Jonathan Frakes is well-known as Thomas Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation, a role he’s revisited throughout the series’ long run, making him a favorite among sci-fi fans. But beyond acting, Frakes also has another, less publicized accomplishment in the science fiction and fantasy world.
As a huge fan of spooky shows, I always enjoyed Jonathan Frakes hosting Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction. While it’s easy to call it just another horror anthology like The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, it actually had a really cool, unique element that I think sets it apart. Honestly, it deserves way more recognition than it’s gotten over the years – it’s a show I always come back to!
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Is a Mysterious Guessing Game
Created by Lynn Lehmann and executive produced by Dick Clark, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction was a show that playfully challenged viewers to distinguish between real events and made-up stories. Each episode, hosted by Jonathan Frakes starting in the second season, featured five tales of strange happenings and possible supernatural encounters.
As a total cinema enthusiast, I always loved how this show played with reality. Some of the stories they presented were pure invention, crafted by the writers, while others were genuinely discovered through research by Robert Tralins. The host, Frakes, would then reveal whether each story was true or false at the very end. But the fun part was, until that reveal, it was all up to us, the viewers, to guess what was real and what was made up!
Originally airing on Fox in 1997, Beyond Belief captivated audiences for five years. The show famously featured voiceover work from Don LaFontaine, known for his iconic movie trailer announcements, before Campbell Lane took over in Season 4. After its run on Fox, it became a popular fixture on SyFy (then The SciFi Channel) through reruns. Almost twenty years later, in 2021, the series was brought back for German television, with Jonathan Frakes returning as host for two more seasons.
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Is a Genuinely Entertaining Anthology Series
Unlike many similar shows, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction typically presents five separate stories in each episode. Host Jonathan Frakes guides viewers through these short, roughly ten-minute tales, creating a memorable experience within the hour-long format.
I was really impressed with how smartly crafted many of these segments were – take the one based on that creepy trucker urban legend, for example. It genuinely gave me the chills, and that’s saying something even for the stories that are obviously made up! Now, some of them definitely lean into camp territory, and it all hinges on the acting, the writing, and the music. But honestly? Even the sillier ones are a blast to watch.
The show’s main appeal is definitely its guessing game element. It’s really fun, particularly for people who enjoy mysteries and the unexplained, to try and figure out when the writers are trying to mislead them. However, be warned – the reveals can be quite surprising.
Jonathan Frakes Is a Master of Puns in Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction features stories that are sometimes scary and occasionally funny. But these aren’t the reasons the show has remained popular with a dedicated audience over the years.
Many fans love the funny puns Jonathan Frakes makes during his breaks between show segments and before commercials. People have even created videos collecting his silliest jokes and questions, which are funny even without knowing what the show is about.
I always enjoy figuring out if an audience can tell what’s actually based on truth versus what’s just made up for dramatic effect. But honestly, what really gets me excited is seeing how Jonathan Frakes wraps up a segment – those little closing thoughts he delivers, like asking if we’ve uncovered the truth or been tricked, just build this incredible sense of anticipation. It’s a whole other level of enjoyment.
A common frustration with Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction is its lack of explanation regarding the factual basis of its stories. While the show occasionally mentions the location and time period of real events that inspired a segment, Frakes rarely provides further detail or background information.
It’s interesting to wonder how much of what we see in these stories is actually true. The writers might have carefully selected details, and it’s possible some parts were exaggerated or made up. Maybe the show could have spent less time on silly jokes and more time making these amazing stories feel believable.
Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.
Read More
- Heartopia Book Writing Guide: How to write and publish books
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Battlestar Galactica Brought Dark Sci-Fi Back to TV
- January 29 Update Patch Notes
- Genshin Impact Version 6.3 Stygian Onslaught Guide: Boss Mechanism, Best Teams, and Tips
- Learning by Association: Smarter AI Through Human-Like Conditioning
- Mining Research for New Scientific Insights
- Robots That React: Teaching Machines to Hear and Act
- Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews explains why he filters his pictures after images of what he really looks like baffled fans – as his ex continues to mock his matching proposals
- Arknights: Endfield Weapons Tier List
2026-02-01 03:08