In Search of... (TV series)

{{significantly problematic}}{{film|2}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with the fantastic funk rock album by N.E.R.D. named after it.}}
'''''In Search of…''''' is an [[United States|American]] television series which originally ran from 1977 to 1982 inspired by three one-hour TV schlocumentaries:  ''In Search of Ancient Astronauts'',<ref group=note>A variation of [[Erich von Däniken]]'s ''Chariots of the Gods?'' woo.</ref> ''In Search of Ancient Mysteries'' and ''The Outer Space Connection'',<ref group=note> More of [[Erich von Däniken]]'s ''Chariots of the Gods?'' woo.</ref> and hosted, facepalmingly, by none other than {{wpl|Leonard Nimoy||,}} most famous as "Spock" in the original ''[[Star Trek]]'' TV series.<ref group=note>''Star Trek'' co-star, William Shatner later evened up the score with his show, ''Weird or What?''</ref> The show was originally broadcast on commercial television in the United States, inspired a 2002 revival on the Sci-Fi Channel, with the original later rebroadcast on A&E Network and [[History Channel]].   

The series covered a wide variety of topics from [[climate change]] (supportive), to [[Jack the Ripper]] (plausible), to...sigh...[[Atlantis]]. The lead-in to each episode of the original series had In search of… Extraterrestrials, Magic and Witchcraft, Missing Persons, Myths & Monsters, Lost Civilizations, and Strange Phenomena (Special Phenomena in the first two seasons). It also had a 
[[quack Miranda warning]]
 verbal disclaimer of "This series presents information based on theory and conjecture. The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations<ref group=note>The wilder, the better</ref> but not necessarily the only ones to the mysteries we will examine."<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwtYX3rV7w0&list=PLn7d7thLpU15G6UF-UB_JIiVfpxqB2BXq&index=60 In Search Of… The Money pit Mystery] (Feb 11, 2022) ''YouTube''.</ref>

Funny how "[[science fiction|wild speculation]]" later became "[[Pseudohistory|history]]," isn't it?

It investigated ''mysterious'' things, whether there was an actual mystery involved or not—but if not, it tries to talk up any strangeness in the subject.

The 2002 revival was very short-lived, lasting 8 episodes with each episode covering 3 to 4 "mysteries".

As of 2018, the History Channel is planning another revival with Zachary Quinto (most famous as "Spock" in some ''Star Trek'' movie reboots) as host this time. Judging by the promotional material, it is going to be more [[woo]].<ref>[https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2018/01/history-in-search-of-zachary-quinto/ Zachary Quinto investigates the paranormal on History’s revival of In Search Of]</ref> '''''Why''''', Quinto?? A: Because Mr. Spock presented the original show. Obvious, really.

==The rational and the irrational==
As expected from its [[woo]]tastic origins, ''In Search of…'' more often than not suggested incredible solutions for its mysteries. Thankfully for the [[skeptical]] viewer, it did go into more [[rational]] and plausible explanations for some of the mysteries it looked at.

Some of the better episodes in this regard were:
{{collist|2|
* [[Bermuda Triangle]] Pirates: one of the more rational reasons for some of the smaller disappearances.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8wOVdCkRb0 In Search Of. Bermuda Triangle Pirates 1978 Leonard Nimoy Documentary], [[YouTube]].</ref>
* D.B. Cooper<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDXZftzVySw In Search of DB COOPER], YouTube.</ref>
* Dracula<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emwweolmFNs (Leonard Nimoy) In Search Of.. '''Dracula''' (Season 1 Episode 16)], YouTube.</ref>
* [[Amelia Earhart]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBLn1YK5M3E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBLn1YK5M3E], YouTube.</ref>
* [[Hiroshima]] Survivors<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3YzjCFexUo In Search Of - Season 6 Episode 12 - Hiroshima Survivors], YouTube.</ref>
* Jimmy Hoffa
* Sherlock Holmes: A look at how much of [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle]] was in his literary creation.
* [[Jim Jones]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHjjzOypql4 In Search Of...Jim Jones (s06e07)], YouTube.</ref>
* The Lost Colony of Roanoke<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaqG6rC4hIw 4.06-Lost Colony Of Roanoke-In Search of…], YouTube.</ref>
* The Lost Dutchman Mine<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvgo9-0GM7k (Leonard Nimoy) In Search Of… '''The Lost Dutchman Mine''' (Season 2 Episode 1)], YouTube.</ref>
* Lost [[Vikings]]: The Viking Discovery of America<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvQT_Ju792k 3.13-Lost Vikings-In Search of…], YouTube.</ref> 
* [[Nazi]] Plunder<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMuwuXhJTW0 In Search of… Nazi Plunder], YouTube.</ref>
* Michael Rockefeller<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKe--fLEvUM 2.06-Michael Rockefeller-In Search Of…], YouTube.</ref>
* The San Andreas Fault<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=148UfHK6pbs 4.14-San Andreas Fault-In Search of…], YouTube.</ref>
* [[Sodom and Gomorrah]]: Suggested that an earthquake was what really destroyed these cities.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE-Qh2ttGEA 3.23-Sodom And Gamorra-In Search of…], YouTube.</ref>
* The [[Titanic]]
* Troy: The story of Heinrich Schliemann's search and discovery of Troy
* [[Tutankhamun's curse|King Tut]]: Natural death… or assassination?<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Xbrbj6GIE In Search Of ~ King Tut], YouTube.</ref>
* The Walls of Jericho: Was it disease, an earthquake, or did it even happen?<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF8Itl0N1Ks In Search Of… The Walls of Jericho (s06e21)], YouTube.</ref>
}}

==Overview==
Of the 144 episodes, the majority went off in [[woo]] woo land with not even 15% (22) in anything approaching rational territory. Even with mundane topics like [[Jack the Ripper]], wild speculation (that it was a [[Masonic]] plot) rather than anything rational (1880s police simply didn't have the tools to capture a serial killer) was the rule. The original show is more useful as a snapshot of 1970s woo than it is for any information it may provide.

The 2002 revival is in some regards worse as, when it does go into rational explanations, it tries to explain popular views rather than what actually existed. For example, the section on [[vampire]]s used the {{wpl|porphyria}} explanation which at best only explains a small subset of vampire myths. So small, in fact, that the idea is generally thrown out on suggestion.

The episode ''In Search of the Coming Ice Age'' (SE02, ep 23; 1978) is a fascinating time capsule for anyone interested in the evolution of [[climate change]] theory. It is one of the earliest representations of this idea in popular culture along with Britain's ''Alternative 3''. At this particular point in time, a minority of climate scientists concluded that it would bring in an [[Ice Age]] rather than [[global warming]] (or the more nuanced and complex climate ideas of today), and the show latched onto this minority view. Modern viewers may want to see this for what it did and didn't get right, and which problems are still relevant.

==See also==
*[[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]]
*[[Pre-Columbian contact hypotheses]]
*[[Schlockumentary]]
*[[Sodom and Gomorrah]]
==External links==
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074007/ ''In Search of...'' on IMDb]
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/InSearchOf ''In Search of..''] on [[TV Tropes]]
*William Blake Smith and Jeb Card, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-research-of/id1481720142 In Research Of] (2019-present) Episode-by-episode analysis and fact-check influenced by the [[skeptic]] movement

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''In Search of...'' (TV series)}}
[[Category:Paranormal]]
[[Category:Pseudohistory]]
[[Category:Television programmes]]

Categories: Paranormal, Pseudohistory, Television programmes