In 1993, a new television show debuted on the Fox network.The X-Filesfollowed two FBI agents, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), as they investigated a series of mysterious cases ranging from paranormal activity to extraterrestrial encounters. The show gained a large following, particularly among science fiction fans and those fascinated by the growing interest in alien phenomena. The massive popularity ofThe X-Filesmight not have come to fruition had it not been for a television show that began airing on the same network in 1991 calledSightings.
Sightings, a show hosted by Tim White, showcased a broad range of investigations of alleged alien abductions, UFO sightings, and paranormal hauntings.SightingsandThe X-Fileswere certainly two very different programs, as the latter was a fictionalized series and the former was investigative and presented in the same way that other shows such asA Current AffairorHard Copywere depicted. That is to say, addressing controversial topics in a journalistic format.Sightingswould help pave the way for the success ofThe X-Filesand other items of popular culture that would be prominent throughout the 1990s.
Close Encounters and Video Evidence
As one might have gathered from the show’s title,Sightingsdevoted a significant amount of its programming to thephenomena of aliens and UFOs. The investigations related to aliens were varied, with many related to actual camera footage shot by individuals of mysterious lights and possible interplanetary spacecraft. The evidence presented wasn’t limited to amateur photographers. Pilots of foreign air forces and people who held positions of considerable influence shared their personal experiences and first-hand accounts of these instances related to UFOs.
Sightingstouched upon the emergence of the “grays,” the most recognizable depiction of aliens in popular culture, and the growing reports of abductions and probing. Whether these reported incidents were real or not is entirely a matter of subjection. Still, many of the conspiracy theories, especially those pertaining to cattle mutilation, were touched upon. Some of the incidents thatSightingsdevoted time to would go on to be major aspects of popular culture in the years that followed, such as the “men in black” and the alleged abduction of Travis Walton, which would later be depicted in the 1993 film,Fire in the Sky.
Sightingsallowed eyewitnesses, investigative journalists, and others a platform to share their side of the story and provided potential explanations for these occurrences. For instance, the reporting of abductions was thought to be people remembering their own birth, as doctors and nurses having their faces obscured behind surgical masks might have an appearance similar to aliens to a newborn baby. One episode in particular explored the correlation between the rise in reported abductions and the popular depictions in television shows such asThe Outer Limitsand films likeClose Encounters of the Third Kind. The presentation of eyewitness accounts and counterpoints allowed audience members to come to their own conclusions based on the information they were presented with.
Fire in the Sky: What the True Story Behind the ’90s Movie Tells Us About Aliens Visiting Earth
One of the scariest sci-fi movies of all time, Fire in the Sky tells the true story of the 1975 abduction of Travis Walton.
The Paranormal and Outer Fringe
The phenomena relating to UFOs and alien abduction were a major aspect ofSightings, but they were far from the only topics that the show would focus on during its production run. Besides the topics relating to alien encounters,Sightingsalso showcased investigations regarding alleged hauntings and psychic phenomena. Thepopular ghost-hunting showsthat exist today, many of which are utterly laughable in their presentation and tone, might not have ever gained an audience had it not been forSightings.
The investigations of alleged hauntings took place in a wide range of locations, some of which were small homes in Middle America, but multiple locations that are well-known to the public at large were also featured. Pomeroy Castle in England and the neighborhood of Whitechapel, where the crimes of Jack the Ripper took place, were some of the most memorable investigations aired, both headed up by famed paranormal expert Tony Cornell. Other notable instances included psychic investigator Peter James visiting Alcatraz Island and communing with entities who were allegedly still inhabiting the abandoned prison.
As was the case with segments featuring hauntings and other paranormal activity, much like the alleged UFO phenomenon, a matter of subjection and conjecture goes along with them. Whether a member of the audience actually took stock of the reported cases and either believed them or not was a matter of personal opinion. There were, however, other notable instances that have since been dismissed as hoaxes or widespread paranoia.
Sightingsdevoted a full episode of what’s nowreferred to as Satanic Panic. The episode featured an interview with a convicted murderer who blamed his crimes on being possessed by the devil and multiple people who had claimed to be members of Satanic cults. These were part of a broader epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s known as the ritual abuse scare. Since then, many of these claims have been outright dismissed as either false or products of therapists recovering alleged repressed memories from their patients. Looking at these alleged cases from what we know now, we see that they serve as a unique time capsule of moral hysteria, something that would be present in theParadise Lostfilms about the West Memphis Three case.
That’s not to say that all the depictions featured inSightingsof phenomena that exist in what we sometimes refer to as the outer fringe were entirely false or relied on the subjective opinion of an audience to make up their mind. The show shed light on the religions of Santeria and Palo Mayombe. These traditions, which are very similar to Voodoo, were linked to the deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. While the public’s persona of these religious practices might have been influenced by films such asThe Serpent and the Rainbow,Sightingsprovided a platform for practitioners to explain their beliefs and customs and dispel some of the public’s unjustified preconceptions.
Best Movies Inspired by the Satanic Panic, Ranked
The Satanic Panic took the world by storm and had a massive impact on pop culture, leading to works that embellish and satirize the moral panic.
The Continued Fascination with The Unknown
From the dawn of history, there’s always been a fascination with the unknown and a need to explain the mysteries that exist in the world around us. There’s no denying that many of the mysteries and phenomena explored onSightingswere something of a mixed bag: tantalizing and intriguing yet also sometimes readily dismissed as wildly exaggerated and falsified.The success ofThe X-Files, the rise in paranormal investigating programs, and their ilk might not have ever been possible had it not been for the success ofSightings.
The X-Files
