Paranormal Witness
By Matt Springer,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Startling viewers is main goal of "documentary" series.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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Based on 5 parent reviews
Ausgedachter Unsinn!!!
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I DONT EASILY GET INVOLVED IN ANY TV SHOWS, BUT THIS SCARED ME, AND ALSO HAD ME WANTING THE NEXT SHOW TO HURRY UP AND COME ON. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND IT FOR FAMILIES THAT WANT TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER..
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What's the Story?
Ghosts, demons, unexplained phenomena -- these are subjects often described with skepticism and treated as quasi-fiction. PARANORMAL WITNESS relies upon direct testimony and documentation, including photos and videos, to attempt to take an unfiltered look at these strange occurrences, utilizing reenactments as well to attempt to bring these stories to life.
Is It Any Good?
Paranormal Witness is a "documentary" series created with a very specific, if very sizable, audience in mind. This is a show for people who either already believe in the supernatural, or who are inclined to believe given the flimsiest degree of evidence. If you tune into this series waiting for the typical scientist or psychologist to appear with their alternate explanation for events, you'll be waiting a long time.
It's definitely gripping television, and the techniques the series uses in its reenactments to create tension and suspense have an impact. It's also hard to confront the experiences that the interview subjects actually had without wondering if there wasn't something unexplained involved. But without any attempt to examine these experiences from anything but the most accepting and believing viewpoint, Paranormal Witness becomes just another way to tell spooky stories around the glowing LED of your television set, instead of a glowing bonfire in the woods.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the techniques the show utilizes to create its reenactments. Did the editing and filming make an impact on you?
Do you think the show makes a convincing argument for the existence of ghosts? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 7, 2011
- Network: Syfy
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: December 7, 2022
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