History CassandraTruth / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/MADtv'', in a parody of ''Series/{{Medium}}''. Allison repeatedly tries to warn the District Attorney of an impending homicide.

* ''Series/FatherBrown'': In "[[Recap/FatherBrownS2E4 The Shadow of the Scaffold]]", Ethel Fernsley, Violet's bedridden mother-in-law, is steadfast in her insistence that Violet murdered her son Ivan, refusing to retract her testimony even after Father Brown points out that she physically couldn't have seen Violet washing blood off of herself. She turns out to be right -- Violet ''did'' murder Ivan, but escapes the scaffold after the police lump his murder in with the rest of Ethel's killings.

** In one of the series' most ironic scenes, Joffrey (who is normally very short-sighted) is concerned by the very real rumours of Daenerys and her dragons, but Lord Tywin shoots him down with the cold and implacable yet incorrect logic that no one has successfully hatched a dragon in over a hundred years.

** Sansa warns Jon that Ramsay will toy with him in the coming battle. Jon brushes it off -- his half-sister isn't a warrior, after all. He then falls for every one of Ramsay's misdirections.

* ''Series/StrangerThings'': [[spoiler:Even when Will's [[GovernmentConspiracy "body"]] is found in the ravine, Joyce insists that her son is not dead, and that he communicates to her through the lights in her house. Understandably, everyone else in town just thinks she's going mad with denial and grief, especially as she has a history with mental instability. Except she's right.]]

* In a ''Series/{{Tracker}}'' episode, a fugitive kills someone inside the bar after Mel lets people in during a snowstorm. Cole tells Vic about his being an alien searching for alien fugitives, and Vic naturally thinks he's crazy.

* In the late third season of ''Series/{{Revenge}}'', Victoria begins to suspect, and ultimately confirms, that Emily is Amanda Clarke. However, Emily sets things up so that Victoria's knowledge comes across as madness.

* On the season 2 finale of ''Series/TheRookie2018'', Nolan suspects that [[spoiler: Armstrong]] is a corrupt cop. He tracks down twisted serial killer Rosiland (who [[spoiler: Armstrong]] arrested years ago) who relates she once broke into his house to discover evidence of [[spoiler: Armstrong]]'s corruption but kept quiet. As Rosiland herself sums up, who would take the word of a known serial killer over a respected police detective?

* In the first season finale of ''Series/{{Shark}}'', Stark is able to finally convict serial killer Wayne Callison (who had walked on an obvious murder case before) of the murder of a young girl with Stark's team assuming Wayne's claims of innocence are just his usual game. At the end, Wayne is convicted and Stark shows up at his cell to reveal that he knows Wayne [[spoiler: is innocent...Because the girl committed suicide and Stark got an M.E., a female cop and the girl's mother to all agree to make it look like Wayne killed her as a massive frame job with his own team having no idea. Wayne smirks that Stark has just given him perfect grounds for an appeal but Sebastian laughs at the idea he'd be telling all this if there was even a shred of evidence to prove it. There are no records, the body was cremated so it can't be tested for suicide and the only people who know will never talk. Thus, the only other person who knows the truth is an imprisoned psychopath and who's going to believe him?]]

* A running joke in Creator/PeterDavid ''Franchise/StarTrek'' novels is how Starfleet Command assumed Kirk's reports of things like meeting Greek gods or his first office's brain being stolen were just a bored Kirk messing with them.

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine''
** Played with in the episode "In The Cards". Jake and Nog's ChainOfDeals has attracted the attention of the bad guys, who refuse to believe they're going to all that effort to get a baseball card for Jake's dad. Jake therefore decides to take RefugeInAudacity, and instead claims they need the card for a secret Starfleet mission; [[BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy Willie Mays is a time traveller]], and they have to find out what he was doing in the past. After a moment of uncertainty, Weyoun accepts they were telling the truth the first time around.
** In the same episode, Jake and Nog's attempts to tell station personnel that something weird is going on (without mentioning the card) consistently fail when they get to Dr Elias Giger and his "cellular regeneration and entertainment device" (understandably, since the implication of the episode was that this was {{Technobabble}} by ''Star Trek'' standards). Weyoun turns out to believe that as well.
* Interestingly, this is often subverted on ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. As Picard openly points out, he and the ''Enterprise'' crew have seen so many wild and unusual events that they're open to the idea of something even if it seems impossible.
** In "Remember Me," people are disappearing left and right but Dr. Crusher is the only one who notices; as soon as they disappear, nobody has ever heard of them. Nevertheless, although the remaining crew members don't know what to make of Dr. Crusher's increasingly frantic assertions about people they have no memory of (ultimately it's just her and Picard, and he believes firmly that just the two of them have always been the entire crew), none of them ever simply dismiss her concerns.
** In "Realm of Fear," Barclay, an officer known for extreme nervousness and bad relations with others, insists he saw some sort of alien creature while inside a transporter beam. Picard gives him a long look...then orders the transporters taken off-line and Geordi and Data to go over every inch of the systems. Picard knows Barclay is fully aware of his already-fragile reputation and wouldn't be making a claim like this unless he truly believed it...and as it turns out, he's right.

