Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Genre	Science fiction Paranormal
Format	Anthology
Created by	Lynn Lehmann
Presented by	James Brolin (1997) Jonathan Frakes (1998–2002)
Narrated by	Don LaFontaine (1997–2000) Campbell Lane (2002)
Theme music composer	Al Kasha
Composer(s)	Al Kasha Mark Northam David E. Russo Tim Simonec
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	45 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Barry Adelman Dick Clark Al Schwartz
Running time	43 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Fox
Original run	May 25, 1997 (1997-05-25) – September 5, 2002 (2002-09-05)

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction is an American television anthology series created by Lynn Lehmann, presented by Dick Clark Productions, and produced and aired by the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. Each episode featured five stories, all of which appeared to defy logic, and some of which were allegedly based on actual events. The viewer was offered the challenge of determining which are true and which are false. At the end of the show, it was revealed to the viewer whether the tales were true or works of fiction. The majority of stories on all shows were adapted from published, and previously unpublished, original material that had been written and researched by author Robert Tralins.

The series was hosted by James Brolin in season one and later by Jonathan Frakes for the remainder of the series. The show was narrated by Don LaFontaine for the first three seasons and by Campbell Lane for the fourth and final season.

Format

The stories told in the program all had some connection with the supernatural, ghosts, psychic phenomena, coincidences, destiny, and/or with other such unusual occurrences.

Each episode of the show, as well as all stories within were introduced with a pun or some other form of witticism pertaining to the particular story and episode, and they all included the underlying moral that not everything we perceive as truth and falsehood is as such, and that it can often be difficult to truly separate fact from fiction, hence the show's title.

All "true" stories on the show were based on first-hand research conducted by author Robert Tralins, while many of the ones that turned out to be fiction were simply modern-dressed re-telling of urban legends.

Popularity and cancellation

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction has gained a cult following. The show was often aired sporadically, sometimes going for weeks or even months between airings. There is a two-year lag between Don LaFontaine's and Campbell Lane's stint as narrator for the show, during which time it was believed that it had been cancelled, only for it to be brought back for another season in the summer of 2002. It was eventually cancelled after its 2002 season.

Episodes

Main article: List of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction episodes

Syndication and DVD release

Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction aired in syndication on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States. It currently airs on the Chiller Network in the United States and on CBS Reality in the UK. The show also airs in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland, where it is known as X-Factor: Das Unfassbare and re-broadcasts in nonstop syndication. The first season was released on DVD in Region 1 areas on August 28, 2007.

See also

• Urban Legends
• Mostly True Stories: Urban Legends Revealed
• Ripley's Believe It or Not!

External links

• Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction at the Internet Movie Database
• Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction at TV.com