Coming to a TV Near You: Exorcists, Ted Haggard

Posted on Jan 7, 2011

Wikimedia Commons

St. Francis Borgia comes to the aid of a dying man beset with demons in this scene painted by Spanish icon Francisco José de Goya.

Is nothing sacred when it comes to reality TV? That would be a no, further underscored by two projects in the works for the near future: one on fallen pastor Ted Haggard (yes, it’s really called “Ted Haggard: Scandalous”), and the other, while not technically a reality show, is based on the Vatican’s own records of demonic investigations conducted by church officials (that would be “The Exorcist Files”). Entertainment Weekly breaks it down on both fronts.  —KA

First this on Haggard from Entertainment Weekly’s “Inside TV” blog:

The special, produced by RelativityReal and debuting Jan. 16, follows Haggard as he announces his new ministry in Colorado Springs, Colo. — the same town he left after the scandal.

Naturally, if the special performs well, TLC might expand the concept into a full series (just like, and yet entirely unlike, Extreme Couponing).

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And once again, “Inside TV” in Entertainment Weekly:

The Exorcist Files will recreate stories of real-life hauntings and demonic possession, based on cases investigated by the Catholic Church. The project includes access into the Vatican’s case files, as well as interviews with the organization’s top exorcists — religious experts who are rarely seen on television.

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