Television Review: SCI FI Investigates
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this lightweight investigative
show focuses on popular myths and controversies surrounding
topics like UFOs and Bigfoot. While it's not a great example of
real scholarship or science, the show might get kids interested
in digging a little deeper into a subject that interests them.
Some topics touch on potentially scary subjects, like voodoo
curses or alien visitation, but most kids will be able to
handle the show's breezy treatment. Occasional bleeped cursing
is really the only thing parents might be concerned about.
Families can talk about what they think about the show's
topics. Do parents and kids believe in things like Bigfoot,
possession, or UFO landings? Does the show present any evidence
that changes your mind? What tools do the investigators use to
research their subject? What methods would
you use to get at the truth? Which topics would you like
to see investigated?
SCI FI INVESTIGATES takes on familiar myths and paranormal theories in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. In each episode, a team of experts (of sorts) -- an anthropologist/archeologist, a crime scene investigator, a scholar of the paranormal, and a "skeptic" ("Boston Rob" Mariano of Survivor and The Amazing Race fame) -- looks into the mysteries of Bigfoot, Roswell, and more. In one episode, for example, the group traveled to New Orleans to investigate the religious and cultural practices of voodoo. They attended several rituals and celebrations where they witnessed apparent possessions and found themselves entranced by the possibility of a magical experience. But although each of the team members had an intense emotional experience during the investigation, by the end of the episode, viewers were no closer to knowing whether or not voodoo magic is real, though they got a good lesson in the power of faith. Ultimately the team discovered that if you believe it, it's real.
Viewers looking for true scholarly investigations aren't going to find them here. And the experts don't tend to wow viewers with their skilled analysis, either. Rather, SCI FI Investigates depicts some rather normal folks looking into an interesting subject. With the access that TV cameras bring, this can be engaging. But it can also be disappointing for people who want to see a real investigation.
Speaking of TV cameras, the show's experts never acknowledge that folks act differently in front of a camera and that some of what they witness may be affected by their very presence. Since this is a key issue in anthropological study, you'd expect at least a mention of this idea. But, then again, since the show is pretty lightweight altogether, maybe not.
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