Psychic detective television shows

Montsegur · 10th July 2006, 04:39 PM

What is going on with all these physic crime drame based television shows? medium and the list goes on? is this what the general public believe or is it just for entertainment?

grayman · 10th July 2006, 04:52 PM

The sad part is they are promoted as based on real people and/or incidents.

kevin · 10th July 2006, 05:07 PM

Psych's first episode was a pretty decent anti-psychic show. About the only thing I didn't like was how willing to accept a psychic explanation, but not a more realistic one, all the cops were.

Montsegur · 10th July 2006, 05:09 PM

i should clarify umm the topic this isnt about psychis dectives the show but tv shows that feature psychic's helping dectives(law enforcement) such as Medium etc

rustytunes · 10th July 2006, 05:25 PM

I suggest you have a search around the forums, there has been a lot said already on this subject. Also check here.
My opinion is that these shows are nothing less than tabloid TV. Television shows designed for ratings. Heavilly edited and not to be taken seriously. No law enforcement agency will support the claims made on these shows.

Montsegur · 10th July 2006, 05:28 PM

thanks

rustytunes · 10th July 2006, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Montsegur

i should clarify umm the topic this isnt about psychis dectives the show but tv shows that feature psychic's helping dectives(law enforcement) such as Medium etc

Sorry, I've just read this last post - I misunderstood.
"Medium" is a self promotion tool for the fraudulent Allison Dubois. Its also a ratings winner.

Beleth · 10th July 2006, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by kevin

Psych's first episode was a pretty decent anti-psychic show. About the only thing I didn't like was how willing to accept a psychic explanation, but not a more realistic one, all the cops were.

Bleah. I was underwhelmed. Apparently the way to fake psychic clairvoyance powers... is to have inhuman perception powers.

SRW · 10th July 2006, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by rustytunes

Sorry, I've just read this last post - I misunderstood.
"Medium" is a self promotion tool for the fraudulent Allison Dubois. Its also a ratings winner.

Medium is a guilty pleasure, even though the psychic junk is well junk, I think the stories are pretty good and the actress who plays Allison Dubois is easy on the eyes. And 10:00pm on Monday nights my standards are just not to high.

Steve.

rustytunes · 10th July 2006, 09:19 PM

I agree that it is a well written program, with a good cast. Patricia Arquette is a good actress, I have seen her in other shows. But I just can't watch it due to the woo factor.

a_unique_person · 10th July 2006, 10:10 PM

I used to wonder why Randi bothered with frauds like Dubois, I mean, only a few idiots would actually believe that stuff, wouldn't they.

Unfortunately, I now know better.

rustytunes · 10th July 2006, 10:18 PM

Well, she is high profile enough to attract Randi's attention.

SRW · 10th July 2006, 11:08 PM

Patricia Arquette. Is a good actress and Alison is a phoney

gfunkusarelius · 11th July 2006, 10:36 AM

tv programming goes thru phases...right now there have been a few movies that did really well and dealt with this sort of supernatural stuff (sort of jump-started by the sixth sense) and when of the tv shows did well, they started churning them out. they'll go out of style (and then they will come back).

personally, the fiction shows dont bother me. i love zombie, horror, ghost type movies even tho dont believe any of it is real. its the shows on history, discovery, court tv, and biography channels and then also shows like dateline that talk about "true stories" and slant the coverage to make woo seem more plausable that bothers me.

ObscureReferenceMan · 11th July 2006, 12:55 PM

I liked "Psyche"! It looks like it's got potential. Might even help the skeptic movement - people can see how things could be faked. Maybe they can throw in some standard cold-reading techniques as well.

Lamuella · 11th July 2006, 12:59 PM

I used to really like Medium. I love the actor who plays Alison's husband, and Patty Arquette (while nowhere near as good an actress as her sister) is suited to the role.

Unfortunately, after reading up on the real Alison DuBois, I can't bear to watch it any more.

rustytunes · 11th July 2006, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Lamuella

I used to really like Medium. I love the actor who plays Alison's husband, and Patty Arquette (while nowhere near as good an actress as her sister) is suited to the role.

