This "reality" TV series is a fake. All of the shots inside the buildings are in the pitch black with the kids talking and "ghostly" noises. You can tell by the kids' voices that they are just acting. There is no investigator that would ever work in the pitch black because that would put them at risk of getting injured or dying. An inconsistency in the first episode is when the kids say that they have been on ghost investigations before, but later on in the episode, they were acting like they have never participated in one before because they kept on saying how freaked out they were. They were way more freaked out then people that have been on many ghost investigations should have been.
8 Reviews
Unoriginal and Fake
xxxmchllxxx29 July 2009
My little sister (who's 12 and trying to get into horror movies as much as I am...and it's not working) started watching this show a little while ago. I, at first, didn't think much of it, until she began to disallow me from changing it to Ghost Hunters when it was on one Wednesday night.
That's when I really began to pay attention to it. It's obviously just a 'cheap-knockoff' or the children's version of the show Ghost Hunters. I'm a huge fan of Ghost Hunters, but this is...just horrible! It's not staged, but it sounds...kind of scripted to me. I think they're only saying what they're expected to say, and blaming every little thing they hear or feel on the paranormal. They don't even CONSIDER any other possibilities! Sure, I myself believe in ghosts, but I've noticed they tend to take things out of proportion in their 'investigation'.
Other things I'm not too happy about is the fact that they're investigating places that seem to be abandoned, and no one's really been in for a long time. So who's to say that there's ghosts in there? Sure, it's possible. But just because it's abandoned, doesn't make it automatically haunted.
For me, it's a -5 out of 10.
That's when I really began to pay attention to it. It's obviously just a 'cheap-knockoff' or the children's version of the show Ghost Hunters. I'm a huge fan of Ghost Hunters, but this is...just horrible! It's not staged, but it sounds...kind of scripted to me. I think they're only saying what they're expected to say, and blaming every little thing they hear or feel on the paranormal. They don't even CONSIDER any other possibilities! Sure, I myself believe in ghosts, but I've noticed they tend to take things out of proportion in their 'investigation'.
Other things I'm not too happy about is the fact that they're investigating places that seem to be abandoned, and no one's really been in for a long time. So who's to say that there's ghosts in there? Sure, it's possible. But just because it's abandoned, doesn't make it automatically haunted.
For me, it's a -5 out of 10.
The problem with this show
phoenixashes3314 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Look, I have been boycotting this show since before it aired, along with others in the paranormal community. This review and post has nothing to do with believing in the paranormal or not. I don't believe it's my right to tell someone what to believe just as it's no one's to tell the same to me.
I have been studying the paranormal for the better part of my life and am currently in a paranormal investigative team and am very active in the paranormal community. My main issue with this show has to do with the fact that it is geared toward children on a network for children. Ever since the up-rise of shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and the like, there have been too many copy cat groups popping up all over the place and most of them are children who see something on TV and think it would be fun to do the same. What they don't realize is how dangerous this can be. Breaking into abandoned areas illegally is not safe, you never know what you are going to come across and most of the time the dangers are that of living people (i.e. gangs, homeless people, drug houses etc.) or instability of a foundation. These kids are putting themselves in danger by thinking this kind of thing is fun. This show in particular is marketed for children and I don't just blame these tweens that obviously don't know anything about the paranormal, but I blame the network. It's like handing a child a loaded gun. Kids are susceptible and look to others for guidance and to be role models. This type of show should NEVER have been green lighted, because it is going to cause more damage than good.
Whereas the show is completely fake and contrived, they are still filming in locations where paranormal activity has been documented. By putting these kids in places like this, it opens up a whole can of worms. They don't know what they are doing, they haven't spent 20 years learning as much as they can about the unknown and they are putting them in the position to have something happen to them that they are ill-equipped to handle. Every case is different, every situation is different. We are dealing with the unknown here and we are constantly learning and coming up with new theories, but the myth that a ghost or presence cannot hurt you is completely false. I have seen people hit, bit, scratched by things they cannot see, and until you experience those kinds of things with your own eyes, no words can explain how absolutely terrifying it can be. Why put children in this type of position? And you want to market this to 10 year olds who will want to go out and follow in their footsteps?
