Ghosts of Shepherdstown (2016– ) User Reviews

Interesting Concept...

[CinemaSlant · 7/10 · 12 September 2018]

Ok, I'll be the first to admit I thought this was hokey at first. Season 1 was definitely stiff, contrived and frankly unbelievable. But if you take a step back and realize what they're trying to do...it's pretty inventive. It's basically trying to marry the ghost hunting-type shows (Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, etc) with the narrative retelling of paranormal stories (A Haunting, Paranormal Survivor, etc). And it does so pretty successfully...with better results in Season 2.

There was a lot of controversy early on about this being totally staged and fake. (wink, wink...aren't all of these shows?) But from what I can tell...they basically took real reports of paranormal incidents and stitched them into an overall narrative and storyline which was probably fake.

So you have a Scooby-gang group of ghost hunters called in by the police sergent (later chief in Season 2) of Sheperdstown, WV to solve reports of paranormal activity. During their investigations they discover an even bigger haunting linking all these individual accounts together. So once you get past the illogical set up that these guys are there rushing to crime scenes 24/7 you start to appreciate it more.

The team consists of very well-known investigator Nick Groff who is somewhat under-utilized in this series. You have Elizabeth Saint who is the "sensitive' in Season 1...and then rebranded as "Paranormal Investigator and Sensitive" in Season 2. And then you have Bill Hartley at the Ghostbuster Tech guy. The supporting cast is Lorie Johnson, the Psychic Medium, who seems to solve every mystery right away and makes you wonder why not call her first...and then the researcher Dana Mitchell who offers interesting history on every property. Of course you have police sergeant Mike King in Season 1 who magically becomes Chief in Season 2 with nothing said.

Season 1 is off to a rough start as the audience has to believe this entire scenario. The acting is stiff and forced. The 3 investigators dont really mesh. Nick is fine but really has nothing to prove. The failure is with Elizabeth Saintt, the sensitive, who really doesn't do much more than say she doesn't feel well and looks dumbfounded at practically everything. I'm not sure of her contribution here since they have a "real" psychic medium come in at the end of the episodes to fix everything. (Note: Lorie Johnson is the real star of the show here). Bill Hartley is somewhat useless here too. He uses old technology and really just sits in the van watching the monitors. As mentioned...each episode picks up when Lorie Johnson comes in to kick some ghost booty. And the elderly researcher, Dana Mitchell, is actually pretty great offering tidbits on the history. The sergeant/chief is just there to drive the police narrative and give them a reason to be in Sheperdstown in the first place.

Season 2 picks up and has a new tone. Its darker. Better equipment and more "evidence". Overall...I think the show is entertaining and offers a new genre of paranormal research-type shows. I think the show would be stronger if they eliminated Elizabeth and Bill...and brought in ex-FBI paranormal guy Ben Hanson who guest starred in one episode. I'd just have Nick and Ben research these accounts with Lorie & Dana there to confirm their findings. So not a bad show once you get past some of the staged setups.

Seems Scripted With Few Scares

[AudioFileZ · 5/10 · 13 July 2016]

The oldest town in West Virginia is Shepherdstown which was founded about 1664. It's a bit isolated as well as having less than 2000 inhabitants. The town has risen from relative obscurity to, what some consider, a modest level of infamy with locals referring to their city as America's Most Haunted Town. It's not a recognition the citizens of Shepherdstown desire I would imagine. The city has actually grown to roughly double in population over the last decade in spite of this negative.cloud.

Recently paranormal activity would seem to have become more of a problem. For instance, 911 calls ,due to inexplicable phenomenon, have hampered the small town's police force, wasting their limited resources. It's the escalating paranormal activity that has prompted the town's police to invite an investigative paranormal team for help.

This is a quaint little town that seems idyllic in a historical rural way. A kind of white picket fence town where everyone knows everyone: picturesque, not evil. Yet, in spite of all the wholesomeness, something is off kilter. This is a pretty good hook and as a viewer I want to watch to see this juxtaposition of light and dark.

The tough history of this small town seems to make it ripe for the paranormal. The paranormal investigators delve into each haunting attempting to reveal who the entities attached to each place might be. As they progress they postulate, usually, that there are several "stuck" spirits some of which some may be protectors and some evil. These are set against a possibly singular malevolent force taking a more global position of casting a darkness throughout the entire town. While they have some success in finding who these frozen spirits are, it becomes more apparent they're only putting out fires until a time they can discover the central dark entity. Perhaps if they find the central dark force they make be able to expel this evil presence which will, in-turn, allow all the spirits, including the ones they've not yet discovered, to move on. In other words, fix the town so "the fires" don't have to be constantly put out because they don't start.

