SMITHTOWN, NY — A Long Island paranormal investigator will put her musical knowledge to the test on national television Monday when she appears on the first-ever Halloween episode of FOX's "Celebrity Name That Tune."
Emily Granados, a member of Long Island Paranormal Investigators, a non-profit paranormal research group, will compete on the Halloween-themed episode airing Monday at 8 p.m. on FOX 5. The episode will feature Robin Thicke performing "Monster Mash," along with a lineup of songs carrying spooky and Halloween-inspired themes.
The Oct. 12 episode is titled "It's a '90s Halloween." Brian Austin Green faces Daphne Zuniga in the celebrity portion, followed by paranormal investigator Emily competing against supernatural writer Victoria.
Granados will celebrate the broadcast with a public viewing party at Katie's of Smithtown, a longtime local bar with a reputation for paranormal activity.
"It feels like a very weird culmination of everything I love and adore in a very random setting," Granados told Patch. "Between my love and passion for music, being a native Long Islander and really loving this island and being able to share Long Island paranormal investigation with the world."
Granados was born in Glen Cove, spent part of her childhood in Bayville and now lives in Melville. She attended Half Hollow Hills High School East, where one of her earliest deep dives into Long Island's paranormal lore eventually helped connect her with the organization she now represents.
Her fascination centered on the legends surrounding Sweet Hollow Road and Mount Misery Road in Melville. Granados said she researched the stories extensively, including studying maps she accessed through libraries.
Her interest became the subject of a documentary filmmaking project while she was a student at Hills East. As part of the project, she contacted Long Island Paranormal Investigators and interviewed the group's founder, Mike Cardenito, because of the organization's previous research into the area.
Years passed before Granados ultimately joined the group herself.
"I really had an obsession with it," she said of the local legends. "I researched it nonstop. I accessed all different kinds of maps from the libraries. I grew so fascinated with it."
Her path from local paranormal investigator to television game-show contestant began when she came across what appeared to be a casting call for "Celebrity Name That Tune" and decided to fill it out, initially unsure whether anything would come of it.
"What do I have to lose?" she said.
Someone from the production eventually contacted her. As the casting process continued, Granados said producers asked extensively about her background and her paranormal work proved to be a conversation starter.
"Not every day you hear somebody paranormal investigates," Granados said. "They were kind of into it."
Granados offered a confident preview of what viewers will see.
"I'm confident to say you'll see my abilities shine," she said.
That confidence, she said, came from a lifelong connection to music.
"I live and breathe music, so I was very confident going into it," Granados said. "Being a New York native, we just have that get-up and go about us. So I was very confident that nothing would stand in my way."
Granados said stepping onto the "Name That Tune" set was still unlike anything she had experienced. Granados described seeing Thicke, host Jane Krakowski and the familiar television set in person as almost difficult to process.
"To see something you see on television and then see it with your naked eye, including Jane Krakowski, was just so incredible," she said. "It was such an exciting, exhilarating experience. They are such kind and down-to-earth people. It was an incredible experience working with both of them, speaking with them about life, and getting to experience music with two legends like both of them. I'm still in shock."
She said viewers will see Thicke perform "Monster Mash," along with other songs that fit the episode's supernatural theme.
Away from television, however, Granados said actual paranormal investigation bears little resemblance to the dramatic portrayals that have helped make ghosts and hauntings a staple of movies and reality television.
"It's a lot more quiet," she said. "It's a lot more scary in person. It's less dramatic."
She contrasted real investigations with films such as "The Conjuring," saying an unexplained experience inside someone's home in the middle of the night can be far subtler than the spectacle viewers associate with Hollywood horror.
Granados and her fellow investigators have traveled widely, but she said Long Island itself offers no shortage of historic locations with stories attached to them.
Among the places she mentioned were Camp Hero in Montauk, Katie's of Smithtown, the Nathaniel Rogers House, Rogers Mansion and Sagtikos Manor.
Granados said Long Island's depth of history, including its connections to the Revolutionary War, contributes to the large number of places that have accumulated paranormal stories over the years.
"People don't realize how much history is actually on Long Island and how historic many things are," she said.
Katie's of Smithtown is among the locations Granados and Long Island Paranormal Investigators have explored themselves.
Its documented history, paranormal reputation and the group's own experiences there made it an obvious choice when plans for the "Name That Tune" viewing party came together.
"We've definitely experienced and caught some stuff there, and I figured it was appropriate," she said. "They're friends of ours, and it definitely fit the mood."
As for what guests can expect Monday night, Granados offered a description befitting both a bar and a paranormal investigator.
"They can expect a spooky ambiance, some great music, and lovely spirits, both alcohol and others," she said.
Granados said she is most excited about friends and relatives in different places being able to share the experience, even if they cannot all watch alongside her in Smithtown.
"I'm excited for everyone to experience the episode in their own way," she said. "Having so many friends and family from all different parts of the world, it's so exciting to be able to connect with them over it."
The Halloween edition of "Celebrity Name That Tune" featuring Granados airs Monday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. on FOX 5. Granados will host a viewing party that night at Katie's of Smithtown.
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