In Search of . . . A Series Retrospective

by G. Jack Urso 

This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The producer’s purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones to the mysteries we will examine.

— Opening Narration to In Search of . . .

In Search of . . . was a weekly documentary series that aired in syndication between 1977 and 1982. Produced by Alan Landsburg and narrated by Leonard Nimoy, the program explored fringe topics popular during the 1970s — everything from Bigfoot and Killer Bees to Atlantis, auras, biofeedback, the Bermuda Triangle, Easter Island, reincarnation, and UFO’s. During the course of the series, 144 30-minute episodes and four documentaries were produced. Links to select episodes from the Aeolus 13 Umbra YouTube Channel are provided below.

Aeolus 13 Umbra has previously turned its attention to this series in an earlier article, In Search of . . . The Complete First Season, which introduces just the first season episodes. Additionally, individual episodes have served as the basis for articles on this website that explored the following topics:

●        In Search of . . . Atlantis

●        In Search of . . . The Dark Star

●        In Search of . . . Inca Treasure

●        In Search of . . . The Bermuda Triangle

●        In Search of . . . The Easter Island Massacre 

The origins of In Search of . . . date back to 1968 with Erich von Däniken’s bestselling book, Chariots of the Gods?, which attributes some of humanity’s crowning achievements and enduring mysteries, such as Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, to alien influence. The same year, the film 2001: A Space Odyssey is released, and its main plot involves aliens influencing human evolution. 1968 also saw the release of Planet of the Apes, where astronauts return to a dystopic future Earth humans no longer rule. Alan Landsburg, and others, identified a growing sub-current in Western culture and moved to tap into it. A whole new genre in book and film was established and quickly proliferated over the next decade.

 

As man landed on the Moon in 1969, many asked the question whether an alien civilization ever visited earth. This was not entirely an unreasonable question to ask; however, the “aliens must have did it” explanation applied to anything we do not understand has the effect of diminishing the very real achievements of ancient cultures and indigenous peoples in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, and Europe.

 

The compelling documentary film style of In Search of . . . is attributed to Alan Landsburg's long experience as a producer and executive producer on many projects, including The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (1968-1969) and the Time-Life Specials: The March of Time (1965-1966). Particularly in the case of the former, one can definitely see its influence on In Search of . . . .

Prior to the series in 1977, Alan Landsburg produced three hour-long TV specials based on von Däniken’s works, including In Search of Ancient Astronauts and In Search of Ancient Mysteries, both in 1973, and The Outer Space Connection in 1975. All were narrated by Rod Serling, who was also slated to work on the series until his untimely death in 1976. These programs are probably the best of their type ever produced, expertly blending on-location footage, Serling's narration, and an ambient soundtrack. A fourth film, Manbeast! Myth or Monster, released in 1978 at the height of the series’ popularity, is less successful. The film investigates creatures like Bigfoot and the Yeti, but the story tends to ramble. Nimoy was not tapped to handle the narration and the person filling in, while certainly professional, lacks the gravitas and connection to Sci-Fi that Nimoy provides. Nevertheless, the film is a good record of the era’s fascination with cryptozoology. Click on the links above to view the films on the Aeolus 13 Umbra ISO YouTube channel.

As would be the case with the series, production teams for the specials went worldwide gathering footage. Film, as opposed to digital video, has a warmth about it, a dreamy effect that provides an almost timeless quality. The soundtrack utilizes ambient music to produce a relaxing, almost meditative space for contemplating the topics at hand.

The series draws upon the production values established in the films, and Leonard Nimoy is a seamless replacement for Serling who nonetheless establishes his own rhythm and pace. Not all the episodes explore fringe paranormal topics; many cover historical or environmental topics with the same focus on accuracy and detail as a National Geographic special. The episodes on Dracula, Inca Treasure, Killer Bees, Michael Rockefeller, Vincent Van Gogh, Pompeii, Tidal Waves, The Lost Colony of Roanoke, and numerous other entries, are excellent short-subject educational films that introduce viewers to little-known subjects. Nevertheless, a review of the complete episode list below provides a tour of 1970's/early 1980s New Age mysticism and pseudoscience.

