marathon on Friday, September 4th from 8 a.m. - 5 a.m. EST/PST, reflecting fan voting for favorite episodes at Syfy.com. Movie marathons run on Saturday, September 5th from 9 a.m. - 5 a.m. EST/PST, highlighted by the premiere of Merlin and the War of the Dragons at 9 p.m. EST/PST, and on Sunday, September 6th from 7 p.m. - 5 a.m. EST/PST featuring Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, starring Debra Gibson at 9 p.m. EST/PST. To mark the third season return of Destination Truth on Wednesday, September 9th at 10 p.m. EST/PST, Syfy presents a marathon of the popular adventure series, hosted by Josh Gates, from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. EST/PST on Sunday, September 6th. Syfy wraps up the long holiday weekend with a special Labor Day presentation of Ghost Hunters from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. EST/PST. As noted above, photo is copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Sneak Peek At This Week ' s Ghost Hunters - 09 - 02 - 2009

[caption id="attachment_2991" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Ghost Hunters team (L-R) - Dave Tango, Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, Steve Gonsalves and Kris Williams. Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] THIS week in Civil War Spirits, the Ghost Hunters travel to Thornbury Farm in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Not your ordinary ranch, it was built on the bloodiest battlefield of the Revolutionary War and its grounds are allegedly haunted. TAPS is called in to investigate. Ghosts of soldiers and children are rumored to disturb the farm. Could they make an appearance for the Ghost Hunters? Join Jason and Grant as they have a close encounter with our nation's past. The Ghost Hunters then head down South to investigate the Lee-Fendell House - the former home of Robert E. Lee in Alexandria, Virginia. The house was converted into a hospital for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Today, it is an historic museum. Visitors claim to see ghosts and feel other paranormal activity. Has the South risen again? TAPS investigates. Civil War Spirits airs Wednesday, September 2nd @ 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CT on The Syfy Channel. Click on the link below for a sneak peak at this episode: http://rcpt.yousendit.com/732269863/f3508604a3175628ac773328c66cc5e7 As noted above, photo is copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!

Sneak Peek At This Week ' s Ghost Hunters - 08 - 26 - 09

[caption id="attachment_2856" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes, TV's Ghost Hunters. Photo copyright of The Syfy Channel"][/caption] TUNE IN ALERT!! - In I Am Not Guilty, a Civil-War themed episode, the Ghost Hunters visit the historic Samuel Mudd House in Waldorf, Maryland, famous for being a pit stop for John Wilkes Booth on his escape route following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Samuel Mudd met John Wilkes Booth six months before the assassination and let Booth stay in his home after tending to Booth's broken leg following the assassination. Mudd's involvement in the plot remains unclear, but he was found guilt of conspiracy and spent the rest of his life in prison. Now, several apparitions allegedly haunt the house (now operating as a museum), including a soldier and a woman in a white dress believed to be Samuel Mudd's wife, Sarah. Then, the team heads to Charles City, Virginia to visit the Edgewood Plantation, part of the ancestral home of U.S. Presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison, and site for the Confederate army during the Civil War. Today, it is officially a national- and state-regulated landmark as well as a hotbed of paranormal activity, including full-bodied apparitions. Tune in as Jason, Grant and the rest of the team collect some of their most compelling thermal camera footage and electronic voice phenomena yet! To get a sneak peak at this episode, check out the following link: 

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/728641695/cb8590115316941c343417eb461f9b77

As noted above, photo copyright of The Syfy Channel, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any form. Thanks!

Sneak Peek At Next Week ' s Ghost Hunters Episode - 08 - 19 - 09

Ghost Hunters returns to The Syfy Channel next week with all-new episodes! In the first of these new investigations,  Inhuman Entity, the team heads to Blackstone, Massachusetts and a private home, where a family's paranormal experiences have recently taken a turn for the worse. The increasingly violent, inexplicable occurrences show no sign of letting up during the team's investigation, during which Jason is attacked by an invisible force. Inhuman Entity airs Wednesday, August 19th @ 9 p.m. EST on The Syfy Channel. Click on the link below to download a preview clip from next week's episode: http://rcpt.yousendit.com/725401015/bbacd509a5e0ccf7080528edac3ad5e8