* On ''Series/TouchedByAnAngel'', a few episodes have Monica up front on being an angel and naturally not believed.

** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS1E11AndWhenTheSkyWasOpened And When the Sky Was Opened]]", Colonel Clegg Forbes frantically attempts to convince everyone that Colonel Ed Harrington has disappeared and they have all forgotten that he ever existed but to no avail. Major William Gart finally realizes that he was telling the truth when Forbes disappears and he is the only one to remember him.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS2E49BackThere Back There]]", Peter Corrigan is arrested for disturbing the peace on April 14, 1865 when he goes to Ford's Theatre and starts banging on the stage door and yelling that UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln is going to be assassinated during the performance of ''Our American Cousin'' that night. The police believe that he is either drunk or a Union soldier who is emotionally disturbed.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E92PersonOrPersonsUnknown Person or Persons Unknown]]", David Gurney awakes one morning to discover that no one recognizes him or has even heard of him. He desperately tries to convince everyone that he meets of his identity and, in most cases, that they know him very well but without success.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E98TheDummy The Dummy]]", Jerry Etherson desperately tries to convince his agent Frank that his dummy Willie really is alive. At Frank's insistence, he has gone to see numerous psychiatrists and tried to convince them of the same thing but they all diagnosed this belief as a symptom of schizophrenia.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E112NoTimeLikeThePast No Time Like the Past]]", Paul Driscoll attempts to warn a Hiroshima police captain about the impending atomic bombing on August 6, 1945 and the captain of the RMS ''Lusitania'' about its impending sinking by the ''U-20'' on May 7, 1915 but both of them believe that he is insane.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E123NightmareAt20000Feet Nightmare at 20,000 Feet]]", Bob Wilson frantically attempts to convince everyone that there is a gremlin on the wing of the plane but no one believes him. His credibility is severely suspect since he has just been released from a sanatarium after having a nervous breakdown on a plane six months earlier. [[spoiler:[[SubvertedTrope However]], Rod Serling says in his closing narration that the damage to the plane's engine will be discovered and Bob will be vindicated.]]
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E130The7thIsMadeUpOfPhantoms The 7th is Made Up of Phantoms]]", Sgt. William Connors and Private Michael [=McCluskey=], both of whom are extremely knowledgeable about the Battle of Little Bighorn, believe that they have gone back in time to June 25, 1876. Corporal Richard Langsford thinks that it is nothing more than an illusion but he eventually realizes the truth of the situation. When they return to base camp, Captain Dennet does not believe them either but he is later convinced when he sees the three soldiers' names on the Custer Battlefield National Memorial.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E138BlackLeatherJackets Black Leather Jackets]]", Scott tells Ellen Tillman that he is an alien whose race intends to [[GuiltFreeExterminationWar exterminate humanity]] by [[WaterSourceTampering poisoning their water supply with deadly bacteria]]. She does not believe his story and tells her parents Stuart and Martha. Stuart then calls the police to report that Scott is mentally disturbed and needs help. Deputy Sheriff Harper turns out to be an alien and Scott is taken away, presumably to be killed.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E148CaesarAndMe Caesar and Me]]", Jonathan West attempts to prove to his landlady Agnes Cudahy and the police that his ventriloquist's dummy Caesar is alive and convinced him to rob both the delicatessen and the nightclub. However, Caesar refuses to speak in front of them and Jonathan, who is presumed to be insane, is arrested.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E154ComeWanderWithMe Come Wander With Me]]", Mary Rachel is unable to convince Floyd Burney that they have experienced the events surrounding the death of Billy Rayford [[GroundhogDayLoop many times before]].

