'Ghost Whisperer' Defeats the 'Death Slot'

Douglas Boultinghouse
Staff Writer

   At a time when television shows are arriving and leaving the air as quick as they came, a select few have held a solid number of viewers and avoided the ax. CBS’s critically acclaimed “Ghost Whisperer” leads the pact.

   The drama/thriller airs in what is considered the “Friday Night Death Slot.” At 7 p.m., many people cannot find the time to watch television due to other events in their daily lives, resulting in low ratings for the shows shown in those slots.

   The “Death Slot” applies to “Ghost Whisperer,” but not in the low-rating sense. The show, now in its fourth season, continues to pull in close to 10 million viewers weekly, according to TV by the Numbers.

Courtesy of CBS.com

Speaking to the Dead - Jennifer Love Hewitt stars as Melinda Gordon on CBS's supernatural thriller “Ghost Whisperer.”

   Death sets the basis of the entire show. The lead character Melinda Gordon, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, speaks to the dead. She crosses lost souls over into the light where they will find eternal peace.

   The chilling events Gordon faces thicken as the earthbound spirits seek revenge on the living or become compelled by evil forces to “the dark side.”

   Gordon’s “gift,” as she calls it, affects not only herself but also her friends and family. Her husband Jim Clancy, played by David Conrad, and business partner Delia Banks, played by Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award winning actress Camryn Manheim, assist her as much as “humanly” possible.

   Granted the scenes played out appear to be mere fiction, but some are formed from events that executive producers have experienced.  Hewitt assists in producing the show with spirit communicators James Van Praagh and Mary Ann Winkowski.

   To add to the experience of the show, Web sites that coincide with the plot bring horrific tales into perspective. www.andshamethedevil.net and www.rubloodymary.com, both mentioned in the show, allow viewers to venture into the world of Melinda Gordon.

   While the show, on the surface, comes across as cold and creepy, each story line ends with heartfelt, tear-jerking moments. With Gordon’s help, troubled souls find the peace they have been searching for.

   The show provides much more than entertainment to millions of people. It gives audiences a loving and unbreakable couple to admire and reassurance that in the end, people will find peace. Most importantly, the show opens the door to beliefs of spirits and the afterlife.

   Do earthbound spirits exist? Do evil forces lurk around us? Anything is possible. 

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