Idaho resident to appear on Brad Meltzer’s Decoded TV series

Every now and then a researcher will discover a historical enigma, and unproven rumor, a story with a puzzling outcome. Such encounters are an irresistible challenge for Brad Meltzer, the #1 New York Times best-selling author. He unraveled many of them thread-by-thread in last year’s 10-part hit series, Brad Meltzer’s Decoded.

But there are many more secrets that remain unsolved, and Meltzer will tackle some of the most compelling ones when History brings Brad Meltzer’s Decoded back for a second season, airing in fourth quarter 2011.

Joining Brad are: Buddy Levy, a professor and journalist who assumes there is always more than meets the eye; Christine McKinley, a mechanical engineer who believes only what can be proved; and Scoot Rolle, a trial lawyer who is skeptical by nature. Together they will examine the clues, rumors and conspiracy theories behind some of society’s most perplexing mysteries.

Buddy Levy is a professor of English at Washington State University. He is also a freelance journalist who has covered adventure sports and lifestyle around the world, including expeditions in Argentina, Boreno, Europe, Greenland, Morocco and the Philippines.

His magazine articles and essays have appeared in Poets and Writers, Big Sky Journal, Ski, Discover, TV Guide, Trail Runner and Backpacker.

Levy lives in northern Idaho with his wife and two children.

In the new season, the Decoded team will examine unanswered questions surrounding such topics as the Declaration of Independence, Fort Knox, Billy the Kid, the Vatican, and an ancient relic from the Crucifixion. Their sleuthing will lead them across the country and, for the first time, overseas.

Season one of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded averaged 1.6 million total viewers and improved History’s Thursday 10-11 p.m. time period by 13 percent in adults 25-54.

Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times best selling author of The Inner Circle and seven other thrillers, as well as the non-fiction Heroes for My Son and the acclaimed comic book Justice League of America. Renowned for the depth and accuracy of his research, Meltzer was part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Red Cell program, helping to explore new ways that terrorists may attack the U.S.

Brad Meltzer’s Decoded is produced for History by Go Go Luckey and Berman/Braun. Executive producers for Go Go Luckey are Gary and Julie Auerbach. Executive producers for Berman/Braun are Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun and Gene Stein. Russ McCarroll is executive producer for History.

History and History HD are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archeology and pop culture.

Among the network’s program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, America Restoration, Ice Road Truckers, Top Gear, Pawn Stars and Top Shot, as well as acclaimed specials including Gettysburg, America the Story of US, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America and Life After People.

History has earned four Peabody Award, seven Primetime Emmy® Awards, 12 News and Documentary Emmy® Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Science for the network’s Save Our History campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education.

Take a Veteran to School Day is the network’s signature initiative connecting America’s schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The History website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.

For more information, go to www.historypressroom.com.