Unfortunately, after reading up on the real Alison DuBois, I can't bear to watch it any more.

Ditto.

I do like the CSIs when they have their little digs at the quacks, mediums and pseudoscience.

RSLancastr · 11th July 2006, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by gfunkusarelius

tv programming goes thru phases...

Yup. Just a couple of years ago, John Edward's "Crossing Over" was on every day, and Van Pragh's "Psychic Fop" (or whatever it was called) was on daily as well. Now, we're mostly down to the every-Wednesday croakings of Sylvia on the Montel show.

Originally Posted by Lamuella

I used to really like Medium. I love the actor who plays Alison's husband, and Patty Arquette (while nowhere near as good an actress as her sister) is suited to the role.

I'm waiting for the episode where the middle-daughter (the darling little moptop with her own precocious psychic powers) dies is some grisly way that precludes her from ever speaking another line on the show, even as a ghost.

Jeff Corey · 11th July 2006, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Beleth

Bleah. I was underwhelmed. Apparently the way to fake psychic clairvoyance powers... is to have inhuman perception powers.

Not so fast there. The guy was trained by his father the cop to be very observant. It's possible for people to learn this. How do you think detectives, hot readers, warm readers and cold readers amaze people?
I think Monk is less believable. Sometimes.
Remember when Sherlock Holmes first met Watson?
It's good fiction.

Beleth · 12th July 2006, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Jeff Corey

Not so fast there. The guy was trained by his father the cop to be very observant. It's possible for people to learn this.

Is it really, though?

I guess it depends on how much the psychic-debunking aspect is going to play. I was hoping for more. I just feel like the writers want me to trade one willing suspension of disbelief for another.

Quote:

How do you think detectives, hot readers, warm readers and cold readers amaze people?

Not by having an unbelievable father figure teach them a superhuman ability.

Quote:

Remember when Sherlock Holmes first met Watson?
It's good fiction.

The only SH book I have ever read was The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I just never got into him. I don't see a believable character in him; I see a writer who wants to show how much smarter he is than his readers by inventing a character that just knows all this stuff offhand.

Maybe that's it. I see too much SH in the Psych main character.

TheChadd · 12th July 2006, 11:57 PM

Quote:

My opinion is that these shows are nothing less than tabloid TV. Television shows designed for ratings. Heavilly edited and not to be taken seriously. No law enforcement agency will support the claims made on these shows.

Unfortunately, with these shows while mostly watched only for entertainment do give psychics credibility. The concept that police regularily look to psychics for help with crime (and the psychics are successful) is perpetuated into the public's psyche. The thing that annoys me about these shows are that there is always the background idea that it is a reinactment (with some artistic license, they grant) of actual historical events.

Tamazon · 13th July 2006, 08:07 PM

Well at least Medium is kind of meant to be just entertainment. But what really frosts my muffins is shows like "Psychic Witness", on Discovery Channel no less! It portrays, as fact, certain crimes that psychics solved. They even interview the police officers involved who agree with the whole thing!

The Atheist · 13th July 2006, 08:22 PM

Well, Tamazon, it just goes to prove the theory that for every intelligent, thoughtful sceptic out there, there are 10 clowns who would rather believe the unbelievable than accept facts.

rustytunes · 13th July 2006, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by Tamazon

Well at least Medium is kind of meant to be just entertainment. But what really frosts my muffins is shows like "Psychic Witness", on Discovery Channel no less! It portrays, as fact, certain crimes that psychics solved. They even interview the police officers involved who agree with the whole thing!

Well that's what I mean by tabloid tv. Complete BS. They may ask the officers 100 questions, and if they get 6 hits, those are what we see on the show.

brooklyn44 · 13th July 2006, 09:44 PM

I have hopes for "Psych," the premise is anti woo and it is a comedy about how a guy with terrif observtional skills and deductive reasoning has to snow the police into thinking he is a phychic. Cast is good.

