Recent Emmy nominees Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne sit down with each other to discuss their New England Legends project for PBS. See clips from the show, and what it took to turn their idea into an Emmy nomination.
In Mission 159 we explore A Deadly Haunting with author Joie Albrecht and paranormal witness Deborah Moffitt. Between 1987 and 1991, the Moffitt family and their Rancho Cucamonga, California, home were haunted by a demonic entity. They felt isolated, like they were prisoners in their own house. For 25 years, the Moffitts kept their story hidden, but now they’re sharing their experiences in the new best-selling book: A Deadly Haunting. In this mission Moffitt shares some of the chilling photographs taken in her home that show messages written on mirrors, destroyed furniture, and a sacrificial spear that she says was apported into their home. Don’t miss it!
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – April 29, 2014 – The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Boston/New England has announced that New England Legends: The Spooky Berkshires, independently created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne for PBS, has been nominated for an Emmy award under the category of “Magazine Program/Special.” New England Legends: The Spooky Berkshires was produced in 2013 and is the brainchild of paranormal author and legend hunter Jeff Belanger, and PBS producer and director Tony Dunne. Belanger and Dunne first met in 2009 when Dunne was producing his critically-acclaimed documentary Things That Go Bump in the Night: Tales of Haunted New England for PBS affiliate WGBY. Through working together on that project, the two discovered they share a passion for these types of stories… and they learned they were both born at the same hospital in Southbridge, Massachusetts, about a year apart. Not one to question destiny, the two began collaborating. “Our single focus from the beginning of this project was to let story be our master,” said New England Legends executive producer, director, and editor Tony Dunne. “We pooled our money, begged our industry friends for help, borrowed gear, and shot this entire project on our own time and money. This Emmy nomination is a huge honor, and is such a sweet reward for all of our hard work and sacrifice.” “We’re so fortunate to have some really talented friends,” added New England Legends host, writer, and executive producer Jeff Belanger. “Nate Buynicki was our director of photography and gave New England Legends the look we needed, and John Judd composed some incredible music that set a mysterious and often spooky mood for this project. We’re just four guys who brought our talents together, and now we’re Emmy-nominated alongside some of the very best shows in New England. We know we’re clearly the underdog, considering the other guys have networks and production companies behind them, so we’re soaking in this moment all we can!” The Boston/New England Emmy Awards recognize outstanding achievements in broadcasting by conferring annual awards of merit in the chapter’s designated award region. This is Dunne’s fourth Emmy nomination and Belanger’s first. Winners will be announced at the 37th Emmy Awards on Saturday, June 7th in Boston. For more information on the award, see www.newenglandemmy.org About New England Legends The New England Legends series is created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. The series premiered October 31, 2013 on PBS affiliate WGBY. Since then, other New England PBS stations have committed to broadcast the series, though air dates have not been set. For more information, see ournewenglandlegends.com About Jeff Belanger Jeff Belanger is a New England native, author, and adventurer. He’s the author of more than a dozen books on the paranormal (published in six languages) including the best sellers: The World’s Most Haunted Places, Weird Massachusetts, Our Haunted Lives, and Who’s Haunting the White House? (for children). He’s a noted speaker and media personality on the subject of the unexplained. He’s also the host of the cable/Web talk show, 30 Odd Minutes, which is available in over 9 million homes in the United States and Europe. Belanger has written for newspapers like The Boston Globe and is the series writer and researcher for Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. He’s been a guest on hundreds of radio and television programs including: The History Channel, The Travel Channel, Biography Channel, PBS, NECN, Living TV (UK), The Maury Show, The CBS News Early Show, CBS News Sunday Morning, FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates, National Public Radio, The BBC, Australian Radio Network, and Coast to Coast AM. About Tony Dunne Award-winning television producer Tony Dunne grew up in central Massachusetts, but has called Western Massachusetts home for well over a decade now. After studying film and television production at Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts, Tony has spent the past 15 years working as a producer in news, commercial, independent, and most recently public television at PBS honing his storytelling skills. Tony has produced magazine programs, nightly newscasts, quiz shows, lifestyle and health programming, as well as the nationally-distributed documentary Things That Go Bump in the Night: Tales of Haunted New England for PBS.
In Mission 158 we explore phantom hitchhikers with author and researcher Christopher Balzano! Balzano is the author of numerous books including Dark Woods and Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting. In this mission we check out the White Lady of Easton, The Redheaded Hitchhiker of Route 44, and Resurrection Mary. Plus fairy photos in the news. Don’t miss it!
Built by the J.P. Morgan family, Lenox’s Ventfort Hall is a Gilded Age mansion with ties to the legendary Massachusetts 54th regiment from the Civil War and was host to the people who shaped and molded this country at the turn of the century — the Vanderbilts and the Rockerfellers of the era. And if you’re a movie fan, it was even featured as the titular setting for the Hollywood blockbuster The Cider House Rules. As Legend Hunter Jeff Belanger shows us, in addition to its amazing history it’s also said to be a location for restless spirits.
In Mission 157 we explore the astral plane with author and researcher William Buhlman! Can our consciousness leave our bodies and travel through space and time? Buhlman says it can and he can teach you how. Buhlman is the author of three books, including his latest: Adventures in the Afterlife, he’s one of the leading experts on out of body experiences (OBEs), and he’s taught thousands of people how do travel on the astral plane. Plus, a Russian UFO in the news, and Dr. Dreck stops by to show us his own astral travels. Don’t miss it!
In Mission 156 we explore ancient America with author and researcher Rick Osmon. We discuss Osmon’s first book, The Graves of Golden Bear: Ancient Monuments and Fortresses of the Ohio Valley, and examine some American sites that seem to be European in origin, yet pre-date Christopher Columbus by millennia! Were Roman coins found in the Ohio Valley? Does America have its own version of Stonehenge? Tune in to find out!
In Mission 155 we explore evidence of extraterrestrials in the Bible with Rev. Michael J.S. Carter. Rev. Carter is the author of the book, Alien Scriptures: Extraterrestrials in the Holy Bible, and he’s been an E.T. experiencer for over two decades. You’ve seen him on the Syfy Channel, and on History Channel’s Ancient Aliens, tonight he boards the Mother Ship to discuss Biblical passages such as Exodus 13:21, Isiah 40:20, the Book of Enoch, and more. Plus Dr. Dreck stops by and don’t miss flying humanoids in the news. Could aliens have cross-bred with humans millennia ago? Tune in to find out!
In Mission 154 we explore Maryland Ghosts with author and storyteller Amelia Cotter. From haunted college dorms to Civil War-era fort, the Free State is full of haunted legends and ghostly encounters. Amelia shares some of her own experiences and guides us through some gruesome history. Plus don’t miss Bigfoot in the news!
In Mission 153 we head to the Mountain State of West Virginia to explore it’s hauntings and legends with Rosemary Ellen Guiley! We discuss Guiley’s latest work, The Big Book of West Virginia Ghost Stories. She takes us on a tour through Riverview Cemetery, Moundsville Penitentiary, Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, the Lowe Hotel, and of course we visit with Mothman. Don’t miss Dr. Dreck and UFOs in the news!
