Supernatural Investigator is "Unsolved Mysteries for braniacs"

Out of the blue, a lovely article about me and Supernatural Investigator, the series I host for Canada's Vision TV, which is having its season finale tonight. The article, by Alex Strachan for the Canwest News Service, begins:

Mississauga writer Robert J. Sawyer will have a flashy new sci-fi drama series on network TV this fall, adapted from his book Flashforward.

All of a sudden, he's everywhere. These past few weeks he has hosted VisionTV's self-explanatory Supernatural Investigator, and in tonight's season finale, the program turns its inquiring mind on the peculiar 1961 alien- abduction case -- an alleged alien abduction? -- of Barney and Betty Hill in New Hampshire.

And the article concludes:

No moss grows on Sawyer, by the way. As you are reading, he has taken up his new position as writer-in-residence at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) physics-research centre in Saskatoon. Imagination is at the heart of both artistic and scientific endeavours, Sawyer commented on his blog, "and the science being done in Canada is world-class."

So are TV shows about paranormal investigations.

Supernatural Investigator is Unsolved Mysteries for brainiacs, who like a little science with their fiction. (VisionTV, 10:30 ET/7:30 PT)

You can read the full article here.

Canwest, which produced the above story, publishes the following major Canadian daily newspapers, so the story will be in some of them: National Post, Victoria Times Colonist, Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Regina Leader-Post, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Windsor Star, Ottawa Citizen, and Montreal Gazette.

In fact, here it is in the Edmonton Journal, and here in the Ottawa Citizen, and here in the Victoria Times Colonist, and here in the Regina Leader Post, and here in the Montreal Gazette, and here in the Windsor Star, and below is how the top of the article looked in today's Calgary Herald:

Visit The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site
and WakeWatchWonder.com

And it's a wrap on Supernatural Investigator

Just got back from the S-VOX studios in downtown Toronto, where I recorded my voice-over narration for the final episode of Supernatural Investigator, the half-hour weekly series I host for Vision TV.

This was my last duty on the series -- it's been a blast being part of it! We still are on the air into June (Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. Eastern / 7:30 p.m. Pacific, coast-to-coast in Canada), so please keep watching! Our remaining episodes:

The Seducers
Tues., May 12, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
A journey into the secretive underworld of "the Seducers" -- men who use a mysterious power known as NLP to lure women into bed. Produced by Elevator Films.

Detour on the Road to Atlantis
Tues., May 19, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Have ocean explorers found clues to the whereabouts of the lost civilization of Atlantis? Produced by Arcadia Entertainment Inc.

It's in the Stars
Tues., May 26, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
For thousands of years, astrology has influenced both Western and Eastern cultures. But can the position of the stars really influence earthly affairs? Produced by Sorcery Films Ltd.

FINAL EPISODE: The White Mountain Abduction
Tues., June 2, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Narrated by Robert J. Sawyer (in addition to hosting)
What happened to Barney and Betty Hill on the night of September 19, 1961? Their niece investigates the world's most famous case of alleged alien abduction. Produced by Paradocs.

(Full episode guide is here.)

Visit The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site
and WakeWatchWonder.com

Supernatural Investigator on hiatus

No, we didn't get canceled, and we haven't been attacked by ghosts. Supernatural Investigator is on a planned hiatus this week and next week. We'll be back as usual on Tuesday, April 14, with an episode about "Chaos Magick."

Here's an episode guide.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Tonight's Supernatural Investigator

Hex or Hoax?

Tues., March 24, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT coast-to-coast in Canada on Vision TV

Jinxes, curses, hexes, the evil eye: many cultures possess their own brands of black magic. Are there really people who can harness dark forces to strike down their enemies? In this episode, Halifax filmmaker Donna Davies enters the world of sinister sorcery to learn about Newfoundland witches' spells, Haitian voodoo rituals and cutting edge contemporary research into the science of the curse. Produced by Sorcery Films Ltd.