Tamazon · 14th July 2006, 09:22 AM

Shows like Psychic Witness certainly don't help our cause. One of the first arguments I get when trying to tell a believer that psychic powers don't exist is, "well then why do the police use them to solve crimes?" Of course the answer is "they don't" and I have a ton of links to prove it. But try and convince them of that.
One guy on the Psychic Witness forum said that he had seem enough of these shows to convince him that it's real. Well, I've seen plenty of episodes of Buffy and yet don't believe that there is a teenage girl running around staking vampires.

RSLancastr · 14th July 2006, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Tamazon

One guy on the Psychic Witness forum said that he had seem enough of these shows to convince him that it's real. Well, I've seen plenty of episodes of Buffy and yet don't believe that there is a teenage girl running around staking vampires.

Of course, the difference is, Buffy never claimed to be based on actual events.

At least, I hope it didn't.

gfunkusarelius · 24th July 2006, 07:36 AM

i thought i would tack this onto this thread rather than starting yet another one, but i cause part of a show (either haunting evidence or psychic detectives) yesterday and the way they do these shows is really misleading and one sided. they had a gentleman at a castle trying to tell the owners about the hauntings/spirits/whatever and as he recounted different people who had lived and died there in all the standardly vague psychic ways, they had little tickers at the bottom of the screen saying things like "[the psychic] did no research on the history of [the castle] before arriving." um, says who? did the producers just take his word for it? it is amazing how people seem so ready to trust someone for their word as if the guy has nothing to gain by lying! there were other similarly stupid things, like the woman giving away info to him as he brought up really vague things, like when he said he felt someone was choking or straining for air (as if in a castle that is hundreds of years old, someone couldnt have had some sort of ailment that lead to death via "a straining for breath." i mean technically i guess we all sort of struggle for breath before dying.
anyway, its annoying how they just seem to introduce these people as psychics as if their powers arent in question

Tamazon · 29th July 2006, 12:57 AM

I have a job for any of you who enjoy writing letters to irresponsible media or maybe if you're just bored. Anyways, the local ACCESS station here calls itself "The Education Station". Unfortunately they are showing claptrap like "Pyschic Witness" (myself and others from this forum have taken over their little psychic forum)

About the show: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/ps...ess/about.html

They also air "Antiques Psychic" where psychic Kim handles objects that her guests (victims) bring in and then she spews forth nonsense whilst fondling said objects. Quite frankly, she's one of the worst cold-readers I've seen. And she's actually probably doing warm-readings as I imagine she gets plenty of info about her guests before they arrive. Info on Kim:
http://www.clairvoyantkim.com/schedule.htm

So if any of you feel like you have some time to kill you can let ACCESS know how they are "educating" people. You can e-mail them here:
info@accesstv.ca

I already have.

Here's a link to ACCESS television:
http://www.accesstv.ca/

Hee Hee, now that I can post links, I've gone mad....MAD!!!!

Tamazon · 29th July 2006, 10:38 AM

It seems Kim Dennis (Antiques Psychic) was in a swift commentary as well. I different television station involved this time.

http://www.randi.org/jr/200510/100705as.html

At the beginning of her show the screen proclaims "What you are about to see is real." Please.

phaedra · 29th July 2006, 11:31 AM

Anyone interested in the UK aspect of so called psychic detectives might want to check out the The Skeptic Express who are in the process of running a series of articles entitled 'Psychic Detectives or Psychic Predators?'. Here's a link:

http://www.theskepticexpress.com/psy..._predators.php

There are currently six pieces available to view although several more will follow shortly. The articles look at the psychic detective from the following aspects: the media, the family of the missing individual and exploitation of such circumstances by psychics. Further articles in preparation include a major contribution from UK police forces and their use of psychics and a piece on the views of major UK missing persons groups.

Hope you find it useful.

RemieV · 29th July 2006, 02:25 PM

Medium was alright for a season, and then bored the pants off of me. The distinction between fiction, based on reality, and documentary is getting terribly blurred. I've had people tell me, for example, that poltergeist activity occurs around teenagers in angst. I have yet to find a credible source for that statement.

