Hereʼs a taste of what we can look forward to from the official press release:
SEPTEMBER
Ghost Hunters
Wednesday, Sept. 5, 9 p.m.(series return)
A new era begins when Ghost Hunters, Syfy’s longest-running unscripted series, returns with 14 all-new episodes. Having said goodbye to investigator Grant Wilson in May, The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) – led by Jason Hawes – is officially a team in transition, which means there are plenty of surprises on the way this fall! Ghost Hunters kicks off the return of Season 8 with a block of "Southern Spirits"-themed episodes. First up, the TAPS team heads to Charleston, South Carolina, the winning location of Ghost Hunters’ "America’s Hometown Ghost Hunt" contest, in search of paranormal evidence of America’s first female serial killer, Lavinia Fisher. Other Southern locales getting the TAPS treatment are Louisiana’s Alexandria Zoo and the French Quarter in New Orleans. TAPS also continues its mission of helping families in need with episodes investigating individual claims of paranormal activity in private homes.
Hot Set
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 10 p.m. (new series)
From the producers of Face Off, Hot Set is an extreme set design competition for Hollywood production designers hosted by Ben Mankiewicz. Each week, two designers and their teams will be challenged to build incredible blockbuster sets inspired by sci-fi, fantasy, horror, adventure, and more. The contestants will reveal their completed sets and edited film scenes to a panel of judges who are leaders in feature film production design.
Haven
Friday, Sept. 21, 10 p.m.(season premiere)
Season three picks up immediately following the events of the gripping season two finale with Audrey (Emily Rose) having been kidnapped; Nathan (Lucas Bryant) warned against pursuing a romantic relationship with Audrey; and Duke (Eric Balfour) seemingly engaged in a fight to the death with Nathan after he discovers his family lineage is to kill "troubled" citizens of Haven. Haven is based on the novella The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King. In the new season, WWE Superstar Edge® returns as Dwight, Bree Williamson (Gossip Girl, One Life to Live) joins the cast as psychiatrist Dr. Claire Callahan, a close friend and confidant to Audrey, while guest stars include Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) along with Nolan North and Claudia Black, who co-starred with Emily Rose in the critically-acclaimed Uncharted video game franchise.
Lake Placid: The Final Chapter
Saturday, Sept. 29, 9 p.m. (new original movie)
Following Betty White, Cloris Leachman, and Colin Ferguson – who were all part of the Bickerman clan in previous Lake Placid movies – horror icon Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger/Nightmare on Elm Street) plays Jim Bickerman, a poacher looking to score a big break on hides and eggs from these rare crocs.
OCTOBER
31 Days of Halloween
Monday, Oct. 1- Wednesday, Oct. 31(special programming stunt)
Kicking off with the horror movie-themed "Countdown to 31 Days of Halloween" Sept. 23-30, Syfy’s annual month-long spook-a-thon showcases ghoulish programming from original series, original movies and theatrical films, concluding with a live Halloween episode of Face
Off.
Paranormal Witness
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 10 p.m. (special extended episode)
For the first time, all the key people involved in the most famous alien abduction case in history reveal what they saw and experienced during a special 90-minute episode of Paranormal Witness. In "The Abduction," unparalleled eyewitness accounts, alongside original film and audio recordings, tell the story of the legendary 1975 abduction (and reappearance) of Arizona logger Travis Walton, whose five day UFO experience inspired the cult film, Fire in the Sky. Thirty-seven years later, Walton and the six loggers who lived through the events and ensuing investigation still stand by every word of their story. Other witnesses backing up their claims include the investigating sheriff, their polygraph analyst and the doctor who initially examined Walton after his reappearance.
American Horror House
Saturday, Oct. 13, 9 p.m.(new original movie)
On Halloween night, a sorority house is overrun with ghosts, while a vengeful housemother goes on a killing spree. American Horror stars Morgan Fairchild and Alessandra
Torresani (Caprica).
Rise of the Zombies
Saturday, Oct. 27, 9 p.m. (new original movie)
Survivors of a zombie plague escape their island refuge (Alcatraz) when it’s overrun and risk the outside world to find a scientist who is rumored to have found a cure for the disease. Rise of the Zombies stars Mariel Hemingway, LeVar Burton, Danny Trejo and French Stewart.
Scare Tactics
Monday, Oct. 29, 7-10:30 p.m. (season five marathon)
Host Tracy Morgan returns for this special marathon of all-new episodes of Scare Tactics, the hidden camera show with a sci-fi twist that pulls outrageous pranks on unsuspecting friends and family. In the season premiere, singer/actress Brooke Hogan makes her Scare Tactics debut as a ravenous zombie. Elsewhere, sexy witches convince a handyman to help them in an off-kilter ritual and a repo man tries to avoid being turned into a human doll by a deranged shut-in.
Total Blackout
Tuesday, Oct. 29, 10:30 p.m. (special preview episode)
Following the Scare Tactics marathon, tune in for a special preview episode of the hit Syfy extreme game show hosted by Jaleel White (Family Matters).
Viral Video Showdown
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 10 p.m. (new original series)
From 495 Productions, the producers of Jersey Shore, and hosted by Kevin Pereira (Attack of the Show) Viral Video Showdown features the greatest viral video creators on the planet going head-to-head in an epic battle for bragging rights and a cash prize. Each week two teams will have to dig deep into their bag of viral tricks to create a video that best captures that week’s theme and impresses the expert panel of viral video judges.
Face Off Live Finale
Wednesday, Oct. 31, 10 p.m. (special live season three finale)
Face Off unveils a crowning event for its third season with plans for its first live broadcast from Los Angeles on Halloween night. For the first time, America’s voice will be heard as viewers will make the final choice for the Season 3 champion via a live voting feature that will be available immediately following the October 30 episode. McKenzie Westmore will host the special event and reunite the contestants, including the three finalists who will find out live if they garnered enough viewer votes to win the season.
NOVEMBER
Total Blackout
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m. (season two premiere)
Hosted by Jaleel White (Family Matters), Syfy’s highest-rated new program of 2012 returns with new episodes. Total Blackout is a half-hour, extreme game show in which
contestants battle each other and their fears in a series of challenges played in complete darkness. There are no lights, no blindfolds and no-holds barred as the players must face their anxieties and overcome unexpected surprises in a series of new and never-before-seen challenges that raise the stakes to new heights.
-Larissa Mrykalo