Most Haunted: The Best Of Live - Volume Five

I was not at all familiar with this TV Series before popping it into my DVD player. However, I did recognise one of the stars, Yvette Fielding, formally of Blue Peter. The premise of this show is to conduct Most Haunted events across Britain. Fielding leads a team of experts who investigate paranormal occurrences and this time round all events are filmed live. Supernatural stop-offs include visits to Portsmouth, Wales, and Liverpool and there's a Halloween special from Edinburgh.

Ever since I was a child I have always been fascinated with life after death and ghosts. Stories of sightings in certain places always intrigued me, so this series already had my interest with its premise. Am I a believer still now as I get older? It’s easy to be cynical and this show aims to prove you wrong, but as a viewer there are only two ways you can go with this sort of series.

You could become an avid viewer, immersing yourself in the whole life after death experience or it could become 'Most Horrible' - leaving you feeling it is campy, over-dramatic and phoney. After viewing the first few episodes I was slightly hooked and a little amused in an ‘it’s so bad its good’ sort of good appeal, especially when hearing Fielding utter the f-word, which was hysterical.

However, you do tire of the jittery camerawork and its familiar look (shot in night vision), the constant banging noises causing the crew to jump and the over-used banter between the mediums. At times it reeks of a complete hoax – I was almost waiting for someone to shout: "He’s behind you" in a panto style. I did try to dispel my disbelief when they were channelling energies and coming up with potential reasons and back stories as to why the spirits were there. But it comes across as poorly acted soap-opera, with screaming and hysteria.

This is a show that is probably a victim of its own success. I am not a fan by any means but I can see its appeal initially and as a new viewer you are captivated by the adventures they undertake but it all wears extremely thin in the end.

After watching Most Haunted it sent me off in search of spirits - Jack Daniels.