Syfy's 'Deep South Paranormal': Paranormal culture on the skids or spectral Southern comfort?

Fortenbery and his gris-gris stick...on an airboat.
Courtesy Syfy

BY AARON SAGERS


There are some spooky happenings in the woods down in the South, and no ordinary group of specter-seekin' paranormal investigators are quite the right fit for the job. I reckon that's the conceit behind Deep South Paranormal, the new ghost hunting reality-TV series that debuts tonight on Syfy at 10 p.m.

The show is a natural mash-up (or would you prefer gumbo?) of Syfy's long-running program Ghost Hunters -- now in its ninth season and the first of the modern wave of paranormal investigation-style shows -- and the mega, mega successful Duck Dynasty, which airs on cable network A&E (also on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.) but is drawing broadcast network numbers in the neighborhood of eight million viewers.

Described as a "hunt for evidence of restless souls in Dixie's most haunted locations," Deep South Paranormal is produced by BASE Productions (who were also behind Fact or Faked) and features a group of "born and bred Southerners, Cajuns and self-proclaimed rednecks." In addition to the typical ghost hunting gadgets of a K2 meter, REM-Pod, thermal & nightvision cams and digital audio recorders, the DSP crew also uses music and some Cajun gris-gris to stir up spirits.

Read more after the jump...

Syfy to debut new 'redneck' ghost hunting show

We've heard about this one for a bit, but still weren't certain if it was a joke or not. But today Syfy announced it is indeed coming: Deep South Paranormal, a ghost hunting reality show focusing on the territory south of the Mason-Dixon.

Produced by BASE Productions (the same company behind Fact or Faked), Deep South will premiere April 10 at 10 p.m. ET and revolve around a "bayou-based team" and "homegrown blend of Cajun, Creole and self-proclaimed rednecks."

According to the network press release, the show will pursue the mysteries that have baffled Southerners and follow the no-doubt eccentric team as they "take on anything from swamp apparitions to haunted plantation houses and Southern voodoo legends."

"The fun-loving charm of these larger-than-life characters becomes deadly serious when it comes to their investigations, which deal not only with the hazards of paranormal phenomenon," says Syfy, "but with physical dangers like gators, snakes, spiders, wild hogs, and mosquitoes."

You can't help but marvel at the obviousness and brilliance of the gimmick. It's Ghost Hunters meets Swamp People and Duck Dynasty (which has been a huge ratings performer). Although the question remains: Syfy is still clearly interested in producing shows for the paranormal space, but is their faith in the GH brand waning? After all, as the show heads towards its tenth season, Syfy has not yet announced another season pickup.

As for Deep South Paranormal, the 6-episode season will have the team investigating Alabama’s Bear Creek Swamp, the Old Cahawba ghost town, Florida’s Manntown Cemetery and the Mont Helena Plantation in the Mississippi Delta, to name just a few.

-Aaron Sagers