The television production crew for the Sci-Fi Channel’s series Ghost Hunters came to Star Island in November to film an episode about its spectral visitors. The producers, directors and on-camera investigators from The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) spent a week in Portsmouth preparing for their night in on Star Island. Their work began with historical research at the Portsmouth Athenaeum and included interviews with local historians and ended with a dark and stormy night spent on Star Island.

The Star Island episode was broadcast as the premier program for its new season on March 18 at 9 pm EST on the Sci-Fi channel. It is the first program filmed in high definition. This is the second Ghost Hunter’s program filmed in the Seacoast area. In October they spent a night in the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse at Fort Constitution in New Castle. This show aired on December 10. Both episodes are available for viewing on the show’s website: www.scifi.com/rewind/.

Star Island historian Ann Beattie met with the television crew to film a segment about major events in the island’s history and lighter topics, including stories about pirates and mysterious events on the island.

Roxie Zwicker, author of three books, whose New England Curiosities tours include Maritime Mysteries and Ghostly Lighthouses, knows first-hand the effect of a Ghost Hunter’s show. “After the Ghost Hunter’s show about Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, the phone didn’t stop ringing and we had to add dates for our Lighthouse tours,” said Zwicker.

Visitors to the Seacoast and the Isles of Shoals this summer will likely include many who first heard of the area through one of the Ghost Hunters shows. We expect some will come to Star Island out of curiosity and we know some will come back because the spirit of Star Island will become part of them and they will become part of Star Island.