Of course The Othersiders information on locations and the "evidence" they come to find is completely set up. I know this because my team just did an investigation at the Morey Mansion in Redlands. Unbeknown to us, The Othersiders filmed there in January or February (which was told to us by the owner's son at time of arrival) and we were never told that this had been done until a few days prior to us investigating the property. David Morey did not die in the house and it is unknown if Sarah did or not. The misinformation this show puts forth makes it harder for legitimate investigative teams to do their jobs. When something starts circling on the internet is is harder to get down to to the truth. Thankfully we have a research and development part of our team that is able to access property information, birth and death certificates and the like to get the information we need.
Paranormal studies have just started to gain more clout due to shows like Ghost Hunters and people are starting to be more open-minded and give the field more credibility. Unfortunately The Othersiders hinders the paranormal community and it's reputation instead of helping it.
I don't care if you think Ghost Hunters is fake or whatever, everyone has their own opinion. The truth is yes, it is TV, but we have an obligation to draw the line somewhere. It's like making a show for kids like The Soprano's where kids are the mob and start offing people. You wouldn't want your kids watching that, would you?
The network needs to cancel this show for the safety of these kids and the kids that are going to follow in their footsteps. If they really want to learn about the paranormal there are so many reliable and trustworthy outlets out there, The Othersiders is not one of them.
I have been studying the paranormal for the better part of my life and am currently in a paranormal investigative team and am very active in the paranormal community. My main issue with this show has to do with the fact that it is geared toward children on a network for children. Ever since the up-rise of shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and the like, there have been too many copy cat groups popping up all over the place and most of them are children who see something on TV and think it would be fun to do the same. What they don't realize is how dangerous this can be. Breaking into abandoned areas illegally is not safe, you never know what you are going to come across and most of the time the dangers are that of living people (i.e. gangs, homeless people, drug houses etc.) or instability of a foundation. These kids are putting themselves in danger by thinking this kind of thing is fun. This show in particular is marketed for children and I don't just blame these tweens that obviously don't know anything about the paranormal, but I blame the network. It's like handing a child a loaded gun. Kids are susceptible and look to others for guidance and to be role models. This type of show should NEVER have been green lighted, because it is going to cause more damage than good.
Whereas the show is completely fake and contrived, they are still filming in locations where paranormal activity has been documented. By putting these kids in places like this, it opens up a whole can of worms. They don't know what they are doing, they haven't spent 20 years learning as much as they can about the unknown and they are putting them in the position to have something happen to them that they are ill-equipped to handle. Every case is different, every situation is different. We are dealing with the unknown here and we are constantly learning and coming up with new theories, but the myth that a ghost or presence cannot hurt you is completely false. I have seen people hit, bit, scratched by things they cannot see, and until you experience those kinds of things with your own eyes, no words can explain how absolutely terrifying it can be. Why put children in this type of position? And you want to market this to 10 year olds who will want to go out and follow in their footsteps?
Of course The Othersiders information on locations and the "evidence" they come to find is completely set up. I know this because my team just did an investigation at the Morey Mansion in Redlands. Unbeknown to us, The Othersiders filmed there in January or February (which was told to us by the owner's son at time of arrival) and we were never told that this had been done until a few days prior to us investigating the property. David Morey did not die in the house and it is unknown if Sarah did or not. The misinformation this show puts forth makes it harder for legitimate investigative teams to do their jobs. When something starts circling on the internet is is harder to get down to to the truth. Thankfully we have a research and development part of our team that is able to access property information, birth and death certificates and the like to get the information we need.
Paranormal studies have just started to gain more clout due to shows like Ghost Hunters and people are starting to be more open-minded and give the field more credibility. Unfortunately The Othersiders hinders the paranormal community and it's reputation instead of helping it.