Miss Whiplash · 29th July 2006, 04:03 PM

Perhaps it came from the teenager throwing things.

fuelair · 29th July 2006, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by Beleth

Is it really, though?

I guess it depends on how much the psychic-debunking aspect is going to play. I was hoping for more. I just feel like the writers want me to trade one willing suspension of disbelief for another.

Not by having an unbelievable father figure teach them a superhuman ability.

The only SH book I have ever read was The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I just never got into him. I don't see a believable character in him; I see a writer who wants to show how much smarter he is than his readers by inventing a character that just knows all this stuff offhand.

Maybe that's it. I see too much SH in the Psych main character.

Confusion??!! There are people who have very highly developed powers of observation - and in the Psych show, they even guide you to the things he is observing that he pulls his knowledge and guesses from. The most challenging thing I've noted is reading upside down - and lot's of us can do that.

fuelair · 29th July 2006, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Tamazon

It seems Kim Dennis (Antiques Psychic) was in a swift commentary as well. I different television station involved this time.

http://www.randi.org/jr/200510/100705as.html

At the beginning of her show the screen proclaims "What you are about to see is real." Please.

What you see IS real - there is a real set, real people , real stuff is handled. It's what you hear and are expected to believe that isn't real.

fuelair · 29th July 2006, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by RemieV

Medium was alright for a season, and then bored the pants off of me. The distinction between fiction, based on reality, and documentary is getting terribly blurred. I've had people tell me, for example, that poltergeist activity occurs around teenagers in angst. I have yet to find a credible source for that statement.

That's an old one ; often came up in woo books at least through the 70's. Sorry I can't give suggestions of titles - haven't had time to read woo droppings in a LONG time. (oh - usually referred to young females particulary around time of first periods.)

RemieV · 29th July 2006, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by fuelair

What you see IS real - there is a real set, real people , real stuff is handled. It's what you hear and are expected to believe that isn't real.

The back of my Ghost Hunters DVD Season I bought for debunking purposes says "100% Real". I assume it referred to the DVDs. Real DVDs... instead of mirage DVDs.

RemieV · 29th July 2006, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by fuelair

That's an old one ; often came up in woo books at least through the 70's. Sorry I can't give suggestions of titles - haven't had time to read woo droppings in a LONG time. (oh - usually referred to young females particulary around time of first periods.)

Sounds like "Carrie". Although I don't know if I'd call Stephen King credible... maybe "insane" or "creepy".

fuelair · 31st July 2006, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by RemieV

Sounds like "Carrie". Although I don't know if I'd call Stephen King credible... maybe "insane" or "creepy".

I was not intending/referring to fiction - but that is a fiction example of the type. I would call King a credible fiction writer - but what I was talking about were "non fiction" woo books on the topic.

Cuddles · 1st August 2006, 02:01 AM

Originally Posted by Tamazon

Well at least Medium is kind of meant to be just entertainment. But what really frosts my muffins is shows like "Psychic Witness", on Discovery Channel no less! It portrays, as fact, certain crimes that psychics solved. They even interview the police officers involved who agree with the whole thing!

I haven't actually watched Medium, but there were a lot of adverts before is started in Britain showing interviews with Allison Dubois saying it was all entirely real and based on the actual events of her life. I don't think that can be passed off as "just entertainment" when they are blatantly trying to deny reality.

10th July 2006, 04:39 PM	#1
Montsegur New Blood Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 13	Psychic detective television shows What is going on with all these physic crime drame based television shows? medium and the list goes on? is this what the general public believe or is it just for entertainment?
Montsegur New Blood Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 13

10th July 2006, 05:07 PM	#3
kevin Graduate Poster Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,666	Psych's first episode was a pretty decent anti-psychic show. About the only thing I didn't like was how willing to accept a psychic explanation, but not a more realistic one, all the cops were.
kevin Graduate Poster Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,666	__________________ Long story short, if you wanna get famous, it helps if you're taking a dump. -- RealityBites

10th July 2006, 05:09 PM	#4
Montsegur New Blood Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 13	i should clarify umm the topic this isnt about psychis dectives the show but tv shows that feature psychic's helping dectives(law enforcement) such as Medium etc
Montsegur New Blood Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 13

