BuzzFeed Unsolved


BuzzFeed Unsolved is an American documentary entertainment web series created and produced by Ryan Bergara. It first aired on YouTube on February 4, 2016, and has run for eleven seasons. The show previously aired on BuzzFeed Multiplayer but now airs on the BuzzFeed Unsolved Network.
BuzzFeed Unsolved follows Ryan Bergara and co-host Shane Madej, who discuss unsolved crimes, haunted places, alleged demonic possessions, and historical occurrences. While the topics of discussion are often morbid, most episodes are presented in some form of a comedic manner. The show is filmed primarily in Los Angeles with some episodes having parts filmed across the U.S and even some in other countries such as the United Kingdom and Mexico.
The show has also become a rating hit for BuzzFeed, regularly featuring as one of the network's most-watched shows. Prior to the premiere of the eighth season, BuzzFeed renewed the show for a ninth season, which aired in late 2018. A tenth season premiered in March 2019, and an eleventh season premiered in September 2019. Ryan and Shane started their own digital production company with Worth It's Steven Lim in late 2019. However, the two are still employed at BuzzFeed as freelance producers and continued the series with a twelfth season in March 2020.

Format

Synopsis

The Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime and Supernatural shows are currently co-hosted by Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej. Madej took over from the original co-host, Brent Bennett, in late 2016. The greatest difference between Bennett and Madej lay in their responses to Bergara's theories: unlike Bennett, who would humor Bergara, Madej stands firm as a skeptic; this stark dichotomy proved the missing piece of the puzzle for the show.
The contrast between Bergara's belief in conspiracies and the paranormal versus Madej's skepticism provides the majority of the dialogue. Bergara strongly believes in otherworldly spirits like ghosts or poltergeists, and frequently defends the existence of these throughout the series. However, Bergara shows reluctance towards things such as Bigfoot and sometimes aliens. Madej is a true skeptic of all that is non-scientific and constantly provides comedic relief toward spiritual encounters; however, he sometimes regards Bigfoot and aliens as somewhat realistic or grounded in reality. Those in support of Bergara have been called the "Boogaras" and those supporting Madej's skepticism have been labeled the "Shaniacs".
The similarities and contrasts between the Shaniacs and the Boogaras can be clearly seen in the questions submitted to the Buzzfeed Unsolved Network and the ones read by Ryan and Shane during their Postmortem episodes where they answer the most pressing questions on the most recent episodes of BuzzFeed Unsolved.
Other important members of the main Unsolved crew include: TJ Marchbank, 1st AD, Devon Joralmon, line producer, and cameraman Mark Celestino. Due to the show's growth in popularity, Bergara works with a number of individuals to propose cases and if the show is capable of covering them, while Madej is kept out of the process to give a more fresh perspective.

Style

The episodes are normally filmed as the two hosts at a desk, with Bergara presenting Madej and the audience with either a True Crime case or a Supernatural case with the use of stock photos and other visuals. In some cases the two hosts and other crew members travel to investigate the locations, although this method is primarily used for the Supernatural episodes. Often, the paranormal investigations seek to answer the question "Are Ghosts Real?" and collect evidence using video and audio devices. Other Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural episodes investigate other supernatural entities/phenomenas such as Mothman, Bigfoot and the existence of aliens. The two aim to create an "everyman approach" in discussing the cases with the use of humor in an effort to balance the tone between dark and goofy.

Guests

In BuzzFeed Unsolved: Supernatural Season 4 Ancient Aliens contributor Giorgio Tsoukalos was featured in the discussion about a potential UFO sighting. A recurring guest on the show, in person and by mentions is a "Vatican approved exorcist" Father Gary Thomas, who discusses his belief in demons and the supernatural. During Postmortem episodes, guest co-hosts are occasionally brought in.

Hosts

Episodes

BuzzFeed Unsolved – True Crime

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

BuzzFeed Unsolved – Supernatural

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Buzzfeed Unsolved - Sports Conspiracies

Season 1

Spin-offs and Specials

Holiday Specials

#EpisodePublished
1The Legend of KrampusDecember 17, 2017
2Hey There Demons, It's a Spooky Yule LogDecember 17, 2018

Retrospectives

Crossovers

The Hot Daga

The "Hot Daga" is an animated mini show series shown at the end of Postmortem episodes, created, written, and narrated by host Shane Madej. The first episode of the Hot Daga Saga began at the end of the Postmortem episode "The Boy in the Box - Q+A". Although at the beginning of episodes, Madej jokes that the show is commissioned by his co-host Ryan Bergara, Bergara is infamously not a fan of the series. However, Bergara listens to the show as it is narrated to the audience, though he does not fail to admonish it at any given opportunity. He once wore a T-shirt with a caption stating 'I hate the Hot Daga', although many have claimed this to be untrue.
Notable characters include Pam, the evil hotdog witch, Gene, the french fries, Maizie, a holographic lesbian corn icon, and the Plupples. Another character, Dr. Ernesto Gordon Goondis, is voiced by Bergara through Madej's splicing of many of his dialogues from Unsolved and connecting them to create the voice of the character.
The series originated when Madej jokingly wanted a skateboarding hot dog at the end of a Q + A episode, and it has grown to multiple mini-episodes and musical numbers which are sung by Madej himself. Since Season 5 of True Crime, the end of some Postmortem episodes have included a "Roast Mortem" section where the hosts go through commenters' roasts on the hosts in the episode in question. The segment later changed to "Toast Mortem" during the COVID-19 pandemic to spread positivity during quarantine. This segment has replaced the Hot Daga episodes.
The last installment of The Hot Daga took place in September 2018. In April 2020, the Soundcloud account for the Risky Fixins' published a new version of the musical number "Believe Me, Maizey" with morse code at the end of it. This morse code translates to "SPACE AND THYME AND SPACE AND THYME" repeated. Fans speculate as to whether or not this may indicate the Hot Doga's return in 2020.