I don't care if you think Ghost Hunters is fake or whatever, everyone has their own opinion. The truth is yes, it is TV, but we have an obligation to draw the line somewhere. It's like making a show for kids like The Soprano's where kids are the mob and start offing people. You wouldn't want your kids watching that, would you?
The network needs to cancel this show for the safety of these kids and the kids that are going to follow in their footsteps. If they really want to learn about the paranormal there are so many reliable and trustworthy outlets out there, The Othersiders is not one of them.
Cheezy, Generic & forgettable paranormal show
Austindroke1830 January 2020
This is a pretty bad mediocre "paranormal" show instead of Adult paranormal investigators it's kids only thing different and these kids are the worst paranormal investigators i have ever seen they only pretend to freak out every time something "Paranormal" happens all in all this is just a weak and pretty forgettable Ghost Hunters wannabe that no one will ever remember
I think this show is cool...
sprouse_lover4715 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I happen to really like this show. They show actual evidence to prove why they think the place is haunted or not. I do not think that this show is in anyway fake. They don't just run around and scream the whole show or say that the place is haunted and show no evidence of what happened to them, like other ghost shows. They do get scared sometimes, but who wouldn't? They are going into scary places. I would be scared out of my mind. I think they are brave for going into some of these places.
I also think that Cartoon Network would not send these kids to these places if they had to brake in or if they thought they were in danger. I am sure that these kids do not go on investigations alone. I am sure that there are people there in case something happens to them. If they did not do that, then they would probably be in trouble. They are just kids after all.
Also, I do not think that their evidence is staged or set up. I think they really do capture their evidence. You do not have to have 20 years of experience under your belt just to catch a ghost on tape. People that do not even set out to look for ghosts end up catching them on film. If you have the right equipment, you know where to go, and you are in the right place at the right time, you very well can capture a ghost on film.
These kids may not be the best and they haven't been doing this for 20 years, but they do their research the best that they can. They also try their best to get some evidence. They work the best to their ability and that is all that viewers can expect from them. They are just doing what they love. If they continue to do this and try to make a career out of this, give them some time. They will have more experience and they will know more about the paranormal. As of right now, they know enough to do investigations and they know how to read. They can figure out for themselves if what they see is paranormal or not. They will only learn by doing investigations, so why criticize them for doing what they love and wanting to know more? You have to be in the right place at the right time. If you go to the same place they do, and you do not get any evidence, then don't automatically think that this show is fake. Not everyone that goes to these places will experiences paranormal activity.
If kids are dumb enough to go out and do this after they see an episode of this show, then that isn't the networks fault. They are making a show for people to enjoy and maybe better understand the paranormal. They are not trying to tell little 10 year old kids to go out, break into a place and try to catch something paranormal on film. This is purely for entertainment and to show kids that there maybe something out there that cant be explained. It is a fun show. Don't take the fun out of it.
I really enjoy this show and I love to see what they catch on film and what they think about these places that they go to. I think it is very interesting and I am actually excited to see that kids my age have enough courage to go out and investigate haunted places. I know for a fact that I couldn't do these things or even stay as calm as they do. Sometimes they do scream and get scared, but I don't blame them at all. I do not think it is fake and I think that these kids really enjoy investigating the places that they go to. I also think that these kids are not in danger and I don't think that Cartoon Network would ever put these kids in danger. This show is very entertaining and I think that everyone should give it a chance and not just assume that it is fake. I admire these kids for doing what they love to do and sharing their findings with everyone. This is one of my favorite shows and I watch it every Wednesday. If you like ghost shows, give it a shot. They get more evidence than some of the other ghost shows, and they are kids. Watch the show and actually use your brain before you criticize and judge.
I also think that Cartoon Network would not send these kids to these places if they had to brake in or if they thought they were in danger. I am sure that these kids do not go on investigations alone. I am sure that there are people there in case something happens to them. If they did not do that, then they would probably be in trouble. They are just kids after all.
