S4. Case 2: Dad's Phone

Uncanny

BBC

Personal Journals, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.7 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2024

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Wendy’s father Harry was a British Spitfire pilot during World War II who moved to Texas to work in espionage. When he becomes ill with cancer, he promises Wendy that if there is life after death, he will reach out to her. This isn’t that comforting, their relationship has always been difficult - Harry used many of the espionage techniques he was schooled in to control and monitor Wendy, like a real-life version of Robert De Niro’s character in Meet the Parents.

When Harry dies, Wendy moves into his house in Austin and then… her Dad’s phone begins to ring by itself. It's disconnected, what's happening is impossible, so is this Harry reaching out? And what will it take to make him let go?

Written and presented by Danny Robins Experts: Cal Cooper and Jeff Belanger Editing and sound design: Charlie Brandon-King Music: Evelyn Sykes Theme music by Lanterns on the Lake Script editor: Dale Shaw Development producer: Sarah Patten Production manager: Tam Reynolds Commissioning executive: Paula McDonnell Commissioning editor: Rhian Roberts Produced by Danny Robins and Simon Barnard

A Bafflegab and Uncanny Media production for BBC Radio 4

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Helena Bonkarter and this is history's secret heroes.
0:07.0	In this series we'll hear stories of daring secret missions and rarely heard tales from World War II, like Emily, the enigmatic high-ranking
0:17.2	codebreaker, and Tremont, the escape artist, interned in a German camp.
0:24.0	Tales of danger, dynamism and downright determination.
0:27.8	The new series of history's secret heroes.
0:30.5	Listen first on BBC Sounds.
0:35.0	BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.
0:41.0	He was very clear and firm. If there is life after death, I will reach out to you.
0:47.0	The idea of ghosts can be terrifying.
0:51.0	But the flip side is it can also be deeply comforting the idea that those we have loved and lost are still out there somewhere trying to get through.
1:00.0	And so what I was expecting, I guess, was a knocking or something on his birthday.
1:08.0	But is it possible that even those we've loved can out stay there welcome.
1:12.9	I thought it was cool, but actually it was kind of unsettling.
1:17.4	I mean, is he seeing everything that I'm doing?
1:21.4	This episode, we have a strange moving eerie new case to investigate about a dad who won't let go.
1:28.0	I think about it and go if you're going to show yourself don't make it when I'm in the shower for crying out loud. I'm Danny
1:35.5	Robbins and this is uncanny USA.
1:41.8	I have this thought it knocks on walls inside my mind. I know what I saw
1:55.0	I know what I saw
2:00.0	I know what I'm so. Case 2, Dad's phone.
2:15.0	Dad's phone.
2:17.0	Hello, I'm at Atlanta Airport right now, the busiest airport in the world.
	...

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