American true crime television series
This article is about a television show. For conjectures or open problems in various fields, see
Unsolved problems
.
Unsolved Mysteries
|
---|
|
Genre
| |
---|
Created by
|
- John Cosgrove
- Terry Dunn Meurer
|
---|
Presented by
| |
---|
Country of origin
| United States
|
---|
Original language
| English
|
---|
No.
of seasons
| 16
|
---|
No.
of episodes
| 602
(
list of episodes
)
|
---|
|
Executive producers
|
- John Cosgrove
- Terry Dunn Meurer
|
---|
Producers
|
- Raymond Bridgers
- Stuart Schwartz
- Jim Lindsay
|
---|
Running time
|
- 42 minutes (1987?2010)
- 36?53 minutes (2020?present)
|
---|
Production companies
| |
---|
|
Network
| NBC
|
---|
Release
| January 20, 1987
(
1987-01-20
)
?
August 8, 1997
(
1997-08-08
)
|
---|
Network
| CBS
|
---|
Release
| November 13, 1997
(
1997-11-13
)
?
June 11, 1999
(
1999-06-11
)
|
---|
Network
| Lifetime
|
---|
Release
| July 2, 2001
(
2001-07-02
)
?
September 20, 2002
(
2002-09-20
)
|
---|
Network
| Spike
|
---|
Release
| October 13, 2008
(
2008-10-13
)
?
April 27, 2010
(
2010-04-27
)
|
---|
Network
| Netflix
|
---|
Release
| July 1, 2020
(
2020-07-01
)
?
present
(
present
)
|
---|
Unsolved Mysteries
is an American mystery documentary television series, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting
cold cases
and
paranormal
phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by
Raymond Burr
,
Karl Malden
, and
Robert Stack
, beginning on
NBC
on January 20, 1987, becoming a full-fledged series on October 5, 1988, hosted by Stack. After nine seasons on NBC, the series moved to
CBS
for its 10th season on November 13, 1997. After adding
Virginia Madsen
as a co-host during season 11 failed to boost slipping ratings, CBS canceled the series after only a two-season, 12-episode run on June 11, 1999. The series was revived by
Lifetime
in 2000, with season 12 beginning on July 2, 2001.
Unsolved Mysteries
aired 103 episodes on Lifetime, before ending on September 20, 2002, an end that coincided with Stack's illness and eventual death.
After a six-year absence, the series was resurrected by
Spike
in 2007, and began airing on October 13, 2008. This new, revived version was hosted by
Dennis Farina
, who mainly tied together repackaged segments from the original episodes. Farina hosted 175 episodes before the series ended again on April 27, 2010. Cosgrove-Meurer Productions maintains a website for the show, featuring popular accounts and ongoing
cold cases
(murder or missing persons), with a
link
to an online form should a viewer have information on an unsolved crime. As of 2017, the show maintains a
YouTube
page where viewers can submit their own mysteries. If accepted,
Unsolved Mysteries
posts a video of the viewer describing the mystery. That same year,
FilmRise
acquired worldwide digital distribution rights to the series and announced its intent to release updated versions of its episodes. These shows are currently streaming on
Amazon Prime
,
Tubi TV
, and on its own dedicated channel on
Pluto TV
in the United States and the United Kingdom.
[1]
[2]
Since February 2017, the Spike episodes have been officially posted on YouTube, split into eight seasons.
[3]
In July 2017, the series began streaming on
Hulu
in the United States.
[4]
Between February and March 2019, FilmRise began posting digitally restored and re-edited episodes, hosted by Stack, on YouTube.
[5]
On June 22, 2018, Terror Vision Records released the official soundtrack for the series.
[6]
In 2017, the show's creators expressed interest in reviving the series.
[7]
On January 18, 2019,
Netflix
picked up a reboot of the series
[8]
which premiered on July 1, 2020. The first season of the reboot was split into two volumes containing six episodes each.
[9]
In September 2022, Netflix announced that a third volume of new episodes would begin streaming in October 2022.
[10]
A fourth volume is expected sometime in 2024.
[11]
Overview
[
edit
]
Unsolved Mysteries
used a documentary format to profile real-life mysteries
[12]
and featured re-enactments of unsolved crimes, missing persons cases, conspiracy theories and unexplained paranormal phenomena (
alien abductions
, ghosts,
UFOs
, and "secret history" theories).
The concept was created in a series of three specials produced by John Cosgrove and Terry-Dunn Meurer, which were pitched to
NBC
in 1985 and shown in 1986 with the title, "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?" The success of the specials led Cosgrove and Meurer to broaden the series to include mysteries of all kinds.
The pilot of what eventually became
Unsolved Mysteries
was a special that aired on NBC on January 20, 1987, with
Raymond Burr
as host/narrator. Throughout the 1987?88 television season, six more specials aired, the first two hosted by
Karl Malden
and the final four by
Robert Stack
. Because of the incorporation of paranormal mysteries,
NBC News
disowned the series when the network aired on NBC and required that a disclaimer aired before each show clarify that it was "not a news broadcast."