This is the gist of the show which takes the problems and the investigation seriously though their methods seem less organized than similar shows. Matching spirit activity with past historical events seems to give the paranormal team some valid jumping off points. It's how they handle each situation which seems forced. As if they have to simply identify and send the ghosts on their way in fairly easy fashion. In other words if a likely person from the past is identified and they'll be glad to go with minimal fuss. Something doesn't add up here. It doesn't help much that the team's tech science does little more than make several confusing appearances prior to the same psychic who comes in and clears the offending spirit. If you watch shows like Paranormal Witness or Paranormal Survivor the tech and the cleansing is much more complicated, quite intense in comparison. In fact sometimes it fails. Not so much here. This show seems like players following a script even though we meet some real people who experience some real strangeness. These witnesses, at least the ones we meet, are often scared, yet never, it appears, to the point of being physically attacked. Again, like this stuff is being made up by writers and then acted out. This show just doesn't pass the smell test and if this town is really in the throes of something dark it's not coming across on TV as such. I find "the sensitive" and "the psychic medium" particularly artificial. As stated earlier, the tech guys stuff is haphazard and the group leader mostly says "wow" not really doing anything particularly profound. The police guy seems more real to a certain extent so there probably is something going on in Shepherdtown, but the show fails to do it justice. This show just doesn't add up to what it seems to strive for.

Replaces fact with folklore

[parrisjim · 6/10 · 1 August 2017]

I do find moments of this show interesting and enjoyable,there seems to some scripting.Faking paranormal sticks out like a sore thumb and there are hints of it here.

I frown upon the all mighty psychic medium who claims to have powers to cast away curses and demons,The whole idea that some ghost "never walked the earth in human form" its a hard pill to swallow,They cant prove that or even disprove it

To me a demon is like an angry grizzly bear,a simple growl or saying demon doesn't cut it with me ,Anybody can do that.

Nick Groff built his reputation on facts and evidence here there more speculation then investigation.

Whenever paranormal investigators cannot explain something they turn to folklore to fill in the gaps rather then say I cant explain it...

There's just too much focus on the cast overreacting to something then actually showing us what their experiencing ..too much presentation rather then investigating

A descendent of Thomas Shepherd

[amigatec · 31 May 2019]

As a descendent of Thomas Shepherd I plan to watch this show closely. There is a strong possibility some of these ghosts may be related to me.

So much potential .

[johnioannou · 7/10 · 21 January 2020]

This has so much potential and it's such a shame to watch Nick one of my favourite ghost hunters act and staging a lot of what's going on . Some staging is allowed but not everything . But still 7 stars worth the watch and thanks nick keep up the good work .

Ghosts of Shephardstown

[corinnaclp · 10/10 · 9 April 2019]

I used to love watching ghost of shepherds town and tell Laurie Johnson left. She was the most important investigator of the series. Now the series has become quite bland

Triping over a bell??

[baskr-98381 · 3/10 · 23 February 2022]

I watched the show on Discovery+. Season 2 episode 4, the woman claims she tripes over a bell left there by a ghost (37 minutes, 15 seconds of the episode). At 36 minutes and 40 seconds she holds the bell in her hand, along with her flashlight!

Entertaining

[ssourgirl · 8/10 · 26 February 2018]

I'm an avid fan of paranromal investigation shows which have become a bit stale on the premise. This show offers a completely new and original premise that is actually rather fascinating. As some other reviewers said Season 1 has parts that may seem a bit stiff and rehearsed sounding but after all, there are some reinactments and storytelling by the people who reportedly experienced the activity, not professional actors. The premise of the show is that several haunting are happening in a quant and picturesque West Virginia town rife with history. They do a good job of tying in history and research and don't rely on the cliched "what was that?! " and "oh my god!" exclamations.

Season 2 is even better! The premise in this season is that the paranormal activity has spread to nearby towns. It pulls you along tying the paranormal activity together into a pretty believable story. This is a well organized storyline that is both entertaining, intriguing and chilling. If this were the storyline of a horror movie, it would be a hit. This is one of the most original paranormal investigator shows out there.

What a load of nonsense

[johnb74 · 1/10 · 31 May 2022]

Seriously this is the worse paranormal show I've ever seen. I've watched wall to wall paranormal shows for about 3 months and this one isn't the slightest bit scary, how on earth did it get renewed.

The only highlight was the psychic sensitive investigator who looks like a mix of someone who has just smelt something bad or Dr Steve, a face of permanent confusion.

All the cliche "what was that?", "Is that you?" & "Are you with us now?"

Absolute fake garbage.

Better than Bagans and Ghost Adventures

[c_phares · 8/10 · 26 January 2021]

So much criticism about it being "fake". You really think the other like genre of shows are "real"? Its definitely more entertaining than Ghost Adventures.

