Ghost Adventures: Why The Crew Don't Scrap Failed Investigations

"Ghost Adventures" is a long-running series where paranormal investigators seek proof of ghosts and other apparitions. They explore some of the most haunted areas in the world, but as tends to be the case with this specific genre of reality television, they usually don't find anything. Maybe there are spooky noises and bizarre heat signatures, but after over a decade on the air, they still haven't proven ghosts are real. 

Some episodes are more interesting than others, and in some cases, they genuinely don't find anything of note. It makes it a bit odd they would air those episodes when nothing really happens, but Zak Bagans did an interview with E! News where he explained why they leave those episodes in: "I think it's interesting, and I think it shows that, you know, not every investigation is going to be the same. They're not carbon copies, locations are different." Failure and setbacks are part of the process for any profession, and sometimes, what makes an episode interesting isn't necessarily the ghosts.

While the paranormal investigators show up from one episode to the next, it's always interesting to see who they will interview about any specific location. Sometimes, a real-life story (whether based on myths or not) can captivate an audience regardless of whether they find anything juicy. It's also interesting to speculate who may make up a story just to get on TV. 

Zak Bagans discussed this on one particular episode of "Ghost Adventures," "There was an episode we did called 'Demons in Seattle,' and this couple claimed all of this poltergeist activity, Bibles setting on fire [and] black writing all over the bedroom walls... They were making this out to be the most haunted house in America but, unfortunately, we just didn't document any activity while we were there." He admits being suspicious of some stories, and that merely presents an opportunity to determine who believes what they're saying and who's telling a tall tale. He concluded, "Maybe we're kind of grilling our interviewees a little bit more."

The best "Ghost Adventures" episodes have something going for them, even if they don't catch paranormal activity on camera. There's a weird story based on reality, or the guys check out unique houses that belong to someone of note, like occultist Richard Lael Lillard. Usually, they can find something that raises some questions, so when there's absolutely nothing, it's disappointing, especially for Bagans and crew.