In times of uncertainty, Americans go in search of the spooky and supernatural

Jennifer Love Hewitt stars as a medium who communicates with spirits on CBS’ "Ghost Whisperer."

On TV

• "Supernatural," 9 p.m. Tuesdays, debuts Tuesday, WB, Channel 20

• "Threshold," 9 p.m. Fridays, debuts Friday, CBS, Channel 62

• "Surface," 8 p.m. Mondays, debuts Sept. 19, NBC, Local 4

• "Medium," 10 p.m. Mondays, returns Sept. 19, NBC, Local 4

• "Lost," 9 p.m. Wednesdays, returns Sept. 21, ABC, Channel 7

• "Invasion," 10 p.m. Wednesdays, debuts Sept. 21, ABC, Channel 7

• "Ghost Whisperer," 8 p.m. Fridays, debuts Sept. 23, CBS, Channel 62

• "The Night Stalker," 9 p.m. Thursdays, debuts Sept. 29, ABC, Channel 7

Places aren’t haunted, people are.

That’s the premise behind "Ghost Whisperer," the new CBS (Channel 62) drama starring Jennifer Love Hewitt as a medium who can see and talk to the deceased.

Like Haley Joel Osment with breasts, Hewitt’s character helps earth-bound ghosts deliver messages and make peace with unfinished business before they transcend to heaven or wherever the after-life lies.

"Ghost Whisperer," which debuts Sept. 23, is one of eight new and existing shows haunting the dial this fall. Other titles include the mildly popular "Medium" on NBC (Local 4), which floats into its second season Sept. 19, and WB’s (Channel 20) au courant offering, "Supernatural." The latter debuts Tuesday.

ABC (Channel 7), which also is serving up the alien thriller "Invasion," is releasing a remake of the short-lived ’70s TV occult drama "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Its version is simply called "Night Stalker," and this time, the show stars film-actor Stuart Townsend ("Queen of the Damned") as Carl Kolchak, the wisecracking, vampire-chasing reporter.

If Kolchak were chasing down motives for TV’s spiked interest in shows that go bump in the night, he might come up with three: the cyclical nature of television, our desire to escape during tumultuous times and the cash to be made from every new generation of shriek-happy youngsters.

The success of ABC’s secrets-and-creatures show "Lost" suggests America is ready for another era where spooky shows rule the airwaves, like "The Twilight Zone" and "The X-Files" did in their heydays.

And just as in those instances, America’s social climate is ready for such distractions.

" ’Twilight Zone’ came to be during the Cold War," says Peter Johnson, executive producer and co-creator of "Supernatural," a show about two brothers (Jared Padalecki, "House of Wax" and Jensen Ackles, "Dark Angel") fighting apparitions and goblins.

" ’X-Files’ also came out during a time when government conspiracies were running rampant and people wanted to be entertained and forget how unsettling things had become," Johnson says.

"These days, with the second war in Iraq and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, people need to let go — and ghost and alien stories seem to do the trick."

Jonas Pate agrees that America is in search of a good supernatural distraction. Pate and his twin brother, Josh, are the executive producers, writers and directors behind "Surface," the NBC sci-fi drama about mysterious sea creatures discovered in the ocean.

"When you go back in history, fantastical shows have always come in a time of great uncertainty," says Pate, during a recent teleconference for "Surface."

"Shows like ours are zeitgeists for where we are as a country."

Ectoplasm isn’t the only green glint in TV executive’s eyes. There is, of course, the most favored green of all — money.

Young women ages 13 to 24 love to be scared, if the success of the horror flick "The Grudge" is any indication. According to a Sony exit poll, teenage girls and their slightly older big sisters accounted for two-thirds of the audience for the movie, which starred Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

"The Grudge" grossed a record $110 million in the United States and $183 million worldwide, says ERC Box Office, a research firm that compiles information on movie ticket sales. The Grudge’s predecessor, "The Ring," grossed $129 million in the United States, and its sequel, "The Ring 2," scared up $36 million during its debut weekend earlier this year. And then there is the Sci Fi Channel’s "Ghost Hunter." More than half of the 1.4 million viewers who watch the show are women.

"Sci-fi and horror movies and television programs have always appealed to girls and young women," says Richard Lachmann, a professor of sociology at the University of Albany. "It’s the one thing both genders can agree upon."

"These young women aren’t going to convince their boyfriends to go see chick-flicks and watch Lifetime," Lachmann says. "But as a couple, you can snuggle up on the couch and watch a good alien drama or go and see a good scream movie.

"It all goes back to our social climate. The battle between good and evil is so well defined in the supernatural genre. Why should young women’s tastes be any different?"

Tell that to the WB, which can’t wait to frighten young women and teenage girls. That’s one of the reasons the network placed "Supernatural" in the Tuesday night slot following "Gilmore Girls," says Johnson.

"It’s the ideal time slot for the audience we hope to reach," says Johnson. "The future of sci-fi is in this demographic because they enjoy screaming and being scared. We also have strong storylines, which both genders appreciate."