Ghost Whisperer

Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.

The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. While trying to live as normal a life as possible—she is married and owns an antique store—Melinda helps earthbound spirits resolve their problems and cross over into the Light, or the spirit world. Her tasks are difficult and at times she struggles with people who push her away and disbelieve her ability. In addition, the ghosts are mysterious and sometimes menacing in the beginning and Melinda must use the clues available to her to understand the spirit's needs and help them.  The show was created by John Gray and was produced by Sander/Moses Productions, in association with ABC Studios and CBS Television Studios. On May 18, 2010, CBS cancelled the show after five seasons.

Melinda Gordon is a young woman from the fictional town of Grandview, New York who has the ability to see and communicate with the dead. Melinda lives with her husband Jim Clancy. She is the owner of an antique shop called "Same as it Never Was." Ghosts seek Melinda's help in relaying a message or completing a task that will put the spirit to rest, and allow them to cross over into The Light (which is possibly Heaven). Those who died with unfinished business become earth-bound and can not cross over, and Melinda, as their earthly representative, helps them to find peace. The show does not present the ghosts as having sinned; rather it is the spirits' own guilt that condemns them, and their own fear of judgement that keeps them from "crossing over" into an afterlife.

The first season introduces Romano, a former cult leader from Europe who influenced his followers to commit a mass suicide in 1939. His own suicide transformed him into an earth-bound negative entity. Romano attempts to do the exact opposite of Melinda and gather earth-bound souls and prevent them from crossing over into The Light. Melinda and Romano struggle over the 300 souls of people who die in a airplane crash in Grandview. Melinda also suffers a huge personal loss at the end of the season as her best friend, Andrea (Aisha Tyler), dies when her car is caught in the path of the crashing plane.

In the second season, Melinda meets Delia Banks, her son Ned Banks, and Professor Rick Payne, all of whom, by season's end, come to learn of Melinda's ability, with varying reactions. Delia remains slightly skeptical. The second season revolves around the thinning veil between the living and the dead. Melinda meets Gabriel, who has similar abilities to hers. But Gabriel is working for the Shadows (as yet unnamed) and working to make sure that ghosts do not cross over into The Light, and in fact is working to block The Light from all ghosts.

In the third season, Melinda searches in her family history for answers as she gets closer and closer to learning the secret of her gift, her childhood, and her father. Melinda also finds out Gabriel is her half-brother. He is the son of Tom Gordon (Melinda's father).

In the fourth season, Melinda meets Eli James after a fire at Rockland University and who, after his own near-death experience, develops the ability to listen to ghosts. Melinda says goodbye to her close friend Rick Payne, who leaves Grandview on a research trip for the university. In this season, Jim is shot and killed. He does not "cross over" because he does not want to leave Melinda, and his spirit later enters the body of a man who died in an accident. When the man regains consciousness, he has no memory of being Jim. Melinda works to get him to remember, and succeeds after much difficulty and skepticism on the part of her friends.

In the fifth season, we are introduced to Jim and Melinda's son, Aiden Lucas. Melinda sometimes worries about her son, because he is destined to be more powerful than she is. He can see the "Shinies and the Shadows." Melinda, Ned, and Eli, with the frequent help of Delia, work to keep the Book of Changes, a mystical object, safe from the Shadows.