The Dead Files

The discussion about this show seems to turn on whether it's "real" or not. I propose that it doesn't really matter. If you think it's fake, pretend that the legal disclaimer at the beginning says that the show is fictional, and enjoy a reality-TV-style drama about a medium and a cop who work together. Personally I think it's (mostly) real, but that's unimportant.

I find this show absolutely titillating because of the excellent storytelling. Most reality TV is carefully edited to make conversations flow just a little better (without necessarily changing their meanings), and they do it quite deftly here, interweaving the two story lines (that is, Steve and Amy) in a way that delights my brain when I want instant gratification. The (writers? producers?) throw down all the pieces of the puzzle in perfect order without quite connecting them; they let your imagination fill in the final, tiny gaps with the kind of lurid details that everyone's thinking but no one can say for sure. Steve gets what essentially amounts to the town gossip on the subject, and Amy embroiders them with colourful, often illuminating, and just a little bit graphic details.

Don't worry about reality. Take the homeowner's story at face value and enjoy the mystery's shocking solution!

I watch all these paranormal shows but I think this is probably the worst I've seen.

Amy Allan walks around a location she knows "nothing" about making faces that have an animatronics look about them. Then she reveals some uncannily accurate information. Notably more accurate information than psychics ever give outside of this format, which has been used on shows like haunted homes etc. She's joined by a retired detective who does a great "I'm surprised at that!" face.

The first thing I find unconvincing about her is the way she'll tell you there's a dead person stood right in front of her but she barely gives it a second glance. If you really could see dead people wouldn't you be slightly more interested in looking at that than the camera?

Then there's the Lizzie Borden house. She tells a little girl in a previous episode that she was obsessed with that house as a child yet, the very next episode claims to have no idea where she is. Did she get there by rendition or what? That bears some explaining I think.

I gave up watching this one. I like ghost hunting shows but this just seems very phoney to me. Also, just as an aside I looked into the helicopter crash she described. The victim wasn't spinning around as she suggests, it clipped a hill and exploded instantly. The sensation of spinning around is just the kind of thing a bogus psychic would slip in because it sounds fitting.

I've been watching The Dead Files since it began. I find Amy to be very believable.

One reviewer gave one example of why he felt Amy was a fake. Amy said a helicopter crash involved it "spinning", yet he researched it & it clipped a mountain & exploded, instead.

Any is seldom 100% accurate. There are, more often than not, some inconsistencies between her information & Steve's research. It is for that reason that I find her credible. If she were spot on every time, I would be suspicious. I doubt any medium is 100% accurate. Her accuracies & inaccuracies both convince me she's the real deal.

Yes, she does have a potty mouth sometimes & yes, she's a little quirky at times. Sometimes she's on the show with makeup & sometimes with no makeup at all. The fact that she's not polished tells me she's not putting on any acts; just being herself. The first season, she was waaay out there. I don't know if the producers urged her to act that way, but it didn't last long.

I love this show. Amy and Steve are great. The reason I gave it 7 stars is because at the end of the show, the situation is left undone and dangerous. The activity usually continues. A heap of really scary information about what's happening is given to families, as well as advice about how to clear the space.. The majority of families can't find shamans, reiki masters and mediums to do these clearings. It is very, very hard to find people with gifts to do these types of clearings. I would love the producers to bring in people to clear the spaces and incorporate in the clearings in the show.

Thank you to Cindy for co-hosting this show. I have a very hard time relating with Amy or taking anything she says seriously as she tends to smile at inappropriate moments ie. " He's evil" while grinning. Part of the job, especially when dealing with already traumatized people, so more sensitivity is required than that. Although Amy may indeed feel very bad for these people but it doesn't translate, and Infact comes off like she's mocking their situation. If I were the client and saw that, I'd send her packing. Cindy, on the other hand comes off as very sympathetic and sincere and her empathy registered in her face. Please make her the host more often.