The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, on History Channel

There was a reason he played true-believing Ghostbuster Ray Stantz. Dan Aykroyd also previously waxed Fortean as the host of the ripped-from-the-tabloids drama PSI Factor, one of the few dramatic TV shows that addressed the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in the “Old Wounds” episode. His latest hosting gig could be considered “Aykroyd’s Believe it or Not.” With the help of open-minded historians and scientists, Aykroyd breezes through a number of thematically related weird happenings in showrunner John Brimhall’s The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, which premieres Friday on History Channel.

Based on the first two episodes provided for review, it seems Aykroyd and company strive to deliver the kind of low-impact slightly weird diversion readers used to get from the Ripley comic strip. The opening “Strange Places” offers a rather enjoyable armchair tour of some rather bizarre tourist attractions, like Mexico City’s Island of the Dolls and Brazil’s Snake Island (Ilha da Queimada Grande), which are exactly what they sound like. Both have the advantage of being certifiably true and looking colorful on-screen. The latter is probably much more fun to visit via TV, for obvious reasons. Perhaps less interesting is the extended coverage of the “Lake Michigan Triangle,” which has the vibe of a mid-grade In Search of... imitator.

The second episode, “Bizarre Deaths” is a bit more humorous, but Aykroyd still largely plays it straight as the host and narrator. He chews the scenery, but never mocks any of the stories. (It would be amusing to watch someone like Dennis Miller host a show like this, undercutting all crazy talk, with his down-to-earth snark.)

Nevertheless, there is still some colorful history in this episode, which is fitting, since it airs on the History Channel. We hear all about the Great London Beer Flood of 1814 (not as fun as it might sound) and the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 (sort of a La Brea tar pit for humans). Somewhat surprisingly, NASA scientist and Baking Impossible judge Hakeem Oluseyi turns up as one of the experts, but his commentary is responsibly restrained. (He’s probably a Ghostbusters fan.)

Weirdly, the original Nimoy-hosted In Search of… still holds up as the Citizen Kane of this genre. Maybe it was the corduroy and turtlenecks, but those old shows still deliver a lot of retro fun. UnBelievable does not reach that level, but it is appropriately snappy and it never takes itself too seriously. Recommended for fans of History Channel’s sillier reality TV programming, The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd starts this Friday night (12/1) on History.