Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories
Encyclopedia
Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories (shortened to Haunted Lives and later re-titled as Real Ghosts) was an American paranormal docudrama
anthology television miniseries
that originally aired from to , on CBS
and UPN
. This short-lived program lasted only three primetime specials that featured re-enactments of ghost stories
told by real people who experienced alleged paranormal
activity. The docudrama series used actors and special effects, and then introduced the witnesses who reported such phenomena. The first two specials were called Haunted Lives, and the third and final one was renamed to Real Ghosts.
The opening narration is slightly altered for the final episode:
The specials have been narrated by Leonard Nimoy
and Stacy Keach
.
Episode 1 consists of three segments, all directed by Tobe Hooper
, known for Poltergeist (film) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
:
1. "Ghosts R Us"
A female stockperson in Toys R Us in Sunnyvale, California
is frightened from her job in the storeroom. Her supervisor doesn't know what to make of it until her other employees tell their stories. Two of the employees discover the ghost could be Yonny Yonson, a working immigrant who died when the property was still the Old Murphy Ranch. Yonny was in love with the daughter of his boss, but she rejected him. He died in an accident with an axe while chopping wood. Unsure what to do, the Toys R Us employees call in renowned psychic Sylvia Brown, who tries to send Yonny's spirit to the light, but it's quite obvious he won't leave.
2. "The Legend of Kate Morgan"
Attorney Alan May investigates the ghost of Kate Morgan
at the Hotel Del Coronado
in San Diego, California
. When he discovers he has the wrong room because the rooms were renumbered in the past, he tracks down Kate's real room and encounters her spirit and lives through a place memory of her murder. Through research, he discovers Kate's real name was Lottie Bernard and her son might have been his own ancestor.
3. "School Spirit"
In Austin, Texas
, men tearing down an old school are scared by voices and images of young ghost as well as experience equipment problems. The foreman is losing time and money so he gets a psychic to deal with the problem and things seem to get better. One of the workmen starts getting a feeling that the ghosts are back but is ordered back to work. When a wall falls the wrong way, he gets killed. The foreman vows to destroy the school, but they never completely go away. When he reburies a tree from the Metz Elementary site in his daughter's yard, his son-in-law reports hearing the sounds of happy children coming from it.
Cast & Crew
Narrator: Leonard Nimoy
Writer: David Braff, Al Katz, Gilbert Adler, Peter M. Lenkov
Director: Tobe Hooper
Editor: Jonathan Moser
Show Stars: Leonard Nimoy
(Narrator),
Guest Stars: Kent Burden (Joe Torres), Sarah Carson (Kate Morgan aka Lottie Bernard), Hector Elias (Morris Torres), John Hammil (Yonny Yonson (ghost)), Shawn Kristy (Elizabeth Murphy), Eileen Jo Bowman (Store Clerk), Eli Guralnick (Store Manager), Juan Garcia (Otto), Del Zamora (Gabe Torres), Robert Jacobs (Tom Morgan), Van Williams (Mr. Fitzgerald), Alvin Silver (Alan May)
Notes:
The Toys R Us ghost was also featured on the TV series That's Incredible. Both series featured photos of the ghost from the 1983 seance.
The Hotel Del Coronado
featured in this episode has also been featured in the Haunted Hotels
series on Travel Channel
as well as the special, Ghosts: Caught On Tape.
Quotes:
Trivia:
Renowned psychic Sylvia Browne
portrays herself in one of the recreations. She has often appeared on The Montel Williams Show
.
Allusions:
Joe Torres: "What do you want me to do? Call Ghostbusters
?!"
Joe says this to his sons who work for him. He is referring to the 1984 movie which starred Dan Aykyroyd, Bill Murray and Annie Potts
.
Margie: "I can see him. He looks like Casper."
Margie says this while Sylvia is trying to get the ghost of Yonni Yonson to appear. This is an allusion to the popular cartoon series Casper the Ghost, which later became a motion picture.
Episode 2 consists of three segments:
1. "Unfinished Business"
In Double Oak, Texas
near Dallas, James Clanton rules his family with an angry fist. He critiques the work of his sons and pushes the boundaries of their patience. After he is hit on his motorcycle by a truck and dies, his family notices the eyes open on his corpse before he is buried. Shortly. James's ghost is back to terrorize the family, but a psychic reveals he just wants forgiveness.
