Original subtitles

"Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

Hosted by Jonathan Frakes.

Tonight, your challenge is to separate what

is true from what is false.

Five stories, some real, some fake.

Can you judge which are fact and which are fiction?

To find out, you must enter a world

of both truth and deception, a world that is beyond belief.

An upside down portrait of a vaguely familiar face.

At first blush, it appears to be a normal photograph

viewed from an unusual angle.

But let's turn it over.

My apologies to any children we just frightened,

especially mine.

As you can see, the photo is not what we expected.

Our eyes processed false information to our brain

and we were tricked.

Tonight, you'll be presented with five stories.

We'll tell you which are true and which are

false at the end of the show.

Before you prejudge them, examine them from all angles.

And don't accept anything at face value.

Every week, you see ads for house sitters in the paper.

Have you ever considered being one?

People who need to leave town are always

willing to hire a responsible party to live in their home

and make sure no harm befalls it while they're gone.

Allie Prescott is taking on a house sitting job this week.

She has lots of good books to read

and a things to-do list provided by the owner.

But before this job is through, her main thing to do

will be to survive.

I was a junior in college.

And I thought I had found a great way

to make some extra money.

I put an ad in the local paper offering

my services as a house sitter.

I got a job right away.

And before I knew it, I was spending my first night

in a huge, expensive mansion.

The owner was an architect named Lloyd Townsend.

Mr. Townsend left that morning to join

his wife, Madeleine, in London for a month-long vacation.

It was a beautiful house.

But the weather was kind of giving me the creeps.

Come on, Carol, just drag your butt out of your apartment

and get over here.

I'm all alone.

Well, you can study here.

There's like 15 rooms.

Come on.

It's just a little storm.

What's the big deal?

Oh, weird.

You're not gonna believe this.

I'm watching TV and this show just changed to some guy

mixing something with a shovel in this little, dark room.

No.

I didn't touch anything.

Wait a minute.

There.

It's OK now.

I don't know.

Must've been some kind of cable access show.

I don't believe it.

The guy with the shovel's back.

What is up with his TV?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I'll talk to you later.

Weird.

When I get nervous, I get hungry.

And I was feeling really hungry.

Gross.

Gross.

Really gross.

Passable.

It was so quiet in the house, I decided

to give the TV another chance.

I don't believe it.

What-- what is going on here?

What is wrong with this thing?

OK.

No more TV.

Turn off.

Turn off.

Hey.

This is insane.

There.

I couldn't figure out what was happening.

I was hearing the same scraping sound,

but the TV was unplugged.

No.

No. That's not possible.

OK.

Who is doing this?

Is somebody here?

Alex, is that you?

OK, get a grip.

I was determined to find out where

that sound was coming from.

It sounded like it was somewhere in the living room.

But I had turned the TV off there too.

I finally realized that it was coming up

through the fireplace, from the basement.

Hello?

I'm coming down here and I have a weapon.

Is anybody down here?

Is there anybody here?

I knew I was getting closer, because the sound was

getting louder.

And that's when I saw it.

I wasn't sure what it was at first.

Why would anybody put a camera down here?

I suddenly realized I was standing in the same area

as the man on the tape.

But what had he'd been doing down here?

What was he mixing?

Who's that?

Who's there?

Oh my god.

Help me.

What happened?

My husband buried me alive.

Who are you?

I'm Madeleine Townsend.

I'll get help.

I called the police right away.

And they freed Mrs. Townsend from the ash catcher.

Lloyd Townsend was arrested for attempted

murder in Europe brought back to the United States

to stand trial.

And me?

I gave up house sitting and went back

to being a part time waitress.

The video that Allie saw was of Mr. Townsend

mixing the mortar for the brick tomb

he had encased his wife inside.

Fortunately, Mrs. Townsend had suspected her husband

for some time and had planted the video camera

in the basement to spy on him.

But how did the video keep turning

up on the TV sets upstairs?

Was it because the Townsends had recently rewired their home?

But then, how did the camera turn itself on?

In deciding whether this story is fact or fiction,

put yourself in Allie's place.