The Syfy Channel Annouces Its Fall Line-Up

ON the heels of its successful summer series launches, Syfy will continue its tradition of imagination-fueled original entertainment this fall with a strong line-up of series and season premieres, along with new episodes of some of its most popular returning shows. Syfy's fall 2009 line-up includes: Stargate Universe - New Series Premieres October 2nd @ 9 p.m. (2-hour premiere). Airs Fridays @ 9 p.m. beginning October 9th. Syfy's upcoming one-hour series, Stargate Universe, follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship's Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on-board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them. Set to premire in October 2009 with a two-hur special, the series stars Robert Carlyle (Transpotting, The Full Monty), Lou Diamond Phillips (Che, La Bamba), Ming-Na (ER, Vanished), Alaina Huffman, Louis Ferreira, David Blue, Jamil Walker Smith and Brian J. Smith with special guest-stars, Grammy nominated artist Janelle Monae, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Gary Jones and Carlo Rota. Edgier and younger in tone, Stargate Universe will take the franchise in a dynamic new direction, appealing to longtime Stargate fans and first-time viewers alike. The two-part premiere is directed by Andy Mikita (Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1) and lensed by Ronn Schmidt (The Shield, The Mist). Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis) serve as executive producers and writers on the new series. Stargate Universe is distributed by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution. Destination Truth - Season Three Premieres September 9th @ 9 p.m. This fall, Syfy will premiere the third season of its reality hit, Destination Truth. World traveler and intrepid explorer Josh Gates will return to host nine all-new episodes - each an off-the-map adventure in search of the answers to some of the world's most intriguing unexplained mysteries. This season on Destination Truth, Josh will travel to some of the most extreme locations on Earth, including the isolated Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and the heart of the worlds worst nuclear accident at Chernobyl. Viewers will also ride along on unprecedented investigations, including the world's first overnight exploration of King Tut's cursed tomb and pitch-black dives in ancient Caribbean caves. A graduate of Boston's renowned Tufts University, Josh holds degrees in archaeology and drama, and was recently inducted into The Explorers Club, a prestigious global organization dedicated to the advancement of exploration and field research. An avid scuba diver, he has participated in sub-sea archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean and his work as a photographer has taken him from sweltering African villages to the icy heights of the Himalayas. In addition, he has scaled "the roof of Africa" on Mt. Kilimanjaro, climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas, and set foot in more than 75 countries around the world. Destination Truth is executive producer by Brad Kuhlman for Ping Pong Productions (1,000 Places to See Before You Die, Celebrity Rehab, FM Nation). Bechara Gholam will serves as co-executive producer. Sanctuary - Season Two Premieres Friday, October 9th @ 10 p.m. Syfy's groundbreaking hit original series Sanctuary, the first TV show based on an online series to be picked up for a second season, will return to Syfy in October. Sanctuary follows the adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping), a brilliant scientist who holds the secrets of a clandestine population - a group of strange and sometimes terrifying beings that hide among humans. Along with forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) and her fearless daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup), Magnus seeks to protect those threatened phenomena as well as unlock the mysteries behind their existence. Joining the cast in season two is Agam Darshi as Kate Freelander, a con artist and thief who finds herself in an uneasy alliance with Dr. Magnus. Sanctuary also starts Ryan Robbins as tech whiz Henry and Christopher Heyerdahl as the sinister John Druitt. Special guest-stars this season include Christopher Gauthier (Eureka) and Michael Shanks (Stargate SG-1). Created by Damian Kindler (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis), Sanctuary is produced in association with Syfy and distributed by Tricon Films and Television. Season Two of the series is executive produced by Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, Martin Wood and Keith Beedie. Scare Tactics - Season Three Episodes Return Tuesday, October 6th @ 9 p.m. Syfy's hidden camera reality show Scare Tactics is hosted by famed comedian Tracy Morgan. The hit series captures its frightened victims who have been set up by friends and loved ones. Unsuspecting victims are placed into elaborately staged scary situations involving movie-style special effects and make-up. The horror hoaxes are skillfully designed to tap into the wildest fears of the prank's prey. Viewers laugh along to the hilarious reactions of the show's "stars" as they are caught off-guard and on camera. Scott Hallock and Kevin Healey of Hallock Healey Entertainment are the executive producers and creators of Scare Tactics. Ghost Hunters - All-New Episodes Throughout The Fall - Wednesdays @ 9 p.m. Featuring special guest-investigators Meatloaf and Josh Gates. This fall, Syfy presents all-new episodes of Ghost Hunters every Wednesday @ 9 p.m. Get in the spirit with Jason, Grant and the rest of the TAPS team as they embark on chilling new investigations including a host of historic haunts as well as some of the most daunting locales featured on the show yet, such as the massive long-abandoned Essex County Hospital in New Jersey. In October, music superstar and longtime Ghost Hunter fan Meatloaf will join the team as a guest-investigator in a special episode featuring a home in Thousand Islands, NY, one of last year's finalist locales in the Great American Ghost Hunters contest. Ghost Hunters is produced in association with Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Films and Television (Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter, My Fair Wedding). Piligian and Thomas Thayer, along with Rob Katz and Alan David, serve as executive producers. Warehouse 13 - All-New Episodes Throughout September - Tuesdays @ 9 p.m. Syfy's newest one-hour hit dramedy series Warehouse 13 continues through September 2nd with a host of special guest-stars including Battlestar Galactica's Micheal Hogan; Eureka's Joe Morton, Erica Cerra and Niall Matter and Stargate Atlantis' Joe Flanigan. Warehouse 13 follows two Secret Service agents who find themselves abruptly transferred to a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota, which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse's caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek) charges Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping to control the warehouse itself. Warehouse 13 also stars Allison Scagliotti as Claudia Donovan and CCH Pounder guest-stars as Artie's boss, Mrs. Frederic. The series is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions. It is executive produced by Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel), who also serves as showrunner. David Simkins (Dresden Files) is executive producer and Stephen Surjik (Monk, Burn Notice) is producer/director of the show.

