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For decades, Saturday Night Live or SNL, has been a mainstay of American comedy, and it’s helped create many comedy legends, including, but not limited to, Bill Murray, John Belushi, and Chris Rock. However, SNL is such an iconic show that it’s helped make bigger waves in the entertainment industry in general.

For example, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Eddie Murphy, and Will Ferrell all got their start on SNL, and since then, they’ve become much bigger than the show. Another one of those legends includes Dan Aykroyd, whose contributions have been as impactful on-screen as they’ve been offscreen. Here’s a look at his career and his new ghost show on the Travel Channel. 

Dan Aykroyd on ‘SNL’

Dan Aykroyd posing with a bottle of vodka
Dan Aykroyd holding a bottle of vodka | Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Like most people who join SNL, Aykroyd was a comedian, and he started on the show as a writer before he became a cast member. He joined the show in 1975, and he was part of The Not Ready for Prime Time Players, which included the likes of Murray, Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Chevy Chase. 

He’d leave the show in 1979, but not before he did a lot of iconic sketches that are still some of the most impactful sketches to this day. The most famous of these sketches was probably his “Blues Brothers” sketch, which he did with Belushi.

This sketch was so funny and successful that the two actually formed a band and released an album as “The Blues Brothers.” Additionally, the two reprised their roles in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers, which was also quite successful. 

Dan Aykroyd outside of ‘SNL’

After SNL though, Aykroyd, like many SNL alumni, blossomed into his own thing. His most famous work after he left SNL is probably the 1984 movie, Ghostbusters. He not only came up with the idea for the movie in the first place, but he also co-wrote it, and he starred in it, too. Obviously, Ghostbusters was a massive success, and it’s become a franchise that’s made a lot of money.

His work on Ghostbusters was probably his peak, as his works afterward haven’t been as successful. That said, one thing that’s remained constant for much of his life has been his fascination with the paranormal. It’s what actually led him to create Ghostbusters in the first place. He’s explored the paranormal in many ways, too, and his interests haven’t been limited to ghosts, either.

That said, partially due to his interest in ghosts, one of his more recent works involves him narrating a show about ghosts.

Dan Aykroyd narrates ‘Hotel Paranormal’ on the Travel Channel

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Following the success of ghost hunting shows like Ghost Adventures, the Travel Channel’s latest show about ghosts is Hotel Paranormal. Travel Channel wrote that the show is, like its name implies, about haunted hotels from around the world. The show doesn’t just cover hotels, either, as inns, motels, and other similar spots are included, too. 

The show retells the spooky stories that guests have had when they’ve stayed at those haunted hotels, and it’ll include dramatized re-creations of those events as well as interviews with paranormal experts. Along the way, Aykroyd will be the narrator whose voice will glue everything together. Aykroyd is perfect for the role since he’s a popular guy who’s very passionate about the subject matter. 

Aykroyd told the Travel Channel that, “I think the incredible encounters we’re highlighting on Hotel Paranormal will open up a lot of minds and hopefully break through some of the skepticism people carry about the paranormal.” The show premiered on Saturday, July 11th, and there will be 10 episodes in the first season. Each episode is an hour long.

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