Syfy announces its new reality series slate

Syfy's success with its Wednesday night reality series, "Ghost Hunters" and "Destination Truth," has prompted the cable network to create a second night of reality television, beginning on Thursday, July 15, it was announced Tuesday. Two new series will kick off the new block of programming: "Mary Knows Best" and "Paranormal Investigators." (Both are working titles).

"Mary Knows Best" is a docu-soap that follows Mary Occhino, a successful radio host, self-proclaimed psychic intuitive and mother of three. Her children, Jackie, Chris and Carl, are a mismatched group of siblings consisting of a skeptic, a paranormal investigator and a reluctant psychic. The series is produced by Atlas Media Corp and will premiere at 9 p.m.

"Paranormal Investigators" searches for the truth behind supernatural and unexplained occurrences that have been caught on tape. In each episode, the six-person team, led by former FBI special agent Ben Hansen, searches for the most intriguing and unusual images, videos and unnatural phenomena found online and around the world. Selecting the most intriguing images, the team heads into the field attempting to re-create the video, carrying out key experiments and searching for clues and evidence to answer the question: Is it real? It is produced by Base Productions and premieres at 10 p.m.

"Beast Legends," produced by Yap Films, will join the Thursday lineup later in the year. The new series  brings legendary creatures to life through state-of-the-art computer graphics. Seeking out clues on whether these mythical monsters could have really existed and how they became woven into local lore, the investigators go to any lengths to unravel these myths.

Syfy also announced eight reality shows that are in development. They are described as follows in a press release:

Utilizing the science of cooking, "Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen" stars one of America’s most notorious chefs, molecular gastronomist Marcel Vigneron ("Top Chef"). In each episode, Marcel and his new catering and event company will be hired by a demanding client to produce an extraordinary celebration or event. Based on the client’s requests, Marcel will dream up a theme and cuisine for the event, which range from a fairy tale graduation party and a Goth-rock fashion show to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new subway line. He and his team of party planners and chefs will tap the depths of their imagination and culinary talents to create everything from the immersive décor to a delicious menu that emphasizes Marcel’s unique brand of avant-garde cooking. It is produced by Intuitive Entertainment.

"Force of Nature" follows the life of Ariel Towne, an average guy who just happens to be a feng shui master, as he interweaves contemporary, practical solutions with ancient mystical philosophies to help his wide range of clients achieve their goals. With Ariel as the guide, viewers will peer in on clients who are grappling with compelling, relatable problems – and desperately in need of Ariel’s help, and will be inspired by the amazing transformations that Ariel facilitates. It is produced by Evolution Media.

In "The Latimer Project," Jason Latimer, "World Champion of Magic" and owner of Latimer Corp., an illusion design firm, shows the process of his illusions from concept to creation. It is produced by Pilgrim Films.

"Mr. Impossible" is a docu-soap following the travels and travails of  the “rogue inventor” Dezso Molnar. No matter how difficult the problem or how futuristic the technology, Molnar always finds a way to make the seemingly impossible suddenly possible. Whether his inventions are being launched into space, raced at over 600 miles an hour across the Utah Salt Flats, or diving into the depths of the Mediterranean, he is always on the lookout for ways to change life as we know it. It is produced by Story House Productions.

From Dimitri Doganis & Bart Layton, the acclaimed creative team behind “Locked Up Abroad,” this high-octane drama-documentary series brings to life the stories of people who have lived through  paranormal experiences that defy explanation. "Paranormal Files" will take the audience into a world turned upside-down by extraordinary and terrifying events. It is produced by Raw TV.

"Face Off" is a competition/elimination series that explores the world of special-effects make-up artists and the imagination which allows them to create amazing works of living art. It is produced Mission Control.

"The Dome Experiment" will test the boundaries of human nature. Twelve test subjects from all walks of life (the leader, the worker, the entertainer, the provider, etc.) will enter The Dome, a completely sealed bio-environment. Relying on each other for all of their daily needs (food, shelter, entertainment, security), they will face a series of challenges and experiments designed to expose the true nature of humanity. The results will be a fascinating look into the fragility of learned human behavior and will answer the question: what plays a bigger role - genetics or the environment? It is produced by 3 Ball Productions.

--Maria Elena Fernandez (follow me on Twitter @writerchica)

Comments

[trevor]

I was watching the preview of this show at robsimone.com it look amazing, i think Talk Show Host Rob Simone is one of the hosts, It will look into the paranormal and for reality tv standards, It should have a bit more humor than the last ufo hunters show.

[COM_by_CRAIG]

There once was a time if I paid extra money I could get programming I want. Now we pay extra money to get a boat load of channels with all same reality crap. SeeFee is not the first by far. Niche channels like MTV started the reality trend followed with TLC, Bravo, Discovery and Food Network. The fad now is niche channels are maneuvering away from their core audience and trying to appeal to the masses for higher ratings, such as: History Channels "Pawn Stars", CMT's "Are You Smarter than 5th Grader.", and Game Show Network reality show of "Carnie Wilson: Unstapled".

[Chris F]

So like MTV has no music SyFy will soon lack Science Fiction programming?
Awesome.
What's next is The Game Show Network going to delve into reality programming?

[martin]

The SyFy (one-time Sci-Fi) network used to broadcast a great show called Mystery Science Theater:3000. What happened? That was intelligent, original, funny and boasted a still loyal fanbase. Now it is the channel of "here today, gone today" video-game minded programming.

[bettye198]

What ever happened to Warehouse 13?

[Kent]

I think ABC has more Sci-Fi than SyFy

[Becky]

This is why I hardly ever watch SyFy anymore... it used to be my most watched and favorite channel.

[OlifBranch]

I am so sick of "reality" programming... the channel had more intelligence when they showed reruns thirty times in a row; I'd still rather watch old shows than this new crap.