Shane Madej

Last updated
Shane Madej
Born
Shane Alexander Madej

(1986-05-16) May 16, 1986 (age 38)
Schaumburg, Illinois, U.S.
Education Columbia College Chicago
Occupations
  • Internet personality
  • paranormal investigator
Years active2014–present
Known for
Spouse
Sara Rubin
​
(m. 2023)​

Shane Alexander Madej (born May 16, 1986) is an American Internet personality, paranormal investigator, and co-founder of digital entertainment company, Watcher Entertainment. Madej rose to prominence for co-starring in the YouTube true crime and supernatural series BuzzFeed Unsolved .

Contents

Early life

Madej was born on May 16, 1986, in Schaumburg, Illinois to Mark and Sherry Madej. He has one brother, Scott. [1]

He went to Northern Illinois University for two years before attending Columbia College Chicago for editing. [2] [3] Following his graduation, Madej worked several jobs including producing corporate videos, working in public-access television and at Starbucks. [4]

Career

BuzzFeed (2014–2019)

Madej joined BuzzFeed as an intern before later joining the unscripted team. [4] In December 2016, Madej took over as the co-host in BuzzFeed Unsolved with Ryan Bergara. He made his first appearance in the episode "The Secret Society Of The Illuminati" The show was split into two separate series, Unsolved: True Crime and Unsolved: Supernatural. The former featured Bergara presenting unsolved true crime cases to Madej and presenting possible theories, [5] [6] while Supernatural consisted of the pair investigating reportedly haunted locations and attempting to elicit responses for paranormal proof. The show became one of Buzzfeed's most successful series, generating over a billion video views and 16.6 billion minutes of total watch time. [7]

Madej left BuzzFeed as a full-time employee in 2019. In 2020, he and Bergara signed a contract to finish the final seasons of Unsolved, which ended in 2021. [8]

Watcher Entertainment (2019–present)

In 2019, Madej co-founded a digital production company, Watcher Entertainment, with fellow ex-Buzzfeed employees, Bergara and Steven Lim. [9] [10] The trio served as co-CEOs until 2023, when both Madej and Bergara stepped down to focus on the creation of content. [11]

The channel hosts are a variety of shows starring Madej, Bergara, and Lim, spanning cooking, mystery, gaming, and horror. [9] Included is Unsolved's successors – Mystery Files and Ghost Files – which have both proved successful. [12]

Madej is the creator of the web series, Puppet History . [8] The series consists of Madej starring as The Professor, a puppet, quizzing Bergara and a special guest on peculiar historical events and people. [13]

In 2023, Madej and Bergara went on a national tour to premiere the second season of Ghost Files. [14] [15]

Personal life

In September 2023, Madej married his longtime girlfriend, Sara Rubin. [16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020Beautiful DayMale HikerShort Film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020 S.W.A.T. IraEpisode: "Gunpowder Treason"

Related Research Articles

<i>Unsolved Mysteries</i> American true crime television series

Unsolved Mysteries is an American mystery documentary television series, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Karl Malden, and Robert Stack, beginning on NBC on January 20, 1987, becoming a full-fledged series on October 5, 1988, hosted by Stack. After nine seasons on NBC, the series moved to CBS for its 10th season on November 13, 1997. After adding Virginia Madsen as a co-host during season 11 failed to boost slipping ratings, CBS canceled the series after only a two-season, 12-episode run on June 11, 1999. The series was revived by Lifetime in 2000, with season 12 beginning on July 2, 2001. Unsolved Mysteries aired 103 episodes on Lifetime, before ending on September 20, 2002, an end that coincided with Stack's illness and eventual death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waverly Hills Sanatorium</span> U.S. NRHP hospital

The Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a former sanatorium located in the Waverly Hills neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.

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">Ghost hunting</span> Investigating reportedly haunted locations for ghosts

Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. The practice has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method. No scientific study has ever been able to confirm the existence of ghosts. Ghost hunting is considered a pseudoscience by the vast majority of educators, academics, science writers and skeptics. Science historian Brian Regal described ghost hunting as "an unorganized exercise in futility".

A ghosthunter is a person who engages in ghost hunting, the process of investigating locations that are allegedly haunted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Mackey's Music World</span> Nightclub in Wilder, Kentucky, US

Bobby Mackey's Music World is a nightclub and honky tonk located in Wilder, Kentucky, United States owned by country singer Bobby Mackey. Urban legends claim the nightclub is the site of hauntings, murders, and suicides; however, no credible evidence exists for such claims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whaley House (San Diego, California)</span> Residence, landmark, and museum in Old Town, San Diego, California, US

The Whaley House is a Greek Revival style residence and museum in Old Town, San Diego, California. It is the oldest brick structure in Southern California, built in 1857. It is a California Historical Landmark No. 65 and is currently maintained by Historic Tours of America, Inc (HTA).

BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Kenneth Lerer, co-founder and chairman of The Huffington Post, started as a co-founder and investor in BuzzFeed and is now the executive chairman.

<i>American Horror Story: Cult</i> Seventh season of American Horror Story

The seventh season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during the year 2017, and centers on a cult terrorizing the residents in the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It is a season that does not present supernatural elements. The smallest ensemble cast of the series, it includes Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Billie Lourd, Cheyenne Jackson, and Alison Pill, with all returning from previous seasons, except newcomers Lourd and Pill. This season marks the first to not feature cast mainstay Lily Rabe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Ignatius Hospital</span> Hospital in Washington, United States

St. Ignatius Hospital is a former manor hospital located in Colfax, Washington, United States, established in 1892 by the Sisters of Providence.

