| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 1-01 |
Talking to the Dead |
January 24, 2003 |
Penn and Teller introduce their series and explain their use of profanity. Then they look into the practices of popular psychics of today and reveal how those who claim to be in contact with the dead are actually performing an age-old trick called "cold reading." |
| 1-02 |
Alternative Medicine |
January 31, 2003 |
A look at chiropractic medicine, reflexology, magnet therapy, and a trip to an alternative medicine fair that ends in an operation at a crowded mall. |
| 1-03 |
Alien Abductions |
February 7, 2003 |
This show features three days spent at a UFO convention and a visit to an alien abduction group therapy session. It also explores the psychological explanations, and the influences of pop culture, on the typical abduction story. |
| 1-04 |
End of the World |
February 14, 2003 |
Criticizes the viewpoints of persons predicting the end of the world, with special focus on the Left Behind series and extreme survivalist methods. Also exposes the dangers inherent in the belief that the world is about to end. |
| 1-05 |
Second Hand Smoke / Baby Bullshit |
February 21, 2003 |
Critiques concerns on second-hand smoke and attempts to ban it, and the usefulness of baby education products. |
| 1-06 |
Sex, Sex, Sex |
February 28, 2003 |
Attacks penis and breast enlargement products, questions the usefulness of aphrodisiacs. |
| 1-07 |
Feng Shui / Bottled Water |
March 7, 2003 |
Seeks to disprove Feng Shui as a science while challenging claims on the quality of bottled water. |
| 1-08 |
Creationism |
March 14, 2003 |
Examines the constitutionality and scientific validity (or lack thereof) of creationism and intelligent design and defends evolution, with focus on a Georgia school board debate. |
| 1-09 |
Self-Helpless |
March 21, 2003 |
Attacks various forms of self-help programs, with an emphasis on firewalking. |
| 1-10 |
ESP |
March 28, 2003 |
Attacks people claiming to possess and teach Extra-sensory perception. |
| 1-11 |
Eat This! |
April 4, 2003 |
Attacks various weight loss diet products and plans while questioning GM food concerns. Features 1970 Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug. |
| 1-12 |
Ouija Boards / Near Death Experiences |
April 11, 2003 |
Challenges the Ouija board and investigates the nature of near-death experiences. |
| 1-13 |
Environmental Hysteria |
April 18, 2003 |
Question mainstream opinions on various environmental issues, including global warming, with a criticism of Greenpeace and Julia Butterfly Hill. Includes an experiment where people at an environmental rally sign a petition to ban water, disguised under the name Dihydrogen Monoxide, without thinking out the proposal critically. |
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 2-01 |
PETA |
April 1, 2004 |
Offers criticism toward the animal rights movement, and particular attention to the PETA organization and its ties with the ALF, an animal liberation group, classified by the FBI as a domestic terrorist organization. |
| 2-02 |
Safety Hysteria |
April 8, 2004 |
Examines recent hysteria over the possibility of danger due to terrorism, questions the connection between Mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, as well as school violence. |
| 2-03 |
The Business of Love |
April 15, 2004 |
Criticizes the popular concept and the selling of everlasting romantic love and personal compatibility by dating services and pop psych love experts, and questions monogamy as a forced aspect of healthy relationships. |
| 2-04 |
War on Drugs |
April 22, 2004 |
Questions the constitutionality of the "War on Drugs" and common allegations against the medical value of Cannabis. |
| 2-05 |
Recycling |
April 29, 2004 |
Criticizes certain aspects of recycling, including the increased cost of particular forms of recycling and the detrimental effect that certain forms of recycling have on the environment, and debunks numerous myths regarding landfills. |
| 2-06 |
The Bible: Fact or Fiction? |
May 6, 2004 |
Offers criticism of claims that the Bible is historically and factually accurate. |
| 2-07 |
Yoga, Tantric sex, Etc. |
May 13, 2004 |
Offers criticism on numerous activities in the New Age movement, including: yoga, Tantric sex, cartomancy, medicinal herbs and vortices, (especially the Sedona Vortices). |
| 2-08 |
Fountain of Youth |
May 20, 2004 |
Offers criticism of addiction to plastic surgery, chelation, human growth hormone as an anti-aging agent, and details about the problems involved with botox. |
| 2-09 |
Death, Inc. |
August 8, 2004 |
Offers criticisms of many claims made by businesses which offer funeral services, and investigates the validity of cryonics as a method of preserving a human body. |
