“Haunted” (2002, UPN) is one of the bevy of shows that aired between the end of “The X-Files” and the start of “Fringe” that tried to tap into the “X-Files” fanbase but ended up lasting a season or less. Perhaps because it aired on a busy Tuesday night (in the same timeslot as “24,” and right after “Buffy” and “Gilmore Girls” – and I didn’t have a DVR back then), I missed it on its original airing.
But it got upgraded from “TV shows lost to history” to “one-season wonder” when it was released on DVD in 2010.
The other haunted Frank
In the pantheon of “sort-of-X-Files” shows, “Haunted” is a less dire “Millennium.” The main character has the same first name – Frank Taylor (future “Lost” star Matthew Fox) instead of Frank Black – and Mark Snow does the compositions.
“Haunted” (2002)
UPN, 11 episodes
Creators: Rick Ramage, Andrew Cosby
Stars: Matthew Fox, Russell Hornsby, Lynn Collins
While “Millennium” features possibly the most beautiful TV score ever, “Haunted” doesn’t pop quite as much. Snow’s tasty theme song mixes vibes of the detective and horror genres and Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” and he garnishes the background with music rather than marinating it like he did on “X-Files” and “Millennium.”
In its 11 episodes (seven of which aired before UPN canceled the show), “Haunted” starts off strong then peters out a bit. The pilot episode features wet and dim underground utility works reminiscent of the “Saw” films, an abandoned subway train, and a run-down apartment complex with narrow secret hallways between the walls. It looks amazing.
The subsequent 10 episodes aren’t at the same level, although I love the sad vibe of Frank’s homey/homely apartment above the Nighthawk bar (where he is, of course, a regular – although not an alcoholic). “Haunted” looks like it was filmed in Vancouver, although the IMBD page lists only Los Angeles as a location.
A traumatic past
Taylor is working as a private detective two years after the traumatic disappearance of his son, Kevin, caused him to become a bit unstable and quit as a Seattle Police Department detective.
Kevin’s apparent kidnapping also led to a split with his wife, Jessica (Lynn Collins). But he maintains a strong friendship with former partner Marcus (Russell Hornsby) and a love for Jessica, who also factors into the show as an assistant district attorney.
In the pilot episode, Frank gets moral guidance from Stan (Robert Knepper of “Prison Break”), a blind man who plays chess in the park. But that role is quickly handed off to Dante (Michael Irby), a former criminal who has gone straight and befriended Frank, the cop who arrested him. Frank also has courteous relationships with the bartender and waitress at the Nighthawk.
Like Frank Black, Taylor is troubled by both his investigation of Kevin’s disappearance and his visions – Taylor can see ghosts thanks to a near death experience in the pilot episode.
But Fox has a gentle face and nature – plus we see Frank’s compassion for his ex-wife, his ex-partner and his dog — so “Haunted” develops a soft edge despite its hardboiled intentions. Frank wants to brood alone, but he’s usually polite when excusing himself from gatherings, such as his own surprise birthday party in “Last Call” (episode 10).
A friendly ghost
Rather than being stalked by the devil, as Frank Black is, Taylor’s main ghost is a man named Simon (John Mann), whom he killed in the pilot as part of his Kevin quest. In “Simon Redux” (9), we learn the villain’s odd backstory. Simon wasn’t the kidnapper of Kevin, but rather a vigilante who stalked pedophiles.
Frank and Simon are on the same side, in the sense that Simon is not a threat to Kevin, but rather to people who would hurt Kevin. On the other hand, Simon possesses Frank and has him do horrible things in “Nocturne” (6), and we learn in “Simon Redux” that Simon also killed two suspected pedophiles who were completely innocent.
The series finale, “Seeking Asylum” (11), doesn’t come close to resolving the storyline — honestly, Frank doesn’t even have Clue No. 1 about where his son might be – but it is a nice grace note that clarifies what showrunners Rick Ramage and Andrew Cosby had intended with Simon.
He represents the darker side of Frank, as evidenced when Frank draws a “self-portrait” that looks like Simon (indeed, Mann has similar — but harsher — features). The message is that if Frank – who has already lost his job and wife — becomes too obsessed with finding Kevin, he’ll turn into Simon and hurt innocent people in his obsessive quest.
Mostly standalones
Although the mythology remains present, most episodes are standalones where Frank meets a ghost and solves a mystery relating to them, like a less-cheesy “Ghost Whisperer.”
By the way, in a nice contrast to “Ghost Whisperer” – which starred another “Party of Five” alum, Jennifer Love Hewitt — Frank doesn’t spend any time explaining his superpower. Marcus and Jessica know Frank claims he can see ghosts, but just they think he’s slightly losing his mind.
The episodes are presented out of order on the DVD – but I’m still using the DVD numbering system in this review for the sake of simplicity — so Marcus’ and Jessica’s understanding and degree of comfort with Frank’s powers is hard to follow. But generally, the topic is not broached as they give Frank his space.
My favorite episode after the pilot is “Grievous Angels” (3), as it features a twist where a woman who is seemingly helping Frank’s investigation is actually a ghost. It reminded me a bit of the lump-in-your-throat “My So-Called Life” episode “So-Called Angels.”
“Fidelity” (2) is also strong, as it features a cute potential Girl Friday (Pauley Perrette, later an “NCIS” regular) for Frank, although she decides at episode’s end that ghosts are too scary.
Showcase episodes
Marcus and Jessica each get one showcase episode. Marcus’ ex-lover gets caught up in a family haunting in “Abby” (7), and Jessica’s boyfriend is possessed by Simon in “Simon Redux” (9).
Those incidents should have given Frank’s friends a fuller grasp of his ghost-spotting abilities, but they are still confused by it in later episodes – for example, Marcus doesn’t know what to make of Frank talking to thin air (actually a ghost) in “Last Call” (10).
That episode features a sweet romance between Frank and the ghost (Ruth Livier), but is accompanied by a clichéd story of her being killed by a spurned dive-bar pickup artist.
One other episode is memorable: “A Three Hour Tour” (8) is sort of a mix between “The Village” and “Psycho” as Frank runs off the road, loses his cellphone (we didn’t have smartphones in ’02, but we at least had those old flip phones) and is sidelined with a bum ankle at a backwoods’ family’s house.
While some episodes of “Haunted” have already faded from my mind, the concept of a husband and wife (Jessalyn Gilsig, later of “Boston Public” and “Glee”) who die of smoke inhalation but stick around as ghosts to raise their orphaned daughter makes an impact – falling slightly more on the side of emotional rather than comical.
A flawed but curious show
I hesitate to criticize the DVD release from Phase 4 Films, as I’m happy that “Haunted” is no longer lost to TV history and that the bare-bones two-disc set can be acquired cheaply. But it should be noted that the episodes are presented out of order (not that the correct order is easy to figure out – Wikipedia and IMDB can’t agree, either) and in low definition and 4×3 ratio.
Wikipedia claims it originally aired in HD and widescreen. While the practice of releasing shows in less than optimal quality for the sake of using fewer discs is frustrating and ridiculous, it didn’t take me out of the viewing experience too much; the picture is what I would’ve seen on my low-definition TV in 2002 and the sound is fine.
If you’re a fan of the horror detective genre, you might enjoy “Haunted” as a flawed but curious entry. The buildings, streets and tunnels of Seattle look suitably damp and grim and Snow’s music sets the right tone, while Fox is an easy-to-like lead on this career bridge from “Party of Five” to “Lost.”