Ghosts Of Shepherdstown Investigates The Dead

[tedsmyspace-33340 · 2/10 · 2 July 2017]

I have NO problem admitting I'm a fan of Nick Groff however I am NOT a fan of Ghosts Of Shepherdstown. at all! I tried to like this show, even watching some episodes several times but it didn't help. It doesn't take a medical degree to know that if something isn't breathing & doesn't have a heartbeat feel free to stick a fork in it, it's DONE! Unfortunately this show never had a beating heart, therefore it never connects with paranormal TV fans. Many paranormal need to reenact scenes but, unless I missed it, this show doesn't make any mention of reenactments. If a good number of the scenes aren't reenacted by a traveling theater group from Possum Grape Arkansas & we're supposed to believe they're all real.....ummm, NO! Thankfully for fans of Nick Groff he has another TV project that IS worth your time each week. Add to the cast former investigator on Paranormal State, Katrina Weidman, and you're sure to be ENTERTAINED by Nick & Katrina on Paranormal Lockdown. If you're a glutton for punishment feel free to tune in to Ghosts of Shepherdstown but you can't say you weren't warned! BTW - I recently read an article but have NOT been able to verify, that Ghosts of Shepherdstown is coming back for a season 2, oh....that's ... yeah, that's ......

So unrealistic and obvious story lines

[catlundon · 1/10 · 30 March 2021]

Right from ep.1 when they began marking the places on the map it was so obvious that at the end they would connect into a pentagram. I really like Nick and i think he is a very good and qualified investigater which makes me wonder why he would risk his reputation with this show that seems so set up and fake. (I just have to say the cresant moons cut into the table cloth at the tea rooms..... Hilarious, come on guys try harder). I look forward to watching more from you in the future Nick, just please be authentic.

Feels too fake and too scripted!!☹

[meehanlizzie · 2/10 · 3 January 2021]

Since watching ghost adventures from the beginning Nick Groff was my favourite as he has genuine empathy for people passed or present and I think and have always felt from day one that he is what he seems to be which is an honest and down to earth guy, no fakeness which is extremely rare ( especially in the land of T.V where there is alot of ego ) A good family man and a really good investigator and especially love watching him and katrina in paranormal lockdown as there is no frills or bullcrap when they investigate but omgoshhh... I reallyyyyyy don't enjoy watching the ghosts of shepherds town as it just feels soooooo scripted 😐

Pure Bunk

[juanruiz-65679 · 1/10 · 14 August 2018]

GS is really noting more than fictional television. It ranks up there with "Ghost Whisperer," except the latter is better.

What is most interesting is the way in which the thrust of the series changes from Season 1 to 2. Almost as though the producers had no idea of what to do when the series was renewed. It went from sending spirits to the light, to featuring some demon, whose powers grew. So much so that he could call people back.

In the second season, the three "investigators" are superfluous. Everything is resolved by Laurie, who should have been the first called to resolve the problem. Equally, there is no explanation as to how the police sergeant in Season 1, became Police Chief in Season 2. It's not as if his role changed.

As I said in my review of the final S2 episode, producers, writers, and actors were all drowning. They had no idea how to resolve the story line. So they came upon the subject of an exorcism. Wow, was that a joke! Some actor yelling "Yahweh, Yeshua," as if Hebrew would give validity to the story.

If this gets renewed for another year, be prepared for more of the same nonsense.

Too Scripted

[natnic-29669 · 3/10 · 30 November 2017]

Where do I start? This show is terrible. I love paranormal shows, but this show makes me roll my eyes so often. Elizabeth and her constant "not feeling good" and confused look on her face..ugh! I wasn't surprised when I looked her up that she was an actress.

I love Nick and his show with Katrina. Paranormal Lockdown is so much better than this. It's too scripted and the overacting is just not my style for paranormal shows.

If you like paranormal shows, skip this one.

[sarahmichelle-49964 · 2/10 · 22 January 2021]

Ok, it's not the worst thing I've ever watched, but it's really high on the list.

It's over-scripted, over-acted and borderline unwatchable. The storyline makes absolutely no sense, the "investigations" are a joke, and the miraculous "finds" that link each episode to the series plot are so clearly planted it's laughable.

I love paranormal shows, they're one of my favourite things, but this is pathetic.

FAKE GIRL FAKE GIRL

[cbjami · 1/10 · 18 February 2022]

This girl on this show is such a fake physic. Look her up. She swings a pendulum like we did a nail on a string to see if baby is a boy or girl and then calls it how she chooses. She has no history of being a physic she is a actress and a bad one at that. She must be somebody's girlfriend to get these gigs. But same guy seems to be involved in the same projects as her.