** In "The Burning Man", Doug and Aunt Neva pick up a dirty, disheveled man while driving through Kansas. He immediately begins ranting and raving about people who are born evil, telling Doug and Aunt Neva that they should be wary of genetic evil. He compares such people to seventeen year locusts and warns that they [[ImAHumanitarian eat people]] "fried, cooked, boiled and parboiled." Aunt Neva has finally had enough of his wild stories and throws him out of her car. That night, the two of them pick up a [[CreepyChild strange boy in a white suit]] who claims to have been left behind after a town picnic. After making the car stop, the boy asks Doug and Aunt Neva, "Have you ever wondered if there was such a thing as genetic evil in the world?" The headlights of the car then go out, implying that he is going to kill Doug and Aunt Neva.
** In "The Little People of Killany Woods", no one in Kelly's pub believes Liam O'Shaughnessy when he says that he has seen {{Leprechaun}}s under a giant toadstool in Killany Woods. When he follows Liam to the woods in the hope of getting more gold, Mike Mulvaney discovers that the little people are actually aliens and that the toadstool is their spaceship. He returns to Kelly's to tell the townspeople what he saw but none of them believe him.
** In "The Once and Future King", Gary Pitkin is an ElvisImpersonator from 1986 who [[DeadPersonImpersonation assumed the identity]] of Music/ElvisPresley after accidentally killing him on July 4, 1954. In the 1970s, he tries to convince Sandra, who will be his manager by 1986, that he is simply pretending to be the real King. However, Sandra doesn't believe him. She later comes to think that it was merely another example of Elvis' often strange and eccentric behavior towards the end of his life.
** In "The Convict's Piano", Ricky Frost tells the prison doctor Puckett that he was transported back in time to 1899 and 1917 after playing songs from those years on the old piano in the reception hall. Puckett clearly does not believe a word that he is saying. The next day, Ricky tells Eddie O'Hara that he can come with him to 1928 and get his revenge on his old nemesis Mickey Shaughnessy if he touches the piano while he is playing "Someone to Watch Over Me". Eddie retorts that he has been in prison too long to believe in magic. [[SubvertedTrope However]], he realizes that Ricky is telling the truth when he disappears in front of his eyes. He receives further proof when Shaughnessy is sent forward in time after playing the piano himself.
** In "The Card", Linda Wolfe is unable to convince her husband Brian that the family had a cat named Boris and a dog named Scooby [[RetGone who have disappeared]] and [[RippleEffectProofMemory whom only she can remember]]. Brian thinks that she should see a psychiatrist because of these delusions about non-existent pets. The situation becomes even more serious when their children Matt, Evan and B.J. disappear, having been acquired by the card company. Brian explains to Linda that they never had any children and tries in vain to calm her down. He is even more convinced than before that she is having a breakdown.
** In "Private Channel", an obnoxious teenage boy named Keith Barnes gains the ability to read minds using his Walkman after his flight is struck by lightning. He soon discovers that one of the passengers intends to blow up the plane. Keith tries to warn the stewardess Gloria but she thinks that he is making a sick joke and tells him that he could be arrested for doing so. She is also not inclined to believe him because they had an earlier run-in when he rudely refused to turn off his Walkman.
** In "Voices in the Earth", Professor Donald Knowles attempts to convince his friend, commanding officer and former student Jacinda Carlyle that the ghosts of the dead Earth appeared to him while he was exploring the ruins of a library. However, they refuse his requests to make an appearance in Jacinda's presence. Jacinda is concerned that he may be going insane.
** In "The Curious Case of Edgar Witherspoon", the psychiatrist Dr. Jeremy Sinclair does not believe the title character's claims that his [[RubeGoldbergDevice contraption made from discarded odds and ends]] is vital to keeping the world in balance and preventing major catastrophes. He comes to the conclusion that Edgar is suffering from delusions of grandeur. [[SubvertedTrope However]], Dr. Sinclair realizes that Edgar was telling the truth when he learns that the tiny South Pacific island of Tatoa was destroyed by a tidal wave at 3:17 pm local time, which is exactly what Edgar said would happen when his contraption was disturbed. Sinclair then rushes to Edgar's apartment to stop his landlady Mrs. Milligan from destroying it.
** In "Something in the Walls", Sharon Miles, who voluntarily committed herself to Crest Ridge Sanitarium, tells her new psychologist Dr. Mallory Craig that there are creatures living in the walls and elsewhere that can only be seen if you look for long enough. She believes that the creatures are attempting to kill her and refuses to have anything with patterns in her presence as they can travel through these patterns. Dr. Craig believes that they are merely hallucinations and attempts to treat Sharon on that basis. Sharon is later absorbed into the wall and [[EquivalentExchange replaced by one of the creatures]] that has taken her form. [[SubvertedTrope However]], Dr. Craig notices a crack in Sharon's room and becomes concerned that her fears may have been justified.

