Ghost Whisperer (season 5)
Encyclopedia
The fifth season of Ghost Whisperer
, an American television series created by John Gray
, commenced airing in the United States on September 25, 2009, concluded May 21, 2010, and consisted of 22 episodes. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon
(Jennifer Love Hewitt
), who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. While trying to live as normal a life as possible—she is married and owns an antique store—Melinda helps earthbound spirits resolve their problems and cross over into the Light, or the spirit world. Her tasks are difficult and at times she struggles with people who push her away and disbelieve her ability. In addition, the ghosts are mysterious and sometimes menacing in the beginning and Melinda must use the clues available to her to understand the spirit's needs and help them.
Ghost Whisperer
s fifth season aired in the United States (U.S.) on Fridays at 8:00 pm ET
on CBS
, a terrestrial
television network
, followed by the sixth season of Medium
, where it received an average of 7.78 million viewers per episode, becoming the least watched season of the series. It receives around 200,000 viewers per episode in New Zealand, and is constantly rated in the top 5 for TV2 every Monday.
At the end of the series, Melinda and Jim try to protect Aiden by convincing him that ghosts don't exist (at the advice of Carl the Watcher, later revealed to be under the influence of the Shadows). The Shadows gradually begin to take possession of Melinda's body. Aiden is told by Carl that he must go to Melinda's store. Jim, Ned, Eli and Delia follow with him. Melinda is inside, being engulfed by the Shadows. Aiden, who has forged a friendship with one of the Shinies (previously revealed to be the ghosts of children), enlists their help. In the town square, dozens of Shinies gather, and emit a bright light. The Shinies and their light become visible to passersby in the square. Inside the store, the Shadows are trying to battle the light and fully possess Melinda, but fail on both accounts. Melinda drops to the ground and the group run in. Later that night, Aiden is in his room and Melinda and Jim enter. Melinda tells him that they should both be proud of their gift and that he was her hero that night. Aiden replies that Melinda is a hero every day, and the series closes with a shot of Melinda smiling and tearing up.
, who is co-executive producer
and regularly updates a blog
about the show through LivingTV. The stories are also said to be based in part on the work of "Spirit Communicator" Mary Ann Winkowski. Development of the show dates back to at least two years before its premiere.
The show was produced by Sander/Moses Productions in association with CBS Television Studios (originally Paramount Network Television
in season one and ABC Studios (originally Touchstone Television in the first two seasons) and CBS Paramount Network Television
in seasons two and three).
The show was filmed on the Universal Studios
back lot in Los Angeles. One area on the lot is Courthouse Square
from the Back to the Future trilogy, though it has been drastically modified to depict Grandview. For example, the clock tower
in Back to the Future has been completely covered up. Cast and crew members believe that the set gets visits from real spirits.
Sound effects were completed at Smart Post Sound. Visual effects for the pilot and some season one episodes were completed at Flash Film Works. Visual effects for nearly the entire series were created at Eden FX.
Creator John Gray
grew up in Brooklyn, New York, which is not far from Grandview-On-Hudson, west of the Hudson River
. Piermont is often referenced in episodes as the neighboring town, which is accurate to real life as Grandview-On-Hudson is actually located just north of Piermont. Professor Rick Payne worked in the fictional "Rockland University", and perhaps not coincidentally, the actual Grandview, New York is a village located in Rockland County, New York
.
, ION Television, and WE TV
. Episodes began airing in Summer 2009 on ION, and in Fall 2009 on SyFy and WE. The first four seasons began airing in syndication on CBC Television
in Canada on August 31, 2009.
cancelled the show after five seasons. ABC
expressed interest in picking up Ghost Whisperer for Fall 2010. It was revealed on May 19, that writers of the show were informed to not look for other jobs as of yet, and the producers were very optimistic that there was a good chance of Ghost Whisperer being renewed by ABC
. On May 27, 2010, Michael Ausiello reported that ABC had passed on renewing Ghost Whisperer for its sixth season.
Zap2it
declared Ghost Whisperer is the second "most missed axed show" after a poll determined 17.1 percent of voters would miss it.