Are you occupying a space where trust resides?

Or are you sitting in a house of lies.

We'll find out if this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a mysterious vision appears

during an armed robbery, on "Beyond

Belief, Fact or Fiction."

The neighborhood phone booth.

What with the popularity of the personal cell phone,

they're becoming a vanishing species.

But how many dramas have taken place

in these tight little boxes?

How many secret romances?

How many extreme pleas for help?

Jason Layard is in a desperate place.

He's down to his last chance.

Will he stand up for what he believes,

no matter what the consequence?

Or will he just phone it in?

I was driving through this small town called

Port Angeles on my way back to college

when my car started losing power.

I knew something was wrong.

So I pulled into the first repair shop I saw.

Yeah.

You got a problem here.

Fuel pump's busted.

Oh, man.

I don't believe this.

Well, can I make it back to school?

Not without a fuel pump.

Carburetor ain't getting any gas.

That's why you're losing power.

So how much is a new fuel pump?

I don't know.

Labor, parts, around $400.

$400?

Maybe a little more.

But I got to get back to school.

Not in this car.

OK.

Go ahead.

Fix it.

You got $400?

I'll get my parents to wire me the money.

Just fix it.

Hello?

Hello?

Jason, is that you?

Jason, is that you?

There was no way I could ask my parents for more money.

It was real tough talking to my dad about anything.

And my mom was fighting cancer.

I just couldn't go through with the call.

I always felt so guilty about the money

my parents had to spend to put me

through college, especially since they

had so little for themselves.

Then, I saw it, just laying there.

Why would a gun be alongside the road like that?

Did somebody toss it out of a passing car?

I never held a gun before.

But as soon as I picked it up, strange thoughts started

running through my head.

I was so desperate I wasn't thinking straight.

All I saw was a quick solution to my problem.

I didn't want to hurt anyone.

So I waited for everyone to leave.

But as soon as one customer left,

another one would come in.

It was now or never.

All I had to do was scare the guy and take the money.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

It was my father?

I got out of there fast.

I was totally freaked.

My parents lived over 500 miles away.

And I had just heard my dad's voice on the phone.

And where was that man now?

Why didn't he come out of the store?

This time, there was no one in the store,

except for the clerk.

I must have imagined the whole thing.

It had to have been my nerves.

I should have just forgotten the whole idea.

But I couldn't.

All I could think about was getting the money for my car.

Hey, you.

You're not my father.

You can't be.

No.

You can't be.

What is happening here?

Hello, Dad?

Jason, how are you?

Oh, you're home.

Your mom had a rough day today.

I-- is she OK?

She's fine now.

She's sleeping.

What are you doing in Port Angeles?

How did you know I was here?

You phoned collect, remember?

Oh, that's right.

Jason, are you OK?

Are you in any trouble?

What do you mean?

Why would you think that?

The strangest thing happened.

I dozed off a little while ago and I had this dream.

Your car broke down and you were really upset.

And then, you were in this mini mart, looking at sunglasses.

And then-- and I know you'd never do this, Jason.

But in the dream, you had a gun.

And you reached into the till.

It woke me up.

That's some dream you had.

Jason, you know that if you're ever in any trouble,

I'm here to help.

Thanks, Dad.

You already have.

My dad wired me the $400 for the new fuel and a little extra

to keep me going.

We've become a lot closer since then.

I almost made the mistake of my life that night.

I'm just glad someone was there to stop me, whoever it was.

What's the explanation here?

Who was the man in the convenience store?

It couldn't have been Jason's father.

He was miles away.

Was it a look like?

A twin brother of his father's that Jason

had never heard about?

But then, how do you explain the accuracy of his father's dream?

Was Jason's dad somehow transported to the store while

asleep?

Is this strange happening in the all night march

steeped in hours of research?

Or are we just presenting a lie of convenience?

We'll find out if this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, strange things surround a man and his new classic car,

on "Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

America has always had a love affair with the automobile.

From its earliest beginnings, the car has meant

more than mere transportation.

For many, these hood ornament stand as an expression

of image and self-worth.

