One of the best new series on television is the Ghost Whisperer where Jennifer Love Hewitt has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts who have not moved on. Not since Touched by An Angel has there been such an uplifting series dealing with the supernatural. Even non-religious folk can enjoy this movie because the series doesn't focus on religion and god as much as death in a tender and sensitive manner. The humor is light and balanced, the plots are tear jerkers and offer strong messages of understanding and hope.

The few 2006-7 episodes I've seen seem to have turned darker, more horror, less drama and family friendly. There's more emphasis on monsters, sinister, personal threats than on the more positive passing on. Less entertainment and inspiration, more chilling thrills.

Back in fine form Ghost Whisperer is back on track as of October 6 as Melinda tries to understand the goings on with a haunted house that a couple just bought and a small girl who apparently died. The humor and the drama with a dab of Holloween horror at the beginning all come together to create a promising start for the rest of the season.

My overall impression now that the 2006-2007 season for the Ghost Whisperer has been completed is mixed. While a good number of episodes continued last year's charming tradition of sensitive portrayal of death, too many episodes turned toward eerie, horror special effects and darker themes that led away from educational entertainment to more sensational emotional catharsis or shock value. Also a number of episodes used the rather juvenile horror technique of inserting at the very end some dark tidbit that suggested something evil was to happen (a tepid attempt to get perhaps a new audience to watch the next episode). However, such idiotic techniques only diminish the strength of individual episodes and the enjoyment of future reruns. Hopefully the producers will alter their mistaken ways next year.