(Originally aired in 2017 on PBS.) Set to the eerie photography of Frank Grace, some of New England’s leading authorities on spooks and legends share the history and haunts of the region. The documentary includes the making of the stage show, plus in-depth interviews that explore the nature of ghost stories. Featuring: Jeff Belanger, Carl Johnson, Tim Weisberg, and Andrew Lake.
The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association has presented the New England Legends podcast with a Sound Bite 2021 award for “Excellence in Sound.” Shout out to Ray Auger, my co-host, and the sultan of our sound engineering, for making this happen. And thank YOU for listening to us each week wherever you get your podcasts!
In 2017, Jeff Belanger sat down with Laurie Cabot, the Official Witch of Salem, Massachusetts. Cabot discusses her life, her arrival in Salem in 1969, the history of witchcraft, Samhain and Halloween, and the role she played in turning the city of Salem into what it is today. Excerpts from this interview first aired in Episode 6 (Witchcraft: Uncovering the Hidden History of New England Witches) of the New England Legends television series on PBS.
The Boston Globe named Jeff Belanger’s New England Legends podcast to their Top 15 Preternatural Podcasts to Ring in the Spooky Season. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/22/lifestyle/15-preternatural-podcasts-ring-spooky-season/
In this extra from Episode 5: Eccentrics and Mad Scientists of the New England Legends television series, we take a deeper dive into the central courtyard of Hammond Castle in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Jeff Belanger takes a tour with curator John Pettibone.
David’s Basement of the Bizarre posted a recent review of Jeff’s New England Legends podcast, plus an interview. “I have been a fan of Jeff Belanger ever since I read his books “The World’s Most Haunted Places” and the “Encyclopedia of Haunted Places.” I have also been a follower of GHOSTVILLAGE.COM, his website of all things paranormal and supernatural. Just recently, I also started listening to his NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS PODCAST and couldn’t be happier. Being a Rhode Island native, most of the places that he and co-host Ray Auger visit hit really close to home. It is also really nice that I can visit many of these locations in a relatively short period of time…” Click here to keep reading!
App is the first to include an interactive map with over 150 stories and locales, many of which users can explore and visit from a socially safe distance. New England Legends app offers a resource for bizarre day trips. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – August 24, 2020 – The New England Legends television series and podcast today announced the launch of its new, free mobile app. The New England Legends app features a feed to all of its weekly podcast episodes, a way to report new story leads with the producers through text, email, and even voice memos, plus an interactive map of New England featuring pins to every story covered so far. Each pin offers a link to that location’s podcast episode, plus driving directions for people who want to see the story for themselves. The app is now available for free download on the Google Play and Apple App Stores. Since 2013, New England Legends has covered hundreds of strange but true stories related to New England folklore and history on its PBS and Amazon Prime television series and weekly podcast. Whether ghostly tales, monsters, stories of out-of-this-world close encounters, or the just plain odd, New England Legends is on a mission to chronicle every one of them. “New England Legends is more than just a television series and weekly podcast,” said host, writer, and producer, Jeff Belanger. “It’s a movement. So many of our story leads are crowd-sourced at this point. People hear our weekly podcast, or see our television series, and then reach out to tell us about the strange stories from their hometowns. Quite often, those leads turn into future episodes. This mobile app is the next phase in interconnecting our community of legend-seekers. We’re building something big here.” “We live in a time when our towns and communities are losing their identity as they become homogenized with chain stores and strip malls,” said New England Legends podcast co-host and producer Ray Auger. “But these legends are unique and local. They make each town different than any other place on earth. They’re the stories we may tell around a campfire, but more than anything they connect us to each other and to our history.” The New England Legends app will be updated weekly with new pins, podcast episodes, and content, enabling users to explore the region and celebrate the strange history and oddities that make New England special. “Forest City Marketing was tasked with turning the New England Legends podcast and brand into an interactive and fun mobile app,” said Lauren Middleton, CEO of Forest City Marketing. “Fans of the podcast and television series always want to check out these stories for themselves, so the app offers a way to see how close they are to a story, a link to hear the podcast episode on that location, and a means to send in soundbites and leads for future episodes.” About New England Legends In 2013, New England Legends began as an independent television program created and produced by author Jeff Belanger and PBS television producer Tony Dunne. Since then, the award-winning, Emmy-nominated series has grown into a Web site, a weekly podcast, an active Facebook community of legend hunters, a mobile app, and a movement to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. Visit the Web site at: ournewenglandlegends.com. About Forest City Marketing Forest City Marketing is a digital marketing agency based out of Middletown, Connecticut. The firm helps large and small businesses grow with responsive website designs, mobile app development, social media management, and paid campaigns, email marketing, lead generation, graphic design, and marketing consulting. Visit their Web site at: forestcitymarketingct.com. Download the App Search for “New England Legends” or find it on the Apple App Store here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/new-england-legends/id1527121148 and the Google Play Store here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app_newenglandlegends312.layout
June 23, 2020 –Podcast Magazine today announced the Hot 50 Podcast list for their July 2020 issue. Billed as the only chart “by fans, for fans,” the list showcases some of the many great podcasts that may not have the highest downloads globally, but are worthy of a listen. New England Legends came in at Number 2 in the July 2020 list. “We’re thrilled that our fans feel so strongly about our show that they voted for us,” said New England Legends co-host and writer Jeff Belanger. “Our goal with the podcast is to continue building our vast community of people by finding and sharing these unique stories of the strange and unusual.” “Podcast Magazine is quickly becoming a big voice in the podcast industry,” added New England Legends co-host and producer Ray Auger. “We’re grateful to have the attention of our peers.” About Podcast Magazine Each month, Podcast Magazine goes “beyond the microphone” to cover podcasts, and podcast culture, and takes readers deeper into the lives of today’s leading podcasters and the stories podcast fans can’t get enough of. About New England Legends In 2013, New England Legends began as an independent television series created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. Since then, it’s grown into a Web site, a weekly podcast, an active Facebook community of legend hunters, and a movement to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. Visit the Web site at: ournewenglandlegends.com.
