TWH – For Pagan fans of paranormal television, two new shows will hopefully soon be available for viewers, and it will be a first when it comes to both the diversity of the cast and crew, and in its approach to paranormal investigations.
Michelle Belanger and Fen Alankus, host of the “Follow the Woo” podcast, along with Stephanie Bingham, Tigresse Bleu, Chris Amandier, Aubrey P. Archer, and Taylor Brown, have come together to create a powerhouse team of paranormal investigators and industry professionals intent on exploring “the weird.”
Cast and crew of New Blood – [courtesy]
Belanger was one of the first occultists to be featured on A&E’s Paranormal State pushed back on the often very Christianized perspective that deemed anything occult as being evil. Belanger said that their “involvement in paranormal TV was an extension of their activism–modeling the perspective for others, and effectively opening the door.” Belanger knocked down some of the walls in the paranormal community as a result.
What grew out of the collaboration is two new shows, New Blood and Inhuman Beings. Both productions feature not only an almost entirely queer team but also include all shades of magical practitioners. The New Blood series delves deep into Belanger’s personal practice, and Inhuman Beings explores a variety of paranormal phenomena. The result is two shows that are unconstrained by television executives concerned about alienating audiences.
Neither of the two new shows will shy away from the Pagan content that frequently ended up on the cutting room floor with the big network productions Belanger has worked on in the past. Nor will they underestimate the ability of its viewers “to get it” and understand the elements of “weird” being explored without being offended.
Belanger stressed that they believe “independent production is the key to moving forward and being able to tell our own stories, especially with how the television industry is going–the current writers’ strike, and a pending actors’ strike.”
(Over 97% of the members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted to strike earlier this month if an agreement is not reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) before their contract expires at midnight on June 30.)
One of the concerns Belanger expressed is the regression of some segments of the paranormal community to the attitudes of 90s and a repeat of the disinformation that helped fuel the Satanic Panic. Independently producing their own paranormal series will allow the team of New Blood TV to interact with the paranormal community in ways that are inspired by the wonder and joy of the quest–something that too often is either dumbed down or received a decidedly Christian slant by other paranormal shows.
“We need voices that allow folks to explore, especially when it comes to mystical experiences,” Belanger stated, “Bringing to bear more tools and experience that is more than just reductive and Christian.”
Currently, the team is crowdfunding for New Blood on Kickstarter and has raised just a little less than half of the $66,666 goal. The crowdfunding will run until July 9. The production team has amassed over 100 hours of footage, and if they meet their crowdfunding goal, they can produce two full seasons.
The New Blood team has been doing livestreams on their YouTube channel every few days that explain and highlight the various aspects of the two shows, often addressing comments and questions from viewers. The next livestream is scheduled for 8:30 pm (EDT) on Thursday, June 22, and will feature Mat Auryn, along with Belanger and Alankus to discuss the intersection between witchcraft and the paranormal.
While Belanger said they had not planned to launch their Kickstarter during Pride, they said they felt it was appropriate.
“Magic is queer. All of the words that we have, our very existence is neither black or white, it is extraordinary and includes everyone.”
If the previews the team has released so far are any indication, the new shows are likely to be full of fascinating experiences that will take viewers on a journey that offers something beyond the commercialized hype that is the usual fare of most paranormal shows.
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