Val Giraldi does more than invest

his money into classic cars.

He also invests his heart and soul.

And his latest acquisition may do more than take

him where he wants to go.

It's threatening to drive him crazy.

I'd been a car nut all my life.

When I was eight years old, I could tell you what kind of car

was coming just by the sound of its engine.

After a good year in the stock market,

I was finally able to purchase the car

of my dreams, a 1940 Packard.

I fell in love with the car from the first moment I saw it.

It was kept in mint condition by its original owner,

Clifton Teasdale, who had died a year before.

All I cared about was making sure it stayed that way.

Nice set of wheels, Mr. Giraldi.

This is more than just a set of wheels, Emery.

This is a 1940 Packard, 120 Cabriolet.

It's worth more than all the cars in this garage

put together.

Really, huh?

These beauties don't come on the market anymore, Emery.

Look at those lines.

It's a work of art.

How'd you find it?

A client of mine tipped me off.

The owner's widow kept it locked in a garage for the past year,

since her husband's death.

Apparently, the old girl made some kind of death bed

promise to her husband never to sell it.

But well, I can be pretty persuasive.

Yeah? What'd you do.

Well, let's put it this way, Emery.

She didn't know what hit her.

Careful, Emery.

You know, there's some new rules with the Packard.

Number one, never touch it.

And you don't let anybody else touch it either.

I understand, Mr. Giraldo.

I also want a bigger parking space.

I don't want anybody accidentally denting it.

Well, actually, I think all the parking

spaces in the building are the same size.

Right.

Then, I'll pay extra for these two spaces.

I also want you to put a chain link fence around them.

A chain link fence?

I'm not sure I can do that.

You can do it, Emery.

Yes, sir.

Emery got the fence up that night.

And I slept great knowing the Packard was protected.

No. It can't be.

Good morning, Mr. Giraldi.

So how do you like the fence?

Emery, there's a dent in the door.

You did it.

You hit my car when you put the fence in.

No, no, no. Sir, I didn't touch your car.

Sir, I swear. - Yeah.

Sure.

Dents don't just appear.

I don't see a dent.

Well, of course there's a dent.

Oh, this is crazy. I saw it.

There was a dent.

Well, maybe it was a shadow.

You know, the lights down here could've been

playing tricks with your eyes.

Yeah.

Must've been a shadow.

Every chance I got, I'd give the Packard a quick dusting.

I'll bet Teasdale himself never took such good care of it.

I don't believe it.

This is no shadow.

Somebody keyed it.

Emery.

Well?

You're gonna tell me that's a shadow?

I don't see a scratch, Mr. Giraldi.

What?

Of course there's a scratch.

I don't understand.

It was there.

It was a deep, ugly scratch.

Well, it's not there now.

Look, I think you're worrying too much

about the car, Mr. Giraldi.

You're seeing things.

I'm not seeing things.

This car is making me a little crazy.

Well, just forget about it for a while.

It's fine.

Really.

Maybe you're right, Emery.

I just need a good night's sleep.

That's all.

I was becoming neurotic about the Packard.

I felt a lot better after a good night's sleep.

But then, the worst possible thing happened.

It wasn't shadows.

It wasn't my imagination.

The Packard was gone.

What was going on here?

I had the only key.

Maybe I should never have bought the car from Mrs. Teasdale.

Luckily, Clifton Teasdale had installed

a tracking device on his car.

And the police found the Packard a few hours later, abandoned

at the local cemetery.

Hey.

Hey, watch it.

I don't want any scratches on that chrome.

Yeah?

Who are you?

I'm the owner.

Oh.

See any damage or anything?

No.

It looks good to me.

Well, why don't you just let me drive it home?

Sorry.

It's got to go through the impound first.

Figures.

Why would somebody steal it and leave it out here?

I don't know, pal.

And then, I thought I noticed something

that didn't seem possible.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The Packard was found in a cemetery

where the original owner, Clifton Teasdale, was buried.

Shortly after the last incident,

Val Giraldi returned the Packard to Clifton Teasdale's widow,

at no cost to her.