In October 2010, Jennifer Love Hewitt thanked the fans of the show for their support in a goodbye video (filmed in June, 2010), saying "Your love and support has meant everything to the cast and crew of Ghost Whisperer and we will all miss you guys very, very much. Go get our DVDs, think about us, miss us and know how much we all will miss you. Much love."
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Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
, an American television series created by John Gray
John Gray (director)
John Gray is an American writer, director, producer. He is the creator of the CBS television series Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt...
, commenced airing in the United States on September 25, 2009, concluded May 21, 2010, and consisted of 22 episodes. The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon
Melinda Gordon
Melinda Irene Gordon, portrayed by Jennifer Love Hewitt is the title character of the American fantasy television series Ghost Whisperer created by John Gray.-Character background:...
(Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
), who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. While trying to live as normal a life as possible—she is married and owns an antique store—Melinda helps earthbound spirits resolve their problems and cross over into the Light, or the spirit world. Her tasks are difficult and at times she struggles with people who push her away and disbelieve her ability. In addition, the ghosts are mysterious and sometimes menacing in the beginning and Melinda must use the clues available to her to understand the spirit's needs and help them.
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
s fifth season aired in the United States (U.S.) on Fridays at 8:00 pm ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, a terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, followed by the sixth season of Medium
Medium (TV series)
Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
, where it received an average of 7.78 million viewers per episode, becoming the least watched season of the series. It receives around 200,000 viewers per episode in New Zealand, and is constantly rated in the top 5 for TV2 every Monday.
Plot
In the fifth season, five years have elapsed since the events of the previous season, and we are introduced to Jim and Melinda's son, Aiden Lucas. We learn that he can see the "Shinies and the Shadows", two opposing groups of ghosts that Melinda is unable to see. The Shadows are revealed to be the negative part of spirits that get left behind when they cross over, and their motives involve acquiring the Book of Changes. Melinda, Ned, and Eli, with the frequent help of Delia, work to keep the book safe from the Shadows. Throughout the season, Melinda struggles to keep Aiden safe and help him with his gift. He has frequent run-ins with the Shinies, who are presumed to be the kind group of spirits and are attracted to shiny objects. The Shadows show tremendous power throughout the season, forcing President Bedford, the president of Rockland University to blow up Delia's real estate office.At the end of the series, Melinda and Jim try to protect Aiden by convincing him that ghosts don't exist (at the advice of Carl the Watcher, later revealed to be under the influence of the Shadows). The Shadows gradually begin to take possession of Melinda's body. Aiden is told by Carl that he must go to Melinda's store. Jim, Ned, Eli and Delia follow with him. Melinda is inside, being engulfed by the Shadows. Aiden, who has forged a friendship with one of the Shinies (previously revealed to be the ghosts of children), enlists their help. In the town square, dozens of Shinies gather, and emit a bright light. The Shinies and their light become visible to passersby in the square. Inside the store, the Shadows are trying to battle the light and fully possess Melinda, but fail on both accounts. Melinda drops to the ground and the group run in. Later that night, Aiden is in his room and Melinda and Jim enter. Melinda tells him that they should both be proud of their gift and that he was her hero that night. Aiden replies that Melinda is a hero every day, and the series closes with a shot of Melinda smiling and tearing up.
Development
Ghost Whisperer is based on the work of "Spirit Communicator" James Van PraaghJames Van Praagh
James Van Praagh is a self-proclaimed medium who has written several books on spirituality and spirit communication.-Early life and career:Van Praagh was born in Bayside, New York and is the youngest of four children...
, who is co-executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and regularly updates a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
about the show through LivingTV. The stories are also said to be based in part on the work of "Spirit Communicator" Mary Ann Winkowski. Development of the show dates back to at least two years before its premiere.
The show was produced by Sander/Moses Productions in association with CBS Television Studios (originally Paramount Network Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
in season one and ABC Studios (originally Touchstone Television in the first two seasons) and CBS Paramount Network Television
CBS Paramount Network Television
CBS Paramount Network Television was the main production arm of CBS Paramount Television, a division of CBS Corporation. It was known as Paramount Network Television and CBS Productions until 2006.It is now CBS Television Studios, starting in fall 2009....
in seasons two and three).
