First up on the spinoff of the hit series Ghost Hunters is an investigation of Larnach Castle, an eerie, historic structure located in a gorgeous section of Southern New Zealand. Castle Director Deborah Price reports all sorts of spooky occurrences, including strong smells of cigars and port wine in empty rooms, not to mention forceful shoves on the back that once resulted in her falling down half a flight of stairs. I don’t know about you, but the day I get bloody and bruised after a phantom push is the day I resign and start looking for a new job.

Skeptical Price perseveres, however, along with several of her colleagues at the castle, and she now seems most interested in having the GHI team provide supernatural proof capable of helping her cross over to the “I believe” side. Whether she will get what she seeks is the primary focus of the summer premiere, and I’m not revealing the outcome beforehand.

Ghost Hunters isn’t my preferred cup of tea anyway — the premise is a bit too repetitive for me — which is why it sure is nice to have Saturday Night Live veteran and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan taking over hosting duties on the third season of Scare Tactics. The new man on the set has just the type of mildly acerbic presence to enhance the entertainment value of the Punk’d-style series as he introduces each prank.

Tonight’s half-hour season premiere, “Satan’s Baby,” is a hoot, too, especially the title demon-child sequence that gets the episode rolling when Brittany, an unsuspecting receptionist, is forced to help out during a most scary premature delivery in the middle of a pitch black night. Her reaction to the Devil’s spawn is probably exactly what the show is aiming for during each scene — believably intense terror.

Three additional segments feature a Scanners-inspired experiment gone awry, a meat grinder-flavored accident, and an undercover operation that gets busted wide open, all ending with reveals that make the scenarios worth watching. Paired with a second fresh installment, “3:10 to Hell,” at 10:30pm, tonight’s Scare Tactics hour is a perfect TV combination of comedy and horror. Take a look at an advance sneak peek below.

Tags: Ghost Hunters International, Larnach Castle, Scare Tactics, Sci Fi Channel, television, Tracy Morgan, tv