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My Ghost Story (Biography Channel)

common sense media says

Show's real-life ghostly encounters get pretty creepy.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that real people discuss their real-life experiences with hauntings and other paranormal activity in this hourlong documentary series, which amps up the fear factor with creepy lighting, angled camera shots, and photographic and video "evidence" of the experiences. Though not much violence is actually shown, many of the stories involve very vivid descriptions of violent acts, such as hangings, shootings, murders, and suicides -- which makes it too scary for younger viewers.

Positive messages: The overall message suggests that spirits are everywhere, which could frighten younger kids. Not every ghost is friendly, either.
Positive role models: A few ghosts seem benevolent, but many of the stories involve ghosts who are said to actively torment the living from beyond the grave.
Violence: Although the show isn't visually graphic, many stories involve vividly told incidents of violence, including murders, suicides, and other deadly accidents. People talk about dead bodies, mutilated corpses, hangings, shootings, etc.
Sex: A few stories involve the ghosts of presumed prostitutes or "women of the night."
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Some stories involve places of business (hotels, shops, etc.) that could profit from the exposure they get on the show.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on My Ghost Story

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about whether they think these ghost stories are true. Do the people being interviewed seem trustworthy? What steps does the show take to investigate their claims?
  • How has technology changed the way we talk about ghosts and other unexplained phenomena? Do videos and photographs that capture so-called ghosts and spirits lend credibility to the witnesses' stories?
  • How does this show compare to others that focus on the paranormal? Is it scarier to hear about a ghostly experience from a celebrity or from an average Joe? (And is one source more believable than the other?)

What's the story?

What's the story?
In MY GHOST STORY, ordinary people share extraordinarily creepy first-person accounts of hauntings and other strange phenomena, raising questions about the presence of paranormal activity in everyday life. But these "ghost stories" are different than the kind you tell around a flickering campfire in that each includes video or photographic evidence supporting the teller's claims. Tales range from a California ghost ship that's still staffed by its ghostly crew to an unquie Ohio farmhouse with supposed ties to the Underground Railroad.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

At the beginning of each episode, My Ghost Story runs a disclaimer that screams, "Warning! What you are about to see are haunted events encountered by real people. Some may find it disturbing." But in reality, the alarmist advisory is more hype than helpful -- particularly when the story that follows concerns a comparatively lame haunting at a California office building involving a spinning chair, a falling cubicle wall, and a pair of plastic safety glasses that appear to move across a table by themselves.

It's not the scariest stuff on TV, to be sure. But several stories succeed in being sufficiently creepy all the same. The "evidence" presented -- mostly short, grainy video segments that are played over and over (and often in slow motion) to reveal that, yes, there's something strange going on -- certainly won't change a skeptic's mind. But if you already believe in ghosts, you'll probably like what you see.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-PG
Network: Biography Channel
Genre: Reality TV
Where to watch: Biography Channel

This review was written by Kari Croop
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

EminemForeva8
kid, 11 years old
 
Nice Show, But Scary Effects to Actually MAKE IT Scary.
Well, I LOVE this show, man! I mean, I understand why commonsensemedia decided to review it for 12+. It actually just depends on how mature the kid/teen watching it is. I really am a bit scared, because when I was watching it I felt something on my back, like two hands pushing me down. But I ignored it. So, I thought it was my imagination, because I was a little scared, so that's why I think it's for 11+. There are MANY sound effects and other effects that make the show scary, so I'm with the rating of the show; Parental Guidance Suggested. Hope this helped!

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