2. "Terror For Rent"
In Van Nuys, California, a young couple get the house of their dreams, but are soon arguing and fighting. Just before they try killing each other, the husband drags his wife out of the house upon seeing the ghost. Actual video footage from the real location shows poltergeist
activity.
3. "Motel Hell"
Doretta Johnson buys a former hotel near Madison, Indiana
, to convert into a family business. After moving in, birds fly into the house and are found dead. The ghost of a little girl is seen in the bathtub where she was killed, and a childlike voice echoes through the place at night. When the hauntings become threatening, the family wants to leave, but they can't afford it.
Cast & Crew
Narrator: Stacy Keach
Writer: Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, Morgan Gendel
Director: Charles Braverman
Show Stars: Stacy Keach
(Narrator),
Guest Stars: Eileen Jo Bowman (Female Clerk), Eli Guralnick (Store Manager), Peter DeLuise (Kyle Matheson), Teri Gaile (Rita Matheson), Steven Barr (Ron Johnson), Marianne Muellerleile (Seance Medium), Joe Colligan (Rick Clanton), Carl Ciarfalio (Union Official), Bart Braverman (Priest), Jared Rushton (Steve Johnson), J. P. Bumstead (Bob Clanton), Doren Fein (Ashley Johnson), David Kaufman (Tim Clanton), Kyle Buckley (Realtor), Laura Waterbury (Doretta Johnson)
Notes:
The haunted hotel in the "Motel Hell" storyline has also been documented in the TV series Sightings
and A Haunting
on the Discovery Channel
. The Johnson family's experiences were also developed into the 1996 movie The Uninvited
with Beau Bridges
and Sharon Lawrence.
Quotes:
Trivia:
Christopher Chacone appears as himself in this episode. Chacone is a member of the real life Organization of Scientific Investigation and Research agency (aka OSIR) for whom the TV series Psi Factor was based on. Chacone has often appeared in ghost examinations for the TV series Sightings
.
Allusions:
Steven: "Yeah, that's what they said in The Birds!"
Steve screams this after birds are found dead in the living room after crashing into the house. He's referring to the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds
.
Doll: "Mommy... mommy..."
Doll without batteries reacts just like Talkie Tina in the episode of The Twilight Zone
, "Living Doll."
Original air date: Tuesday, November 28, 1995, UPN
1. "The Brotherhood"
A college freshman at Kansas State University
in Manhattan, Kansas
is protected by the ghost of a prior fraternity member killed in a hazing incident. Testimonies from people who experienced real ghosts are included. Phi Beta Delta fraternity is supposed to be the best fraternity at Kansas State University, but is what Josh Pickering is hoping. Among his future brothers, he also meets the ghost of Duncan who protects all new pledges and terrorizes the fraternity's brothers. Josh discovers the story about Duncan after an old alumni member named Wally Marshall who had covered up the truth of Duncan's death dies in the fraternity house. After Duncan warns Josh and the fraternity of a fire, Josh decides to lay Duncan's spirit to rest by making him a part of the fraternity.
2. "The Headless Ghost"
The story of the hauntings at Bobby Mackey's Music World
in Wilder, Kentucky
.
His pregnant wife is constantly spooked and is nearly attacked even as employee Carl warns Bobby the place is not right. A psychic detects a well under the foundation and a patron is attacked by a presence in the bathroom. Bobby still isn't sure what to make of the haunting, but he loves the publicity they bring to the place.
Cast & Crew
Narrator: Stacy Keach
Writer: Erik Nelson
Director: Michael Levine
Guest stars: Christopher Daniel Barnes (Josh Pickering), Michael Bowen (Bobby Mackey), Charlene Tilton (Vicki the Bartender), Johnathan Chapin (Alonzo Walling (ghost)), James Walch (The Judge), Khrystyne Haje (Pearl Bryan (ghost)), John Hillard (Richard Lawson), Seth Green (Termite), Brian McGrail (Lewis), Ron Carlson (Duncan (The Fraternity Ghost), Elaine Orth (Cheerleader), Allen Cutler (Robed Man), F. William Parker (Wally Marshall), Sheena Easton
(Janet Mackey), Rugg Williams (Mike), Linda Cook (Patricia Mischel), Edward Winter (Carl Lawson)
Notes:
Bobby Mackey's Music World
has also been explored by the TV series Encounters
, Sightings
, Unsolved Mysteries
, A Haunting
, and Ghost Adventures
.
