Strange but True?
Strange but True? is a British supernatural documentary television series, presented by Michael Aspel, which explored supernatural phenomena and unexplained mysteries. It was produced by LWT and broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV between 1993 and 1997. A pilot episode in May 1993 proved popular, and led to four series, including the third which was given the title of Strange but true? encounters. It achieved viewing figures of up to 12 million in the UK alone.
The series explored a number of aspects of unexplained activity, from ghosts and poltergeists, to near-death experiences, vampires and aliens. One episode featured an apparent communication from aliens in the year 2109. Other episodes featured phenomena including "phantom hitchhikers" and 11th-century monks in haunted castles. The live episode in June 1997 was screened to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting – the case from where the term 'Flying saucer' first entered popular vocabulary. The story consultant for Strange but True? was Jenny Randles.
In 1994, a companion book of the same name was released, authored by Peter A. Hough and Jenny Randles, ISBN 0-7499-1459-9. A sequel, Strange but true? casebook, was authored in 1995 by Jenny Randles, ISBN 0-7499-1558-7.
Episodes
| Series | Episode (s) | Name | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | UFO sightings/Reincarnation (see Zigmund Adamski & Jenny Cockell) | 21 May 1993 (pilot) |
| 2 | Chris Robinson's premonitions/Pete the poltergeist | 28 October 1994 | |
| 3 | Bonnybridge/Robert Taylor incident/Painless Penny | 4 November 1994 | |
| 4 | Dover Castle/Lorraine Ham – The psychic healer | 11 November 1994 | |
| 5 | Nella Jones – Crime-solving psychic/Millboro (past lives) | 18 November 1994 | |
| 6 | Heaven and back (Near-death experiences)/Borley rectory | 25 November 1994 | |
| 7 | Stocksbridge bypass/Angels | 2 December 1994 | |
| 8 | The Rendlesham incident | 9 December 1994 | |
| 2 | 9 | Faith healer/Past memories | 8 September 1995 |
| 10 | Time slip/Haunted trawler | 15 September 1995 | |
| 11 | Pet healers/Muncaster Castle | 22 September 1995 | |
| 12 | Miracles | 29 September 1995 | |
| 13 | Cursed stone/Phantom hitch-hiker | 6 October 1995 | |
| 14 | Dowsing/Near-death experience | 13 October 1995 | |
| 15 | Enfield poltergeist | 20 October 1995 | |
| 16 | The Jim twins/Flitwick ghost | 27 October 1995 | |
| 17 | Etta Smith | 3 November 1995 | |
| 18 | UFOs – Pilots/UFOs – Kaikoura lights | 10 November 1995 | |
| 3 | 19 | Venetian Palace incident | 30 August 1996 |
| 20 | Cornish sea monster/Exorcist's story | 6 September 1996 | |
| 21 | Past life/Pluckley – The most haunted village in England | 13 September 1996 | |
| 22 | Gulf breeze UFO incident | 20 September 1996 | |
| 23 | Paranormal on camera/Ghost planes of the peaks | 27 September 1996 | |
| 24 | Chingle Hall/Psychic detective Part 1 | 4 October 1996 | |
| 25 | Psychic detective Parts 2 and 3 | 11 October 1996 | |
| 26 | Life beyond death/The haunted bomber | 18 October 1996 | |
| 27 | Alien abduction | 25 October 1996 | |
| 28 | Psychic pets/The mystery of dark peak | 1 November 1996 | |
| 29 | Strange, but true? – Special live episode! | 27 June 1997 | |
| 4 | 30 | Paranormal on camera/Twin co-incidences | 5 September 1997 |
| 31 | Littlecote House/Skiers on Bavarian alps | 12 September 1997 | |
| 32 | Remote viewing (David Morehouse) | 19 September 1997 | |
| 33 | The Falkirk triangle/Beast of Durham – The Fishburn puma | 26 September 1997 | |
| 34 | John Rapheal (Past life)/Premonitions | 2 October 1997 | |
| 35 | The curse of Tutankhamun | 9 October 1997 | |
| 36 | Lucid dreams/Psychic children | 16 October 1997 | |
| 37 | Bigfoot/Ouija boards | 23 October 1997 | |
| 38 | The galway poltergeist | 30 October 1997 | |
| 39 | Andrew Green the ghostbuster/Psychic pets | 7 November 1997 |
Further reading
- Peter A. Hough and Jenny Randles. (1994) Strange, but true?. ISBN 0-7499-1459-9.
- Jenny Randles (1995) Strange, but true? casebook. ISBN 0-7499-1558-7.
External links
- Strange, but true? at TV.com .