Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction? was a
1997 anthology television show produced by
FOX network. Each episode features five stories, all of which defy
logic, some of which are true. The viewer is 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.
Beyond Belief originally aired on
Fox from
1997-
2002. It was hosted alternatively by both
Jonathan Frakes and
James Brolin. It was also narrated by
Don LaFontaine (from 1997-2000) and
Campbell Lane (2002). It was aired on the
Sci-Fi Channel in re-runs until October 2005.
The premise for the show was simple: each night, five stories were acted out for the home audience, and the viewers had to figure out which were inspired by actual events and which were purely made-up stories before it was revealed at the end of the episode. All the stories portrayed had some connection with the supernatural, ghosts, werewolves, vampires, or other such unusual occurrences or 'freak similarities'. Each episode - and every story within - were introduced and ended by the host with a pun, or some witticism pertaining to the theme of the episode and/or story, and always had the underlying moral that not everything that we perceive as truth and falsehood are as such, and that often it proves difficult to truly separate fact from fiction (hence the title). It has gained a cult following, but due to declining interest, the show had often aired sporadically, sometimes going for weeks or even months between airings. Note that there is a one-year lag between Don LaFontaine's and Campbell Lane's stint as narrator for the show; during this time, it was believed that the show had been cancelled due to sagging ratings, only to be brought back for another go-around in 2002. It finally cancelled for good after its 2002 season.
The show was originally hosted by actor
James Brolin in 1997 before actor
Jonathan Frakes took over from the remainder of the series, which came and went several times before it was finally cancelled in 2002.
Robert Tralins*
