The Dead Files

Another show on the Travel Channel is called "The Dead Files." This is based on the idea of putting a psychic/medium and a former policeman together, both investigating the site separately, then coming together in the end to compare notes.

Amy Allen is the psychic/medium, and Steve DiSchiavi is a former NYPD homicide detective. What makes it interesting is both come across as very credible. Amy is able to actually see dead people, and communicate with them. I will say that she seems very real, even feeling the pain the dead felt when they died. If she is an actor, she should be on the Silver Screen. Her expressions are at times priceless. If she pulling one over on us, damn she needs an Oscar. Steve is the real thing too. You can detect his accent, and I have a feeling he was a very good detective. He investigates and gathers facts. Facts on who lived and died there, and any other truthful things he can uncover. Also on the show is Amy's hubby, Matt Anderson. He is the "cleaner." He goes to the site before Amy and removes or covers up anything that might be leading. What I mean is, anything that might help her. It essentially makes her blind. Except if she is in a location that you can't remove things, such as a prison. He also follows Amy during her investigation, filming her on a Handy Cam. He also asks her questions that all of us watching may want to know the answer to.

The episode I last saw was them at the New Mexico State Penitentiary (now closed). An actress was involved with filming there. She was experiencing failing health, and her home was now haunted after the shoot. Her big mistake was finding a hat at the site, bringing it home for her kids to play with. Shortly after, she began seeing a shadow figure, and her health declined. She made the cardinal mistake of trying to burn the hat in her fireplace. She thought the bad associated with the hat would go up in smoke, and out the roof. I guess burning an attached object is actually the worst thing you can do. Amy also sensed she had some psychic abilities, compounding the haunting. Amy investigated both the prison and her home. This is where she saw the "shadow devil." Gotta love it. She had never seen anything like it. In the mean time, Steve talked to ex-prison guards and an ex-con. This was also the site of one the worst riots in US prison history. He also found out that the site the prison was built on was the site of a horrible Indian battle. Amy thought that the ground was cursed even before that.

Long story short, Steve leaves it up to Amy to tell the people if they are in danger, and what to do. What makes it real is that I believe Steve didn't believe in ghosts until he met Amy. She will start giving details that match up with the facts he has gathered. While it is possible that all this is crap, and that Amy could know the story, I have a hard time believing Steve would jeopardize his standing, all for a TV show. But then again, money can make people do a lot. During the show Amy also has a sketch made of the most prevalent ghost, or the most dangerous thing she encounters. The last 15 minutes of this hour-long show is the "Reveal." I won't give anymore away. I'd suggest watching and judge for yourself. If it is a scam, there are many poorly made shows on the paranormal that don't deserve an hour of your life. I think this one does. It shows on Friday, at 10pm Eastern. They stick it in between Ghost Adventure episodes. Let me say that it makes for a good night of viewing on Fridays if you're home. After watching the last season of "The Ultimate Fighter" where all the contestants really didn't do any fighting, and mostly laid on each other for 5-minute rounds, you'd be better off watching the Travel Channel. I think they moved Ultimate for the new season from Fridays, probably because these shows were better than real-life fights. Just saying...