From strange abductions, to mutated species, to bizarre o
ccurrences, there are some phenomena that science cannot – or will not – explain. This summer Science Channel unveils some of these shocking and mind-boggling cases from around the world in the world premiere series THE UNEXPLAINED FILES. From mysterious disappearances and UFO encounters, to unidentified fanged predators and reported curses, THE UNEXPLAINED FILES investigates actual, inexplicable occurrences that have confounded scientists and inspired legends. Science Channel invites viewers on a mystifying journey that will challenge disbelief with THE UNEXPLAINED FILES premiering on Wednesday, August 28 at 9PM ET/PT.
“The UNEXPLAINED FILES mixes hard science with mystery and storytelling to create a formula that is uniquely Science Channel. Our goal is to provide a forum for credible voices from all sides of these cases so that the viewers can make up their own minds,” said Debbie Myers, general manager and executive vice president of Science Channel. “Each episode of THE UNEXPLAINED FILES offers smart, lean-forward programming that will leave even the most skeptical viewers wondering what is and is not possible.”
Join renowned scientists, credible experts and first-hand eyewitnesses as they present riveting never-before-seen footage and share their vivid first-person accounts of truly bewildering experiences. The series will take viewers on a thrilling expedition presenting some of the most shocking and interesting stories ever told. Within the bizarre yet factual world of THE UNEXPLAINED FILES viewers will discover that seeking explanations often leads to compelling questions of the unfamiliar and unexplainable.
THE UNEXPLAINED FILES ventures to Texas to research bizarre hairless, blue-skinned, blue-eyed and hunch-backed creatures that prey on local livestock and farm animals–leaving Texans questioning what these strange animals could possibly be. The series also takes a look at the world’s most puzzling tome, the Voynich Manuscript, which is hundreds of years old, appears to be written in an unknown language and contains images of non-existent plants. Who wrote this unbreakable cipher and what does it mean? Heading to Australia, THE UNEXPLAINED FILES delves into the story of Frederick Valentich, a pilot on a routine training flight, who reported that a strange and unusual aircraft was hovering over him just minutes before he disappeared. Valentich and his plane were never seen again. These unsolved mysteries stem from reliable sources offering trembling accounts and daunting evidence that will leave the audience contemplating whether these odd predicaments and occurrences are true or stranger than fiction.
THE UNEXPLAINED FILES makes its premiere on August 28 at 9:00 PM ET/PT. The series also will premiere on Discovery Channel outside the US in more than 220 countries and territories across Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
THE UNEXPLAINED FILES is produced for Science Channel (US) and Discovery Networks International by Raw TV Ltd. For Science Channel (US) and Discovery Networks International, Josh Berkley is executive producer. For Science Channel, Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production and Deborah Adler Myers is general manager and executive vice president. For Discovery Networks International, Sarah Davies is commissioning editor and executive producer. For Raw, Dimitri Doganis and Ben Fox are executive producers, and Bart Layton is creative director.
Here are the descriptions of the first 6 episodes:
Episode 1
Premieres Wednesday, August 28 at 9PM ET/PT
Valentich- On October 21, 1978, 20-year-old Australian pilot Frederick Valentich rented a single engine Cessna 182L and left Melbourne, Australia to begin a 48-mile training flight. During the flight, Valentich told Melbourne air traffic control that an aircraft about 1,000 feet above him was accompanying him. He said, “The strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again. It is hovering and it’s not an aircraft.” Frederick Valentich and his plane were never seen again.
Texas Blue Dogs- Since 2004 bizarre hairless, blue-skinned, blue-eyed and hunch-backed dogs have been seen in Texas attacking and mutilating livestock and farm animals. The creatures have been caught on film and camera, and their bodies have been found. One Texas doctor even has one stuffed and mounted in her fireplace. But the classification of these creatures is still very much a matter of great debate among experts.
Episode 2
Premieres Wednesday, September 4 at 9PM ET/PT
Freaky Fires- In late 2003, in a small village in northern Sicily, ordinary household electronic items like refrigerators, toasters and televisions suddenly began bursting into flames and exploding seemingly at random. Air conditioners erupted even when unplugged. Computers jammed. Cellphones rang when no one was calling and electronic door locks in empty cars went demonically up and down. The mystery was left unsolved.
