FCU: Fact Checkers Unit

The likes of CSI and NCIS enjoy a hearty skewering in this web spoof set in the magazine world

Most journalists get stuck doing their own research, but at the offices of the highly fictional Dictum Magazine, there’s an elite team that does all the dirty work: the Fact Checkers Unit, or — if you’re particularly busy — FCU for short.

Leading this elite squad are Dylan and Russell, played respectively by Brian Sacca and Peter Karinen, who also co-created the series.

Although it’s not exactly challenging to parody acronym-heavy procedurals, FCU: Fact Checkers Unit rarely attempts to convince you that they’re playing it straight. This is a full-fledged comedy, with Dylan and Russell being asked to check ridiculous facts, such as whether former Scrubs star Donald Faison is afraid of flying, or if Zach Gilford of Friday Night Lights fame really moonlights as a superhero. P

auley Perrette can be spotted on the series, and famous names as diverse as model Karolina Kurkova and Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek have joined in the fun as well. Heck, even James Franco has guested on an episode — although let’s be honest: That guy’s in everything.

In an interview with WebSeriesChannel.com, Karinen was unsurprisingly flippant when discussing the origins of FCU and his part in its creation.

“Brian came up with the idea to spoof shows like CSI and NCIS,” he said. “Then Brian came up with the idea to make it about fact checkers. Then Brian came up with the title. Then Brian wrote the first episode. Brian is kind of like the brains and the brawn of the operation — I’m pretty much the guy who goes on beer runs.”

Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.