The uncanny place: A critical appraisal of popular paranormal TV shows

Abstract

This article examines the construction of the uncanny place in reality paranormal television. Two introductory sequences from the British programme Most Haunted (2002‐present) are analysed that investigate ‘ordinary homes’ to consider the way that place is framed. Using textual analysis, the content of these sequences, including visual, auditory and discursive signifiers, is considered to identify themes where the inversion of the ordinary and the de-stabilizing of homeliness emerged. The use of binary oppositions and representations of liminality are identified as frequent tropes in the production of reality paranormal television. It is argued that these elements frame places as potentially uncanny and invite the viewers to participate in the paranormal possibility of the home. The uncanny, it is concluded, forms an integral part of the narratives that construct reality paranormal programmes and their success at sustaining an engaged and exploratory audience.