Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal | |
---|---|
Genre |
Science fiction Drama |
Created by |
Peter Aykroyd Christopher Chacon Peter Ventrella |
Developed by | James Nadler |
Presented by | Dan Aykroyd |
Starring |
Paul Miller Nancy Anne Sakovich Barclay Hope Colin Fox Maurice Dean Wint Matt Frewer Nigel Bennett Peter MacNeill Joanne Vannicola Soo Garay |
Country of origin | Canada |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 88 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | James Nadler Seaton McLean Peter Aykroyd Christopher Chacon |
Running time | 44 minutes |
Production company(s) |
Alliance Atlantis Communications (seasons 3-4) Altlantis Films (seasons 1-2) |
Distributor |
CanWest Global Communications Eyemark Entertainment King World Productions CBS Television Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | Syndicated |
Original release | September 28, 1996 | – May 20, 2000
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal /ˈpsaɪ/ is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000. The presence of Dan Aykroyd opening and closing every episode and emphasizing the legitimacy of the organization it was inspired by led some viewers to take the show somewhat more seriously than intended, though it was in fact a scripted drama. Partly for this reason, in 1997, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, then called the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, awarded Aykroyd a "Snuffed Candle" award, for "contributing to the public's lack of understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry." In 1996, Peter Aykroyd co-created the show with Christopher Chacon.
The series was hosted by Dan Aykroyd who presents dramatic stories inspired by the paranormal investigations of the "Office of Scientific Investigation and Research" (O.S.I.R.).
The first season introduces members of the O.S.I.R. team, including case managers Conner Doyle (Paul Miller) and Curtis Rollins (Maurice Dean Wint), senior data analyst Lindsay Donner (Nancy Anne Sakovich), physicist Peter Axon (Barclay Hope), Dr. Anton Hendricks (Colin Fox) as well as various other investigators that rotate with each new case. The first season uses elements that are later dropped in subsequent seasons, most notably featuring two unlinked cases per episode. The first season features more of a documentary-style look including hand-held cameras and on-screen interviews with the "experiencers". In the first season finale, "Perestroika", case manager Conner Doyle is killed in an explosion in an attempt to save the team and to kill a deadly parasite.