Scariest Places on Earth

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Scariest Places on Earth
SPoE.jpg
Genre Paranormal
Reality
Horror
Presented by Linda Blair
StarringLinda Blair
Alan Robson
Narrated by Zelda Rubinstein
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes41
Production
Executive producerSteve Kroopnick
Camera setup Multiple-camera
Running time44–46 minutes
Production companyTriage Entertainment
Original release
Network Fox Family
ReleaseOctober 23, 2000 (2000-10-23) 
October 29, 2006 (2006-10-29)

Scariest Places on Earth is an American paranormal reality television series that originally aired from October 23, 2000, to October 29, 2006, on Fox Family, and later ABC Family. The show was hosted by Linda Blair, with narration by Zelda Rubinstein. The show featured reported cases of the paranormal by detailing the location's history, and then sending an ordinary family to visit the location in a reality television-style vigil.

Contents

Synopsis

The series is hosted by Linda Blair, and narrated by Zelda Rubinstein. [1] Alan Robson acted as an on-site correspondent. [2] While the show is set in numerous locations around the world, the interstitials featuring Blair and Robson were shot in Los Angeles, California. [2]

In a 2001 interview with Larry King, host Blair explained the series:

When we were kids, we used to tell ghost stories, but as we've gotten older -- I have friends who are scientific researchers, and I ask them questions. My mother has passed on. I choose to think she is in a wonderful, other place that we all will go. But I think that some people are trapped here... Well, these are the places that people have talked about for years, and years, that they go in, and you physically feel something is wrong. Some people do see things. Whether it's in a mind, we don't know. [2]

Syndication

Reruns were aired on Syfy, which is a part of NBC Universal. It then aired on NBC Universal's now defunct horror- and suspense-themed cable channel Chiller.

Episodes

North America

LocationCityState or
province
CountryRef.
Alcatraz Island San Francisco California United States [3]
Alton Military Prison Alton Illinois United States [4]
Amargosa Opera House and Hotel Death Valley Junction California United States [5]
Athens Lunatic Asylum Athens Ohio United States [6]
Borden House Fall River Massachusetts United States [7]
Bunnyman Bridge Fairfax Virginia United States [8]
Cheesman Park Denver Colorado United States [7]
Dixmont State Hospital Sewickley Pennsylvania United States [9]
Dorsey Mansion Springer New Mexico United States [10]
Eastern State Penitentiary Philadelphia Pennsylvania United States [11]
First Unitarian Church Alton Illinois United States [4]
Fort Pulaski Cockspur Island Georgia United States [12]
Goldfield Hotel Goldfield Nevada United States [13]
Guanajuato Crypts Guanajuato City Guanajuato Mexico [13]
Hot Lake Resort Hot Lake Oregon United States [13]
Lake Shawnee Amusement Park Princeton West Virginia United States [7]
McPike Mansion Alton Illinois United States [12]
Magnolia Plantation Derry Louisiana United States [14]
Mansfield Reformatory Mansfield Ohio United States [15]
Metropolitan State Hospital Waltham Massachusetts United States [5]
Mineral Springs Hotel Alton Illinois United States [4]
Mission La Purísima Concepción Lompoc California United States [16]
New Jersey Pine Barrens Pine Barrens New Jersey United States [11]
New London Ledge Light New London Connecticut United States [5]
Rose Hall Montego Bay Saint James Parish Jamaica [15]
RMS Queen Mary Long Beach California United States [3]
Savannah Underground Savannah Georgia United States [3]
Seul Choix Light Manistique Michigan United States [17]
Sloss Furnaces Birmingham Alabama United States [16]
Thunderbird Lodge Lake Tahoe Nevada United States [18]
Schilling farmhouse Johnstown Missouri United States [19]
USS Hornet Alameda California United States [9]
Villisca Ax Murder House Villisca Iowa United States [4]
Waverly Hills Sanatorium Louisville Kentucky United States [17]
West Virginia State Penitentiary Moundsville West Virginia United States [9]
Westminster Hall and Burying Ground Baltimore Maryland United States [19]
Wilson Hall Athens Ohio United States [6]