Host: Robert J. Sawyer

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

This week's Supernatural Investigator

Remote Viewing

Tues., March 17, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT, coast-to-coast in Canada on Vision TV

During the Cold War, the U.S. government tried to harness ESP as a tool for espionage, through a technique known as "remote viewing." Today, most dismiss the notion. But there are still those who believe remote viewing represents the next step in the evolution of human consciousness. In this episode, Toronto science writer and adventurer Jeff Warren searches for the truth about remote viewing, and enlists famed scientific skeptic The Amazing Randi to help put the idea of psychic spies to the test. Produced by Paradocs.

Host: Robert J. Sawyer

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Supernatural Investigator episode guide

An episode guide for Supernatural Investigator, the series I host on Canada's Vision TV, is here at Vision TV's site, and below:

The Antichrist
Tues., Jan. 27, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Does the Antichrist walk among us? Are we nearing the End of Days? Surprisingly, belief in the Biblical prophecies of an Antichrist remain alive and well in the 21st century.

Life from Other Planets
Tues., Feb. 3, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Are we alone in the universe? Or have we already been visited by life from other worlds? These questions burn in the mind of author and futurist Mac Tonnies.

What Killed Joe Fisher--Part 1: The Trap is Set
Tues., Feb. 10, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
In the 1970s, Joe Fisher forged a reputation as one of Canada's leading investigative reporters. But there was another side to him. The rebellious son of Christian fundamentalists, he grew increasingly enthralled by Eastern religions, eventually becoming a popular media expert on paranormal phenomena.

What Killed Joe Fisher--Part 2: The Trap is Sprung
Tues., Feb. 17, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
When Joe Fisher's efforts to learn more about his spirit lover Filipa ended in failure, his life began to unravel. Convinced that he had unleashed psychic forces bent on vengeance, Fisher fled to rural Ontario -- and it was there, on the rim of the Elora Gorge, that his demons, real or otherwise, may have finally caught up with him.

The Crystal Skulls
Tues., Feb. 24, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Narrated by Robert J. Sawyer (in addition to hosting)
Archaeologist Joel Palka retraces the journey of the adventurers who first found the skulls, and seeks out an isolated tribe that still believes in their mystic powers.

Remembering Past Lives
Tues., March 3, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Reincarnation has long been a part of many Eastern belief systems, and the idea has gained increasing acceptance in North America during the last few decades. In this episode, Supernatural Investigator pursues some reported cases of reincarnation, from a Canadian singer who believes she was Marilyn Monroe in a past life, to a Louisiana boy who has vivid memories of being a World War Two fighter pilot. Are these simply the stories of individuals with over-active imaginations -- or are they proof of life after death? Produced by Sorcery Films Ltd.

Seeing 9-11
Tues., March 10, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7 PM PT
Can precognitive dreams and visions provide warnings of impending disaster? Did thousands of people with no connection to the event somehow know in advance that 9-11 was going to happen? In this episode, Supernatural Investigator takes a critical look at the claims of those who say they have seen into the future. Produced by Elevator Films.

Remote Viewing
Tues., March 17, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
During the Cold War, the U.S. government tried to harness ESP as a tool for espionage, through a technique known as "remote viewing." Today, most dismiss the notion. But there are still those who believe remote viewing represents the next step in the evolution of human consciousness. In this episode, Toronto science writer and adventurer Jeff Warren searches for the truth about remote viewing, and enlists famed scientific skeptic The Amazing Randi to help put the idea of psychic spies to the test. Produced by Paradocs.

Hex or Hoax?
Tues., March 24, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Jinxes, curses, hexes, the evil eye: many cultures possess their own brands of black magic. Are there really people who can harness dark forces to strike down their enemies? In this episode, Halifax filmmaker Donna Davies enters the world of sinister sorcery to learn about Newfoundland witches' spells, Haitian voodoo rituals and cutting edge contemporary research into the science of the curse. Produced by Sorcery Films Ltd.

March 31 & April 7, 2009: on hiatus

Chaos Magick
Tues., April 14, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Newfoundland born mentalist and magician Jeremy Bennett investigates the mysterious brand of sorcery known as "Chaos Magick."

Hunting Houdini
Tues., April 21, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Gothic rocker Tara Slone (Rock Star INXS) travels to New York City at Halloween to enter the inner sanctum of escape artist Harry Houdini's most obsessive followers. Produced by Arcadia Entertainment Inc.