But the questions remain.

Who or what drove the car to Teasdale's grave that day.

And how do you explain the disappearing dent

and scratch on the car's body?

Were they figments of Giraldi's obsessive imagination?

Or was Emery, the parking attendant, at the bottom

of all this?

Is this story of the classic car based on truth?

Or are we just taking you for a ride?

We'll find out if this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a man tries to stop a terrifying dream

from coming true, on "Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

Excuse me.

But I've always wanted to do this.

Buses for Springfield, Hilldale, any corners.

Now, leaving at gate number seven.

All aboard.

It's a familiar sound.

Approximately 22.2 million Americans

travel by bus every year.

Jordan Hicks works at one of the many depots

that dispatch the buses, drivers,

and passengers on their way.

As they say, relax and leave the driving to them.

But Jordan Hicks will soon have an experience that

leaves him so unnerved, he's not about to leave

the driving to anyone.

I'd been working as a maintenance

man for the Madison Tour Bus company for the past 10 years.

My job was to make sure that each bus was spotless

before it left the yard.

But that morning, I had something else on my mind,

something much more urgent.

Sal.

Sal, Where's bus 29? Has it left yet?

No.

No.

29's not going out til 10:30.

Have you seen Lyle?

He's in his office.

Lyle.

Lyle, I know this is gonna sound Crazy

But you got to stop bus 29 from leaving this morning.

Why?

Isn't it clean enough for you, Jordan.

They're all gonna die in there.

What do you mean, they're all gonna die in there.

I told you that this was gonna sound crazy.

But I had a dream last night that bus

29 had a horrible accident.

A dream.

Yeah.

The McLaren Bridge went out.

I was there, Lyle, trying to wave them down.

But they wouldn't stop.

Bus 29 went nose first right into the river.

Nobody had a chance. They all drowned.

Jordan, you know I can't stop a bus from going out,

because somebody had a bad dream.

No. You don't understand.

It was more than a dream.

It was-- it was so real.

It was like like a premonition.

Bus 29 is the Great Lakes Tour.

It's a full load.

And it will be leaving, as scheduled, at exactly 10:30 AM.

I can't let that happen, Lyle.

Mr. Masterson.

Mr. Masterson, it's Jordan Hicks.

There's an emergency.

Please let me in.

I'm sorry.

Mr. Masterson's busy right now.

This is extremely important, Debbie.

I have to see him.

What's the big emergency, Hicks?

You have to stop bus 29 from leaving.

I had a dream. It crashed.

Everybody died.

Please, Mr. Masterson, you can stop it.

Are you out of your mind?

That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

There's only 10 more minutes left.

Get back to work, Hicks.

I'm busy.

Nobody would listen.

But I had to do something or the blood

of all those innocent people would be on my hands.

Jordan, what are you doing?

Chet, you can't leave.

You're all gonna die.

Get out of the way and let this bus

leave, or you're gonna be in a whole bunch of trouble.

What's going on?

Jordan had some dumb dream that the McLaren Bridge went

out and this bus goes down.

Don't worry, folks.

The bus will be leaving shortly.

Just a little scheduling problem.

Get back in the bus and take off, Chet.

You can still make the schedule.

No.

Don't do it, Chet.

You gotta believe me.

You're all gonna die in there.

Keep your voice down, you maniac.

I can't do it, Lyle.

I can't leave.

What?

Has everybody lost their mind around here?

It was a dream.

Because of you and your stupid dream,

we're 15 minutes behind schedule with a bus

full of angry people.

They're demanding their money back.

Now, you can either get on that bus and start driving

or you can find yourself another job.

I won't do it.

Fine.

Lyle, get another driver.

You're both fired.

- Mr. Masterson. - Not now, Debbie.

I'm busy.

But you won't believe what I just heard on the radio.

The McLaren Bridge just collapsed.

My god.

If I had left on schedule, we would have been right

in the middle of that bridge.

They scheduled an alternate route.

And I got to leave in about 10 minutes.

Chet I need to ask you about something.

Why'd you believe me when nobody else would?

