Ghostly Encounters

Ghostly Encounters is a Canadian paranormal documentary series that first aired on July 16, 2005, and concluded on January 19, 2011, on Viva/W Network. In the United States, it later appeared on A&E's The Biography Channel and continues to run on Discovery's Destination America. The show was created by executive producer Phyllis Platt, produced by Brian Dennis, and hosted by Lawrence Chau. It blends interviews with dramatic reenactments to explore how people come to believe—or reject—that an event is supernatural, and how that experience has shaped their lives. In 2007, the series won a Gemini Award for best original score.

Each episode typically features two individuals recounting their own paranormal encounters, though occasionally a single story takes up the entire hour. The format relies on direct-to-camera interviews with the storytellers, dramatic reenactments, and host segments with commentary. Lawrence Chau delivers his portions from an abandoned ballroom on the top floor of Toronto's King Edward Hotel. An episode opens with a tease that briefly previews both stories, followed by the title sequence and theme music. After the credits, a clip from the first subject's interview introduces their story, and then Chau appears to set up the episode's theme and the first narrative. The story unfolds through a mix of the subject's own words and reenactments, occasionally supplemented by b-roll or stock footage. At the end of the first tale, Chau offers a brief wrap-up and introduces the second subject, whose story follows the same pattern. After the second story, Chau provides a final wrap-up that includes expert commentary and reflections on both accounts. The episode closes with each subject sharing a final thought on what their encounter taught them, followed by the closing credits.