Run on the UPN
in November 1995, the series was now called Real Ghosts. The opening narration was slightly altered, a middle story was dropped and the series started using more recognizable actors, but it was not picked up as a regular series.
Edward Winter, who plays Carl Lawson in the "Headless Ghost" storyline, was actually credited as Ed Winter. Winter is best known for playing Colonel Flagg in the TV series M*A*S*H.
Quotes:
Trivia:
Manhattan, Kansas, the location of the haunted Phi Beta Delta fraternity at Kansas State University
, is also the hometown of Cassandra Peterson
, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Allusions:
Josh's opening narration: "Ever since I saw the movie Animal House, I thought it would be a blast to live in a fraternity."
Josh is alluding to the 1975 movie Animal House.
Mike and Josh hear noises in the library when they stay the night.
Mike: "Phasers on stun."
Josh: "Aye, captain."
Their sayings are oriented to the classic Star Trek
series.
A few segments from Episode 1 are available for viewing via YouTube
.
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
anthology television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
that originally aired from to , on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
. This short-lived program lasted only three primetime specials that featured re-enactments of ghost stories
Ghost story
A ghost story may be any piece of fiction, or drama, or an account of an experience, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them. Colloquially, the term can refer to any kind of scary story. In a narrower sense, the ghost story has...
told by real people who experienced alleged paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
activity. The docudrama series used actors and special effects, and then introduced the witnesses who reported such phenomena. The first two specials were called Haunted Lives, and the third and final one was renamed to Real Ghosts.
The opening narration is slightly altered for the final episode:
The specials have been narrated by Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
and Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
.
Episode 1
Original air date: Monday, October 28, 1991, CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Episode 1 consists of three segments, all directed by Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
, known for Poltergeist (film) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
:
1. "Ghosts R Us"
A female stockperson in Toys R Us in Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
is frightened from her job in the storeroom. Her supervisor doesn't know what to make of it until her other employees tell their stories. Two of the employees discover the ghost could be Yonny Yonson, a working immigrant who died when the property was still the Old Murphy Ranch. Yonny was in love with the daughter of his boss, but she rejected him. He died in an accident with an axe while chopping wood. Unsure what to do, the Toys R Us employees call in renowned psychic Sylvia Brown, who tries to send Yonny's spirit to the light, but it's quite obvious he won't leave.
2. "The Legend of Kate Morgan"
Attorney Alan May investigates the ghost of Kate Morgan
Kate Morgan
Kate Morgan is an American who died under mysterious circumstances, and is thought by locals to be a ghost at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA. She was buried at nearby Mount Hope Cemetery in Division 5 Section 1.-Background:...
at the Hotel Del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado is a beachfront luxury hotel in the city of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. When he discovers he has the wrong room because the rooms were renumbered in the past, he tracks down Kate's real room and encounters her spirit and lives through a place memory of her murder. Through research, he discovers Kate's real name was Lottie Bernard and her son might have been his own ancestor.
3. "School Spirit"
In Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, men tearing down an old school are scared by voices and images of young ghost as well as experience equipment problems. The foreman is losing time and money so he gets a psychic to deal with the problem and things seem to get better. One of the workmen starts getting a feeling that the ghosts are back but is ordered back to work. When a wall falls the wrong way, he gets killed. The foreman vows to destroy the school, but they never completely go away. When he reburies a tree from the Metz Elementary site in his daughter's yard, his son-in-law reports hearing the sounds of happy children coming from it.
Cast & Crew
Narrator: Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
Writer: David Braff, Al Katz, Gilbert Adler, Peter M. Lenkov
Director: Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
Editor: Jonathan Moser
Show Stars: Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
(Narrator),
Guest Stars: Kent Burden (Joe Torres), Sarah Carson (Kate Morgan aka Lottie Bernard), Hector Elias (Morris Torres), John Hammil (Yonny Yonson (ghost)), Shawn Kristy (Elizabeth Murphy), Eileen Jo Bowman (Store Clerk), Eli Guralnick (Store Manager), Juan Garcia (Otto), Del Zamora (Gabe Torres), Robert Jacobs (Tom Morgan), Van Williams (Mr. Fitzgerald), Alvin Silver (Alan May)
Notes:
The Toys R Us ghost was also featured on the TV series That's Incredible. Both series featured photos of the ghost from the 1983 seance.
