TRAVEL CHANNEL FEATURES WEEKENDS TO DIE FOR THROUGHOUT OCTOBER AND KICKS OFF WITH NEW ORIGINAL MINI-SERIES

“MAKING MONSTERS,” PREMIERING SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2 AT 9:00 PM ET/PT

All New Episodes of “Ghost Adventures” (Fridays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT) and

“The Dead Files” (Fridays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT) Continue Their Own Visitations To  Eerie Locations Across the Nation

Chevy Chase, Md. (September 12, 2011) – Travel Channel celebrates “Weekends to Die For” throughout October beginning with the new original mini-series, “Making Monsters” premiering on Sunday, October 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.  This four-part one-hour series introduces viewers to the innovators and masterminds of the monster and creature animatronics industry. The October weekends of chills is augmented with all new episodes on Fridays of “Ghost Adventures” at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT and new original detective vs. psychic series “The Dead Files” at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.  The month culminates with a special Halloween-themed “Weekends to Die For” block of programming featuring “Bizarre Foods Halloween Special” and “Halloween Crazy.”

In “Making Monsters,” viewers meet Ed and Marsha Edmunds, co-owners of Distortions Unlimited, the Mom and Pop monster making shop located in downtown Greeley, Colo., and Jordu Schell, a monster-making veteran from Hollywood. Ed and Marsha have led the charge of the animatronics business for the last 30 years. Their unusual animatronics, monster creations, and haunted house designs are mainstays of the dark amusement industry. Jordu is Ed’s right-hand man, bringing Ed’s twisted creations to life.  Based in Los Angeles, he is a renowned sculptor, best known for his work on James Cameron’s Avatar. 

From 8-foot Godzilla-like moving monsters and green-gook spitting aliens to guffawing Santa Clauses, their creative and lifelike animatronics populate the country’s most popular haunted houses, amusement rides, parties, and private events. “Making Monsters” is produced by Warm Springs Productions for the Travel Channel.  For Warm Springs, the executive producers are Marc Pierce, Chris Richardson and Nathan Charlan and the series producer is Lisa Tanzer.  The executive producer for Travel Channel is Brian Leonard.

Travel Channel’s regular Friday “fright night” staples welcomes all new episodes of “Ghost Adventures”  featuring paranormal investigators Zak Bagans and Nick Groff, along with equipment technician, Aaron Goodwin, who continue to reveal the dark and haunted places across the nation. This October the trio take their ghost tracking abilities to the next level by investigating the haunts at Casa De Estudillo in San Diego, Calif., one of the oldest and most historic buildings in Old Town, built in 1827; Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, Mass., where the guys investigate a spinster who allegedly killed her father and stepmother with a hatchet; and Letchworth Village in Haverstraw, N.Y., an abandoned mental institution reportedly still housing former patients.  “Ghost Adventures” is produced by MY Tupelo Entertainment for Travel Channel.  For MY Tupelo Entertainment the executive producers are Michael Yudin and Joe Townley.  The executive producer for Travel Channel is Daniel A. Schwartz.

To double the Friday fun, viewers continue their night of fright with all new episodes of “The Dead Files.” During each episode, Amy Allan, a gifted psychic communicator, and Steve DiSchiavi, hard-nosed detective, conduct investigations at a crime scene on their own and only join together at the end to compare notes and discover some shocking results. Throughout October, Amy and Steve travel throughout the country visiting locations with unexplained sightings.  They examine a home with terrifying claims of phantoms in Acampo, Calif.; a house filled with dolls that may be vessels for the dead in Camerton, N.C.; a historic home in New Orleans, where a family is tortured by unexplained visions and bizarre occurrences; and a hotel where owners and guests have been tormented by terrifying visions in Ybor City, Fla.  “The Dead Files” is produced by Painless Productions for Travel Channel. For Painless
the executive producer is Jim Casey, and the co-executive producers are John C. Fitzergald and Ross Kaiman.  The executive producer for Travel Channel is David E. Gerber.