The Real Story Episode Rating Graph

Perhaps the scariest part of "The Exorcist" is that it's not a work of complete fiction. We recount the 1949 exorcism of a young boy through reenactments and witness accounts. We also show how exorcism continues to this day and how neuroscientists' recent discoveries dispute this controversial, centuries-old ritual.

Reviewing the Real Life Inspiration behind the movie "Scream"

Reviewing the truth behind the movie 'The Da Vinci Code'.

Reviewing the truth behind the movie 'Platoon'.

Reviewing the history and the science of one of the Die Hard movies.

With 12 films and multiple television series in its thirty-year history, Star Trek is one of the most successful franchises in film history. The Real Story investigates the life of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and reveals actual scientific advances that inspired the series or were inspired by its fiction. Featuring interviews with actor Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock); the producer of the Star Trek TV series; Roddenberry’s son, Rod; and original members of the Star Trek fan club, the program charts Roddenberry’s meteoric rise to fame and extreme tactics to keep his series on the air.

Though it is a work of fiction, few films have been as meticulously researched as director Peter Weir's maritime masterpiece, "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." The historians and experts who worked behind the scenes will now share the real story of how they brought their stunning recreation of the 19th-century seafaring adventure to the big screen. Join us as we detail the brutal conditions of life at sea, and reveal the real-life swashbuckling captain who inspired the Hollywood character "Lucky" Jack Aubrey.

Mel Gibson's "Braveheart" won five Oscars and made William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish warrior, an unforgettable Hollywood character. But how historically accurate is the film? Was the real-life William Wallace a heroic freedom fighter or a common criminal turned terrorist? Was he really saved by a princess who became his lover? We examine new archeological evidence, reveal recently deciphered ancient manuscripts and conduct forensic experiments to uncover the true story of this legendary warrior.

Al Capone was a notorious Mafia boss who thrived during the Prohibition era of 1930s Chicago. In the film "The Untouchables," he was brought down by a small group of gritty law enforcers led by Eliot Ness. The public believed that Ness and his Untouchables were responsible for Capone's downfall, but that's not the real story. The Internal Revenue Service recently opened secret documents surrounding the case, including highly classified objects such as Capone's gun and Ness's diary. See the full story behind the plot to capture Capone.

Uncover the true story behind the most famous prison break in American history. Alcatraz was the world's most impregnable prison-until three inmates escaped. Despite a vast manhunt, the men were never seen again. Did the prisoners actually make it off the island, or did the icy waters of the San Francisco Bay act as the fortress' last line of inescapable defense?

Just who was the real Indiana Jones? Indy's creators George Lucas and Steven Spielberg say the inspiration for the whip-cracking adventurer came from the explorers featured in 1930s and 40s movie serials. In turn, many writers of these serials say their inspiration came from the real-life adventures of Roy Chapman Andrews. Another source for the Indy legend is the German scholar and Grail-hunter, Otto Rahn. Both embody the spirit of Indiana Jones, and lived real lives of scholarship, exploration and danger.

The quiet village of Amityville, NY took the country by gruesome surprise on November 13, 1974, when police discovered six members of the DeFeo family shot dead in their suburban home. Ronald, the eldest son, was found guilty of the murders. But when a new family moves into the DeFeo's Amityville home, reports of demonic possession and poltergeist activity grab international attention. Through eyewitness accounts and archival footage, we explore the facts behind the Amityville case and reveal new evidence, which suggests a hoax could be behind the horror.

Bond...James Bond. Is this man of mystery a personification of a real spy or a fantasy spun by author Ian Fleming? Fleming wanted his suave secret agent to be the ultimate spy - but who provided the inspiration? Discover Fleming's wartime service in naval intelligence, and meet two men who could have supplied the basis for Bond's character. Uncover the facts behind the fiction - the people, places and even the gadgets that inspired the iconic spy.

Meet the deranged serial killers and the determined FBI agents who inspired one of Hollywood's most terrifying thrillers and gave Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster the roles of a lifetime. We go behind the scenes at the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit to meet the profilers who became the basis for Harris's characters and to uncover the details of real-life murderers Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and others.

Believe it or not, the covert, violent, and deadly world of Jason Bourne is actually grounded in reality. We take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the CIA to see how a super assassin like Matt Damon's conflicted hero is created. We also probe the intelligence agency's controversial past operations, involving sinister mind-control experiments and often bizarre assassination plots.

Behind Martin Scorsese's masterful direction and Robert De Niro's larger-than-life performance lies the very real story of the high-stakes battle between the mob and the law for control of Las Vegas. We interview key figures on both sides of this colorful crime story and detail how the FBI was finally able to overcome the Mafia's formidable grip on Sin City.