While I do not subscribe to tales of alien astronauts (as discussed in my article, In Search of . . . Preposterous Explanations), I still have a great love for the series. The combination of the writing, Nimoy's narration, on-location filming, reenactments, and audio production set an industry standard. Over the course of 144 episodes, the show covered a wide range of popular and obscure cultural interests of the 1970s. The typical episode averages a little over 22 minutes — providing just enough time for an overview of the topic and limiting the amount of conjecture, which tends to get repetitive. The program reports, but does not prove or disprove claims. We're introduced to the story, and left to decide for ourselves its veracity. Certainly, however, many episodes do tend to be steeped in unsubstantiated claims.

The music by Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis could have been a mistake, but instead was a boon. The LA-based production team was known at the time for their work in disco, not documentary filmmaking, yet the duo turns in the classic opening theme that immediately identifies the show. The synthesizer and orchestral elements are skillfully used to highlight both the drama and mystery of the series as well as give room for reflection in quieter moments. An LP of the series soundtrack was released in 1977 by AVI Records. The program turned out to be the height of their career, and Rinder & Lewis broke up in 1982 when the series ended.

In Search of . . . still retains an active fanbase. Visual Entertainment released the entire series on DVD in in 2012, which also included the short-lived 2002 series hosted by Mitch Pileggi (of The-X Files) on the Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy). More recently, the History Channel announced in January 2018 a revival of the show with Zachary Quinto as host, who also replaced Nimoy as Mr. Spock in Star Trek. Nevertheless, the magic of the original series is hard to recreate. Like lightning in a bottle, the series captured the cultural zeitgeist of the times. As we opened up the future, we looked to the past for hints about where we are going as a species. Have there been civilizations lost to history? Are there terrifying creatures we’ve yet to discover? Is there intelligent life on other planets? The answers are out there, and what they reveal about us is still worth going, dare I say, In Search of . . .

Extraterrestrials, Magic and Witchcraft, Missing Persons, Myths and Monsters, Lost Civilizations, Special Phenomena. In Search of . . . cameras are traveling the world, seeking out these great mysteries. This program was the result of the work of scientists, researchers, and highly skilled technicians.    — End Credits Tag for In Search of . . .

In Search of . . . The Complete Episode List

Season 1			Season 2
#	Airdate	Episode Title	#	Airdate	Episode Title
1	4/17/1977	Other Voices	1	12/24/1977	The Lost Dutchman Mine
2	4/24/1977	Strange Visitors	2	12/21/1977	The Man Who Would Not Die
3	4/24/1977	Ancient Aviators	3	1/5/1978	Firewalkers
4	4/27/1977	The Bermuda Triangle	4	1/7/1978	Mayan Mysteries
5	4/28/1977	Bigfoot	5	1/12/1978	Astrology
6	5/1/1977	Killer Bees	6	1/21/1978	Michael Rockefeller
7	5/7/1977	Earthquakes	7	1/26/1978	Hurricanes
8	5/14/1977	The Mummy's Curse	8	1/28/1978	The Ogopogo Monster
9	5/21/1977	Martians	9	2/4/1978	Pyramid Secrets
10	5/22/1977	Atlantis	10	2/9/1978	The Dead Sea Scrolls
11	5/26/1977	Psychic Detectives	11	2/11/1978	Reincarnation
12	5/28/1977	A Call from Space	12	2/18/1978	The Shark Worshippers
13	5/28/1977	Learning ESP	13	2/23/1978	Anastasia
14	5/29/1977	Nazi Plunder	14	2/25/1978	The Secrets of Life
15	6/1/1977	Amelia Earhart	15	2/27/1978	Immortality
16	6/8/1977	Dracula	16	3/4/1978	The Swamp Monster
17	6/15/1977	The Easter Island Massacre	17	3/9/1978	Hypnosis
18	6/22/1977	Ghosts	18	3/11/1978	Troy
19	6/29/1977	Life After Death	19	3/18/1978	Witch Doctors
20	7/6/1977	The Loch Ness Monster	20	4/27/1978	Haunted Castles
21	7/13/1977	UFO's	21	5/4/1978	Butch Cassidy
22	7/26/1977	Voodoo	22	5/11/1978	Deadly Ants
23	8/11/1977	Inca Treasures	23	5/18/1978	The Coming Ice Age
24	9/10/1977	The Magic of Stonehenge	24	6/1/1978	The Garden of Eden