10th July 2006, 05:28 PM	#6
Montsegur New Blood Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 13	thanks
Montsegur New Blood Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 13

10th July 2006, 05:58 PM	#8
Beleth FAQ Creator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Not in a cave Posts: 4,134	Originally Posted by kevin Psych's first episode was a pretty decent anti-psychic show. About the only thing I didn't like was how willing to accept a psychic explanation, but not a more realistic one, all the cops were. Bleah. I was underwhelmed. Apparently the way to fake psychic clairvoyance powers... is to have inhuman perception powers.
	__________________ Administrator and Head Moderator, The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Forum Big Fan, Stop Sylvia Browne I will come back only after the words "Hi, Nyarl!" are returned to the post http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php...5&postcount=14 .

10th July 2006, 04:52 PM	#2
grayman Happy-go-lucky Heretic Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Casa del Whacko Posts: 6,142	The sad part is they are promoted as based on real people and/or incidents.

10th July 2006, 05:25 PM	#5
rustytunes Thinker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 236	I suggest you have a search around the forums, there has been a lot said already on this subject. Also check here. My opinion is that these shows are nothing less than tabloid TV. Television shows designed for ratings. Heavilly edited and not to be taken seriously. No law enforcement agency will support the claims made on these shows.

10th July 2006, 05:31 PM	#7
rustytunes Thinker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 236	Originally Posted by Montsegur i should clarify umm the topic this isnt about psychis dectives the show but tv shows that feature psychic's helping dectives(law enforcement) such as Medium etc Sorry, I've just read this last post - I misunderstood. "Medium" is a self promotion tool for the fraudulent Allison Dubois. Its also a ratings winner.

10th July 2006, 08:41 PM	#9
SRW Master Poster Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 2,901	Originally Posted by rustytunes Sorry, I've just read this last post - I misunderstood. "Medium" is a self promotion tool for the fraudulent Allison Dubois. Its also a ratings winner. Medium is a guilty pleasure, even though the psychic junk is well junk, I think the stories are pretty good and the actress who plays Allison Dubois is easy on the eyes. And 10:00pm on Monday nights my standards are just not to high. Steve.
SRW Master Poster Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 2,901

10th July 2006, 09:19 PM	#10
rustytunes Thinker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 236	I agree that it is a well written program, with a good cast. Patricia Arquette is a good actress, I have seen her in other shows. But I just can't watch it due to the woo factor.

10th July 2006, 10:10 PM	#11
a_unique_person Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Mt Disappointment Posts: 33,326	I used to wonder why Randi bothered with frauds like Dubois, I mean, only a few idiots would actually believe that stuff, wouldn't they. Unfortunately, I now know better.
	__________________ *Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity.* Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. For if a man pretend to me that God hath spoken to him supernaturally, and immediately, and I make doubt of it, I cannot easily perceive what argument he can produce to oblige me to believe it. Hobbes

10th July 2006, 10:18 PM	#12
rustytunes Thinker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 236	Well, she is high profile enough to attract Randi's attention.

10th July 2006, 11:08 PM	#13
SRW Master Poster Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 2,901	Patricia Arquette. Is a good actress and Alison is a phoney
SRW Master Poster Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 2,901

11th July 2006, 10:36 AM	#14
gfunkusarelius Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 442	tv programming goes thru phases...right now there have been a few movies that did really well and dealt with this sort of supernatural stuff (sort of jump-started by the sixth sense) and when of the tv shows did well, they started churning them out. they'll go out of style (and then they will come back). personally, the fiction shows dont bother me. i love zombie, horror, ghost type movies even tho dont believe any of it is real. its the shows on history, discovery, court tv, and biography channels and then also shows like dateline that talk about "true stories" and slant the coverage to make woo seem more plausable that bothers me.
	__________________ --------------------- "you can't argue with crazy" -not sure http://annoyed-skeptic.blogspot.com/ (my blog)

11th July 2006, 12:55 PM	#15
ObscureReferenceMan Muse Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 569	I liked "Psyche"! It looks like it's got potential. Might even help the skeptic movement - people can see how things could be faked. Maybe they can throw in some standard cold-reading techniques as well.
	__________________ Mrs. T: What does it presage? Mrs. O: You have green, scaly skin, and a soft yellow underbelly with a series of fin-like ridges running down your spine and tail. Although lizardlike in shape, you can grow anything up to thirty feet in length with huge teeth that can bite off great rocks and trees. You inhabit arid sub-tropical zones and wear spectacles. Mrs. T: It's very good about the spectacles!

