The world of the supernatural is as thrilling as it is scary. For decades, adrenaline junkies and curious souls have witnessed the world of the paranormal through their TV screens. ‘Ghost Hunters’ became one of the pioneering shows that explored the arena of ‘the other side’. Packed with action, drama, history, suspense, thrills, and jump scares, it introduces us to a myriad of mysteries all around the US. The universe of spirits is not an untapped territory, but not many have dared to discover it. One of the most-watched shows of all time, ‘Ghost Hunters’ to date, has a wide base of loyal fans and followers worldwide.
The American reality-documentary series first debuted in 2004. It aired on the Syfy television channel and came out with 11 seasons till 2016. The show features a team of paranormal investigators who travel in and around the US to reportedly haunted locations. They use electronic equipment to track any paranormal activity happening around the site. Later, they review the recordings and footage and analyze the situation that took place. The superhit series inspired many spin-offs that became equally popular.
The program features Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson as lead investigators who became insanely famous through the show. They both were employees of a plumbing and cleanup service company and bonded on their passion for the supernatural. They would often scout haunted places around their city at night. This led them to become the co-founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS). TAPS is a volunteer organization based in Warwick that conducts private investigations for people and accepts donations. Their group was also joined by Dave Tango as a tech manager and Steve Gonsalves as a co-investigator. They, too, starred in ‘Ghost Hunters’ as a primary team.
In 2019, the show was revived for its twelfth season after a gap of 3 years. But, unfortunately, Jason Hawes did not feature in it.
Why Did Jason Hawes Leave Ghost Hunters?
In 2012, Grant Wilson left the show. He also left TAPS. There was no official statement released explaining the reason for his departure. But since then, the TRP of the show slipped, and it received a lot of criticism for being scripted. The team, led by Jason, tried to drag the show for another four years, but things didn’t improve. In 2016, Syfy decided to drop the show from their network altogether. Jason agreed to it and wrapped up the production. The series, since then, stood canceled.
In 2019, the A&E television network picked up the series again and renewed it for the 12th season, but only Grant Wilson featured in it. The show also cast a whole new team of investigators.
It is not known as to why Jason and the original team are not in it. Some reports suggest that Jason and Grant had a falling out. Some also hint at the assumption that they weren’t approached for the casting. Others believe that they denied the offer. Sources also reveal that, by then, Jason and his original team had already started filming for another show called ‘Ghost Nation’.
Jason’s New Show: Ghost Nation
At the same time, Jason and his original team, including Steve and Dave, began filming for another competing show of their own called ‘Ghost Nation‘. The three founded another organization called ‘United Paranormal Research Organization’ and that is the main theme of the series.
Even though the concept is the same, this time around, the team answers a call of help from other organizations, who are already investigating a haunted location in the US but need the team’s expertise. They also investigate private properties at the resident’s request, which helps them maintain a national network of investigators and support them. ‘Ghost Nation’ aims to help real people and families affected by the supernatural.
This entirely new series that first premiered in December 2019 was very well received by the public.
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