Season 3			Season 4
#	Airdate	Episode Title	#	Airdate	Episode Title
1	9/14/1978	UFO Captives	1	9/20/1979	Tidal Waves
2	9/21/1978	Tornadoes	2	9/27/1979	Carlos: The Most Wanted Man in the World
3	9/28/1978	Cloning	3	10/4/1979	The Amityville Horror
4	10/05/1978	Water Seekers	4	10/11/1979	UFO Australia
5	10/12/1978	Jack the Ripper	5	10/18/1979	Immortal Sharks
6	10/19/1978	Cryogenics	6	10/25/1979	The Lost Colony of Roanoke
7	10/1/1978	Siberian Fireball	7	11/8/1979	The Shroud of Turin
8	11/2/1978	The Great Lakes Triangle	8	11/15/1979	Mexican Pyramids
9	11/9/1978	Monster Hunters	9	11/22/1979	The Abominable Snowman
10	12/7/1978	The Bermuda Triangle Pirates	10	11/1/1979	Pompeii
11	12/14/1978	Indian Astronomers	11	12/6/1979	D.B. Cooper
12	12/21/1978	Sherlock Holmes	12	12/13/1979	The Ten Commandments
13	12/28/1978	Lost Vikings	13	12/20/1979	The Dark Star
14	1/4/1979	Dreams and Nightmares	14	12/27/1979	The San Andreas Fault
15	1/11/1979	Animal ESP	15	1/3/1980	The Missing Heirs
16	1/18/1979	The Money Pit Mystery	16	1/10/1980	Vincent Van Gogh
17	1/25/1979	Psychic Sea Hunt	17	1/17/1980	Wild Children
18	2/1/1979	The Angel of Death	18	1/24/1980	The Ghost Ship
19	2/8/1979	Noah's Flood	19	1/31/1980	Earth Visitors
20	2/15/1979	The Diamond Curse	20	2/07/1980	John the Baptist
21	2/22/1979	Ghostly Stakeout	21	2/14/1980	Air Disaster Predictions
22	3/17/1979	Brain Power	22	2/21/1980	The Bimini Wall
23	5/10/1979	Sodom and Gomorrah	23	3/7/1980	Glenn Miller
24	5/17/1979	King Tut	24	3/14/1980	Past Lives

 

Season 5			Season 6
#	Airdate	Episode Title	#	Airdate	Episode Title
1	9/20/1980	UFO Coverups	1	9/21/1981	Jesse James
2	9/27/1980	Faith Healing	2	9/28/1981	Biofeedback
3	10/4/1980	Lee Harvey Oswald	3	10/5/1981	Ghosts in Photography
4	10/11/1980	Daredevil Death Wish	4	10/12/1981	M.I.A.'s
5	10/18/1980	Life After Life	5	10/19/1981	The Elephant Man
6	10/25/1980	Moon Madness	6	10/26/1981	The Lincoln Conspiracy
7	11/1/1980	Dangerous Volcanoes	7	10/31/1981	Jim Jones
8	11/08/1980	The Lindbergh Kidnapping	8	11/2/1981	King Solomon's Mines
9	11/15/1980	Acupuncture	9	11/9/1981	The Tower of London Murders
10	11/22/1980	Jimmy Hoffa	10	11/16/1981	The Aztec Conquest
11	11/29/1980	Fountain of Youth	11	11/21/1981	Houdini's Secrets
12	12/6/1980	Laugh Therapy	12	11/23/1981	Hiroshima Survivors
13	12/13/1980	Salem Witches	13	11/30/1981	The Titanic
14	12/27/1980	Super Children	14	12/6/1981	Future Life
15	1/10/1981	The Great Wall of China	15	12/13/1981	Nostradamus
16	1/24/1981	The Castle of Secrets	16	12/20/1981	Spirit Voices
17	1/31/1981	Great Lovers	17	1/3/1982	The Human Aura
18	2/7/1981	The Holy Grail	18	1/17/1982	The Missing Link
19	2/14/1981	The Death of Marilyn Monroe	19	1/24/1982	Time & Space Travel
20	2/21/1981	The Chinese Explorers	20	2/1/1982	Eva Braun
21	2/21/1981	The Hindenburg Mystery	21	2/8/1982	The Walls of Jericho
22	4/30/1981	The End of the World	22	2/15/1982	Bishop Pike
23	5/16/1981	The Lusitania	23	2/22/1982	The Ultimate Disaster
24	5/19/1981	Sun Worshippers	24	3/1/1982	Life Before Birth

Note: YouTube currently blocks all uploads of the In Search of . . . episode “The Death of Marilyn Monroe,” though it may be available with restricted access by uploaders who posted it previous to the ban.

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