“Legendary Road Trip” adds to its Telly Award with another win. SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – June 9, 2020 – Selected from more than 6,000 entries, the “Legendary Road Trip” episode of the New England Legends television series has accepted its first Communicator Award. Judged by members of the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, the award recognizes big ideas and excellence in communication. “Legendary Road Trip” first aired on PBS affiliate WGBY in Springfield, Massachusetts, on October 31, 2019, and has since gone on to air on other PBS stations as well as the Amazon Prime video streaming service. The episode earned the 2020 Communicator Award of Distinction in the category of Film/Video/Television. “Winning a Communicator Award this year further validates all of the hard work and effort we put in to making each episode special,” said New England Legends director and Executive Producer Tony Dunne. “We’re committed to telling the stories that make New England weird and wonderful,” added New England Legends host, writer, and Executive Producer, Jeff Belanger. “To earn the recognition of the visionary leaders in our industry feels great. It’s a win for independent producers like us.” New England Legends is created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. The program debuted in 2013 and has since grown into an on-going series. The television series has earned an Aurora Award, Telly Award, two Emmy nominations, and now a Communicator Award. About the Communicator Awards: The Communicator Awards is the leading international awards program recognizing big ideas in marketing and communications. Founded nearly three decades ago, The Communicator Awards receives over 6,000 entries from companies and agencies of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards of its kind in the world. The Communicator Awards is sanctioned and judged by the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts, an invitation-only group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media, communications, advertising, creative, and marketing firms. AIVA members include executives from organizations such as Airtype Studio, Big Spaceship, Conde Nast, Coach, Disney, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Estee Lauder, Fry Hammond Barr, Lockheed Martin, MTV Networks, Pitney Bowes, rabble+rouser, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Time, Inc, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, and Yahoo! About New England Legends: In 2013, New England Legends began as an independent television series created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. Since then, it’s grown into a Web site, weekly podcast, active Facebook community of legend hunters, and movement to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. Visit the Web site at: ournewenglandlegends.com.
“Legendary Road Trip” episode earns Bronze medal for Television General Entertainment SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – June 1, 2020 – Selected from more than 12,000 entries, the “Legendary Road Trip” episode of the New England Legends television series has been recognized with a 2020 Telly Award, considered the world’s largest honor for video and television content across all screens. The Telly adds to the list of awards and nominations already garnered by the New England Legends production. “Legendary Road Trip” first aired on PBS affiliate WGBY in Springfield, Massachusetts, on October 31, 2019, and has since gone on to air on other PBS stations as well as the Amazon Prime video streaming service. The episode earned Bronze for the General Television category at this year’s Telly Awards. “We’re thrilled to have our work recognized by such a prestigious body of judges from our industry,” said Jeff Belanger, New England Legends writer, host, and Executive Producer. “In a landscape of shifting media, we always serve the story first and do whatever we can to take the viewer inside the legends.” New England Legends is created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. The program debuted in 2013 and has since grown into an on-going series. The television series has earned an Aurora Award, two Emmy nominations, and now a Telly Award. “This is a win for independent producers,” added New England Legends director and Executive Producer, Tony Dunne. “From the start, this project has been a labor of love. To earn the Telly Award this year validates all of the hard work. We love telling these great, regional stories.” About The Telly Awards: The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. Entrants are judged by The Telly Awards Judging Council—an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, production companies, and major television networks, reflective of the multi-screen industry The Telly Awards celebrates. Partners of The Telly Awards include NAB, Stash Magazine, and Digiday, VidCon and Social Media Week. About New England Legends: In 2013, New England Legends began as an independent television series created and produced by Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. Since then, it’s grown into a Web site, weekly podcast, active Facebook community of legend hunters, and movement to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. Visit the Web site at: ournewenglandlegends.com