Ghost Yacht- The Kaz II, dubbed the ghost yacht, is a catamaran, which was found drifting 88 nautical miles off the northern coast of Australia on April 18, 2007. The fate of her three-man crew remains unknown, and the mysterious circumstances in which they disappeared still puzzle authorities, family and friends. When the boat was found there appeared to be no signs of struggle and items on board were untouched–there was even a full cup of coffee and an open running laptop left undisturbed. How did the three men vanish without a trace?
Episode 3
Premieres Wednesday, September 11 at 9PM ET/PT
Livestock Mutilation- This gruesome phenomenon, where livestock are unusually and, sometimes, inexplicably mutilated and killed, was first reported in Britain in the 19th Century and in the U.S. in the 1960s. It still happens today. As recently as November 29, 2012, David Mitchell, a Scottish farmer, found one of his sheep slaughtered with surgical precision, its heart, lungs and liver laid out meticulously on the hillside and a pair of surgical gloves lying next to the remains.
Curse of the Ice Mummy- In September 1991, a couple was hiking in the Alps near the Austrian-Italian border when they suddenly noticed a skeleton poking out of the ice. It was the body of what appeared to be a perfectly preserved warrior, complete with fur robes, leather shoes and a bow and arrow. Scientists studying the body dubbed it the Iceman. The Iceman is one of the oldest preserved bodies ever found and has provided us with invaluable information about mankind’s past. But many involved in the excavation of the body have unexpectedly died – could the remains be cursed, putting everyone who touches the body at risk?
Episode 4
Premieres Wednesday, September 18 at 9PM ET/PT
Spontaneous Human Combustion- Closely examining recent cases including ones in Ireland and Oklahoma, and a U.S. survivor of spontaneous human combustion that has lived to tell viewers his horrifying tale.
Carlos de los Santos- Pilot Carlos de los Santos is en route to Mexico City Airport, when he is suddenly surrounded by three UFOs. Carlos is terrified as the silver discs seem to disable his aircraft, then raise it to a high altitude, threatening a fatal stall. Carlos regains control when the strange objects suddenly dart off to a volcano at inconceivably high speeds, completing aerial manoeuvres that were unheard of at the time. Investigation proves that Carlos was neither intoxicated or under the influence of durgs and the actual 18-minute recording of his desperate Mayday call to the airport attests to his genuine panic. It is first time testimony from a radar operator that could prove that Carlos’s plane may have been trailed by UFOs.
Episode 5
Premieres Wednesday, September 25 at 9PM ET/PT
Argentina UFO- Joaquin V Gonzalez, a small town in Argentina seems to attract UFO’s. A local mayor has recorded hundreds of UFOs over 20 years. In 1995 one crashed into a nearby mountain range- local pilot Tony Galvagno and his friends locate the crash site but are barred from investigating further. In 2009, 200 witnesses see a brilliant white shining craft in the sky. Some onlookers manage to take photos of it before the town is plunged into darkness. The power outage stretches over a 120-mile area and lasts for over 12 hours. Could alien visitors really be targeting the town? And if so, why?
Mothman- On November 15, 1966, four people witnessed a huge winged creature as they sat in their cars on the outskirts of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. It was six to seven feet tall with red eyes and no head, as if the eyes were in its chest. Over the next 13 months more than 100 others saw the creature. The winged creature became known as The Mothman and was seen as a harbinger of doom.
Morgellon’s Disease- Sufferers of this strange disease report fatigue, awful skin lesions, aches and pains, a sensation that insects are crawling under their skin and odd multi-colored fibers emerging from their bodies. Thousands of people around the world believe they have Morgellon’s, but the disease does not officially exist! The majority of doctors regard it as a form of delusional infestation, but some sufferers of the disease believe it could have extraterrestrial origins.
Episode 6
Premieres Wednesday, October 2 at 9PM ET/PT
Alien Rain- There are many areas around the world where rainwater has turned a disturbing shade of red. The most mysterious rain of all is the Blood Red Rains of Kerala, India. Could this mysterious rain be carrying alien life? If so, how does it arrive on Earth?
Carolina Beach Boom- Residents of a beach town in South Carolina experience a mysterious boom that rumbles the ground around them and shakes the glass on their windows, sometimes on a weekly basis. Locals speculate that it could be because of alien involvement or secret military tests, but no one has been able to get to the bottom of these strange events.
Voynich Manuscript- Bought by the book dealer Wilfried Voynich in 1912, and now held by Yale University’s Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the manuscript has been described as the world’s most mysterious manuscript. It seems to be hundreds of years old, and is written in an unknown language (or unbreakable cipher) and filled with bizarre images of plants that do not exist on earth. What is it? Who wrote it?