Absolutely obsolete addition to the genre

[mreubzaet · 1/10 · 2 October 2016]

The supernatural is definitely a hot topic nowadays. It is also very subjective and science has not yet proved anything about it. However, that same science has also provided equipment to communicate with the entities whose existence it cannot prove. A lot of shows are capitalizing on the excitement of the unknown and most of them fall flat if watched with even the smallest bit of skepticism.

The Shepherdstown show follows much of the same pattern and it too falls flat if people watch it with the least amount of skepticism. The disclaimer says the show is a dramatization, so the scared people presented are almost certainly actors.

The drama is so obvious, e.g. (spoiler alert) a single headstone in the middle of some trees, toppled over, is the exact one the team is looking for. It is also the only one not found in the archives by the local historian (end of spoiler). It is all just too much coincidence.

Also, there is the inexplicable stuff going on in old buildings that have perfectly logical natural explanations, much the same as in other shows.

This one does not bring anything new to the table except (possible spoiler alert) for a supposedly interconnecting supernatural master plan of sorts (end of spoiler alert). Far-fetched and utterly incredible.

Watching this from the corner of my eye annoyed me within minutes. I understand there are people who enjoy these programs, but why not stick to the existing ones? It is like they simply go out of fashion as soon as they generate enough flak calling them out as fake, at which point a new one is spawned to replace it.

It's like a modern day cross between Ghost Adventures and X-Files, but not as entertaining.

[lonelyangel-43794 · 4/10 · 21 October 2016]

This might be considered a "spoiler".

I expected a lot more out of this show but to be honest, the sensitive sucks! As a psychic medium,I don't think she is experienced enough to read to properly read these entities and is either wrong or missing most of them. I am also disappointed that she even after a few episodes, she STILL hadn't picked up the shadow man that has been following them to each investigation. He is literally in each episode I saw, or that she hasn't picked up the they bigger problem arising in the town. Now, the psychic medium that bring in later on, she's definitely more on the money and they need to ditch the Sensitive for the Medium. Now, for the investigations. Nick, you should know better! There equipment is not advanced, and instead of taking the evidence for what it is, they are trying to use it to justify this Sensitive's reading. In one episode, they got an EVP that was clearly of a man's voice and kept insisting it was "Ray-Ray". Ray-Ray was old when she died and the male's voice was the shadow man that has been following them around. You can't just "assume" with investigations, you have to actually investigate and piece the puzzle more with facts and less trying to revolve the story around an amateur's "gift". I'm quite disappointed. If they want to know what is really going on, get the Psychic Medium in, get rid of the sensitive, and update your equipment. Then look at the evidence that you have without creating some fantasy story that is more assumption then facts! Do these few things and it would be a much better show!

Sad!

[jlhopkins-76553 · 1/10 · 7 July 2022]

I had a lot more respect for Nick Groff as a paranormal investigator before I saw this show. Very disappointed! So fake and scripted!

Good luck on your future endeavors Nick! 👎🏼

Embarrassingly fake.

[meganhillier · 2/10 · 20 February 2022]

Anything here that might actully be true is overshadowed by the fact that it's so scripted. It's painful. I'm embarrassed for them. Yikes. Don't waste your time on this show, there's better out there.

Guilty pleasure

[joseph-hagee · 5/10 · 20 July 2017]

This is a guilty summer pleasure for me because it reminds me of the cheap horror novels I sometimes read.You have the hero type,Nick,the hot chick,the geeky tech guy,and the skeptic turned convert cop joining together to battle supernatural forces.As someone else said it's X Files meets Ghost Adventures.Really,ghosts using the town run to join forces to avenge a woman accused of witchcraft and now the evil force is spreading outward?Oh,well as long as the keep having shots of Elizabeth in tight jeans I'll keep watching.

Ignorant.

[shonnarhein · 1/10 · 17 September 2022]

I have seen some shows that are as fake as they come and where the ignorance burns, but none as much as this. Spirit board during an investigation at a time when there's a "Spike in activity"? Sure folks, open a portal...I triple-dog-dare you. Start something you can't finish.

Upside down crosses as a sign of witchcraft (utter crap - witches do not use crosses. Go call the Church of Satan to get more info about upside down crosses). As a witch, I am disgusted. Wrong belief system, folks.

They may as well have had the old lady in squeaky shoes say, "This house is clear..." As entertainment, this was frustrating and downright ridiculous.

I'm not saying all shows like this should NOT be silly and funny because most are, let's face it, however, they should NOT throw people into more dangerous situations. Put the freaking ouija away - as a tool, it can work too well - and I've yet to see anyone who can handle what they call up. This is as bad as trying to piss off a spirit to spike activity. Sure, you may see/hear something, but that can attach to you and when the fun runs out...well...who are you going to call?