The Nightmare
Tues., April 28, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Filmmaker Adam Gray pursues a malevolent entity that strikes sleepers in the dark. Produced by Paradocs.

Occult Architecture
Tues., May 5, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Filmmaker John Wesley Chisholm asks: is there a secret master plan carved into the Masonic art and architecture of Washington, DC? Produced by Arcadia Entertainment Inc.

The Seducers
Tues., May 12, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
A journey into the secretive underworld of "the Seducers" -- men who use a mysterious power known as NLP to lure women into bed. Produced by Elevator Films.

Detour on the Road to Atlantis
Tues., May 19, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Have ocean explorers found clues to the whereabouts of the lost civilization of Atlantis? Produced by Arcadia Entertainment Inc.

It's in the Stars
Tues., May 26, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
For thousands of years, astrology has influenced both Western and Eastern cultures. But can the position of the stars really influence earthly affairs? Produced by Sorcery Films Ltd.

FINAL EPISODE: The White Mountain Abduction
Tues., June 2, 2009, 10:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM PT
Narrated by Robert J. Sawyer (in addition to hosting)
What happened to Barney and Betty Hill on the night of September 19, 1961? Their niece investigates the world's most famous case of alleged alien abduction. Produced by Paradocs.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Oh, yeah, and my other TV show ...

The seventh episode of Supernatural Investigator -- the series I host for Canada's Vision TV -- airs tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 10. This week's topic:

Seeing 9/11: Can precognitive dreams and visions provide warnings of impending disaster? Did thousands of people with no connection to the event somehow know in advance that 9/11 was going to happen? In this episode, Supernatural Investigator takes a critical look at the claims of those who say they have seen into the future.

Oh, and here's a cute little video promo for Vision's Sci-Fi Tuesdays (including Supernatural Investigator).

SI is shown three times (with the debut at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time / 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time). Check for times in your timezone here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Not just hosting but narrating Supernatural Investigator tonight

I don't just host this week's episode of Supernatural Investigator on Vision TV -- I also do the voice-over narration throughout the episode.

Tonight's topic: Mayan crystal skulls. It airs at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time / 7:30 p.m. Pacific.

Pictured: Robert J. Sawyer and the extinct species known as the newspaper book-review section editor

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Testing 1-2-3 ...

I went into S-VOX (parent company for Vision TV) to record the voice-over narration for one of the episodes of Supernatural Investigator today. For most episodes I just appear at the beginning and the end, introducing the topic and doing a wrap-up, but for a couple of them the week's expert chose not to do narration, so I'm doing it. The episode I recorded narration for today was about Mayan crystal skulls -- oh, and don't forget that episode 3 of the series airs tonight.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Supernatural Investigator on SETI

Now that I'm back from Turkey, I've had a chance to watch this week's (3 February 2009) episode of Supernatural Investigator, which I host for Canada's Vision TV. This was episode 2 of 17, and it was entitled "Life From Other Worlds," with Mac Tonnies as our investigator of the week.

Man, it felt like a family reunion. There was my buddy Seth Shostak from the SETI Institute (Seth and I have appeared together before on Discovery Channel Canada's Daily Planet, I've been a guest on Seth's SETI radio show (talking about my novel Rollback), and Seth invited me to the NASA/Ames conference "The Future of Intelligence in the Cosmos in 2007).

And there was my friend Chris Corbally, one of the Vatican astonomers; back in 2003, I was in the hot seat on another Vision TV series, Valerie Pringle's Test of Faith; the topic was "Could Organized Religion Survive the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life," and Chris was one of the questioners -- a great guy, who, as it happens, did his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto.

All in all, I thought it was a terrific episode, and I'm very proud to be part of this series.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Creator of Worlds, Chaser of Ghosts

The Brantford Expositor has a cool article headlined "Creator of Worlds and Chaser of Ghosts" by Brian Gorman about the incongruity of a hard-SF writer like me hosting a TV series like Supernatural Investigator. You can read it online here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Supernatural Investigator publicity photo

T-minus 2 hours and 26 minutes ...

