"Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files" returns Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Syfy.
Now in its second season, "Fact or Faked" features former FBI agent Ben Hansen and a team of specialists who analyze video evidence of paranormal events and attempt to either prove them to be a hoax or actual footage of something inexplicable.
The team investigates a variety of claims, from ghostly apparitions to alien sightings to legendary creatures like Bigfoot. They also use an equally various set of techniques to test these claims.
In every case, the team attempts to recreate the video they are investigating to determine if it is possible for the film to have been created through nonparanormal means. They also take time to gather eyewitness statements, check the history of the location and, as appropriate, even perform their own "Ghost Hunters"-style investigation to see if they can catch some evidence of paranormal activity themselves.
Each episode begins with the team gathering in the "situation room" and reviewing a handful of videos brought in by team members to determine which two merit further scrutiny.
In Wednesday's episode, they select a clip of footage of what many claim is a UFO crash at the White Sands missile testing facility in the deserts of New Mexico. They also investigate video from a full-spectrum camera, which appears to show a strange apparition walking between the gravestones at Tonopah Cemetery in Nevada.
Viewers at all familiar with the paranormal investigation genre will know that the results of most of these investigations can be disappointing and, quite often, open-ended.
"Fact or Faked," however, seems to have been improved for its second season. The team actually does come to definitive conclusions regarding the videos they investigate, and viewers will likely enjoy watching the team reach them.
Although entertaining, the show may not be for everyone. Despite offering clean entertainment and avoiding offensive language, sensitive viewers may find some of the case videos disturbing.