The Sci Fi Channel Showcases Its Top Talent In " House Of Imagination "

AS part of the Sci Fi Channel's brand evolution to Syfy on July 7th, a refresh of the look and feel of Syfy will be reflected in a ground-breaking two-minute brand film House of Imagination, which celebrates Syfy's unique spin on imagination. Talent participating in order of appearance are: Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne (Sanctuary); Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Jordan Hinson and Neil Grayston (Eureka); Lou Diamond Phillips (Stargate Universe); Josh Gates (Destination Truth); Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson (Ghost Hunters); Tracy Morgan (Scare Tactics); Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly and Saul Rubinek (Warehouse 13) and Alessandra Torresani (Caprica). Link to video - http://www.syfy.com/imaginegreater/ The film invites viewers into a celebratory house party populated with rooms inspired by the Channel's original programs and characters. Goldfrapp's "Happiness" provides the soundtrack for the trip through the never-ending house where anything can and does happen in each one-of-a-kind room. Through high concept visual storytelling, each scene fuses a bold complement of visual effects with practical set design. "House of Imagination" was designed to be modularly deconstructed into a dynamic, long-running campaign of 10 and 5-second network identifications. The experience will extend digitally into Syfy.com/ImagineGreater beginning July 7th, where visitors will have a rich, fully-interactive and immersive experience as guests at the house party. They will be able to explore parallax rooms and discover exclusive content including games, behind-the-scenes and making-of-footage, cast interviews, downloadable wallpaper and much more. Said Michael Engleman, Vice President, Creative @ Syfy and the key architect behind the brand film - "Coming off the most successful year in our 16-year history, we wanted to create a brand film that both celebrates the genre and also feels human, relatable , and wildly creative, highlighting the wide array of casts and characters who inhabit Syfy's ever-broadening programming landscape. Through this unique creative collaboration we're honoring and embracing a powerful global brand with deep roots in the popular culture." House of Imagination is produced and directed by the award-winning UK-based 4Creative team led by director Brett Foraker, who was joined specifically for this project, by Larry Fong (Director of Photography - Watchman, 300) and Tino Schaedler (Production Designer - Charlies and the Chocolate Factory, V for Vendetta, The Golden Compass) with visual effects by MPC (Watchman, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix).