11th July 2006, 12:59 PM	#16
Lamuella Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,480	I used to really like Medium. I love the actor who plays Alison's husband, and Patty Arquette (while nowhere near as good an actress as her sister) is suited to the role. Unfortunately, after reading up on the real Alison DuBois, I can't bear to watch it any more.
Lamuella Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,480

11th July 2006, 06:12 PM	#17
rustytunes Thinker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 236	Originally Posted by Lamuella I used to really like Medium. I love the actor who plays Alison's husband, and Patty Arquette (while nowhere near as good an actress as her sister) is suited to the role. Unfortunately, after reading up on the real Alison DuBois, I can't bear to watch it any more. Ditto. I do like the CSIs when they have their little digs at the quacks, mediums and pseudoscience.

11th July 2006, 06:17 PM	#18
RSLancastr www.StopSylvia.com Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Salem, Oregon Posts: 15,539	Originally Posted by gfunkusarelius tv programming goes thru phases... Yup. Just a couple of years ago, John Edward's "Crossing Over" was on every day, and Van Pragh's "Psychic Fop" (or whatever it was called) was on daily as well. Now, we're mostly down to the every-Wednesday croakings of Sylvia on the Montel show. Originally Posted by Lamuella I used to really like Medium. I love the actor who plays Alison's husband, and Patty Arquette (while nowhere near as good an actress as her sister) is suited to the role. I'm waiting for the episode where the middle-daughter (the darling little moptop with her own precocious psychic powers) dies is some grisly way that precludes her from ever speaking another line on the show, even as a ghost.
	__________________ Who is "Kaz?" Read about her at www.StopKaz.com. Curious about Sylvia Browne? Read about her at www.StopSylvia.com. Ever wonder "What's the Harm?" with psychics, alternative medicine, etc?

11th July 2006, 06:59 PM	#19
Jeff Corey New York Skeptic Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 13,794	Originally Posted by Beleth Bleah. I was underwhelmed. Apparently the way to fake psychic clairvoyance powers... is to have inhuman perception powers. Not so fast there. The guy was trained by his father the cop to be very observant. It's possible for people to learn this. How do you think detectives, hot readers, warm readers and cold readers amaze people? I think Monk is less believable. Sometimes. Remember when Sherlock Holmes first met Watson? It's good fiction.

12th July 2006, 08:08 PM	#20
Beleth FAQ Creator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Not in a cave Posts: 4,134	Originally Posted by Jeff Corey Not so fast there. The guy was trained by his father the cop to be very observant. It's possible for people to learn this. Is it really, though? I guess it depends on how much the psychic-debunking aspect is going to play. I was hoping for more. I just feel like the writers want me to trade one willing suspension of disbelief for another. Quote: How do you think detectives, hot readers, warm readers and cold readers amaze people? Not by having an unbelievable father figure teach them a superhuman ability. Quote: Remember when Sherlock Holmes first met Watson? It's good fiction. The only SH book I have ever read was The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I just never got into him. I don't see a believable character in him; I see a writer who wants to show how much smarter he is than his readers by inventing a character that just knows all this stuff offhand. Maybe that's it. I see too much SH in the Psych main character.
	__________________ Administrator and Head Moderator, The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Forum Big Fan, Stop Sylvia Browne I will come back only after the words "Hi, Nyarl!" are returned to the post http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php...5&postcount=14 .

