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Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files

Show Guide

Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files revolutionizes paranormal programming by investigating the evidence witnesses post on the Internet every day. Have you ever seen a photo or video online and wondered, "Is this real?" This is the show that will answer that question.

Heading up the Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files team is Ben Hansen, a former FBI agent with a life-long fascination with the paranormal. Now, having left the agency, he leads a young team of intrepid investigators who will convene to dissect the latest unusual images and decide whether they merit further investigation. Grainy videos will be brought to life as the team conducts thorough and elaborate experiments in an attempt to recreate the phenomena, and Ben will make the final choice which cases will require a trip into the field.

Once an investigation is underway, the team will talk to witnesses, carry out experiments using the latest in high tech detection devices, collect physical samples, and determine whether a case should be debunked, or whether it's a baffling paranormal mystery that might even put the team in danger. It's all in a day's work for the dogged investigators of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files.

Meet the Characters

  • Ben Hansen

  • Jael De Pardo

  • Bill Murphy

  • Austin Porter

Episodes

  1. Episode 1

    Burning Rubber/Hyperjump

    Former FBI Agent Ben Hansen leads his team in an investigation of the mysterious case of the Georgia Ghost Car. A police dash cam video caught a car chase ending in a shocking disappearance, leaving people perplexed and spawning theories that the speeding car could be an apparition. In Cave Buttes, a UFO hotspot in Arizona, the appearance of a series of jumping lights prompts an investigation into whether the occurrence is genuinely extraterrestrial or if it involves more earthly explanations involving balloons, LED lights or lasers.

  2. Episode 2

    Unwanted Visitors/Strange Sightings

    In Fresno, the appearance of two creatures on a homeowner’s CCTV screen has left him shaken and mystified. The team investigates the possibilities and what seems like a classic hoax only gets more puzzling. While in Lake Havasu, a vacationer’s video camera catches a flying saucer floating above the lake and the attention of thousands on the Internet. Ben and the team perform a series of experiments in an attempt to explain the phenomenon.

  3. Episode 3

    Off The Deep End/Houseguest

    In Raystown, Pennsylvania a large lake is the scene for a series of sightings and a photo of what looks like Pennsylvania’s very own Loch Ness Monster. The team suits up in diving gear to investigate the alleged creature. While in Los Angeles, two homeowners claim they have spent close to a decade communicating with the spirit world through the medium of photographs. Armed with the latest paranormal equipment, the team takes on the claim to see if it is fact or faked.

  4. Episode 4

    Predator/Red Sky At Night

    Ben and the team take on two cases that have baffled the paranormal community for years. In Indiana, a ghost hunter inadvertently captured what she thinks is the ghost of a civil war soldier while investigating a desolate abandoned cemetery. Ben and his team use everything at their disposal to eliminate the possibility of a hoax or even a natural phenomenon, but explanations are hard to come by in this case. In Colorado, a series of shocking cattle mutilations have left ranchers in the area speculating that something may be coming from the sky to abduct and experiment on their livestock. The team tackles the case using a series of scientific methods that seek to determine whether there could be a more natural explanation for the case, with surprising results.

  5. Episode 5

    Blazing Horizon/Rollover

    A mysterious video shows a large predator racing across the harsh terrain of Dartmoor in the United Kingdom. Local legend suggests that it is either a giant cat or the hounds of the devil. Local landowners just want to know that something is killing their livestock. The investigation ends with a shocking discovery. While in El Cajon, California, the UFO community is in an uproar over a series of sightings involving a large triangular craft. The team meets with eyewitnesses before heading out to the dessert to explain the unexplained.

  6. Episode 6

    The Caretaker/Cutter

    For the past 50 years Paulding, Michigan has been at center of a controversy involving mysterious light on the horizon. Using everything from a high-powered laser to a light aircraft, the team investigates what has caused thousands of onlookers to ask, "what is that?" While in San Antonio, Texas a lonely railroad crossing serves as the backdrop for a 70-year debate where the road slopes up to the tracks, yet parked cars seem to roll uphill over the tracks. Local legend claims the ghosts of children push the cars, but the team uses science to break the case.

  7. Episode 7

    Haunted Mansion Mist/Starlight Intruder

    After choosing two compelling cases to investigate, Ben, Austin and Chi-Lan travel to Alton, Illinois to test a mysterious cloud of mist that appears in a video taken inside the historic - and reportedly haunted - McPike Mansion. They test several different theories to see if the original video could have a natural explanation or if the mist is actually some kind of ghostly entity. Bill, Jael and Larry take off to Northern California to investigate a strange UFO case in Fremont. They attempt to replicate the delta shaped light formation seen in the footage by launching a variety of illuminated objects into the sky and obtain surprising results.

  8. Episode 8

    Symphonic Spirits/Alien Attacker

    In a chilling new episode, Bill, Chi-Lan and Larry travel to Victor, New York to investigate the haunted Valentown Museum where a full-bodied ghost was purportedly caught on videotape. When strange things begin to unfold in the middle of the night, the team struggles to find a palpable explanation. Meanwhile, Ben, Jael and Austin head to Texas to get to the bottom of a mysterious clip showing what appears to be a witch or flying humanoid soaring along a ridgeline. After a series of inventive experiments the team thinks they found their answer.

  9. Episode 9

    Sasquatch Sprint/Alien Attacker

    After choosing two more intriguing cases to investigate, Bill, Austin and Chi Lan travel to Chopaka Lake, WA, to investigate a compelling video that many claim is solid proof of a Bigfoot in the remote area. With many experts saying that no human could make such a dash across rugged terrain, Austin is put against the clock to put that theory to the test. Later, with Bill overhead in a spotter plane with a thermal imager, Austin and Chi Lan find themselves surrounded by mysterious heat sources. Meanwhile in upstate Washington, Ben, Jael and Larry take on a case that has divided the paranormal community for over ten years - the staggering case of Dr. Reed and the woodland Alien attack. Using their special effects skills to the maximum, the team try to recreate the infamous video, before Ben puts his FBI training to the test in a one on one interrogation of the elusive Dr. Reed.

