Nick Groff, who one of Zak Bagans’ Terrible Trio on Ghost Adventures, split the show and is now starring in two of his own para-reality gigs: Paranormal Lockdown, and (the now second season)  Ghosts of Shepherdstown.

I suppose for a certain segment of the ghost-show faithful, Nick’s somewhat more subdued demeanor (compared with the comically overheated Zak Bagans, still Vincent Price-ing his way through old buildings in his respirator mask) lends some sober credibility to the proceedings. That’s a pretty low bar to cross, though, and like most of the Destination America para-drivel, this is wholly consumed with ‘dark entities’ and ‘negative presences’, the nouns and adjectives interchangeable. Plus the chilling prospect, seemingly every episode, that they’re “dealing with a demon.” Throw in an older lady playing the role of channel-shaman, a cop or two distressed by “all the reports of paranormal events”, some tale-spinning locals, a two hundred year old building or two, and you’ve got a healthy stew ripe for ghostploitation.

The para-reality thing jumped the shark a long time ago, and this pretentious, tortuously contrived and virtually evidence-free clown show isn’t helping bring it back to its rather tenuous roots: mainly, that paranormal investigations (and we’ve done our share) are usually tedious, meager of evidence, devoid of doomy soundtracks and not particularly scary.

Are ghosts real? Well, as for us, we think there’s some reason to believe they are…or at least, something like it, is real.

Are ghost shows profitable? Self-evident, kids.