* ''Series/TheUmbrellaAcademy'':

* Used somewhat originally in the ''V'' miniseries; the aliens announce their presence and are apparently very upfront about why they are visiting Earth. It's revealed however, this is just a fallacy and the actual reason is much worse. However, they bring cures to diseases we still haven't found among other helpful things and most are reluctant to listen to any who speak out against them. Things get worse once they start recruiting young people as eyes and ears to report on any who might oppose them.

* In ''Series/ResidentAlien'' an alien is impersonating Dr. Harry Vanderspiegle. Young Max Hawthorne can see through "Harry"'s disguise, but can't convince anyone that "Harry" is really an alien. Despite this, Harry is still out to silence Max to keep his secret.
** Eventually, the pair come to a truce with Max realizing accusing Harry of being an alien with no proof will just make his parents think he's crazy while Harry realizes that if anything happens to Max, it'll suddenly look suspicious.

** Another ''3rd Rock'' example: when Dick is facing an IRS audit he finally breaks down and confesses to being an alien, to which the tax guy simply mutters, "Sorry, I've heard that one before."

* ''Series/BanjunDrama'': * In "Dangerous Love," Jun-su won't believe Chang-min's assertions of seeing an unfamiliar person in Hee-bon's house even though she says she lives alone. When Chang-min tells Jun-su at first, he believes Chang-min's jealous of him and Hee-bon being close. Hee-bon does eventually confess to having an additional occupant later on.

* ''Series:BanjunDrama'': * In "Dangerous Love," Jun-su won't believe Chang-min's assertions of seeing an unfamiliar person in Hee-bon's house even though she says she lives alone. When Chang-min tells Jun-su at first, he believes Chang-min's jealous of him and Hee-bon being close. Hee-bon does eventually confess to having an additional occupant later on.

* ''Series/GothamKnights'': In "[[Recap/GothamKnights2023S1E13NightOfTheOwls Night of the Owls]]", naturally the cops are incredulous at hearing the Gotham Knights' stories that the Court of Owls has an [[ImmortalityInducer immortality-inducing material]] and immortal assassins due to this. Until said assassins come for them, killing many cops while doing so.

* This happens with two of Jimmy's schemes in ''Series/BetterCallSaul''. Chuck details to Kim, as well as several people at both HHM and Mesa Verde, exactly what Jimmy did with the Mesa Verde documents. Kim believes him but pretends not to; Howard, Kevin, and Paige don't believe him at all. [[spoiler: His breakdown in court later in the season]] doesn't help his case. It happens *again* when Kim and Jimmy scam Howard Hamlin in season 6. Howard details the scheme with the drugs and staged photos to a t, but Cliff Main–despite the fact that he knows what Jimmy is capable of, given how Jimmy managed to quit Davis & Main with his bonus intact–doesn't believe Howard.

** In the ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'' episodes where the current Rangers team up with the previous group, the plot starts with a young girl discovering that aliens are secretly kidnapping people in the building her father works at. When trying to tell the genial old secretary on the first floor about it, the woman kindly informs her that monsters don't exist. Despite the fact that they live in an area currently infested by demons that attack weekly in an effort to completely wipe their city off the map so they can recreate their ancient society, and the Earth had been menaced for years before that by the villains of previous seasons very publicly, including a full-on invasion during ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace''.

** In the ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'' episodes where the current Rangers team up with the previous group, the plot starts with a young girl discovering that aliens are secretly kidnapping people in the building her father works at. When trying to tell the genial old secretary on the first floor about it, the woman kindly informs her that monsters don't exist. Despite the fact that they live in an area currently infested by demons that attack weekly in an effort to completely wipe their city off the map so they can recreate their ancient society.