Also, I do not think that their evidence is staged or set up. I think they really do capture their evidence. You do not have to have 20 years of experience under your belt just to catch a ghost on tape. People that do not even set out to look for ghosts end up catching them on film. If you have the right equipment, you know where to go, and you are in the right place at the right time, you very well can capture a ghost on film.
These kids may not be the best and they haven't been doing this for 20 years, but they do their research the best that they can. They also try their best to get some evidence. They work the best to their ability and that is all that viewers can expect from them. They are just doing what they love. If they continue to do this and try to make a career out of this, give them some time. They will have more experience and they will know more about the paranormal. As of right now, they know enough to do investigations and they know how to read. They can figure out for themselves if what they see is paranormal or not. They will only learn by doing investigations, so why criticize them for doing what they love and wanting to know more? You have to be in the right place at the right time. If you go to the same place they do, and you do not get any evidence, then don't automatically think that this show is fake. Not everyone that goes to these places will experiences paranormal activity.
If kids are dumb enough to go out and do this after they see an episode of this show, then that isn't the networks fault. They are making a show for people to enjoy and maybe better understand the paranormal. They are not trying to tell little 10 year old kids to go out, break into a place and try to catch something paranormal on film. This is purely for entertainment and to show kids that there maybe something out there that cant be explained. It is a fun show. Don't take the fun out of it.
I really enjoy this show and I love to see what they catch on film and what they think about these places that they go to. I think it is very interesting and I am actually excited to see that kids my age have enough courage to go out and investigate haunted places. I know for a fact that I couldn't do these things or even stay as calm as they do. Sometimes they do scream and get scared, but I don't blame them at all. I do not think it is fake and I think that these kids really enjoy investigating the places that they go to. I also think that these kids are not in danger and I don't think that Cartoon Network would ever put these kids in danger. This show is very entertaining and I think that everyone should give it a chance and not just assume that it is fake. I admire these kids for doing what they love to do and sharing their findings with everyone. This is one of my favorite shows and I watch it every Wednesday. If you like ghost shows, give it a shot. They get more evidence than some of the other ghost shows, and they are kids. Watch the show and actually use your brain before you criticize and judge.
Great Show!
BrainyxBat6 May 2017
I remember watching The Othersiders every night when it was still on, and I recently found and binge-watched every episode on Youtube!
Now that it's fresh in my memory, I can say that it made me repeatedly brace myself for any surprises. It made my heart freeze or race, and would have me metaphorically at the edge of my seat. It's great!
In a nutshell, I'm sick of all the criticism. If it wasn't for that, I bet it would've continued on until they ran out of places to go. So what if it's fake? I believe it introduces kids to paranormal investigation without traumatizing them. It doesn't deserve the hate it got/gets. But that makes me wonder: Did they ever go to investigate The White House?
Now that it's fresh in my memory, I can say that it made me repeatedly brace myself for any surprises. It made my heart freeze or race, and would have me metaphorically at the edge of my seat. It's great!
In a nutshell, I'm sick of all the criticism. If it wasn't for that, I bet it would've continued on until they ran out of places to go. So what if it's fake? I believe it introduces kids to paranormal investigation without traumatizing them. It doesn't deserve the hate it got/gets. But that makes me wonder: Did they ever go to investigate The White House?
What I love about this
smcnish-1494819 January 2024
This show meant so much to me I never knew 5 teens could investigate all over California instantly I love this very much and I wished it never got canceled. They're are tons of different ghost hunting teams that have investigated all over but this is the team im obsessed with right now. When I was kid I didn't know much about this show but when I was in middle school I got into it even more and I didn't even know it discontinued in 2009 just with 2 seasons these are very talented Ghost hunters that's the thing I love the most about these guys they never give up looking for the supernatural sife.