The Hotel Del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado is a beachfront luxury hotel in the city of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort...
featured in this episode has also been featured in the Haunted Hotels
Haunted Hotels
Haunted Hotels is an American paranormal television series that premiered on October 24, 2001 on the Travel Channel. The series features haunted hotels in America and the ghost stories that are told from employees and guests alike who work and stay in them...
series on Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
as well as the special, Ghosts: Caught On Tape.
Quotes:
- Otto: (frightened of the ghosts) "I can't go back. I got a feeling if I do, something bad is going to happen."
- Joe Torres: "Yeah? Well, if you don't go back in, something worse will happen to you. You'll be fired."
- School Ghosts: "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!" (The ghosts chant this in Otto's ear before a wall collapses on him.)
- School Ghosts: "Are you still here, man?" (Otto discovers this message written on a chalkboard for him in an empty and deserted classroom after looking for the kids supposedly making noises.)
- Gabe Torres: "Didn't you have a childhood, man. Scary buildings are great. You can play hide and seek, go treasure hunting or look for dead bodies or ghosts...." (to Otto after hearing children's voices giggling)
- Manager: "How do I get rid of him?"
- Margie: (sarcastically underbreath) "With a silver bullet?"
Trivia:
Renowned psychic Sylvia Browne
Sylvia Browne
Sylvia Browne is an American author who describes herself as a psychic and spiritual medium...
portrays herself in one of the recreations. She has often appeared on The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show
The Montel Williams Show is a syndicated talk show hosted by Montel Williams. On January 30, 2008 it was announced that The Montel Williams Show would stop production on new episodes at the end of the 2007-2008 television season after seventeen years...
.
Allusions:
Joe Torres: "What do you want me to do? Call Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
?!"
Joe says this to his sons who work for him. He is referring to the 1984 movie which starred Dan Aykyroyd, Bill Murray and Annie Potts
Annie Potts
Anne Hampton "Annie" Potts is an American film and television actress. She is known for her roles in the 1980s popular films such as Ghostbusters , Pretty in Pink , Jumpin' Jack Flash , Who's Harry Crumb? and Ghostbusters II . Potts is also known as a voice-actress...
.
Margie: "I can see him. He looks like Casper."
Margie says this while Sylvia is trying to get the ghost of Yonni Yonson to appear. This is an allusion to the popular cartoon series Casper the Ghost, which later became a motion picture.
Episode 2
Original air date: Tuesday, October 22, 1992, CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Episode 2 consists of three segments:
1. "Unfinished Business"
In Double Oak, Texas
Double Oak, Texas
Double Oak is a town in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,179 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Double Oak is located at ....
near Dallas, James Clanton rules his family with an angry fist. He critiques the work of his sons and pushes the boundaries of their patience. After he is hit on his motorcycle by a truck and dies, his family notices the eyes open on his corpse before he is buried. Shortly. James's ghost is back to terrorize the family, but a psychic reveals he just wants forgiveness.
2. "Terror For Rent"
In Van Nuys, California, a young couple get the house of their dreams, but are soon arguing and fighting. Just before they try killing each other, the husband drags his wife out of the house upon seeing the ghost. Actual video footage from the real location shows poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
activity.
3. "Motel Hell"
Doretta Johnson buys a former hotel near Madison, Indiana
Madison, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,004 people, 5,092 households, and 3,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,402.9 people per square mile . There were 5,597 housing units at an average density of 654.1 per square mile...
, to convert into a family business. After moving in, birds fly into the house and are found dead. The ghost of a little girl is seen in the bathtub where she was killed, and a childlike voice echoes through the place at night. When the hauntings become threatening, the family wants to leave, but they can't afford it.
Cast & Crew
Narrator: Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
Writer: Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, Morgan Gendel
Director: Charles Braverman
Charles Braverman
Charles "Chuck" Dell Braverman is an American film director, documentary filmmaker and producer...