The show was filmed on the Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
back lot in Los Angeles. One area on the lot is Courthouse Square
Courthouse Square
Courthouse Square is a backlot located at Universal Studios. The set is composed of several facades that form an archetypal American town square with a courthouse as its centerpiece...
from the Back to the Future trilogy, though it has been drastically modified to depict Grandview. For example, the clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
in Back to the Future has been completely covered up. Cast and crew members believe that the set gets visits from real spirits.
Sound effects were completed at Smart Post Sound. Visual effects for the pilot and some season one episodes were completed at Flash Film Works. Visual effects for nearly the entire series were created at Eden FX.
Creator John Gray
John Gray (director)
John Gray is an American writer, director, producer. He is the creator of the CBS television series Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt...
grew up in Brooklyn, New York, which is not far from Grandview-On-Hudson, west of the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Piermont is often referenced in episodes as the neighboring town, which is accurate to real life as Grandview-On-Hudson is actually located just north of Piermont. Professor Rick Payne worked in the fictional "Rockland University", and perhaps not coincidentally, the actual Grandview, New York is a village located in Rockland County, New York
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
.
Syndication
On May 5, 2008 it was announced that the first three seasons of Ghost Whisperer were purchased for $169.8 million ($700,000 per episode, per network) for syndication by SyFySyfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, ION Television, and WE TV
WE: Women's Entertainment
WE tv is an American cable television channel that is marketed towards women. It features some original programming, such as non-fiction talk shows, as well as made-for-TV movies, older feature films, and reruns of TV shows, it also shows art and fashion documentaries and reality series....
. Episodes began airing in Summer 2009 on ION, and in Fall 2009 on SyFy and WE. The first four seasons began airing in syndication on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
in Canada on August 31, 2009.
Cancellation
On May 18, 2010, citing rising costs and a decline in viewership, CBS announced that Ghost Whisperer would not be renewed for another season. On May 18, 2010, CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
cancelled the show after five seasons. ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
expressed interest in picking up Ghost Whisperer for Fall 2010. It was revealed on May 19, that writers of the show were informed to not look for other jobs as of yet, and the producers were very optimistic that there was a good chance of Ghost Whisperer being renewed by ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. On May 27, 2010, Michael Ausiello reported that ABC had passed on renewing Ghost Whisperer for its sixth season.
Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
declared Ghost Whisperer is the second "most missed axed show" after a poll determined 17.1 percent of voters would miss it.
In October 2010, Jennifer Love Hewitt thanked the fans of the show for their support in a goodbye video (filmed in June, 2010), saying "Your love and support has meant everything to the cast and crew of Ghost Whisperer and we will all miss you guys very, very much. Go get our DVDs, think about us, miss us and know how much we all will miss you. Much love."
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Love Hewitt Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated... |
Melinda Gordon Melinda Gordon Melinda Irene Gordon, portrayed by Jennifer Love Hewitt is the title character of the American fantasy television series Ghost Whisperer created by John Gray.-Character background:... |
| David Conrad David Conrad David Crawford Conrad is an American actor. From 2005 to 2010, he starred in the television series Ghost Whisperer alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt.-Early life:... |
Jim Clancy / Sam Lucas |
| Camryn Manheim Camryn Manheim Camryn Manheim is an American actress known primarily for her roles as attorney Ellenor Frutt on ABC's The Practice and Delia Banks on CBS's Ghost Whisperer and as Elvis's mother, Gladys Presley in the 2005 mini-series Elvis.... |
Delia Banks |
| Christoph Sanders Christoph Sanders Christoph Sanders is an American actor who is best known for his role as Ned Banks in the television series Ghost Whisperer.- Early life :... |
Ned Banks |
| Jamie Kennedy Jamie Kennedy James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.-Early life:Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic. He attended and graduated from... |
Eli James |
| Connor Gibbs Connor Gibbs Connor Gibbs is an American child actor. He is best known for his role as Aiden Lucas in the TV series Ghost Whisperer.-Filmography:- External links :... |
Aiden Lucas |
Episodes
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! style="background:#69359C; color:#fff;"| Directed by
! style="background:#69359C; color:#fff;"| Written by
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! style="background:#69359C; color:#fff;"| U.S. viewers
(millions)
|-
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