<i>BuzzFeed Unsolved</i> Investigative web series

BuzzFeed Unsolved is a documentary entertainment web series created by Ryan Bergara for BuzzFeed that ran from February 4, 2016, to November 19, 2021. It first appeared on the YouTube channel BuzzFeed Blue and was later given its own flagship channel BuzzFeed Unsolved Network.

<i>Profile</i> (2018 TV series) 2018 American TV series or program

Profile is an American talk show hosted by Audie Cornish that premiered on July 22, 2018, on Facebook Watch.

<i>Worth It</i> (TV series) 2016 American TV series or program

Worth It was an American entertainment web series by BuzzFeed. Starring Steven Lim and Andrew Ilnyckyj, it ran from September 18, 2016 to April 8, 2023. Posted to Hulu and YouTube, each episode of the series compares three different food dishes from three locations that are sold at low, medium, and high price points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinta Brunson</span> American actress, writer, comedian and producer (b. 1989)

Quinta Brunson is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She is best known for creating, executive producing, co-writing and starring as second-grade teacher Janine Teagues in the ABC comedy series Abbott Elementary (2021–present). Brunson gained prominence for her self-produced Instagram series Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date. She went on to produce and act in videos for BuzzFeed Video, and developed two streaming series with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures.

Ryan Steven Bergara is an American Internet personality, actor, paranormal investigator, and co-founder of digital entertainment company, Watcher Entertainment. Bergara first rose to prominence after creating and co-starring in the YouTube true crime and supernatural series BuzzFeed Unsolved.

<i>CSI: Vegas</i> American crime drama television series

CSI: Vegas is an American crime drama television series that debuted on CBS on October 6, 2021. It is a revival of the 2000–2015 series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the fifth and final series in the CSI franchise. The series stars Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon, and Mel Rodriguez as new characters. William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprised their roles from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle during the first season before departing, while Marg Helgenberger reprises her CSI: Crime Scene Investigation role as Catherine Willows beginning with season two. Wallace Langham, Paul Guilfoyle and Eric Szmanda also reprise their roles as David Hodges, Jim Brass and Greg Sanders, in a guest capacity.

The Sallie House is a haunted house and tourist attraction located in Atchison, Kansas. The house dates back to the mid-1800s, and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl named Sallie, though Sallie is also thought to be a facade for something more demonic. The house has been vacant since the 1990s.

Puppet History is an American comedy game show YouTube series created by Shane Madej and produced by Madej, Ryan Bergara, and Steven Lim. The show premiered on January 10, 2020, on the Watcher Entertainment YouTube channel.

Watcher Entertainment is an American digital media and entertainment company, founded by Steven Lim, Shane Madej, and Ryan Bergara. The channel features a variety of comedy, paranormal, gaming, cooking, and educational shows – typically hosted by Madej and Bergara. The Watcher main channel has over 400 million views and 2.8 million subscribers.

References

  1. ↑ Madej, Scott. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. ↑ Goodbye YouTube. YouTube. April 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ Fleshman, Cu (2020-02-25). "Q&A: Checking In With Steven Lim, Ryan Bergara And Shane Madej Of Watcher - Character Media" . Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  4. 1 2 Hale, James (26 September 2019). "Creators Going Pro: Ryan Bergara And Shane Madej Launch Season 6 Of Their Megahit Web Series 'BuzzFeed Unsolved'". Tubefilter (Blog). Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  5. ↑ Currier, Sarah (1 October 2023). "Ryan Bergara discusses past and future content at ISU AfterDark". Iowa State Daily . Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  6. ↑ Francisco, Eric (13 April 2019). "'BuzzFeed Unsolved': How the Hosts Choose New Crimes Every Season". Inverse . Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  7. ↑ Spangler, Todd (7 June 2021). "'BuzzFeed Unsolved' Final Two Seasons Set to Premiere This Year". Variety . Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  8. 1 2 "'Buzzfeed Unsolved' to 'Ghost Files': Ryan and Shane's triumph over the corporate machine". ‘Buzzfeed Unsolved’ to ‘Ghost Files’: Ryan and Shane’s triumph over the corporate machine - The Miami Student. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  9. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (2019-12-09). "Ex-BuzzFeed Video Staffers Launch Watcher Entertainment Digital Studio (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  10. ↑ Entertainment, Watcher. "Watcher Entertainment Launching January 2020 With Former Buzzfeed Talent At The Helm". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  11. ↑ Press 💬, The Publish. "Why This Channel Went from 3 CEOs to 1 🔻". The Publish Press. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  12. ↑ Alexander, Fisher (2022-10-03). "'Ghost Files' Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara Are the Best Ghost Hunters in the Biz". Collider. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  13. ↑ Alexander, Fisher (2023-03-12). "7 Watcher Entertainment's Must-Watch Shows". Collider. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  14. ↑ Huynh, Julie. "The Ghoul Boys are in town! Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej premiere new show "Ghost Files" at the Wilbur Theater". The Suffolk Journal. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  15. ↑ "Ghost Files Live! Tour ready to haunt the Luxor". Channel 13 Las Vegas News KTNV. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2024-02-05.
  16. ↑ "Sara E Rubin". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.