Because last night, I had the same dream you had.

How is this possible?

We've all had premonitions.

But can two people have the same dream, at the same time?

Or did the driver, Chet Carter, just

imagine he had that dream after being

upset by Jordan's warnings?

Whatever the case, many lives were saved as a result.

In telling this tale of bus 29, have we reached

the destination of truth?

Or is this just another rest stop on the highway of lies?

We'll find out if this story is true or false

at the end of our show.

Next, a dead man's curse taunts his widow from the grave,

on "Beyond Belief, Fact or Fiction."

They say the grass is always greener

in the other person's yard.

But today, we have lots of ways to improve the situation.

Special fertilizer, seeds, even vitamins for today's lawn.

And of course, a variety of different sods to choose from.

Suzanne Elliott is about to become

preoccupied with a certain plot of dead grass.

Before this story is through, who knows what else might die.

As we say our final goodbye to Gordon Luther

Elliott, loving husband, devoted father,

and successful businessman--

Gordon Luther Elliott

died of congestive heart failure after spending

the last six months of his life in a federal prison.

He was imprisoned for embezzling a large sum of money

from a company he owned with his partner.

Enjoying greener pastures and life everlasting.

Gordon loved his wife Suzanne and his son James.

And he cherished the many happy hours

that he spent in his garden.

Gordon Elliott loved making things grow.

Yes, he did.

And although he couldn't resist the temptation of greed,

he must be forgiven his sins and be allowed to rest in peace.

Amen.

Amen.

Goodbye, Gordon.

We forgive you.

Oh, shut up, Suzanne.

He doesn't want your forgiveness.

That's no way to speak to your stepmother, James.

My father was an innocent man, Reinhardt.

And you know it.

He went to prison for a crime he didn't commit.

He helped you build a business and you shafted him.

It should be you in that grave, not my father.

Come on, Suzanne.

The service is over.

You know, I was with him when he died.

And he swore that no grass would grow on this grave

until the truth comes out.

Eric, I think he knows.

So what?

He doesn't have any proof.

He'll get his inheritance and forget the whole thing.

What was that whole thing about the grass

not growing on Gordon's grave until the truth comes out?

What did that mean? - Just calm down, Suzanne.

Old Gordo took his gardening too seriously.

He's dead. There's nothing he can do.

Everything grows here.

Don't worry about it.

Three weeks after the funeral,

Suzanne Elliott quietly moved in with her dead husband's

ex-partner, Eric Reinhardt.

Who was that on the phone?

Don't get mad.

But I called the caretaker from the cemetery again.

What?

Why do you keep doing that?

Eric, there still isn't any grass growing on his grave.

Well, that's because the caretaker's an idiot.

I told you.

He doesn't know what he's doing.

Well, he said that there's grass

growing on all of the other graves around Gordon's, just--

just not on his.

So?

There's something wrong with the dirt.

Who cares?

No.

Eric, don't you see?

It's Gordon.

He is doing this.

All right, Suzanne.

Would it make you feel better if I

hired a private gardener to take care

of our little grass problem?

Yeah.

Cheers.

I don't get it.

It's been a whole month.

Soil tested fine.

There should be grass by now.

I tried everything, Mrs. Elliot, chemical, organic fertilizer,

Bermuda, rye, Buffalo grass.

I even laid sod and that died.

I knew nothing would grow.

Don't give up yet.

I got one more idea.

We dig up the deceased and we rebury him

in a more nutrient-rich plot.

Ma'am?

Ma'am?

Go ahead.

Dig him up.

It's not gonna work.

I feel like I'm having a nervous breakdown, Eric,

and you don't even care.

I care, Suzanne.

But you're bringing this on yourself.

You're making a big thing about some lousy grass.

It's Gordon's grass.

He is doing this to me.

I don't eat.

I don't sleep.

I look like a hag.

Look, they'll rebury him and the grass will grow.

No.

You don't know Gordon.

He won't let us rest until we confess.

What?

Now, you listen to me.

You don't even think about confession.

I am not giving all of this up.

I have worked too hard and too long to get it.

