Turn to Travel Channel and you will most likely catch a paranormal show; especially now that it is October.  I am a fan of the paranormal genre.  I have had experiences I can not explain, throughout my life.  Even being a fan of the paranormal, though, sometimes it feels like a little bit of ghost-hunting overload.  The shows blend together.  It seems like the same concept and mostly the same locations, just different faces.  That is why I am so excited about the Travel Channel’s Ghostober introduction “The Holzer Files”.

“The Holzer Files” is a true standout in paranormal shows.  It takes a look back at the files of Hans Holzer, a pioneer in paranormal research, and then has a team of investigators investigate the locations to see if they have similar findings.  It is not just any team, though.  The team consists of David Schrader (paranormal expert, author, and host of Darkness Radio), Cindy Kaza (a psychic medium), and Shane Pittman (an equipment tech).  They are the perfect combination.

The show starts off with Dave sitting down with Gabe Roth, a paranormal researcher, and Alexandra Holzer, Hans Holzer’s daughter.  They pull out the old video and audio reels that Hans recorded and review the evidence.  It is fascinating to watch the vintage footage and to hear the crackling, decades-old audio.  This almost seems to add to the creepy factor.

Cindy and Shane then do a blind walk-through of the location to see if Cindy psychicly picks up on any of the same notes that Hans and his medium did.  Dave watches from monitors and compares Cindy’s findings with the files.  Dave then joins the pair for the full investigation.  Occasionally, there is footage of Dave recording his “Case Log” about what is going on.  I like the production of these scenes.  It is very reminiscent of a spy/mystery movie, like “If you find this footage, this is what happened to me.”

The three balance off of each other very well.  Dave is cool, calm, and collected.  He has done investigations for years.  If he gets rattled, you know it is something truly note-worthy.  Cindy’s readings are very relevant and on point.  She maintains a sense of urgency but serenity when faced with a dark presence or heading a warning.  Shane is the paranormal newbie.  He, therefore, gets the most spooked out of the three of them.  Watching that genuine fear, though, is very relatable.

Only three episodes have aired so far.  If you missed them, go catch up now.  Episode 3 at the Whaley House was crazy!  I can not wait to see what the rest of the season has to offer.  Tune in on Thursdays to catch the new episodes.