Zachary Quinto to executive produce and star in History's reboot of popular franchise 'In Search Of'
The History Channel announced that its new unscripted series, 'In Search Of,' which is inspired by the iconic 1970s' franchise of the same name, will premiere on Friday, July 20, at 10 pm ET/PT.
The 10-episode investigative series will delve into some of the planet's most intriguing mysteries, be it superhumans, alien life, artificial intelligence, the lost city of Atlantis, time travel or other mysterious creatures, and will be hosted and executively produced by the Emmy-nominated Zachary Quinto.
Quinto, who is best known for his roles as Sylar in science fiction drama 'Heroes,' Spock in the reboot of 'Star Trek' and its sequels, and 'American Horror Story: Asylum,' will serve as the lead investigator and search for the truth in mysteries that have puzzled humanity for centuries.
History states that each episode of the series, which will have a one-hour running time, will explore a different subject with a dynamic theme and get the opinions of the witnesses and scholars who have deep personal connections to the phenomena. The network added there would be 'immersive demonstrations and experiments that conceptualize each episode's theme.'
The show's predecessor was broadcast weekly from 1977 to 1982 and was itself inspired by three one-hour documentaries produced by its creator Alan Landsburg. Rod Serling, who had narrated the documentaries, was originally the first choice for the spin-off as well but was replaced by Leonard Nimoy after Serling's death in 1975. Its 152 episodes were lauded by critics and audiences alike for its unique premise and excellent execution.
History's reboot of the popular franchise will attempt to leverage new technology, new locations, and deeper analysis in its quest for answers and will see Quinto embark on a journey that takes him across the US from New York City to Los Angeles, and across the globe from Australia to Morocco, Italy, Greece, and the UK.
The show will be produced by Propagate Content, Universal Television Alternative Studio and Before the Door Pictures with FremantleMedia International distributing the series globally. Quinto serves as executive producer. Ben Silverman, Howard Owens, and Brett-Patrick Jenkins are executive producers for Propagate Content, with Eddie Schmidt directing all 10 episodes.
'In Search Of' will be joining the likes of 'Ancient Aliens' and 'Project Blue Book' on the network. The former clocked over 47 million total viewers last year and garnered high ratings — reportedly ranking as ad-supported cable’s #2 original series on Friday nights among Adults 25-54 — while the latter is yet to premiere.
'Project Blue Book' is named after the programme it chronicles — the true top secret United States Air Force-sponsored investigations into UFO-related phenomena in the 1950s and ‘60s. It will be executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and star Aidan Gillen of 'Game Of Thrones' fame in a titular role.