Sci Fi Investigates
Encyclopedia
Sci Fi Investigates is a six episode reality television
series featuring skeptic Rob Mariano
, forensic specialist Deborah Dobrydney, archaeologist Bill Doleman, and paranormal investigator Richard Dolan, as they look at paranormal
and supernatural
phenomenon and try to explain them. The show debuted in October 2006 on the American SyFy
channel (formerly Sci-Fi Channel) following Ghost Hunters
. There have also been two webisode
s.
investigators who travel to various locations around the United States
and investigate various urban legends.
The team uses various research methods to gather as much information as they can about the particular legend or phenomena an episode focuses on. They meet with local residents, listen to eye-witness reports, study documentation, conduct forensic experiments on physical evidence, and conduct on-location archaeological studies. At the end they review and discuss their findings and each investigator gives their opinions from different points-of-view.
Each episode is an hour long, including commercials.
is an indepth criticism of the October 26, 2006, "Sci-fi Investigates" broadcast's "Mothman" episode. Coleman wrote that while it had a few moments that are pure entertainment and certainly funny, it had little or nothing to do with "investigating" Mothman or unexplained phenomena.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series featuring skeptic Rob Mariano
Rob Mariano
Robert Carlo "Boston Rob" Mariano is an American television personality, widely known for appearing in several reality shows, including Survivor, and The Amazing Race with his wife, Amber Brkich Mariano. Mariano won Survivor: Redemption Island and the $1,000,000 prize after competing on the show...
, forensic specialist Deborah Dobrydney, archaeologist Bill Doleman, and paranormal investigator Richard Dolan, as they look at paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
and supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
phenomenon and try to explain them. The show debuted in October 2006 on the American SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
channel (formerly Sci-Fi Channel) following Ghost Hunters
Ghost Hunters
Ghost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...
. There have also been two webisode
Webisode
A webisode is a short episode which airs initially as Internet television, either download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television. The format can be used as a preview, a promotion, as part of a collection of shorts, or a commercial.A webisode can be an episode...
s.
Episode format
The series documents a team of four paranormalParanormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
investigators who travel to various locations around the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and investigate various urban legends.
The team uses various research methods to gather as much information as they can about the particular legend or phenomena an episode focuses on. They meet with local residents, listen to eye-witness reports, study documentation, conduct forensic experiments on physical evidence, and conduct on-location archaeological studies. At the end they review and discuss their findings and each investigator gives their opinions from different points-of-view.
Each episode is an hour long, including commercials.
Criticism
The Cryptomundo blog by Mothman researcher Loren ColemanLoren Coleman
Loren Coleman is an author of books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology, who was born in 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia and grew up in Decatur, Illinois.-Education:...
is an indepth criticism of the October 26, 2006, "Sci-fi Investigates" broadcast's "Mothman" episode. Coleman wrote that while it had a few moments that are pure entertainment and certainly funny, it had little or nothing to do with "investigating" Mothman or unexplained phenomena.
Credited cast
- Deborah Dobrydney - Dobrydney is a forensicsForensicsForensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
specialist with a B.S. in psychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and a B.A. in Spanish studies both from Fordham UniversityFordham UniversityFordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in New York and is a graduate of the Masters of Science program from the University of New HavenUniversity of New HavenThe University of New Haven is a private university that combines a liberal arts education with professional training. The university comprises five colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the Tagliatela College of Engineering, the Henry C...
. She has worked for a crime scene investigation unit since 2002. - Richard M. DolanRichard M. DolanRichard Michael Dolan is an American historian, author and television personality, whose areas of expertise are in History and Ufology.-Education:...