12th July 2006, 11:57 PM	#21
TheChadd Critical Thinker Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 416	Quote: My opinion is that these shows are nothing less than tabloid TV. Television shows designed for ratings. Heavilly edited and not to be taken seriously. No law enforcement agency will support the claims made on these shows. Unfortunately, with these shows while mostly watched only for entertainment do give psychics credibility. The concept that police regularily look to psychics for help with crime (and the psychics are successful) is perpetuated into the public's psyche. The thing that annoys me about these shows are that there is always the background idea that it is a reinactment (with some artistic license, they grant) of actual historical events.
TheChadd Critical Thinker Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 416

13th July 2006, 08:07 PM	#22
Tamazon Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 478	Well at least Medium is kind of meant to be just entertainment. But what really frosts my muffins is shows like "Psychic Witness", on Discovery Channel no less! It portrays, as fact, certain crimes that psychics solved. They even interview the police officers involved who agree with the whole thing!

13th July 2006, 08:22 PM	#23
The Atheist The Grammar Tyrant Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Within smelling distance of the Grammar Death Camps Posts: 13,928	Well, Tamazon, it just goes to prove the theory that for every intelligent, thoughtful sceptic out there, there are 10 clowns who would rather believe the unbelievable than accept facts.

13th July 2006, 08:44 PM	#24
rustytunes Thinker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 236	Originally Posted by Tamazon Well at least Medium is kind of meant to be just entertainment. But what really frosts my muffins is shows like "Psychic Witness", on Discovery Channel no less! It portrays, as fact, certain crimes that psychics solved. They even interview the police officers involved who agree with the whole thing! Well that's what I mean by tabloid tv. Complete BS. They may ask the officers 100 questions, and if they get 6 hits, those are what we see on the show.

13th July 2006, 09:44 PM	#25
brooklyn44 Thinker Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lawn Guyland, Nu Yawk Posts: 240	I have hopes for "Psych," the premise is anti woo and it is a comedy about how a guy with terrif observtional skills and deductive reasoning has to snow the police into thinking he is a phychic. Cast is good.

14th July 2006, 09:22 AM	#26
Tamazon Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 478	Shows like Psychic Witness certainly don't help our cause. One of the first arguments I get when trying to tell a believer that psychic powers don't exist is, "well then why do the police use them to solve crimes?" Of course the answer is "they don't" and I have a ton of links to prove it. But try and convince them of that. One guy on the Psychic Witness forum said that he had seem enough of these shows to convince him that it's real. Well, I've seen plenty of episodes of Buffy and yet don't believe that there is a teenage girl running around staking vampires.

14th July 2006, 09:33 AM	#27
RSLancastr www.StopSylvia.com Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Salem, Oregon Posts: 15,539	Originally Posted by Tamazon One guy on the Psychic Witness forum said that he had seem enough of these shows to convince him that it's real. Well, I've seen plenty of episodes of Buffy and yet don't believe that there is a teenage girl running around staking vampires. Of course, the difference is, Buffy never claimed to be based on actual events. At least, I hope it didn't.
	__________________ Who is "Kaz?" Read about her at www.StopKaz.com. Curious about Sylvia Browne? Read about her at www.StopSylvia.com. Ever wonder "What's the Harm?" with psychics, alternative medicine, etc?

24th July 2006, 07:36 AM	#28
gfunkusarelius Critical Thinker Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 442	i thought i would tack this onto this thread rather than starting yet another one, but i cause part of a show (either haunting evidence or psychic detectives) yesterday and the way they do these shows is really misleading and one sided. they had a gentleman at a castle trying to tell the owners about the hauntings/spirits/whatever and as he recounted different people who had lived and died there in all the standardly vague psychic ways, they had little tickers at the bottom of the screen saying things like "[the psychic] did no research on the history of [the castle] before arriving." um, says who? did the producers just take his word for it? it is amazing how people seem so ready to trust someone for their word as if the guy has nothing to gain by lying! there were other similarly stupid things, like the woman giving away info to him as he brought up really vague things, like when he said he felt someone was choking or straining for air (as if in a castle that is hundreds of years old, someone couldnt have had some sort of ailment that lead to death via "a straining for breath." i mean technically i guess we all sort of struggle for breath before dying. anyway, its annoying how they just seem to introduce these people as psychics as if their powers arent in question
	__________________ --------------------- "you can't argue with crazy" -not sure http://annoyed-skeptic.blogspot.com/ (my blog)