Show Stars: Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
(Narrator),
Guest Stars: Eileen Jo Bowman (Female Clerk), Eli Guralnick (Store Manager), Peter DeLuise (Kyle Matheson), Teri Gaile (Rita Matheson), Steven Barr (Ron Johnson), Marianne Muellerleile (Seance Medium), Joe Colligan (Rick Clanton), Carl Ciarfalio (Union Official), Bart Braverman (Priest), Jared Rushton (Steve Johnson), J. P. Bumstead (Bob Clanton), Doren Fein (Ashley Johnson), David Kaufman (Tim Clanton), Kyle Buckley (Realtor), Laura Waterbury (Doretta Johnson)
Notes:
The haunted hotel in the "Motel Hell" storyline has also been documented in the TV series Sightings
Sightings
Sightings was an American paranormal documentary and news television series that originally aired from April 17, 1992 to August 1, 1997 on Fox. The program began as a special titled The UFO Report: Sightings on October 18, 1991...
and A Haunting
A Haunting
A Haunting is an American paranormal docudrama anthology television series that originally aired from October 28, 2005 to November 9, 2007 on the Discovery Channel. The program features narrations, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments based on various accounts of paranormal experiences at...
on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
. The Johnson family's experiences were also developed into the 1996 movie The Uninvited
The Uninvited
The Uninvited is an ITV science fiction television mini-series first shown in 1997 as four fifty minute episodes. The series was made by Anglia Television. It was created by Leslie Grantham, who also features as a police officer with a secret....
with Beau Bridges
Beau Bridges
Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III is an American actor and director.- Early life :Bridges was born in Los Angeles, the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and his college sweetheart, Dorothy Bridges . He was nicknamed "Beau" by his mother and father after Ashley Wilkes's son in Gone with the Wind, the book...
and Sharon Lawrence.
Quotes:
- Priest: "I can feel the evil here; it's like a chill in the air."
- Steven Johnson: (sarcastically) "There is a chill in the air - the thermostat is busted."
- Ron Johnson: (about his son's loud stereo) "We could give him a cottage in Utah, we'd still hear his stereo."
- Kyle Matheson: (over breakfast on the patio) "What did I do to deserve all this?"
- Rita Matheson: "You bought the patio furniture."
- Kyle Matheson: "What do I get for buying the four-poster bed?"
- Bob Clanton (as ghost): "I know why I died." (His only line as a ghost. He repeats it over and over and even says it as a question at one point)
- Tim Clanton: (upon first seeing his father's ghost) "You ain't supposed to be here!"
Trivia:
Christopher Chacone appears as himself in this episode. Chacone is a member of the real life Organization of Scientific Investigation and Research agency (aka OSIR) for whom the TV series Psi Factor was based on. Chacone has often appeared in ghost examinations for the TV series Sightings
Sightings
Sightings was an American paranormal documentary and news television series that originally aired from April 17, 1992 to August 1, 1997 on Fox. The program began as a special titled The UFO Report: Sightings on October 18, 1991...
.
Allusions:
Steven: "Yeah, that's what they said in The Birds!"
Steve screams this after birds are found dead in the living room after crashing into the house. He's referring to the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds
The Birds (film)
The Birds is a 1963 horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock based on the 1952 short story "The Birds" by Daphne du Maurier. It depicts Bodega Bay, California which is, suddenly and for unexplained reasons, the subject of a series of widespread and violent bird attacks over the course of a few...
.
Doll: "Mommy... mommy..."
Doll without batteries reacts just like Talkie Tina in the episode of The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, "Living Doll."
Episode 3
Episode 3 consists of two segments:Original air date: Tuesday, November 28, 1995, UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
1. "The Brotherhood"
A college freshman at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
in Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
is protected by the ghost of a prior fraternity member killed in a hazing incident. Testimonies from people who experienced real ghosts are included. Phi Beta Delta fraternity is supposed to be the best fraternity at Kansas State University, but is what Josh Pickering is hoping. Among his future brothers, he also meets the ghost of Duncan who protects all new pledges and terrorizes the fraternity's brothers. Josh discovers the story about Duncan after an old alumni member named Wally Marshall who had covered up the truth of Duncan's death dies in the fraternity house. After Duncan warns Josh and the fraternity of a fire, Josh decides to lay Duncan's spirit to rest by making him a part of the fraternity.