Ghost Hunters International Returns To The Sci Fi Channel

[caption id="attachment_1676" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Ghost Hunters International team (clockwise from l to r) - Robb Demarest, Brandy Green, Barry FitzGerald, Joe Chin and Dustin Pari. Photo by Barbara Nitke and copyright of the Sci Fi Channel"][/caption] THE Sci Fi Channel comtinues the summer with its ratings driver hit reality series Ghost Hunters International (GHI) wih the premiere of season two on Wednesday, July 8th @ 9 p.m. EST/PST. The first episode of the hour-long series ventures deep into the countryside of Wicklow, Ireland for an investigation of an old 18th century prison. As these "real life" ghost hunters try to uncover truth or fiction, they'll face their closest supernatural encounter yet! The new six-part episode season will have the team trekking around the globe with upcoming haunted haunts in countries include Chile, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Argentina. Like their U.S. counterparts, TAPS (The Atlantis Paranormal Society), GHI is a squad made up of everyday ordinary citizens who investigate and attempt to debunk claims of otherwordly activity. The new team of skeptical paranormal investigators includes four returning members and two new colleagues. They are: Robb Demarest - A native of Albany, New York, Robb joined the Ghost Hunters International team after three years with Florida Ghost Team, an affiliate of TAPS (founded by Ghost Hunters' Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson). Robb's responsibilities on the team have ranged from research, technology management and client relations, to his current position as assistant director. As the lead investigator of the Ghost Hunters International team, Robb hopes to push the boundaries of current knowledge in the field and approach these enigmas with the open-minded skepticism for which his TAPS counterparts are known. Dustin Pari - Cranston, Rhode Island native Dustin Pari is a familiar face to regular viewers of the Ghost Hunters franchise. Long harboring an interest in the paranormal, he began his career in his teen years investigating local hot-spots in Rhode Island. He was later invited to join TAPS by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, and began appearing regularly on Ghost Hunters as an investigator. TAPS' trip to Ireland in 2006 was a turning point for Dustin - during the investigation of Leap Castle, he had the most intense paranormal experience of his life when he was attacked by an unseen force in the tunnels beneath the castle. The Leap Castle investigation was his first outside of the United States and it would not be his last. Since joining the GHI team, Dustin's role has been one of both investigator and historical researcher, uncovering the truth behind centuries-old myths and legends. Barry FitzGerald - A veteran ghost hunter with 17 years of experience in paranormal investigating, Barry is memorable to Ghost Hunters fans for his work on TAPS' investigations in Europe during the show's third season. Now, as a member of the new GHI team, Barry supplies his expertise in both ghost hunting as well as his knowledge of the historical locations of each new investigation. Haunted by supernatural events he experienced as a child growing up in Ireland, Barry developed an interest in paranormal research and went on to work for two different paranormal groups based in Northern Ireland. He now dedicates much of his time to the development of new investigative techniques and research methods. Brandy Green - A native of Farmington, Minnesota, it was Brandy's childhood experiences with the paranormal that led her to spend much of her life exploring the possibilities of life after death. Brandy's first ghost hunting endeavor began when she founded her own paranormal investigation group in the Twin Cities. Now she begins her latest feat as the Case Manager of the GHI team. After studying the psychology of death and dying, Brandy began to expand her understanding of the psychological, social and historical aspects of loss and the afterlife. She has worked to apply that knowledge towards clients and cases that her home team has worked on, as well as those that she encounters with GHI. Joe Chin - A native of North Providence, Rhode Island, Joe's interests in the paranormal dates back to his teenage years. Growing up, he remembers that the third floor of his apartment house was always lively with instances of unexplained paranormal activity. And although he experienced the supernatural as a youngster, he had no idea that people looked for the paranormal until he met Jason Hawes. Months after meeting Jason, he was asked to join the group and several cases later he is still a part of the thriving team. Since joining the team, Joe has cultivated what he refers to as a "skeptical curious side" that spurs him to want to get to the bottom of things. He also relates this innate curiosity to being a computer technician, a trade he delves into in his spare time. When working with computers, he always has to figure out what the problem is and how to resolve it as quickly as possible - similar to the work that he and the other ghost hunters do. Ashley Godwin - A native of Winter Haven, Florida, Ashley is driven by the logical, the methodical and the scientific. Her recent years have been spent studying atmospheric science and experimental psychology. She is also a member of Robb Demarest's local paranormal group, Florida Ghost Team (FGT). After proving to be a fearless and thorough investigator, Robb asked her to join the GHI team. Having never left the country before, Ashley thought the show would offer her an amazing chance to travel the world and explore the unknown. Though Ashley is the youngest in GHI, her expertise and insight into her field have proven to be of endless value.