IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN SHACKLETON
Ahead of the launch of new YouTube series THE SUPERNATURAL UK, creator John Shackleton, talks about his fascination with the paranormal, balancing scepticism with belief and gruelling all-night shoots.
What inspired you to create THE SUPERNATURAL UK, and how did the concept first come about?
JS: As a filmmaker, I’m naturally drawn to the unknown. I’ve always had a love for horror and the supernatural - but it wasn’t until a few years ago, when I found out my accountants moonlighted as paranormal investigators, that I really dipped my toe in! I tagged-along out of curiosity. No expectations, full sceptic mode.
The spark really happened when I was working on Château DIY for Channel 4. Some of the medieval château stories ignited my imagination. I made multiple trips to France across different series, but it was during one particular stay, alone in a gîte just after the pandemic, that things took a turn. One night something bit my finger - I jolted awake and saw my bedside table physically rocking. The next morning, my researcher (in the room opposite) told me she’d been woken by the sensation her bed was off the ground.
When I got back to the UK, I started filming investigations with different paranormal teams. That eventually led to a 50-minute TV pilot, ‘Somerset Supernatural’. At the time, I was also shooting ‘Dorset: Country and Coast’ for Channel 5, and I liked how the format wove real people and real places into the fabric of a region. So, I took that approach - blending fly-on-the-wall documentary with local character and applied it to the paranormal.
I teamed up with my long-time collaborator and all round creative powerhouse Andy Bourne, who handles everything from cinematography and editing to VFX and post. We decided to make more episodes specifically for online. The result is ‘The Supernatural UK’, a year-long passion project built on the back of that original pilot.
How do you define “supernatural” in the context of this series, and what makes the UK uniquely suited for these stories?
JS: For me, the supernatural starts where science and logic stop. If it defies physics or falls outside the norm, then it is - by definition, para-normal. Like with UFOs - it doesn’t mean little green men, just that it’s unidentified.
The UK is especially rich ground for this kind of exploration. Its deep history, layered folklore, pagan traditions, religious shifts, give us an incredible scope. So in the context of the series, “supernatural” is a wide net. It covers the unexplained - spiritual, scientific, or otherwise. Everything’s on the table.
Can you talk about the research process - how do you uncover or choose locations and cases?
JS: Ironically, I try not to research too much. These are observational documentaries, and I want to arrive as open and fresh as possible. Whether or not I’ve read the history doesn’t determine if something decides to make itself known on the night. In that sense often the less I know, the better.
That said, we do have researchers on standby. Karin Beasant, one of our producers, is incredibly thorough and often suggests locations or connects us with investigators. I go with my gut - it’s proven to be a pretty reliable barometer.
Sometimes opportunities come out of other projects. While working on a show about Warwick Castle, I pitched access for THE SUPERNATURAL UK’ - remarkably they said yes, and that became episodes 9 and 10 of the series. I’m also drawn to specific phenomena like remote viewing, and when something intriguing lines up, I’ll do everything I can to make it happen. That’s the joy of working independently - no one’s dictating the agenda. I can follow my instincts.
What challenges did you face - especially with the documentary-style format?
JS: Plenty! For starters, the shoots can be gruelling. We pulled a lot of all-nighters, especially when things started to heat up. Crew availability could be tricky, too. In the opening episode, shot in Nottingham, I had to run everything solo - organisation, production, camera, sound, the lot. Luckily, my day job’s prepared me for that, but it can create issues like dropped timecode, which then take longer to fix in post. I have to wear many caps, sometimes even the red hood, too!
The steepest learning curve for me was the edit. I don’t usually edit my own work, but for this I had to learn how to sync multi-cam footage, manage audio files, and basically build the episodes from scratch. It was time-consuming, but rewarding. I’d often discover things I hadn’t clocked on the night - like hidden story threads or electronic voice phenomena (EVPs) that only emerged during meticulous reviews. It’s definitely sharpened my storytelling skills and revealed arcs that might’ve gone unnoticed otherwise.
Are there recurring themes or messages you hope viewers take away from the series?
JS: Yes - mainly that science doesn’t yet have all the answers. As Shakespeare put it: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. I think that quote sums it up perfectly. We need to keep enquiring. Keep our minds open. That’s how we unlock whatever it is that’s really going on out there.
How do you balance scepticism and belief in the series? Do you take a particular stance?
JS: I’m not a fan of extremes - blind belief or staunch scepticism. I try to land somewhere in the middle. Think Mulder and Scully. In fact, we set that tone right from the first episode, with some healthy banter between our sceptic and spiritualist investigators.
If something strange happens, I always try to debunk it first. But I’ve had moments where I know what I saw, I know what I heard, and no rational explanation holds water. That tension between belief and doubt is part of what makes the series so engaging and timeless, I think.
You’re a well-regarded feature filmmaker. Did you bring any cinematic techniques to enhance the series?
JS: Absolutely. I’ve spent years streamlining my process so I’m not waiting on anyone’s permission to shoot. I own pro filming equipment, and Andy does too. Between us, we can load up the van and go. We also use GoPros, 360 cameras - anything to make sure we don’t miss a beat. Weird stuff always seems to happen the moment the main camera’s down, we soon learned!
We’re both big fans of cinematic title sequences. Andy works in Unreal Engine and creates visuals that really punch up the intros. Music’s crucial, too. We worked with Paul Saunderson on the theme and Jacob Maloney on the score. They’ve helped give the series a much more elevated feel. But above all, it’s about story. And often, that story only really reveals itself in the edit.
Were there any moments during filming that genuinely surprised you or changed your perspective?
JS: So many. One night I brought a trained security dog to what’s considered the most haunted prison in the UK - just for insurance! Not only did the dog react to multiple unseen presences, but we started getting what felt like intelligent responses from assumed inmates. Lights triggered on command. Motion sensors responded to verbal prompts. Suddenly, “coincidence” didn’t seem the most logical explanation anymore.
I keep the setup lean and spontaneous - often confirming investigators just days before, so I know nothing’s being staged. Everything you see is real. That includes a poltergeist experience that even our biggest sceptic deemed 94% likely, and a museum investigation that escalated from the movement of a simple doll in a cabinet, to full-blown activity - footsteps, voices, EVP, and vibration sensor activation.
There have just been too many “coincidences” to ignore.
Do you think the rising interest in the paranormal reflects something deeper about society today?
JS: Yes, I do. With everything going on in the world - the climate crisis, wars, political instability - it feels like we’re collectively looking for meaning and reassurance. The doomsday clock is at 89 seconds to midnight. It’s no wonder people are asking bigger questions about what happens when we die.
Finally, do you believe in ghosts?
JS: Literal ghosts? No, they still don’t make sense to me - and I felt that way before I started. But when I find EVP recordings of disembodied voices replying to questions…when radio signals give us information the team couldn’t have known…when I hear footsteps in an empty building, or a voice that everyone on the team hears…it’s hard to dismiss.
So, do I believe something is out there? Yes. Without a doubt.
THE SUPERNATURAL UK launches on YouTube, Monday July 21, 7pm.