‘Ghost Hunters’ Jason Hawes and Steve Gonsalves Talk Reviving the Show for discovery+ (Exclusive)

Following the news of an initial revival on A&E in 2019, the groundbreaking paranormal reality series Ghost Hunters has made the move to Discovery’s streaming platform discovery+ in time for Halloween and fans can expect some major nostalgia when it returns Oct. 31. With original team leader and The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) co-founder Jason Hawes leading the charge and returning with the show’s investigators, Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango, the three will also be joined by their former Ghost Nation investigator Shari DeBenedetti as they explore haunted locations across the U.S. But don’t be surprised to see some familiar faces and special guests join the team in this all-new version of the pioneering series as well. 

In an exclusive with PopCulture.com ahead of its streaming premiere this Sunday, Hawes and Gonsalves admit that while the three had created , their move to Ghost Hunters with the network was all about staying together as a team.

“We had created Ghost Nation as a way for us all to stay together and I think that’s important and we didn’t want to do [Ghost Hunters] if it was going to separate us,” Hawes said. “And now that the ability to take Ghost Hunters back as a team, I think Steve and I and Dave, Shari, we all sat down and we talked about it and we felt that, I mean, we created Ghost Hunters. It was our baby for 11 years and of course, if we had the opportunity to take it back as us — as TAPS, we felt it was best in our hands. So we all sat down and we talked about it, did some soul searching for about a month before finally just saying, you know what, let’s do it. And we decided to do it as a team and that’s the only way Discovery wanted it. And that’s all that mattered to us.”

Knowing well that this time last year Ghost Hunters was on another network and led by former TAPS co-founder, Grant Wilson alongside his own team of investigators, Hawes says he had a chance to connect with some of them and chat with them about the move from A&E to Discovery. “I’ve spoken with Brian Murray — great guy. I’ve actually hung out with him a bunch of times, same with Richel [Stratton]. And I met Daryl [Marston] about a month ago. But yeah, those are the only ones I’ve actually talked with and I mean, Brian, Richel are great people. I’ve enjoyed talking with them and hanging out with them in the past.”

Gonsalves echoes the sentiment stating how they’ve had some days and nights of hanging out and chatting. “They’re both really, really super cool, super nice and very respectful to what we do and what we’re about to do, which I think is cool,” he said, adding how he also spoke to Marston very briefly. “We wish all of those investigators the best.”

The investigator goes on to share how time away from Ghost Hunters gave the team a new perspective and fresh eyes on their research, working to advance the field of paranormal studies. “We’ve learned a lot in the last few years which I think is exciting, so you’ll see Ghost Hunters was very much a preliminary type of investigation and now we are taking it to another level and actually seeing the cases through to fruition to the point where we’re actually helping people and not leaving until we’ve helped the people that we’re investigating for,” Gonsalves said.

Hawes adds how one of the “most important things” that was shared with him by Murray upon finding out they were reviving Ghost Hunters again was how significant it was for the show to be back with its original creators. “He said, ‘You know what? It’s back in the hands of those that it should have always stayed in,” Hawes recalled. “That meant a lot coming from him because he had been somebody who followed us for years and we’re just, like, I said, we’re just happy to take the reins back and just start running with it again.”

Ghost Hunters will begin streaming on discovery+ on Oct. 31. All seasons of the show are currently available to stream as well. For more on the Ghost Hunters and all your paranormal news, keep it locked to PopCulture.com for the latest.