America's Psychic Challenge
Encyclopedia
America's Psychic Challenge was a competitive reality TV series on the Lifetime Television Network
. The show originated in the UK with the title Britain's Psychic Challenge. Bunim-Murray Productions created the American version for Lifetime TV .
During a national search of thousands, sixteen self-professed psychics each gained a spot to compete on television. For the program, tests were created by the production company with the stated goal of assessing contestants' supernatural abilities. As each psychic was tested he or she was awarded points based on the results of the tests. At the end of every show the two psychics with the highest scores move forward to continue in the competition, and the low scored contestants leave the series. Ultimately the final two psychics face off to compete for the grand prize of $100,000 and the title of 'America’s #1 Psychic.'
The show premiered on the Lifetime Television Network on October 12, 2007. Eight episodes aired with John Burke as the show host. The winner of the first season was Michelle Whitedove. She beat her challenger Jackie Barrett by only two points in a closely fought final. Other competitors were Tori Allah, Jeff Baker, Sloan Bella, Jamie Clark, Silvana Fillmore, Joseph McBratney, Lynn Miller, Naryza, Catherine Powell, Karyn Reese, Zenobia Simmons, Kim Stempien, Joseph Tittel, and Robin Zodiac.
A second season of the Bulgarian
version of the format is announced for broadcasting from March 26. 2009 on bTV. Similar TV shows are being conducted in Russia (on the TNT channel), Ukraine (STB channel) and Estonia (on Kanal 2).
Reporter Larry Potash writing for the Chicago Tribune
states that paranormal reality shows like APC are cheap to produce which means we will probably see more of them. Potash contacted James Underdown
from the Independent Investigation Group IIG who says that the TV set is a horrible place to test a psychic. There are too many things to control, you can't know if the psychic is receiving help from an audience member or someone working on the crew. Potash believes that psychics are not so psychic when the cameras are off, they "go to the doctor... look at train schedules" just like everyone else. Psychics sometimes do guess correctly, "but under scientific scrutiny, and incorporating statistical probability no psychic has ever met the test". He worries that when producers see that the psychic isn't showing spectacular results, they may lower the testing bar or "elevate the psychic's performance through creative editing". Underdown states "Once you pull back the curtain and see how it's done, it's not impressive at all."
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
. The show originated in the UK with the title Britain's Psychic Challenge. Bunim-Murray Productions created the American version for Lifetime TV .
During a national search of thousands, sixteen self-professed psychics each gained a spot to compete on television. For the program, tests were created by the production company with the stated goal of assessing contestants' supernatural abilities. As each psychic was tested he or she was awarded points based on the results of the tests. At the end of every show the two psychics with the highest scores move forward to continue in the competition, and the low scored contestants leave the series. Ultimately the final two psychics face off to compete for the grand prize of $100,000 and the title of 'America’s #1 Psychic.'
The show premiered on the Lifetime Television Network on October 12, 2007. Eight episodes aired with John Burke as the show host. The winner of the first season was Michelle Whitedove. She beat her challenger Jackie Barrett by only two points in a closely fought final. Other competitors were Tori Allah, Jeff Baker, Sloan Bella, Jamie Clark, Silvana Fillmore, Joseph McBratney, Lynn Miller, Naryza, Catherine Powell, Karyn Reese, Zenobia Simmons, Kim Stempien, Joseph Tittel, and Robin Zodiac.
A second season of the Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
version of the format is announced for broadcasting from March 26. 2009 on bTV. Similar TV shows are being conducted in Russia (on the TNT channel), Ukraine (STB channel) and Estonia (on Kanal 2).
Reporter Larry Potash writing for the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
states that paranormal reality shows like APC are cheap to produce which means we will probably see more of them. Potash contacted James Underdown
James Underdown
James Underdown has been the executive director of The Center for Inquiry Los Angeles since 1999. The Center for Inquiry is a non-profit educational organization with headquarters in Amherst, NY, whose primary mission is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and...
from the Independent Investigation Group IIG who says that the TV set is a horrible place to test a psychic. There are too many things to control, you can't know if the psychic is receiving help from an audience member or someone working on the crew. Potash believes that psychics are not so psychic when the cameras are off, they "go to the doctor... look at train schedules" just like everyone else. Psychics sometimes do guess correctly, "but under scientific scrutiny, and incorporating statistical probability no psychic has ever met the test". He worries that when producers see that the psychic isn't showing spectacular results, they may lower the testing bar or "elevate the psychic's performance through creative editing". Underdown states "Once you pull back the curtain and see how it's done, it's not impressive at all."
See also
- ru:Битва экстрасенсов (Psychic Challenge) – Similar TV show in Russia
- Exploring Psychic Powers Live – Similar TV show aired live on June 7, 1989
- List of prizes for evidence of the paranormal