The Dead Files is an American paranormal television series that premiered September 23, 2011, on the Travel Channel. The program features physical mediums Amy Allan (until 2023), Cindy Kaza (since 2023), and former NYPD homicide detective Steve DiSchiavi, who investigate allegedly haunted locations at the request of their clients to provide proof of paranormal activity. Each partner is depicted exploring the case independently of the other, not to influence their portion of the investigation. They, along with their client(s), come together during the program's final segment, the "reveal," when they compare their findings.
On April 21, 2023, it was announced that the fifteenth season will premiere on June 1, 2023. In the same press release, it was announced that Allan was leaving the series after the June 29 episode. She was replaced by medium Cindy Kaza.
Cast
Current
Steve DiSchiavi: Investigator (2011–present) Cindy Kaza: Psychic medium (2023–present) Matthew Anderson: Videographer (2011–present)
Former
Amy Allan: Psychic medium (2011–2023)
Show format
Following her predecessor's (Amy Allen) guidance, Cindy Kaza continues her legacy alongside her partner, Steve DiSchiavi.
After items such as family pictures, trinkets, or personal effects have been removed from a location claimed to be haunted, Allan walks through, attempting to communicate with ghosts and spirits. Meanwhile, Dischiavi questions residents, employees, and local experts in genealogy, local history, and law enforcement regarding the site's history. Later, Allan collaborates with a sketch artist to create drawings of spirits she claims to have channeled during her walk-through. The episodes conclude with a "reveal", where the drawings will often appear to match Dischiavi's findings.
Criticism
According to skeptical reviewer Karen Stollznow, Allan often claims to find the same activity, such as shadow people, in multiple locations. Some items - such as religious iconography - are not removed but are often left in locations. Stollznow notes that Allan appears to offer no evidence to verify her suggestion she had no preexisting knowledge of a location, which could be problematic for well-known ones such as Alcatraz or the Lizzie Borden house. Stollznow characterizes DiSchiavi as more of a "biased believer" than a skeptic and suggests that the show is edited to make his investigation appear accurate, removing parts of Allan's observations that don't align with DiSchiavi's findings.