29th July 2006, 12:57 AM	#29
Tamazon Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 478	I have a job for any of you who enjoy writing letters to irresponsible media or maybe if you're just bored. Anyways, the local ACCESS station here calls itself "The Education Station". Unfortunately they are showing claptrap like "Pyschic Witness" (myself and others from this forum have taken over their little psychic forum) About the show: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/ps...ess/about.html They also air "Antiques Psychic" where psychic Kim handles objects that her guests (victims) bring in and then she spews forth nonsense whilst fondling said objects. Quite frankly, she's one of the worst cold-readers I've seen. And she's actually probably doing warm-readings as I imagine she gets plenty of info about her guests before they arrive. Info on Kim: http://www.clairvoyantkim.com/schedule.htm So if any of you feel like you have some time to kill you can let ACCESS know how they are "educating" people. You can e-mail them here: info@accesstv.ca I already have. Here's a link to ACCESS television: http://www.accesstv.ca/ Hee Hee, now that I can post links, I've gone mad....MAD!!!!

29th July 2006, 10:38 AM	#30
Tamazon Critical Thinker Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 478	It seems Kim Dennis (Antiques Psychic) was in a swift commentary as well. I different television station involved this time. http://www.randi.org/jr/200510/100705as.html At the beginning of her show the screen proclaims "What you are about to see is real." Please.

29th July 2006, 11:31 AM	#31
phaedra Student Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 47	Anyone interested in the UK aspect of so called psychic detectives might want to check out the The Skeptic Express who are in the process of running a series of articles entitled 'Psychic Detectives or Psychic Predators?'. Here's a link: http://www.theskepticexpress.com/psy..._predators.php There are currently six pieces available to view although several more will follow shortly. The articles look at the psychic detective from the following aspects: the media, the family of the missing individual and exploitation of such circumstances by psychics. Further articles in preparation include a major contribution from UK police forces and their use of psychics and a piece on the views of major UK missing persons groups. Hope you find it useful.
phaedra Student Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 47

29th July 2006, 02:25 PM	#32
RemieV Lostie, Pirate, Snape Lover Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,227	Medium was alright for a season, and then bored the pants off of me. The distinction between fiction, based on reality, and documentary is getting terribly blurred. I've had people tell me, for example, that poltergeist activity occurs around teenagers in angst. I have yet to find a credible source for that statement.

29th July 2006, 04:03 PM	#33
Miss Whiplash Nettlesome Harpy Join Date: May 2006 Location: 53 Miles West of Venus Posts: 1,583	Perhaps it came from the teenager throwing things.

29th July 2006, 05:05 PM	#34
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,932	Originally Posted by Beleth Is it really, though? I guess it depends on how much the psychic-debunking aspect is going to play. I was hoping for more. I just feel like the writers want me to trade one willing suspension of disbelief for another. Not by having an unbelievable father figure teach them a superhuman ability. The only SH book I have ever read was The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I just never got into him. I don't see a believable character in him; I see a writer who wants to show how much smarter he is than his readers by inventing a character that just knows all this stuff offhand. Maybe that's it. I see too much SH in the Psych main character. Confusion??!! There are people who have very highly developed powers of observation - and in the Psych show, they even guide you to the things he is observing that he pulls his knowledge and guesses from. The most challenging thing I've noted is reading upside down - and lot's of us can do that.
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,932

29th July 2006, 05:12 PM	#35
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,932	Originally Posted by Tamazon It seems Kim Dennis (Antiques Psychic) was in a swift commentary as well. I different television station involved this time. http://www.randi.org/jr/200510/100705as.html At the beginning of her show the screen proclaims "What you are about to see is real." Please. What you see IS real - there is a real set, real people , real stuff is handled. It's what you hear and are expected to believe that isn't real.
fuelair Cythraul Enfys Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 28,932