Europe

LocationCityCounty or
region
CountryRef.
Abbey of Thelema Cefalù Sicily Italy [16]
Balgonie Castle Milton of Balgonie Fife Scotland [20]
Bran Castle Bran Brașov Romania [21]
Cachtice Castle Čachtice Trenčín Slovakia [22]
Catacombe dei Cappuccini Palermo Sicily Italy [12]
Catacombs of Paris Paris Île-de-France France [11]
Charleville Castle Tullamore County Offaly Ireland [23]
Chillingham Castle Chillingham Northumberland England [24]
Colosseum Rome Lazio Italy [8]
Dalhousie Castle Cockpen Midlothian Scotland [25]
Edinburgh Vaults Edinburgh City of Edinburgh council area Scotland [3]
Greyfriars Kirkyard Edinburgh City of Edinburgh council area Scotland [9]
Haydon Bridge Haydon Bridge Northumberland England [6]
Hunedoara Castle Hunedoara Hunedoara Romania [26]
Leap Castle Coolderry County Offaly Ireland [9]
Lucedio Abbey Trino Vercelli Italy [27]
Montpelier Hill Wicklow Mountains Dublin Ireland [13]
Old Bell Hotel Malmesbury Wiltshire England [19]
Oranmore Castle Oranmore Galway Ireland [8]
Poveglia Poveglia Venice Italy [28]
Walls of Genoa Genoa Liguria Italy [5]
Woodchester Mansion Woodchester Gloucestershire England [29]

Controversies

The main controversy with the show was that it was accused of fabricating some of the aired events. According to the documentary crew for a film on the Villisca axe murders, the segment which profiled the murder site—the Josiah B. and Sara Moore House—contained numerous falsities; among the allegations were that it featured a fake newspaper reproduction, photos of an unknown family presented as the murder victims, and an actress posing as a town resident. [30]

Additionally, the "Devil Hunters" crew featured in the segment on the Jersey Devil claimed that the segment which ran thirteen minutes in length, had been edited from two days' worth of footage, and that numerous details were sensationalized and/or added in post-production. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Linda Blair</span> American actress and animal rights activist (born 1959)

Linda Denise Blair is an American actress and activist. Known for her work in the horror genre, she first came to prominence with her portrayal of Regan MacNeil in the film The Exorcist (1973), for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The film established her as a scream queen and she reprised her role in two sequels: Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) and The Exorcist: Believer (2023).

<i>Most Haunted</i> British television series

Most Haunted was a British paranormal reality television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leap Castle</span> Castle in Ireland

Leap Castle is a castle in Coolderry, County Offaly, Ireland, about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of the town of Roscrea and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Kinnitty on the R421.

Paranormal television is a genre of reality television that purports to document factual investigations of the paranormal rather than fictional representations seen in traditional narrative films and TV. Over the years, the genre has grown to be a staple of television and even changed the programming focus of networks like the History Channel and the Travel Channel. By highlighting beliefs in topics ranging from Bigfoot to aliens, paranormal television continues to elevate popular interest in the paranormal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed and Lorraine Warren</span> American paranormal investigators

Edward Warren Miney and Lorraine Rita Warren were American paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings. Edward was a self-taught and self-professed demonologist, author, and lecturer. Lorraine professed to be clairvoyant and a light trance medium who worked closely with her husband.

<i>Fear</i> (TV series) American paranormal reality television series

Fear is an American paranormal reality television series that originally aired from 2000 to 2002 on MTV and spawned the genre. The program follows a group of five or more contestants who are left at an allegedly haunted location and led on a series of dares over two nights to explore the location and determine whether it is haunted. The show was created by Martin Kunert and Eric Manes, who were inspired by the 1973 horror film The Legend of Hell House. The pilot episode was co-executive produced and directed by George Verschoor. The series aired the first two episodes in a pilot run, which received outstanding reviews, and a full season was ordered. After eight more episodes, another season was ordered. The second season ended after only six aired episodes. The series was cancelled not because of a lack of interest but because of the high cost of producing each episode. A DVD, MTV's Inside Fear, was released on November 6, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ohio State Reformatory</span> United States historic place

The Ohio State Reformatory (OSR), also known as the Mansfield Reformatory, is a historic prison located in Mansfield, Ohio in the United States. It was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation until 1990, when a United States Federal Court ruling ordered the facility to be closed. While this facility was seen in a number of films, TV shows and music videos, it was made famous by the film The Shawshank Redemption (1994) when it was used for most scenes of the movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zelda Rubinstein</span> American actress and human rights activist

Zelda May Rubinstein was an American actress and human rights activist, known as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the Poltergeist film series. Playing "Ginny", she was a regular on David E. Kelley's Emmy Award-winning television series Picket Fences for two seasons. She also made guest appearances in the TV show Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996), as seer Christina, and was the voice of Skittles candies in their long-running "Taste the Rainbow" ad campaign. Rubinstein was also known for her outspoken activism for little people and her early participation in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

<i>Ghost Adventures</i> American paranormal reality television show

Ghost Adventures is an American paranormal and reality television series that premiered on October 17, 2008, on the Travel Channel before moving to Discovery+ in 2021. An independent film of the same name originally aired on the Sci-Fi Channel on July 25, 2007. The program follows ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, Billy Tolley, and Jay Wasley as they investigate locations that are reported to be haunted.

