Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files

A group of straight unsuperstitious people set out to prove these supernatural/paranormal videos are fake. Simple premise - dumb but entertaining.

Unlike awful paranormal investigation shows this one tries to prove real "evidence" is fake as opposed to lolling in the dark for 50% of the episode and using the other 50% for an unfulfilling context dump. The show is best when they debunk it as quick as possible. Some of their attempts to replicate the footage can be dumbfounding, but hilarious.

Sometimes after failing to prove it is fake, they'll do a "paranormal investigation" from which they always get nothing from. Luckily it's heavily edited, unlike most boring ghost shows.

Nothing on TV? Put this on, it kills time effectively and it's quite addictive and engaging. Give it a go, don't expect much.

The big flaw with this show is that they claim these people are "experts" but in reality are 30 something actors who probably couldn't get a REAL job in the REAL world. They come across as rather cloddish when evaluating the so called phenomena and part of me thinks they are in collusion with Scyfy in promoting Ghost Hunters just like Destination Truth does. I really hope they aren't this anserine in real life, but my God! A prime example is when they are set to debunk the ghost footage and parade around as skeptics until we are forced to accept that they just can't replicate the original footage and therefore have to believe that something is actually, really and genuinely haunted...GASP! Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't skeptics really scientists who believe in the scientific method to prove that something is not what it seems? Never in my life would a real skeptic decide that something is haunted because they can't collectively agree that they can't replicate the same effect on film. From the episodes that I've seen, they did a great job in replicating the ghostly apparitions, but yet we are somehow forced to reject their findings and embrace their flimsy conclusion that something is haunted based on their beliefs alone?! Belief that something is haunted is just that, a belief and should not be an option in a scientific investigation. That being said this show never does claim to be scientific in nature and this automatically places it in the entertainment category. Don't get me wrong, what they investigate is fascinating, but in the end we the audience need to be entertained so queue the dramatic commercial break cliff hangers and eerie sound effects. So in all, if you want to be entertained then this show is for you. If you are looking for a valid scientific program that is set out to debunk the paranormal, then look elsewhere this show is not for you.

This is another in the endless stream of 'people saw a few things over the past hundred years so let's do a one night investigation' type paranormal shows.

As usual they attempt to convince us there is no rational explanation and are therefore justified in immediately jumping to the EVP level of who-cares paranormal nighttime investigation.

Why at night? It's absurd to think ghosts sleep during the day, or that aliens would have the same visual limitations we have. If we aren't seeing these things during the day, we sure as heck aren't seeing them at night.

Not that it matters anyway. If all these ghosts or aliens or spirits or whatever can accomplish is localized brief temperature fluctuations, muddled blobs in photos, and faint sounds on questionable-premise spirit boxes then why bother. Seriously. Who cares if they exist or not if that's all they amount to. It doesn't change our day either way.

To the show's credit at least they spare us the usual parade of so-called experts on fictional subjects. Honestly, how can someone be an expert in Bigfoot or Nessie or aliens when no one has proven the darn things so much as exist. I love when these so-called experts assert authoritatively that Bigfoot feeds at night or is at higher altitudes during the summer. Something that no one has proven exists feeds at night? Sure thing. I've decided I'm an expert on the tooth fairy. Producers, call me.

All that said, attractive, likable actors doing harmlessly silly things requires no attention and makes great background noise. Five stars.

"Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files" is nothing more than an ultra-cheap ripoff of "UFO Hunters." The salient difference is that the ultra-youthful cast of "Fact or Faked" has zero scientific background whatsoever. They collect the cheesiest videos from here or there; set out to "prove" or "debunk" things based upon the most ill-conceived notion of the scientific method, indeed, of science in general; pepper the audience with nonsensical, high-falutin'-sounding nonsense such as, "Come on, guys, let's examinate this rocketological conburblification," and cannot-do-without exhortatives, such as, "Let's go green, guys!" (I think the kindergartners behave basically the same way on "Sid the Science Kid.") The kids are ignorant, annoying, unscientific, and a slap in the face to any viewer whose education extends beyond junior high school.

I'm at a loss. I really am. I've read the other reviews on this show and I have to remind myself that we are talking about the same program. I had just looked up the Josh Gates show 'Destination Truth' which, correctly, received applause and I had expected the same here. Fact or Faked is a hugely entertaining, well researched, comprehensive look at the paranormal, cryptozoology, Ufology and the general unexplained. The program looks at these phenomenon without bias and I love the fact that they never ridicule anything, everything is possible. For those of you who enjoy Bigfoot, Ghosts, Lake monsters, Aliens, Conspiracy theories or if you simply enjoy the very lovely Jael De Pardo, then Fact or Faked is an absolute must.