Jeff Belanger hosts the latest New England Legends on Rhode Island PBS

(l -r) Nate, Tony and Jeff

New England is full of ghosts, monsters, and other mysteries that are more than just campfire tales. These legends and lore are as much a part of New England history as are the famous ancestors whose names grace our towns and schools today.

On Wednesday, October 29, starting at 8 p.m., Rhode Island PBS will broadcast the New England Legends series featuring the latest episode, “Maritime Mysteries.” This will be the first broadcast of the new episode and airs as part of our autumn fundraising drive. New England Legends host Jeff Belanger will be live in the studio for the event.

The evening opens with the first episode in the series, "The Spooky Berkshires." The episode examines the tragic history of the Houghton Mansion in North Adams, Massachusetts, and its century-old haunting, then heads up to October Mountain in the Berkshires to chase down stories of Bigfoot sightings, UFOs, and the ghost of a young girl said to haunt an abandoned cemetery somewhere deep in the woods. In 2014, "The Spooky Berkshires" was nominated for an Emmy under the "Magazine Program/Special" category.

The second episode,"Mysteries in Stone," takes viewers north of Boston to a 4,000-year-old calendar in Salem, New Hampshire dubbed "America’s Stonehenge," before heading south to Lynn Woods on Boston's North Shore to explore tales of pirates, buried treasure, and a man who spent his life tunneling through solid rock because spirits told him he'd find gold.

The newest episode, "Maritime Mysteries," dives into the ocean waters of southeastern New England to explore the lonely and haunted Rose Island Lighthouse off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. Then viewers head to shore to ponder an ancient and mysterious stone tower with possible connections to the Knights Templar. Finally, the crew trek up to New Bedford, Massachusetts, to investigate the haunts of abandoned Fort Taber / Fort Rodman.

"This isn't a ghost-hunting show," said Host and Executive Producer Jeff Belanger. "Legends are living, breathing things. They define our communities as much as the buildings or the people who came before us. New England Legends will explore those tales from the fringe that make living in New England that much more interesting. We’re thrilled to share these important stories with viewers of Rhode Island PBS."

New England Legends is a joint venture between Jeff Belanger and Tony Dunne. The two have been working together since 2009 when Dunne wrote and produced the documentary Things That Go Bump in the Night: Tales of Haunted New England for PBS. Belanger was featured prominently in that first documentary, which went on to national acclaim.

"To earn an Emmy nomination on our very first episode was a huge honor," said Director and Executive Producer Tony Dunne. "'Maritime Mysteries' takes this series to a higher level with even better story-telling, camera work, and editing. We want to show New Englanders the mysteries that many walk by every day without noticing."

Belanger and Dunne are currently working on future episodes of New England Legends and are actively seeking sponsorship to turn the program into a regular feature across more New England PBS affiliates.

About Jeff Belanger 
Jeff Belanger is a New England native, author, adventurer, and one of the most visible and prolific paranormal researchers today. Since 1997, the journalist has interviewed thousands of eyewitnesses to paranormal occurrences. He’s the author of more than a dozen books on the paranormal (published in six languages) including the best sellers: The World's Most Haunted Places, Weird Massachusetts, Our Haunted Lives, and Who's Haunting the White House? (for children). He's the founder of Ghostvillage.com, the Web's most popular paranormal destination according to Google.com, and a noted speaker and media personality. He's also the host of the cable/Web talk show, 30 Odd Minutes which is available in over 9 million homes in the United States. Belanger has written for newspapers like The Boston Globe and is the series writer and researcher for Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel. He's been a guest on hundreds of radio and television programs including: The History Channel, The Travel Channel, Biography Channel, PBS, NECN, Living TV (UK), The Maury Show, The CBS News Early Show, FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates, National Public Radio, The BBC, Australian Radio Network, and Coast to Coast AM.

About Tony Dunne 
Award-winning television producer Tony Dunne has called New England home his entire life. After studying film and television production at Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts, Dunne has spent the past 15 years working as a producer in news, commercial, independent, and most recently public television at PBS honing his storytelling skills. He has produced magazine programs, nightly newscasts, quiz shows, lifestyle and health programming, as well as the nationally-distributed documentary Things That Go Bump in the Night: Tales of Haunted New England for PBS.

About New England Legends
New England Legends is a partnership between Tony Dunne and Jeff Belanger. The series premiered in 2013 on PBS affiliate WGBY in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 2014, the initial episode was nominated for an Emmy under the “Magazine Program/Special” category. “Maritime Mysteries” will air on WGBY Thursday, October 30th at 10:00 PM, and on Rhode Island PBS, Wednesday, October 29 at 8:00 PM. For more information, visit: http://www.ournewenglandlegends.com