Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files [Syfy, Thursdays, 10/9C] is just what the world needs – another reality series based around the investigation of paranormal events. That the show is little more than a fusion of Ghost Hunters and Mythbusters is not a point in its favor. Fortunately, the series’ first season is only six episodes long.
Led by former FBI Agent Ben Hansen, a team of investigators – Bill Murphy, lead scientist [whatever that means]; Larry Caughlin, effects specialist; Jael Del Prado [alumni of Destination: Truth], journalist; Chi-Lan Lieu, photography expert, and Austin Porter, stunt expert – in the investigation of events like the Ghost Car of Garden city and what are presumed to be extraterrestrial lights over Phoenix, Arizona [these case studies culled from potential subjects proposed by each of the team in the premiere’s opening moments].
In the premiere, each investigation is pursued by three team members: Ben, Austin and Jael on the Ghost Car segment, and Chi-Lan, Larry and Bill on the UFO segment. In each case, the investigators set up situational experiments that mimic the time and circumstances of the original event to see if they can recreate the event through technological means. Here, they decide that one case study is fact; the other, faked.
While the events investigated in the premiere are intriguing, and the ensuing investigations informative, I thought that one of the experiments in the first case didn’t precisely recreate the event they claimed it did [the event involved a hard turn, while the experiment was performed straight on]. The second case was certainly more compelling. Also, three experiments constitute a full investigation?
Another thing that bothered me is that Ben’s team all looked like they stepped out of central casting – they are all way too photogenic. Then there’s that “lead scientist” designation – way too generic for me. And Ben looks awfully young to be a former FBI agent [especially one with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Criminology – maybe the team should investigate him!]. Did he quit? Why? Was he fired? Why? Seriously, what’s up with that?
As I mentioned before, the one key difference between this and the other shows of this sub-genre of reality TV is that the show’s team tries to actually replicate the events being investigated.
Maybe I’m jaded, or maybe I’m just tired of seeing all these paranormal investigations shows popping out of the woodwork. The show’s one unique point – the idea of recreating the event technologically – is interesting, but overall, Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files doesn’t intrigue me enough to watch further episodes.
Final Grade: C