| 2-10 |
Profanity |
August 12, 2004 |
Attacks the idea that certain words are inherently offensive and thus are (or should be considered) taboo, and questions the constitutionality of the FCC's broadcast standards on profanity. |
| 2-11 |
12 Stepping |
August 19, 2004 |
Questions the effectiveness of 12 Step Programs, with a focus on Alcoholics Anonymous. |
| 2-12 |
Exercise vs. Genetics |
August 26, 2004 |
Criticizes the claims made by various commercial exercise products that promise more than they deliver, as well as investigating the methods gyms use to maximize profits. |
| 2-13 |
Hypnosis |
September 2, 2004 |
Examines the various promises made by professional hypnosis, and seeks to refute the idea of "mind over body". |
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 3-01 |
Circumcision |
April 25, 2005 |
Argues against the alleged medical benefits of circumcision, and describes the negatives of the procedure. |
| 3-02 |
Family Values |
May 2, 2005 |
Argues that the "traditional" husband-and-wife family is a relatively recent creation. Supports gay marriage and polyamory, and also attacks the idea that homosexuals can be "cured". |
| 3-03 |
Conspiracy Theories |
May 9, 2005 |
Arguments against the 9/11 conspiracy theories, Apollo Moon Landing hoax accusations, and Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories. |
| 3-04 |
Life Coaching |
May 16, 2005 |
Argues against life coaching, demonstrating that life coaches often have minimal training, that the programs achieve few real benefits, and that the life coaches prey on people's insecurities. |
| 3-05 |
Holier than Thou |
May 23, 2005 |
A critical view of Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama. |
| 3-06 |
College |
May 30, 2005 |
Opposition to political correctness, speech codes, and diversity requirements, especially on college campuses. |
| 3-07 |
Big Brother |
June 13, 2005 |
Opposition to surveillance and unwanted government encroachment on the private lives of U.S. citizens. |
| 3-08 |
Hair |
June 20, 2005 |
Opposition to hair fashion and fads. |
| 3-09 |
Gun Control |
June 27, 2005 |
Against gun control laws. |
| 3-10 |
Ghostbusters |
July 11, 2005 |
Accuses "ghost hunters" of conducting pseudoscience. Dr. Steven Novella and 2004 Nobel prize winner Dr. Frank Wilczek appear. |
| 3-11 |
Endangered Species |
July 18, 2005 |
Criticism of the U.S. Endangered Species Act and highlights its unintended consequences. |
| 3-12 |
Signs from Heaven |
July 25, 2005 |
Criticizes claims of supernatural "signs". |
| 3-13 |
The Best |
August 5, 2005 |
Criticism of people who engage in the pursuit of needless luxury. |
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 4-01 |
The Boy Scouts |
April 3, 2006 |
Protests the Boy Scouts of America not allowing homosexuals or atheists to join as a government-funded organization. Claims the control of the Boy Scouts by the Mormon church as the source of the discrimination. |
| 4-02 |
Prostitution |
April 10, 2006 |
Pro-legalization of prostitution. Criticizes various viewpoints on the dangers of the profession. |
| 4-03 |
The Death Penalty |
April 17, 2006 |
Argues against capital punishment, from pragmatic and moral viewpoints. |
| 4-04 |
Cryptozoology |
April 24, 2006 |
Concerning mythological creatures such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster. Cites the belief and study of these creatures as motivated by money as it creates tourism and royalties from film and video distribution. |
| 4-05 |
Ground Zero |
May 1, 2006 |
About the dragging of feet in rebuilding at the World Trade Center site, and lack of (family approved) memorials. |
| 4-06 |
Pet Love |
May 8, 2006 |
Concerns people obsessing about pets, anthropomorphizing pets, projecting their own feelings onto the pets, as seen in things like Neuticles and cat shows. |
| 4-07 |
Reparations |
May 15, 2006 |
Mostly against reparations, including reparations for slavery, although not against reparations to people directly affected such as Japanese internees. |
| 4-08 |
Manners |
May 22, 2006 |
Pro rational manners that make sense, against arbitrary manners. |
| 4-09 |
Numbers |
May 29, 2006 |
How numbers in statistical surveys can be used to deceive and how one can be scammed. |
| 4-10 |
Abstinence |
June 5, 2006 |
Argues that abstinence-only sex education is ineffective and often misleading. Also looks at the healthiness of being sexually active. |
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 5-01 |
Obesity |
March 22, 2007 |
Attacks claims of the emergence of an obesity epidemic and weight loss products. |
| 5-02 |
Wal-Mart Hatred |
March 29, 2007 |
Defends Wal-Mart against various criticisms. |