Vision TV has released the above publicity photo (click for a larger version). Photo: "Robert J. Sawyer hosts Supernatural Investigator."

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Tuesday is RJS Night on Vision TV!

This Tuesday, January 26 -- tomorrow, as I write this -- I'll be featured not once but twice on Canada's Vision TV.

At 10:00 p.m. Eastern time / 7:00 p.m. Pacific, the half-hour documentary Dude, Where's My Flying Car?, heavily featuring Rob, airs as the debut episode of the series I Prophesy.

And, immediately following, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time / 7:30 p.m. Pacific, the first episode of Supernatural Investigator, the series I'm hosting, airs.

There are repeats twice on Wednesday: see the schedule here.

The trailer for Supernatural Investigator is here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Quill & Quire notes Supernatural Investigator

Supernatural Investigator, the TV series I'm hosting for Canada's Vision TV, debuts tomorrow night, Tuesday, January 27, 2009, at 10:30 p.m Eastern time / 7:30 p.m. Pacific time.

Quill & Quire, Canada's publishing trade journal, notes that fact today -- and the final paragraph of their coverage is a hoot.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Supernatural Investigator promo online

The 17-part TV series Supernatural Investigator, which I'm hosting for Canada's Vision TV, premieres THIS COMING TUESDAY, January 27, 2009. You can watch the promo for the show online right here.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Vision TV: Sci-Fi and Supernatural Tuesdays!

We got your Quantum Leap, we got your Poltergeist, we got Rob Sawyer hosting Supernatural Investigator, and we've got a new documentary featuring Rob on science fiction's attempts to predict the future!

Starting January 27, Tuesdays are Science Fiction and Supernatural Nights on Canada's Vision TV!

The Vision TV press release is here, and also reproduced below.

TORONTO, Jan. 12, 2009 /CNW/ - On Tuesday nights in 2009, VisionTV will journey to the distant future and delve deep into otherworldly realms.

Beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 27, Canada's multi-faith and multicultural television network premieres two original new Canadian documentary anthology series that will take viewers to worlds far beyond our own.

The 17-part series I Prophesy: The Future Revealed, airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, examines the predictions of present-day oracles. Combining dramatizations, CGI sequences, and interviews with world renowned scientists, authors and intellectuals, the I Prophesy documentaries consider the possible futures that may await us: from a world in which physical sex no longer exists and humans live for a thousand years, to doomsday scenarios in which our civilization is erased by asteroid collisions or epic floods.

The I Prophesy documentaries were produced for VisionTV by Arcadia Entertainment Inc., Henry Less Productions and Partners in Motion Inc.

Supernatural Investigator, airing Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT, takes a critical look at paranormal phenomena in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Each half-hour documentary follows an expert investigator as he or she brings rigorous, real-life scrutiny to a search for the truth behind so-called supernatural happenings. Canada's foremost science fiction writer, Hugo Award winner Robert J. Sawyer, hosts the 17-part series.

The Supernatural Investigator documentaries were produced for VisionTV by Arcadia Entertainment Inc., Elevator Films, Ocean Entertainment Ltd., Paradocs, Riddle Films Inc. and Sorcery Films Ltd.

VisionTV's Tuesday night lineup also features the science-fiction drama series Quantum Leap (9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT) and Poltergeist: The Legacy (weeknights at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT).


PREMIERE EPISODES:

I Prophesy: The Future Revealed
Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

"Dude, Where's My Flying Car?" - Over the past century, science fiction authors have often proved uncannily accurate in their predictions. Can today's generation of SF writers offer useful clues about the shape of tomorrow? In this premiere episode, Hugo Award-winning Canadian science fiction novelist Robert J. Sawyer (Hominids) ponders which of our contemporary fantasies may end up as reality. Will robots do our household cooking and cleaning? Will humanity colonize other worlds? And, most important: will we finally get flying cars? Produced by Arcadia Entertainment Inc.