2. "The Headless Ghost"
The story of the hauntings at Bobby Mackey's Music World
Bobby Mackey's Music World
Bobby Mackey's Music World is a nightclub and honky tonk that is currently owned by country singer Bobby Mackey and located on 44 Licking Pike in Wilder, Kentucky...
in Wilder, Kentucky
Wilder, Kentucky
Wilder is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wilder is located at ....
.
His pregnant wife is constantly spooked and is nearly attacked even as employee Carl warns Bobby the place is not right. A psychic detects a well under the foundation and a patron is attacked by a presence in the bathroom. Bobby still isn't sure what to make of the haunting, but he loves the publicity they bring to the place.
Cast & Crew
Narrator: Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
Writer: Erik Nelson
Director: Michael Levine
Guest stars: Christopher Daniel Barnes (Josh Pickering), Michael Bowen (Bobby Mackey), Charlene Tilton (Vicki the Bartender), Johnathan Chapin (Alonzo Walling (ghost)), James Walch (The Judge), Khrystyne Haje (Pearl Bryan (ghost)), John Hillard (Richard Lawson), Seth Green (Termite), Brian McGrail (Lewis), Ron Carlson (Duncan (The Fraternity Ghost), Elaine Orth (Cheerleader), Allen Cutler (Robed Man), F. William Parker (Wally Marshall), Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
(Janet Mackey), Rugg Williams (Mike), Linda Cook (Patricia Mischel), Edward Winter (Carl Lawson)
Notes:
Bobby Mackey's Music World
Bobby Mackey's Music World
Bobby Mackey's Music World is a nightclub and honky tonk that is currently owned by country singer Bobby Mackey and located on 44 Licking Pike in Wilder, Kentucky...
has also been explored by the TV series Encounters
Encounters
Encounters is the fourth short story anthology published by the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild. Printed in 2004 and edited by Maxine McArthur and Donna Maree Hanson, it contains stories from several Australian speculative fiction authors.-Stories:...
, Sightings
Sightings
Sightings was an American paranormal documentary and news television series that originally aired from April 17, 1992 to August 1, 1997 on Fox. The program began as a special titled The UFO Report: Sightings on October 18, 1991...
, Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries
Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008...
, A Haunting
A Haunting
A Haunting is an American paranormal docudrama anthology television series that originally aired from October 28, 2005 to November 9, 2007 on the Discovery Channel. The program features narrations, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments based on various accounts of paranormal experiences at...
, and Ghost Adventures
Ghost Adventures
Ghost Adventures is a weekly American paranormal television series that premiered on October 17, 2008 on the Travel Channel. Currently produced by MY-Tupelo Entertainment , the program follows and stars ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin, as they investigate locations that are...
.
Run on the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
in November 1995, the series was now called Real Ghosts. The opening narration was slightly altered, a middle story was dropped and the series started using more recognizable actors, but it was not picked up as a regular series.
Edward Winter, who plays Carl Lawson in the "Headless Ghost" storyline, was actually credited as Ed Winter. Winter is best known for playing Colonel Flagg in the TV series M*A*S*H.
Quotes:
- Vicki: "Come on, sugar, drink up. I'm buying tonight."
- Richard: "Hey, if anyone can drive a man to drink, it's you."
- Bobby: (his foot goes through floor) "No wonder this place is so cheap."
- Carl: (foreshadowing) "That ain't the only reason."
- Bobby: (to Janet) "Nothing up here bites."
- Carl: (foreshadowing again) "Nothing much."
Trivia:
Manhattan, Kansas, the location of the haunted Phi Beta Delta fraternity at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, is also the hometown of Cassandra Peterson
Cassandra Peterson
Cassandra Peterson is an American actress best known for her on-screen horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ wearing a black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation...
, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Allusions:
Josh's opening narration: "Ever since I saw the movie Animal House, I thought it would be a blast to live in a fraternity."
Josh is alluding to the 1975 movie Animal House.
Mike and Josh hear noises in the library when they stay the night.
Mike: "Phasers on stun."
Josh: "Aye, captain."
Their sayings are oriented to the classic Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
series.
Releases
As of 2011, the 3 specials have yet to be given an official release; however, some bootleg copies of individual episodes are available for purchase online.A few segments from Episode 1 are available for viewing via YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.