Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 18 hrs ago
Ken Estin and Banachek Bring Psychic Fraud Series to Market
Psychic Predators is a planned comedy-drama about exposing psychic fraud that Organic Media Group unveiled at a TV content event in Taipei.
The series is also heading to the American Film Market, where it will be presented to potential buyers.
Mentalist Banachek will play himself, joining a magician and an FBI agent who go undercover to catch fake psychics for a TV show.
The story also follows the show’s producers as they face network demands and the pressure to turn investigations into a hit.
Planned cases include medical scams, fortune-telling fraud and fake alien encounters, alongside other claims of paranormal powers.
The series draws on Banachek’s work with skeptic James Randi, including an investigation in which Banachek posed as a psychic to expose flaws in researchers’ tests.
The project has not yet been commissioned; Ken Estin would oversee the season’s writing if it moves forward.
Organic Media Group has unveiled Psychic Predators, a paranormal dramatic comedy, at Taiwan Creative Content Fest and is taking it to the American Film Market.
The series stars mentalist Banachek as himself and is created by Steve Chicorel.
Ken Estin, showrunner of Taxi and Cheers, will run the series alongside Chicorel if it is commissioned.
The story follows a team that investigates fake psychics while dealing with network demands and clashing egos.
The series draws on Banachek’s experience exposing deception in paranormal research and plans to address other forms of fraud and pseudoscience.
- Who
- Organic Media Group unveiled the series. It stars mentalist Banachek, with Ken Estin and creator Steve Chicorel attached.
- What
- Psychic Predators is a paranormal dramatic comedy about a team exposing fake psychics and other frauds.
- When
- It was reported on November 9, 2026. The date of its Taiwan Creative Content Fest unveiling is not stated.
- Where
- It was unveiled at Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei and is heading to the American Film Market.
- Why
- The series aims to explore why people believe extraordinary claims and what happens when that belief is exploited.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Estin signed on to run the series alongside Chicorel if it is commissioned.
Organic Media Group unveiled the series at the event in Taipei.
Variety published its report on the series.
- Series
- Psychic Predators
- Star
- Banachek, playing himself
- Showrunner
- Ken Estin
- Creator and executive producer
- Steve Chicorel
- Unveiling
- Taiwan Creative Content Fest, Taipei
- Market
- American Film Market
What people are saying
Ken was remarkably young when he showran those legendary series – winning his first Emmy in his twenties – and he’s as sharp and funny as ever
Like ‘MAS*H,’ which illuminated the horrors of war, comedy lets us get past people’s defenses so they can hear important messages – like the ones Steve & Banachek built into ‘Psychic Predators’ to explore the magic of why we believe – and what happens when someone exploits that belief