The documentary will premiere in Canada on CBC and CBC Gem on October 29
Pictured: Maria Duval (L) and Patrice Runner (R)
TORONTO, ON – September 23, 2025 – Blue Ant Studios today unveiled the trailer for The Psychic Swindle (1 x 60 HD), a documentary that reveals how a Montreal-based copywriter swindled victims out of $200 million by pretending to be a legendary psychic. The documentary will premiere in Canada as part of CBC’s The Passionate Eye on Wednesday, October 29 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.
Watch trailer here: https://youtu.be/nYalpGHWEXw
The documentary unravels the intricate mail-order psychic scam that duped millions of people worldwide over 20 years. The scam in North America was led by entrepreneur and copywriter, Patrice Runner, who used the name and likeness of legendary French Psychic Maria Duval. Through meticulous investigations, exclusive archive, and intimate interviews, the film exposes how this exploitation of human hopes and fears resulted in one of the largest psychic scams in history, culminating in a global manhunt and a high-profile criminal trial.
“When I first heard about this massive scam and how it involved a Canadian man, I was immediately hooked and knew I wanted to get to the bottom of how victims were targeted and what this all said about the nature of belief and just how much deception we are willing to accept in our lives,” said Rachel Browne, Executive Producer.
“What resonates most for me is how this story exposes our deep human longing for connection, friendship, and even miracles — and how easily that need can be exploited,” said Sarah Gibson, Executive Producer, Director, and Writer.
The Psychic Swindle is based on the article, The Greatest Scam Ever Written, written by Rachel Browne for The Walrus. Executive Producers for Blue Ant Studios are Matthew Hornburg, Mark Bishop, and Donna Luke. Jennifer Harkness, Sarah Gibson, and Rachel Browne serve as Executive Producers for the documentary. Sarah Gibson is also the Director, and Writers are Celine Wong and Sarah Gibson. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Sandra Kleinfeld is Senior Director, Documentary; Alexandra Lane is Senior Director of Production, Unscripted Content; and Michelle McCree is Executive in Charge of Production. The Psychic Swindle was produced with the participation of the Canada Media Fund. Blue Ant Rights is the worldwide distributor for the documentary, and will be bringing it to MIPCOM this October.
Advanced screeners and media interviews with Sarah Gibson, Rachel Browne, and select others available upon request.
About Blue Ant Studios
Blue Ant Studios is an international studio and rights business, with a diverse portfolio of premium content spanning comedy, drama, unscripted entertainment, formats, high-impact documentaries, live-action kids + family, and animation. A division of Blue Ant Media (TSX: BAMI), the studio encompasses leading production companies Insight Productions, Jam Filled Entertainment, and Proper Television, and is home to iconic shows including Blown Away, Canada’s Drag Race, Davey and Jonesie’s Locker, Drink Masters, and Race Against the Tide.
Through Blue Ant Rights, its global distribution arm, the studio represents nearly 8,000 hours of acclaimed content from Blue Ant Studios and third-party producers, connecting buyers with programming that resonates across audiences and platforms. With a presence in Toronto, Halifax, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Ottawa, London, Singapore, and Sydney, the studio serves buyers across key markets worldwide.
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About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.