Dan Aykroyd continues his exploration of the weird and wonderful corners of history this Friday on History’s “The UnBelievable.” The focus this week is on justice, or rather, some of the truly bizarre ways it has been meted out across time. “Peculiar Punishments” digs into crimes that were apparently so unique, they demanded equally unconventional consequences, moving far beyond simple fines or imprisonment.
Prepare for courtroom drama of a different species, as the episode examines a case where a pig, apparently on a “bloody rampage,” actually ended up facing trial. The logistics alone boggle the mind. Did the pig get a lawyer? What constitutes admissible evidence against swine? It’s the kind of historical oddity Aykroyd seems to relish presenting. The episode also looks at punishments designed, perhaps, to fit the crime in excruciatingly ironic ways. Loud music enthusiasts, for instance, find their sentence involves enduring “hours of classical symphonies,” a form of auditory correction that sounds both absurd and strangely fitting.
Other historical methods featured include forcing drunkards to become unwilling public entertainment, turning personal failing into community spectacle. Using recreations, graphics, and archival materials, the show sets out to contextualize these strange sentences, exploring the mindset and societal norms that allowed such punishments to exist. While the methods vary wildly – from animal court to symphonic sentencing – the common thread, as the show’s title suggests, is their sheer unbelievability by modern standards.
“The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd” airs Friday at 9:00 PM ET on History.