- Dolan is a paranormal investigator and author of two volumes entitled UFOs and the National Security State. Prior to his interest in UFO's, he studied Cold War history, tactics and diplomacy. He has a master's degree in history from the University of RochesterUniversity of RochesterThe University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
and a bachelor's degree in history from Alfred UniversityAlfred UniversityAlfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
. He earned a certificate in political theory from Oxford University and was a Rhodes Scholar finalist. Dolan has also appeared in numerous paranormal documentaries over the years including Sci-Fi Channel's UFO Invasion at Rendlesham documentary. - Bill Doleman - Dr. Doleman is an archaeologist. He was also the chief investigator of a Roswell, New MexicoRoswell, New MexicoRoswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
evidence dig conducted by the University of New MexicoUniversity of New MexicoThe University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
and documented in the 2003 documentary The Roswell Crash: Startling New Evidence, which was hosted by Bryant GumbelBryant GumbelBryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
and also produced by the Sci-Fi Channel. Doleman is a 1995 graduate of UNM with a Ph.D. in anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. In 2004, Doleman became director of New Mexico's archaeological archive and database (a.k.a. ARMS). - Rob Mariano - An adventurer, Rob Mariano was also the former competitor "Boston Rob" to fans of Survivor: MarquesasSurvivor: MarquesasSurvivor: Marquesas is the fourth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it aired from February 28 - May 19, 2002 on CBS. Thirteen episodes aired, plus a mid-season recap and live interview with Rosie O'Donnell...
, Survivor: All Stars and Amazing Race. He is the skeptic of the investigative team. - Lisa Van Camp - Van Camp is a forensic analyst (appeared in "Roswell" and "Paranormal Hotspots" episodes, filling in for Dobrydney)
Season One
| Ep# | Investigation | Original Airdate | Summary |
| 101 | Voodoo | October 11, 2006 | The team travels to New Orleans, LA New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population... to investigate the practice of voodoo Louisiana Voodoo Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of underground religious practices which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions which developed within the French, Spanish, and Creole speaking African American... . |
| 102 | Bigfoot | October 18, 2006 | The team attempts to debunk a recent Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid... video by recreating the sighting of the creature with Rob wearing a Hollywood-movie quality Bigfoot costume. |
| 103 | Mothman | October 25, 2006 | The team travels to the mountains of West Virginia West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east... to investigate sightings of a winged creature known as the Mothman Mothman Mothman is a legendary creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleasant area of West Virginia from 15 November 1966 to 15 December 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated 16 November 1966, entitled "Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something"... . |
| 104 | The Afterlife | November 1, 2006 | The team looks for evidence of the afterlife by subjecting themselves to special aura photography Aura (paranormal) In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects... , sensory deprivation Sensory deprivation Sensory deprivation or perceptual isolation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing respectively, while more complex devices can also cut off the sense of smell, touch,... and past life regression Past life regression Past life regression is a technique that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are memories of past lives or incarnations, though others regard them as fantasies or delusions. Past life regression is typically undertaken either in pursuit of a spiritual experience, or in a... experiments. |
| 105 | The Roswell Incident | November 8, 2006 | The team looks at the Roswell UFO incident Roswell UFO incident The Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of... . (Note: Lisa Van Camp filled in for Dobrydney for this episode.) |
| 106 | Paranormal Hotspots | November 15, 2006 | The team visits Dulce Dulce, New Mexico Dulce is a census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 2,623 at the 2000 census, almost entirely Native American... , NM New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S... , and Sedona Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona... , AZ Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... which are the sites of numerous reports of UFO sightings, cattle mutilations, and other alleged paranormal activity. |
Specials
- Highway to Hell: The Legends of Clinton Road (SciFi.com Webisode in five parts) - Deborah and Richard investigate local ghost stories of Clinton Road in West Milford, NJWest Milford, New JerseyWest Milford is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,850.-History:...
.
See also
- The X CreaturesThe X CreaturesThe X Creatures is a British documentary television series that was produced by the BBC in 1998, which was broadcast in 1999 on BBC 1. It was presented by Chris Packham, and examined the possibility of the existence of cryptozoological creatures....
- a similar BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series - Destination TruthDestination TruthDestination Truth is a weekly American paranormal reality television series that premiered on June 6, 2007 on Syfy. Produced by Mandt Bros. Productions and Ping Pong Productions, the program follows paranormal researcher Josh Gates around the world to investigate claims of the supernatural, mainly...
- Ghost HuntersGhost HuntersGhost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...