Ghost Stories is an American paranormal television series that premiered on October 16, 2009 on the Travel Channel. The program is produced by MY Tupelo Entertainment. As its title implies, the series features ghost stories. Each episode showcases stories, legends and tales of different reportedly haunted locations in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villisca axe murders</span> 1912 killing spree in Iowa, US

The Villisca axe murders occurred between the evening of June 9, 1912, to the early morning of June 10, 1912; in the town of Villisca, Iowa, in the United States. The six members of the Moore family and two guests were found bludgeoned in the Moore residence. All eight victims, including six children, had severe head wounds from an axe. A lengthy investigation yielded several suspects, one of whom was tried twice. The first trial ended in a hung jury and the second ended in an acquittal.

The following are reportedly haunted locations in Pennsylvania:

Haunted Hotels is an American paranormal television series that premiered on October 24, 2001, on the Travel Channel. The series features haunted hotels in America and the ghost stories that are told from employees and guests alike who work and stay in them. They give their own personal accounts about encounters with the supernatural while working or visiting a particular hotel.

<i>Paranormal Lockdown</i> American TV series or program

Paranormal Lockdown is a paranormal reality television series that was executively produced by Nick Groff, formerly of Ghost Adventures. The series follows Nick Groff and fellow paranormal researcher Katrina Weidman as they confine themselves for 72 straight hours in what they claim to be some of the most haunted locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Shawnee Amusement Park</span> Defunct amusement park in West Virginia

The Lake Shawnee Amusement Park is a defunct amusement park in Princeton, West Virginia, United States, located along Lake Shawnee. Opened in 1926, the park operated for 62 years before closing in 1988. It received public attention for urban legends regarding the park being haunted due to accidental deaths supposedly caused by "cursed land".

References

  1. Gray, Rich (2004). Click or Treat!: The Best of Halloween and Horror on the Internet. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. p. 72. ISBN   978-0-786-41862-6.
  2. 1 2 3 Blair, Linda (April 13, 2001). "Are There Ghosts?" (Transcript). Larry King Live . CNN. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Ghost Ship". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 1. Episode 4. October 26, 2000. Fox Family.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Haunting the Heartland". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 13. May 25, 2001. Fox Family.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Fortress of Blood". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 1. Episode 3. October 25, 2000. Fox Family.
  6. 1 2 3 "Satan's Dormitory". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 1. Episode 1. October 23, 2000. Fox Family.
  7. 1 2 3 "Urban Legends 2". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 8. October 22, 2002. Fox Family.
  8. 1 2 3 "Curse of the Roman Gladiators". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 1. March 26, 2001. Fox Family.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Legendary Haunts". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 10. March 29, 2001. Fox Family.
  10. "Cemetery of the Angry Undead". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 4. October 29, 2002. Fox Family.
  11. 1 2 3 "Eastern State Penitentiary". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 1. Episode 2. October 24, 2000. Fox Family.
  12. 1 2 3 "Village of the Damned". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 2. March 27, 2001. Fox Family.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Goldfield Ghost Hunt". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 24. October 25, 2001. Fox Family.
  14. "Magnolia Lane Plantation". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 5. March 30, 2001. Fox Family.
  15. 1 2 "White Witch". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 3. March 28, 2001. Fox Family.
  16. 1 2 3 "Lair of the Wickedest Man on Earth". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 8. April 20, 2001. Fox Family.
  17. 1 2 "Contagion of Fear". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 22. October 23, 2001. Fox Family.
  18. "Fear Force". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 4. October 22, 2002. Fox Family.
  19. 1 2 3 "A House Possessed". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 6. April 6, 2001. Fox Family.
  20. "Waverly Hills Sanatorium". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 11. October 30, 2002. Fox Family.
  21. "A Night in Dracula's Castle: The Transylvania Dare". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 25. October 26, 2001. Fox Family.
  22. "Castle of the Blood Countess". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 9. October 29, 2002. Fox Family.
  23. "Charleville: Haunted Irish Castle Dare". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 7. April 13, 2001. Fox Family.
  24. "Chillingham". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 1. Episode 1. October 27, 2000. Fox Family.
  25. "Castle of the Cursed Souls". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 17. July 20, 2001. Fox Family.
  26. "Return to Transylvania". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 3. October 21, 2002. Fox Family.
  27. "Lucedio: Cursed Italian Monastery Dare". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 9. April 27, 2001. Fox Family.
  28. "Island of No Return: The Venice Dare". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 2. Episode 18. August 19, 2001. Fox Family.
  29. "Woodchester Mansion". Scariest Places on Earth. Season 3. Episode 2. October 20, 2002. Fox Family.
  30. "Regarding Fox's "Scariest Places" Program and Home Video and the Villisca Murders". Villiscamovie.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016.
  31. "Hunt #10". The Devil Hunters - Official Researchers of the Jersey Devil. August 11, 2000. Archived from the original on December 28, 2008.