Ever since she was a young girl, Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt) has been able to see and talk to dead people--earth bound spirits who have yet to cross over to the other side and who seek her help in communicating a... more »nd resolving unfinished business with the living. Melinda sometimes has a hard time accepting her "gift," especially now that she's a newlywed and looking forward to starting her new life with her husband, Jim Clancy (David Conrad), a paramedic. Her friend and business partner in the antique store, Andrea Moreno (Aisha Tyler), is fascinated by Melinda's talent. Although Melinda embraces her unique "abilities" as a blessing and sometimes a curse, she always helps her clients--alive or dead--find emotional closure.« less
Chuck or Frances M. from WHEELING, WV Reviewed on 4/8/2019...
The last two episodes of this season had me in tears. I did not see that coming at all.
Love it and have already purchased season two.
5 of 5 member(s) found this review helpful.
Ed L. Reviewed on 6/9/2011...
My wife & I didn't watch this show during its 5-season run on CBS. Rather, she discovered it while recuperating from surgery. To be honest, I'll admit that I started watching purely for the sexy-sweet Jennifer Love Hewitt. Although Melinda's cleavage, long legs and amazing smile were the initial hook for me, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the show turned out to be; a good mix of feel-good and chills. Sure, the whole concept is a bit hokey, but sometimes hokey works. Since we started watching the series after cancellation, and mid-way through the rebroadcast in about the 3rd season, this DVD set provided a good primer into the characters and some of the early story line. If you're looking for hardcore paranormal stuff, go watch "True Blood" and don't bother with this show. OTOH, if you're looking for decent feel-good stories, with often spiritual themes, mixed in with some chills this is a good show for you... and this DVD set is the starting point.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Adrianne N. from COCOA, FL Reviewed on 4/28/2011...
A thought-provoking take on the after-life and why we pass when we do. Excellent acting and intriguing story lines.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
My Friday night guilty pleasure
J. Miller | East Hartford, CT United States | 07/06/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"OK, I will admit to watching this for the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt, having followed her career since Party of Five and several movies of varying quality. And when I first read that she would be returning to television in a series with this story I was, to put it mildly, not encouraged. But I have to admit this is quite a good show. Yes, the concept is similar to NBC's Medium but crossed with CBS' Touched by an Angel. So yes, it's a little corny at times. It's probably aimed at an older demographic being on CBS. But that doesn't detract from it being rather good, in that "tell me a spooky story" mode like the old Twilight Zone shows were at times.
Jennifer plays Melinda Gordon, recently married, now a small business owner in the town of Grandview (state unknown, but aren't all TV small towns like that?) who has held a particular ability since childhood, the ability to communicate with the dead. She "sees" them and is sought out by them to help them make their final journeys into the afterlife. Or "crossover" as it's been termed. But before they can, they all have unfinished business with their loved ones. Usually, it's the circumstances behind their deaths that lead them to Melinda. So "the dead" range from an M.I.A. soldier wishing to tell his now grown son the details of his disappearance, to a wrongly executed artist, to a 9 year old boy trying to tell his mother his death was not her fault. Naturally those she encounters are all skeptical, even hostile at times. But even she admits it's not easy having this ability, at times she wishes she didn't have it.
With each episode we learn a little more about her and her abilities with the undead. Like the fact her own mother has the same abilities but has tried to suppress them all her life and has had to deal with the guilt that entails. And all this leads up to the first season finale when she must deal with the victims of a plane crash and the multiple "crossings" that must occur, and the sudden twist to this story that served as the first season cliffhanger.
So far, there's no details on extra features, if any, here. But I would hope we'll get some episode commentaries, particularly from the show's creator as well as Ms. Jennifer. She was featured on the commentary track for her film "Heartbreakers" and proved to be a great storyteller on that film. I'm sure she'd be just as informative on this series.
As I said, this show is a guilty pleasure for me. Jennifer is beautiful to look at here; she can play strong, yet vulnerable characters. If you're looking for paranormal crime solvers, you're probably meant for Medium. But if you'd like a Friday night show to chill out with and end your week with, check out Ghost Whisperer. "
Horror with a heart
Victoria A. Wildermuth | Odessa, TX USA | 08/15/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I didn't expect to like this show. I thought it would be too sweet and that there would be no chills at all. I was so wrong. Unlike the full-blooded horror of "Supernatural", "Ghost Whisperer" disturbs you in a quiet way. These stories are rooted in deeply human conflicts and are often heart-wrenching. The program's spiritual themes are so uplifting. Highly recommended. I will be first in line to buy the second season!"
DVD Set Falls Short for this Much Loved Show - Where's the M
Kayla Rigney | USA | 11/14/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Don't buy this DVD set expecting to hear the great soundtrack from the show we love. The cover says: "SOME MUSIC HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR THIS HOME ENTERTAINMENT VERSION." That's putting it mildly. From what I can tell, *all* of the popular songs have been changed to generic Musak.
On broadcast episodes of Ghost Whisperer, background music/lyrics are important; sometimes they actually define or even divine the entire episode. The deletion of "You Are What You Love" by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins from "The Vanishing" is a travesty. This profound, yet upbeat song is replaced by a slow, awful ballad that gives absolutely no hint to the joy, the highs and lows, and sweetness that's love - and also is Melinda's gift. The song was the episode's "teaser" - but it was also so much more than that! It set a tone of hope for "The Vanishing." Without "You Are What You Love" the episode is oppressive and painful to watch.
CBS made a poor choice stripping the broadcast music. I would've gladly paid a little extra to cover licensing fees.
As for the DVD set itself? It's okay. There are extras, deleted scenes and commentary tracks. This is a slim set, too. (Yippee!) But there are no subtitles other than Closed Captioning.
I purchased what I thought would be the complete, unedited Ghost Whisperer, Season 1. Instead, I got Ghost Whisperer Lite. It's like waiting all day for a Café Mocha and receiving watered-down decaf instead; "It's the same thing." No, it's not!
Maybe CBS will release a restored version of Ghost Whisperer Season 1? I'd buy THAT in a heartbeat!
-- Kayla"
Great show
K. Chamberlain | 10/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I, too, just tuned in to this show because of the lovely Jennifer Love Hewitt. Though, in my opinion, it is akin to say "Touched By An Angel," it is one of the best new shows I've watched in recent years. There's something special about this show. Just about every episode that I watch, I tear up and I hardly ever do that; I'm a guy. But this show has it all and I think will be very successful and a staple at CBS. This was a great season for a freshman drama and I would recommend this to anyone who likes good TV. Though the finale of Season 1 did make me very sad, this was a wonderful first season."