Deep South Paranormal – Hillbilly Ghost Huntin’!
OK, I’m well aware that hillbilly TV is the hot thing right now. Duck Dynasty is the #1 reality show on the boob tube. Everything southern is in, from crazy kids with too much time on their hands to gator wrestlers, loggers, pawn shops and everything in between. So it was only a matter of time until Syfy caught on and melded rednecks with ghosts, giving us Deep South Paranormal.
My immediate family are the only ones in the line that are sided with the Yanks. All of my cousins and aunts and uncles can be found in North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas. I may live in New York, but I love listening to Gretchen Wilson and Shooter Jennings and pretty much walk around looking like Larry the Cable Guy once the warm weather sets in. I can appreciate the love of the south (though I am no fan of the heat and humidity that comes with the territory).
Fans of shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures may not take a shine to this addition to ParaTV because it’s not really about the ghosts. Nope, Deep South Paranormal is about the folks who like to traipse around haunted places in the dead of night. And oh what a group they’ve assembled.
When you look at the cast, your eyes immediately go to the 2 ZZ Top dudes with beards that leave me green with envy. The true star of the show is old man Hart, a colorful Cajun who walks around with a gris gris stick to call on spirits. He’s fast talking, funny as hell, and introduces us to colorful terms like getting the frissons, which means the shudders. I could watch this guy all day.
Then there’s Keith, our narrator (who makes every episode sound like we’re setting down to catch the latest Dukes of Hazard) and rocker. Keith looks like he’s half asleep most of the time, but he does have a nifty little trick of playing his guitar to pique the interest of any nearby spirits.
Randy is young and brash and has more tats that an Attica lifer. He’s perfectly paired with Hart. Young and old really work well together and you can tell they genuinely like one another.
Jonathan is the head guy and seems to be the more level headed of the group. He’s aided by Benny, who is another funny good old boy, Kali (Randy’s sister) and Kevin, the gadget guy.
So, what makes this show tick? So far, it isn’t the ghosts. Even though they’ve investigated plantations and a saw mill, I’m more amused by watching them feed their friend’s pet gators, suck the breath from a frog for voodoo protection, pluck feathers from a live rooster and go mudding with their trucks.
Is Deep South Paranormal adding anything new to the world of paranormal investigations? No. But they are fun to watch. And it’s about time we had a ghost hunting show where everyone doesn’t walk around as dour as the Tall Man in Phantasm. Thanks Syfy.
Hunter Shea 
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!
Ok, now that is out of my system… I’ve watched DSP a few times and you’re right – it isn’t the spirits that make the show watchable…. well, maybe the liquid spirits, but not the ethereal ones.
I’m glad you referenced listening to Keith in context with the Dukes of Hazzard, I felt the same way. His voice is way cool.
Animal Planet has a show, Ghostland Tennessee. I’ve seen one episode and it wasn’t too bad, a little quirky as well.
I have to check out Ghostland Tennessee. I saw ads for it, but never found out when it was on. Time to check the ol On-Demand.
I’m torn here. On the one hand, I hate shows that are based more on the chemistry of a band of characters than the topic. I feel guilty about being entertained by stereotypical portrayals. On the other hand, I am fascinated by all things deep south. And I WANT to see the quirky regionalism that is so far removed from the bland, middle-America, strip mall & green-space norm.
I do better with True Blood – at least that’s stright-up fiction.
I totally see your point. I wonder what sector of the country will get all the attention after viewers have tired of the south.
Will y’all please stop callin’ these folks (DSP and the duck dudes) Hillbillies. There ain’t no damn hills in S.Louisiana.
Point well taken!
They are as funny in real life as on camera. Each one is very different and brings something great to the table. I can speak with some authority, our house was featured on episode 4.
Now that’s cool! Next best thing to being on one of these paranormal teams is hosting them. Which one of them was your favorite?
I personally love the show. Yes the crew is fun to watch and they do have great chemistry together, but thier quirky ways seem to work because I have seen more activity on this show in the few episodes they have had then I have on Ghost Hunters.
How does a southerner adjust to northern life (oh, the horror!)? I shudder everytime I think of heading anywhere north of Virginia! My mama taught me to say “thank you”, “please”, and “yes maam” and “no maam”. They must look at you as if you have two heads if you’re ever tempted repeat any of those phrases. 🙂
I was raised in the north and if we neglected to say those things, that was a slap upside the head. LOL