| 5-03 |
Breast Hysteria |
April 5, 2007 |
Investigates societal attitudes towards women's breasts, supports public breast-feeding and recognizing flashing as free speech. |
| 5-04 |
Detoxing |
April 12, 2007 |
Attacks various detoxification programs and asserts the actual health benefits of colonoscopies for people 50 years or older. |
| 5-05 |
Exorcism |
April 19, 2007 |
Skeptical commentary on the usefulness and scientific validity of exorcisms. |
| 5-06 |
Illegal Immigration |
April 26, 2007 |
Skeptical commentary on various "Minutemen" border patrol projects and the American government's plans to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out. |
| 5-07 |
Handicapped Parking |
May 3, 2007 |
Criticizes the Americans with Disabilities Act for attempting to legislate compassion, and points out the law's negative consequences. |
| 5-08 |
Mount Rushmore |
May 10, 2007 |
Investigates the origins of Mount Rushmore and attempts to highlight the positive and negative aspects of patriotism. |
| 5-09 |
Nukes, Hybrids and Lesbians |
May 17, 2007 |
Advocates the use of nuclear power, criticizes hybrid cars and follows lesbians on a blind date. |
| 5-10 |
Anger Management |
May 24, 2007 |
An angry attack on mainstream anger management programs, likening their purveyors to charlatans. |
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 6-01 |
War on Porn |
June 19, 2008 |
Opposes the movement to regulate pornography on the Internet and argues that it is attempting to restrict freedom of speech. Also rejects the notions that pornography can lead to addiction and aggression. Features profiles of XXXChurch and Brandi Love. |
| 6-02 |
New Age Medicine |
June 26, 2008 |
A skeptical look at New Age medicine, presenting evidence which suggests it does not work. |
| 6-03 |
NASA |
July 3, 2008 |
Argues that private industry would better finance NASA instead of taxpayer money. Also argues against sending a man to Mars. |
| 6-04 |
Dolphins |
July 10, 2008 |
Criticizes the New Age belief that dolphins possess evolutionary superiority and a unique "energy." |
| 6-05 |
Sleep, Inc. |
July 17, 2008 |
Takes a critical view of sleep-related products. |
| 6-06 |
Being Green |
July 24, 2008 |
Attacks the concept of carbon credits as a method of profiting off guilt, and compares them to indulgences. |
| 6-07 |
Sensitivity Training |
July 31, 2008 |
Examines sensitivity training and its roots in political correctness. |
| 6-08 |
Stranger Danger |
August 7, 2008 |
Argues that a culture of fear has produced an excessive concern for child safety. |
| 6-09 |
World Peace |
August 14, 2008 |
Argues that the idea of utopian world peace is naïve and incompatible with human nature. Also argues that free trade and economic interdependence are the best means to achieve peace. |
| 6-10 |
Good Ol' Days |
August 21, 2008 |
Criticizes cultural nostalgia as unrealistic and inaccurate when thought of as "better times." |
| # |
Title |
Air date |
Focus and synopsis |
| 7-01 |
Orgasms |
June 25, 2009 |
Penn & Teller question the notion that Americans are in need of bigger and better orgasms by meeting with the inventor of a $12,000 remote-control orgasm machine, taking a $300 lesson from a sex coach, and observing a demonstration on how to unleash one's inner erotic rock star. |
| 7-02 |
Astrology |
July 2, 2009 |
Debunks Astrology as a pseudo-science |
| 7-03 |
Violent Video Games |
July 9, 2009 |
Questions the idea that video games lead to teen violence. |
| 7-04 |
The Apocalypse |
July 16, 2009 |
Ridicules the idea that the world will end on December 21, 2012. |
| 7-05 |
Lie Detectors |
July 23, 2009 |
Attacks the reliability of the Polygraph for detecting lies. |
| 7-06 |
Organic Food |
July 30, 2009 |
Repudiates the idea that Organic food has better nutrients, a smaller environmental impact, less harmful pesticides, and better taste than non-organic foods. |
| 7-07 |
Taxes |
August 6, 2009 |
Penn & Teller attack the tax system of the United States as complex and unfair. The guys visit the halls of Congress in search of a legislator willing to discuss America's tax system. |
| 7-08 |
Lawns |
August 13, 2009 |
Penn & Teller take on the lawn industry and visit a neighborhood where growing a certain type of grass is mandatory. |
| 7-09 |
Stress |
August 20, 2009 |
Penn & Teller delve into the modern day view of stress, and see whether it's legitimate or not. |
| 7-10 |
The Vatican |
August 27, 2009 |
Penn & Teller discuss the Catholic Church and their involvement in anti-homosexuality efforts, condom use, and the cover up of the priest abuse sex scandal. They talk with Sabina Guzzanti, an Italian comedian, who was punished for criticizing Pope Benedict XVI. |
