The program was a "docufiction" or mockumentary produced by as a sequel to Mermaids: The Body Found . It used a blend of real-world phenomena and fabricated narratives to create a persuasive story:
: The show heavily relied on the Aquatic Ape Theory , a real but controversial evolutionary hypothesis, to provide a sense of "intellectual possibility" for the existence of mermaids. Mermaids: The New Evidence
: Characters like Dr. Paul Robertson, portrayed as whistleblowers, were actually played by actors. The program was a "docufiction" or mockumentary produced
: The story was so effective that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was forced to release an official statement clarifying that no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found . portrayed as whistleblowers
While the storytelling in was convincing enough to break ratings records, the "evidence" it presented was entirely fictional.