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In the late 1990s, the world was shocked by the mass suicide of 39 members of a new age religious cult who believed their souls would "graduate" to an alien spacecraft behind the Hale-Bopp Comet. Co-founded by Marshall Applewhite, who once called the group "the cult of cults," & Bonnie Nettles, Heaven's Gate began in 1975 w/ the mysterious disappearance of 20 people from a small town in Oregon - & ended in 1997 w/ the largest suicide ever to take place on U.S. soil. Using never-before-seen footage & 1st-person accounts from former members & their loved ones, this four-part docuseries is a thorough examination of the infamous UFO cult that stunned the globe w/ their out-of-this-world beliefs.

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5pm PT *The Awakening* 

The inception of the group dates back to 1970s Oregon, where founding members Bonnie Nettles & Marshall Applewhite begin to recruit individuals interested in end-of-the-world Christianity, new age religion & UFOs. -

6pm PT *The Chrysalis*

Bonnie & Marshall -- who call themselves Ti & Do -- enforce strict rules of no family communication; after Ti dies from cancer in 1985, a distraught Do briefly allows members to visit their families, & a few consider leaving the group for good. -

7pm PT *The Second Harvest*

Using a sci-fi TV series to help bolster his teachings, Do encourages asexuality & submission, & he even initiates voluntary castrations; having dwindled in number, the group starts recruiting again, but they're met w/ derision & skepticism. - 

8pm PT *The Exit*

The arrival of the Hale-Bopp comet spurs the group members to prepare for their departure; after the authorities are alerted, Heaven's Gate becomes a pop culture phenomenon, but the suicides have a very different effect on those closest to them - TV Passport

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