OK.

All right.

Then, we have to go to Gordon's grave and beg his forgiveness.

You've got to be kidding me.

I'm not going Gordon's grave.

Then, I will tell everything.

I don't care anymore. I can't do this.

Look at that.

They've already dug his new grave.

Get on your knees, Eric.

Are you crazy?

Just tell him you're sorry and let's go home.

It's freezing out here.

Eric, get on your knees.

Gordon?

Gordon, I know you can hear me.

I am so sorry that you died in prison.

We never wanted that to happen, did we, Eric?

No, we didn't.

Eric and I never planned on falling in love.

It just happened, Gordon.

And we did frame you.

And we are so sorry.

OK, Suzanne.

That's enough.

OK, Gordon, will you please, please forgive us?

Hey.

What's going on?

- Who's in there? - I don't know.

I don't think he can see us. - Hey.

Hello.

The caretaker found

the dead bodies of Suzanne Elliot

and Eric Reinhardt the following day.

He also noticed that for the first time,

grass was growing on Gordon Luther Elliott's grave.

Why wouldn't the grass grow on Gordon's grave?

Was he controlling things from beyond?

Or was it merely a fluke of nature

that kept his cemetery plot bare?

If so, how do you explain that once his death was avenged

the grass grew tall and thick?

Was Gordon's son behind the entire scenario?

But then, why weren't the experts

hired by Suzanne and Reinhardt able to make the grass grow?

In judging this story, have we planted

the sweet smell of truth?

Or was that a whiff of fertilizer in the air?

Next, you'll find out which of our stories are facts

and which are fiction, when "Beyond Belief" returns.

Now, let's look back at tonight's stories and find out

which ones are inspired by actual events and which

ones are totally false .

Let's review the story of the house sitter

who discovered a frightening secret.

Is there anybody here?

Why would anybody put a camera down here?

Did you think this story really happened?

You're right.

Our research shows a similar incident

happened around the Oregon-California state

line in the early '80s.

What was your opinion of the young man

whose misdeeds were stopped by a vision of his father?

Hey.

Hey, you.

This strange story has to be fake, right?

Wrong.

It's fact.

A similar story happened to a young man in the Pacific

Northwest about 20 years.

How about the story of the classic motor car

that drove its owner to distraction?

Well, you gonna tell me that's a shadow?

I don't see a scratch, Mr. Giraldi.

What?

Of course there's a scratch.

I don't understand.

It there was there.

It was a deep, ugly scratch.

Well, it's not there now.

Look, I think you're worrying too much

about the car, Mr. Giraldi.

You're seeing things.

I'm not seeing things.

This car's making me a little crazy.

Was this story based on a real happening?

Not this time.

We made it up.

The story of the two men who had the same premonition about bus

29, how did you judge that one?

Chet, you can't leave.

You're all gonna die.

Get out of the way and let this bus

leave, or you're gonna be in a whole bunch of trouble.

What's going on?

Jordan had some dumb dream that the McLaren Bridge went out

and this bus goes down.

Don't worry, folks.

The bus will be leaving shortly.

Just a little scheduling problem.

Get back in the bus and take off, Chet.

You can still make the schedule.

No.

Don't do it, Chet.

You got to believe me.

You're all gonna die in there.

This strange story of a double premonition

seems to be a work of fiction, right?

That's exactly what it is.

This story never happened.

The grave were no grass would grow

until the dead man was avenged, how did you judge that one?

And we did frame you.

And we are so sorry.

OK, Suzanne.

That's enough.

OK, Gordon, will you please, please forgive us?

Hey.

What's going on?

- Who's in there? - I don't know.

I don't think he can see us. Hey.

Hello.

Did you think this was real?

If you did, we got you.

This one's fake.

Were you able to get a hold on the truth tonight?

Or did reality remain an elusive concept.

And when you reach out to grasp it,

does it turn out to be beyond belief?

I'm Johnathan Frakes.

The true stories tonight

were based on firsthand research conducted

by author Robert Tralins.

For "Beyond Belief," this is Campbell Lane.