Supernatural Investigator
Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT

"The Antichrist" - Does the Antichrist walk among us? Are we nearing the End of Days? Surprisingly, belief in the Biblical prophecies of an Antichrist remain alive and well in the 21st century. In this episode, Halifax-based paranormal filmmaker Michael MacDonald searches high and low for the world's most notorious villain. Produced by Ocean Entertainment Ltd.

Joan Jenkinson is the VisionTV Executive Producer and concept creator for both series. For more information on VisionTV programming, please visit www.visiontv.ca.

For further information: Media Contact: David Todd, Media Relations Manager, VisionTV, Phone: (416) 368-3194, ext. 207, Email: dtodd@s-vox.com

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

SFWA Pressbook on Supernatural Investigator

The SFWA Pressbook -- the news service of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America -- has just put up a release entitled Robert J. Sawyer hosts Supernatural Investigator.

Older SFWA Pressbook articles about RJS:

• ABC buys TV rights to Robert J. Sawyer's novel Flashforward
  
  
• New Short Story Collection from Robert J. Sawyer
  
  
• Sawyer named one of the 30 most powerful people in Canadian publishing
  
  
• Robert J. Sawyer Wins China's Top Science Fiction Award -- Canadian Author on Hand for Ceremony
  
  
• Robert J. Sawyer Receives Honorary Doctorate
  
  
• Robert J. Sawyer: Rollback
  
  
• Robert J. Sawyer Receives Toronto Public Library Celebrates Reading Award
  
  
• Robert J. Sawyer's Mindscan wins John W. Campbell Memorial Award
  
  
• Sawyer's Rollback to be Serialized in Analog
  
  
• Robert J. Sawyer science-fiction novel nominated for Ontario Library Association Award

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

More pix from the Supernatural Investigator shoot

If you're on Facebook, Jeff Rustia of Front has posted an album of 40 photographs from last weekend's shoot for Supernatural Investigator, the show I'm hosting for Vision TV.

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site

Hosting Supernatural Investigator

I'm hosting a 17-part half-hour documentary series for Canada's Vision TV entitled Supernatural Investigator. It premieres Tuesday, January 27, 2009, at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and runs every week until Tuesday, May 19, 2009.

Each week, a different investigator take an open-minded but skeptical look at an intriguing case -- such as the supposed abduction by aliens of Betty and Barney Hill, the mysterious death of Harry Houdini, and the US government's clandestine research into remote viewing.

I was thrilled when the producers asked me to audition for this, and even more thrilled when I got the job -- to my astonishment, beating out some very significant names ... ;)

I spent this past weekend recording my hosting segments (the introduction and farewell for each show). It was two grueling days, but the resulting footage looks fabulous. No static cameras for these guys! We had lots of dolly shots and dramatic lighting.

Director Maurey Loeffler was terrific at making this non-actor feel comfortable, director of photography Kiarash Sadigh gave us an amazing look aided by Blain Thrush and Bart Bialasik, Greg Carson came up with an awesome set, Jason Brown made the lighting look fabulous, William Lam looked after continuity, and Leo Franco was always there as production assistant when we needed him.

Producer/production manager Paul Nandrajog was on top of every detail, Derek Oxley rocked as our sound man, Menaka Mallikage did a great job with the scripts and on teleprompter, and Olga Kirnos was fantastic about attending to my makeup throughout both days.

Five different documentary-production companies across Canada produced the episodes, and the packaging (and my hosting) is being produced by Toronto's Front, whose president, Jeff Rustia, brought the whole thing wonderfully together. Joan Jenkinson from Vision TV was terrifically encouraging as she sat in on the first day of our shoot -- and, of course, Carolyn Clink looked after all sorts of details on the SFWRITER.COM Inc. side of things.

I have a day left to do in a recording studio, laying down narration tracks; three of the 17 episodes have a narrator -- moi.

It's shaping up to be a terrific series, and I'm very proud to be part of it.

See this entry for a link to more photographs from the shoot.

(For anyone who keeps track of such things, this actually wasn't my first TV hosting job. Back in January 2000, Gill Deacon and I cohosted a terrific two-hour documentary for Discovery Channel Canada, entitled Inventing the Future: 2000 Years of Discovery, and these will be my 246th through 262nd television appearances.)

The Robert J. Sawyer Web Site