Mermaids: The Body Found
A pseudo-documentary blending fiction with documentary style.
Mermaids: The Body Found is a pseudo-documentary television program that originally aired on Animal Planet on May 27, 2012, and on Discovery Channel on June 17, 2012. It presents a fictional story of a scientific team investigating mysterious underwater recordings of an unidentified marine body, using the controversial aquatic ape hypothesis and a digitally manufactured video to suggest that mermaids exist. The program is an example of docufiction, blending documentary style with fictional or speculative science, and drew criticism for its minimal disclaimers and serious tone that implied it was a factual documentary.
- type
- Pseudo-documentary television program
- first_aired
- May 27, 2012 (Animal Planet)
- second_airing
- June 17, 2012 (Discovery Channel)
- network
- Animal Planet, Discovery Channel
- sequel
- Mermaids: The New Evidence (May 26, 2013)
- premiere_ratings
- 1.9 million views
- known_for
- Presenting the aquatic ape hypothesis as evidence for mermaids
Quick Facts
- Producer
- Darlow Smithson, Tom Brisley
- Writer
- Charlie Foley / Vaibhav Bhatt
- Director
- Sid Bennett / Director of Animation - Steve Gomez
- Network
- Animal Planet
- Released
- 2012-05-27
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mermaids: The Body Found aired on Animal Planet on May 27, 2012, and later on Discovery Channel on June 17, 2012. The program follows a fictional scientific team investigating underwater recordings of an unidentified marine body, using the aquatic ape hypothesis and a digitally manufactured video to argue for the existence of mermaids. Its sequel, Mermaids: The New Evidence, aired on May 26, 2013.
Reader's Guide
Mermaids: The Body Found is significant as a prominent example of docufiction, a genre that combines documentary presentation with fictional or speculative content. The program drew criticism for its minimal disclaimers and serious tone, which led many viewers to believe it was a factual documentary. Publicity included a website falsely claiming government seizure of its domain, and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rebuttal. Despite the controversy, the premiere attracted 1.9 million viewers, making it Animal Planet's most watched telecast since the Steve Irwin memorial special in September 2006. The program and its sequel highlight the ethical concerns of presenting fiction as fact in a documentary format, and they remain notable for their impact on public discourse about mermaids and speculative science.
Did You Know?
- The program originally aired on Animal Planet on May 27, 2012, and on Discovery Channel on June 17, 2012.
- It presents the aquatic ape hypothesis as evidence for the existence of mermaids.
- The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration put up a rebuttal to the program.
- A sequel, Mermaids: The New Evidence, aired on May 26, 2013.
More in Television shows about mermaids 1-24
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