Good Show, Too Bad It Wasn't Popular
byson51861 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I miss 2009, when this show was on TV exactly 5 years ago on CN Real. Yeah, I'm writing about the show years later as all of the other 4 reviews on this show were from 2009. But, I have to write about this show because it was like my favorite TV show on TV 5 years ago. A lot of people seemed to even like it. I mean there were bad reviews on the Internet, including IMDb. But, on Facebook there seemed to be a lot of people who liked it. If I can remember correctly, there were a lot of people who called the number during the last episode to win some of the give away franchise from this show. I even had a couple of friends liking it. It is too bad that this show wasn't as well received as it could have been. Interestingly, some of the things you do like aren't very popular. You might find a couple other people who like it as much as you, but it doesn't have a very high rating. While there are other things you don't like that are very popular. An example of that, I just left a review on the Napoleon Dynamite film as that film became very popular especially among franchise, and I don't understand why such a stupid movie would be so popular? What was good about this show. Well, I hope it doesn't count as a spoiler, although there is no plot for the TV show, just teens experiencing the paranormal. Basically, the whole show was about 5 teens: Jackie, KC, Riley, Sam, and Zach. I've seen all the episodes, I even bought them on Itunes. Itunes might be the only place you can find the episodes. You'll hardly see anything on the Internet about The Othersiders, so my review might be very helpful. Basically, each episode started off at The Othersiders Headquarters which I believe was the garage at Riley's house. You'd see these characters having fun and joking around. They'd research places that are supposedly haunted or have reports of paranormal activity. They'd decide which place to go and then we'd see Riley driving them to that location. It would be day when they got there, and then the scene would skip to night. We'd see the characters set up base camp, and with their equipment they'd go around the location they were in to try to explore every area, especially areas with reports of paranormal activity. You'd see the characters quietly walk around the place and whispering while they were keeping contact with each other. The screen would mostly be green as we saw them explore the house. They also used thermal cameras to see if they could detect anything out of the ordinary along with Call and Response. You would actually see some real paranormal activity on the show, some scary stuff and often times during the scary scenes they'd switch to commercials where we wonder what would happen next? They gathered as much evidence as they could and leave. The next day, they'd go back to The Othersiders Headquarters and go over all the evidence they had, where we got to see real paranormal activity. Then they'd all decide individually whether they considered the place haunted or not, like if the paranormal activity could be explained or if it really was paranormal activity. Then, Sam would post their evidence online and we could vote if we considered the place haunted or not. It's no longer a website. I for one feel sorry for the show not being popular, being underrated and not getting the praise it deserved. I mean what was good about the show, well let's think about the teens: Jackie was the Researcher, KC the case manager, Riley the lead investigator, Sam the webmaster, and Zach the tech manager. These teens were by all means great role models. You always saw the characters getting along. At one moment they'd be joking around, the next moment they'd be exploring a haunted house in the dark. These characters would basically always be smiling when they were individually on screen speaking about their experience and spoke clearly. You never heard the characters swearing, they never talked about things like wanting to get involved in alcohol, drugs, or sex. Mostly what they talked about is paranormal activity. I considered Sam the biggest role model in the group and probably most popular member. At age 14, where most guys seem annoying he was always nice with a pleasant smile, always seemed happy and positive about everything. So yeah, it's great to see teens who explored the paranormal as role models. Also, you almost never saw anybody else on the show besides them. There ought to have been other crew members who helped them film scenes in the paranormal I mean, since the camera showed them from each angle. So, there ought to have been cameramen that weren't mentioned making it look like those 5 were the only ones on the show. Well, I'll tell you you won't be able to find much on this TV show on the internet. This IMDb review I'm leaving will probably tell you more about the show than you can find on most sites. There used to be an Othersiders website where you would see each place they investigated along with the Paranormal Activity Sam posted, and you could vote yourself whether you thought it was haunted or not. But, no more. It seemed like most of the negative reviews from this show were people judging it for being a live action show on Cartoon Network, CNReal along with being similar to Ghost Hunters, and wondering if the show was real. It's too bad people were too judgmental of a good show. People should not always just judge a book by it's cover.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