  10. Episode 10

    Mystery Mermaid/Ghostly Guardian

    In this week’s episode of Fact or Faked, Ben, Jael and Austin travel to the land down under to investigate a mermaid case in Cairns, Australia. They dive into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef on the hunt for possible suspects and come face to face with an unwelcome predator! Meanwile, Bill, Chi- Lan and Larry travel to Mililani Hawaii, to visit a local family that believes they have captured photos of a guardian angel. The team tests out several popular theories to see if they can recreate the ghostly image in the photos, before trying to find an apparition of their own.

  11. Episode 11

    Lunar Landing Hoax/Tropical Intruder

    In this otherworldly episode of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, Ben, Austin and Chi-Lan set their sights on... the moon. They investigate the supposed lunar landing hoax to see if there’s any validity in claims that man’s greatest achievement was actually an elaborate stunt. Is a moon landing hoax even possible and can the team debunk the debunkers? Bill, Jael and Larry descend on the paranormal hotspot of Gulf Breeze, Florida to investigate a UFO case with footage that’s never been seen before on television. Their efforts to replicate the bizarre piece of video through a series of imaginative and resourceful experiments lead to a surprising conclusion.

  12. Episode 12

    Bayou Beast/River Ghost

    In the final episode of the season, Ben, Larry and Chi-Lan travel down to the Louisiana Bayou in search of the legendary Honey Island Swamp Monster. They put some popular theories to the test but before they can render a verdict, an unusual sound lures them into the woods. Meanwhile, Bill, Austin and Jael head to Portland Oregon to investigate a strange light hovering over the haunted Willamette River. They attempt to replicate the lights by launching a variety of illuminated objects into the night sky and are surprised by the results.

Characters

  • Ben Hansen

    Ben set up this investigation team to learn the truth about the paranormal. Early in his youth, Ben developed a fascination with UFOs and secret government projects. Ben has been looking for the real-life X-Files since he was a child and decided he would dedicate his career to investigations. After obtaining a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah in Sociology and Criminology, he went to work for the State of Utah on a county SVU task force. His training and skills later brought him to work as a criminal investigator for the FBI. Although he never found the X-Files, his time serving at the state and federal levels gave him over 6 years of formal experience in investigating a wide range of crimes and national security details. He works as a Systems Analyst for a non-profit group when he's not investigating cases.

  • Jael De Pardo

    A reporter by training, Jael has produced and reported from vacation destinations and conflict zones alike, covering everything from fashion to the FARC to the environment. She has produced stories in Colombia, Panama, and Mexico. Jael's diverse skill set - hosting, reporting, writing - has made her a valuable member of the Destination Truth team, investigating the paranormal all over the globe. She accompanied the team on many intriguing cases, showing a sense of adventure and a keen analytical mind when it came to sorting fact from fiction. She analyzes cases with an investigative reporter's tenacity, asking all of the hard questions and digging relentlessly for the truth.

  • Bill Murphy

    Bill is very experienced in field investigating. He is considered a leader in the field of paranormal phenomena. He has a substantial following in the paranormal community through terrestrial radio, webcasts, television productions, independently released DVDs, and live presentations. With over twenty years of experience investigating everything from UFOs to ghosts and Cryptids, he provides the team with an encyclopedic knowledge of the unexplained. While looking for answers to some of the mysteries the team encounters, Bill works to bring in new technology to enhance their efforts. He balances a day job as a video engineering consultant with his job as part of the team

  • Austin Porter

    With a degree in biology, Austin is best described as a methodical scientist with the adventure-seeking curiosity and boldness of Indiana Jones. Since he was a child, and now in adulthood, he has had numerous personal experiences with the paranormal. Austin has gained invaluable experience utilizing the scientific method in the forming and testing of hypotheses in field and laboratory settings. Austin's background, especially in the organic sciences, gives him an invaluable knowledge base for investigating the paranormal, specializing in creatures like the Skunk Ape and lake monsters. Austin is a personal fitness trainer when he's not on a case.

  • Chi-Lan Lieu

    Chinese-American Chi-Lan is torn between skepticism and true belief. Her Buddhist upbringing gives her a "different from the norm" perspective on the cultural and faith-based aspects of the paranormal. More importantly, though, Chi-Lan is a photography expert; so much so that Tech TV has used her to report on the latest in technology for image capturing, photographic advancement and the science of the gadget. She has a degree in photography, and feels that this gives her an ability to decipher, break down and analyze video and still images, whether authentic or doctored. She's knowledgeable about the unexplained and she has strong opinions on it, but her tech-savvy eye gives her credibility behind the lens and when debunking video and stills captured by others. She also has ideas on how to better use the newest technology to go even further.

  • Larry Caughlan, Jr.

    Larry grew up in a very small town just outside of Dallas, Texas. His house was nestled behind a 200 year-old cemetery, which was key in the development of his obsession of the unexplained. At the age of thirteen, Larry was on one of his explorations when he saw what he believed to be Bigfoot. Unable to prove many of the things he has experienced as a child, Larry has engaged in an endless pursuit of the newest, most appropriate technology to evidence the paranormal world. In the course of obtaining a degree in Science and Technology, his college studies have emphasized film and photography classes in order to keep up with the latest equipment advances. Larry is the group's "Tech guy," specializing in locating and utilizing the latest and greatest investigative tools and bringing a firm technological basis to the team's investigations. Having just left college, he works in recruitment.