In 1988, the show debuted as a weekly program on
NBC
. Ratings steadily dropped after the 1993?94 season. Until 2002, it was hosted by Stack. In its second season on CBS in 1999, Stack was joined by co-host
Virginia Madsen
. Episodes released between 1995 and 1997 featured journalist
Keely Shaye Smith
and television host Lu Hanessian as correspondents in the show's "phone center", where they provided updates on previous stories as information for "special bulletin" segments. A March 14, 1997, episode featured journalist
Cathy Scott
in the reenactment of rapper
Tupac Shakur
's 1996 unsolved murder.
[13]
This broadcast was one week after the murder of
Biggie Smalls
. In 2002, the series was canceled by Lifetime. In 2008, television network
Spike
revived the series with
Dennis Farina
as its host; the Spike revival ended in 2010.
The show was known for its eerie
theme song
composed by Michael Boyd and Gary Remal Malkin, and for Stack's grim presence and ominous narration. The theme music was changed seven times, in 1993, 1995,
[14]
[15]
1997, 1999, 2001, 2008, and 2020. The 2020 version of the theme was arranged, performed, and recorded by
West Dylan Thordson
.
Updates
[
edit
]
Viewers were occasionally given updates on success stories, where suspects were brought to justice and loved ones were reunited.
The show itself has been credited for bringing increased attention to certain cases and thus allowing them to be solved. One episode featured a video of an arsonist filming an unidentified house being burned down while he was giving strange commentary. Once it had been featured on the show, viewers were able to identify the house involved, and two suspects were arrested.
[16]
Broadcast history
[
edit
]
NBC (1987?1997)
[
edit
]
The show first aired on
NBC
from 1987 to 1997. The pilot episode was hosted by actor
Raymond Burr
.
Karl Malden
and
Robert Stack
were also hired to host further specials. When the series became a full-fledged television program in 1988, Stack became the full-time host.
Unsolved Mysteries
was also one of the few prime-time shows of its era to appeal to fans of the supernatural and used effective
special effects
to enhance tales of the unexplained.
In 1992, NBC aired a short-lived
dramatized court show
spin-off program called
Final Appeal: From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries
, also hosted by Stack. The premise of this program was to try to give the unjustly accused a final appeal for help, with the debut episode taking an in-depth look at the
Jeffrey MacDonald
case. The program was canceled after only a few episodes due to poor ratings.
CBS (1997?1999)
[
edit
]
The ratings for
Unsolved Mysteries
had been steadily declining ever since it was moved from its original Wednesday evening timeslot to
Friday evenings
in the fall of 1994. At the end of the 1996?97 season, it was canceled by NBC. Upon the cancelation from NBC, CBS picked up the series for a tenth season. The first episode aired in November 1997 as an
Unsolved Mysteries
special. When CBS canceled its
Block Party
line-up in the spring of 1998, the network moved the show to its Friday 9:00 pm timeslot. During the show's run on CBS, the series was limited to only six-episode seasons, and was airing only on a sporadic schedule. Reruns aired during the summer of 1998 with heavy promotion of the return of the
NFL on CBS
with the upcoming 1998 NFL season. When the series returned for its abbreviated 11th season in the spring of 1999, Stack was joined by actress
Virginia Madsen
for hosting duties in an attempt to boost its female audience.
[17]
The effort failed, and CBS canceled the show soon afterwards. Later cable reruns of segments originally narrated by Madsen were re-dubbed with Stack's voice.
Lifetime (2001?2002)
[
edit
]
Lifetime Television
, which had been airing re-runs of the NBC episodes since the early 1990s, had ordered a two-season run of new episodes which began airing in 2001. Consisting of a mixture of new and old cases, these episodes were produced between 2001 and 2002, and usually aired on weekdays between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The program ceased producing new episodes when Stack was diagnosed with prostate cancer in late 2002. He died of heart failure in May 2003.
[18]
After Stack's death, old episodes continued to run in syndication on several television networks in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
During some shows, callers gave tips to the telecenter. When the show was in active production, the
Toll Free
number was displayed on the bottom of the screen below the title logo at the end of each segment. When the show left active production following Stack's death and went into reruns, the number was removed and replaced with a P.O. box address.
Spike TV (2008?2010)
[
edit
]
According to
Broadcasting & Cable
, in 2007,
HBO Distribution
announced plans to bring back
Unsolved Mysteries
when the cable channel
Lifetime
's contract expired in 2008. The show featured a new set, a new logo, new music, and updates on old cases. In addition, actor
Dennis Farina
became the new host, as Stack had died five years earlier. The show debuted on
Spike
on October 13, 2008.
[19]
This repackaged series run was criticized by fans for its presentation of past cases only, with no new case segments being produced. The existing segments were also edited to be shorter so the show could be expanded to present five cases in an hour rather than the four of the original series. Because the majority of the cases were now between 20 and 40 years old, the re-edited segments usually did not reference the years in which the events presented originally occurred. When updates for solved cases aired, Dennis Farina's voiceover would refer to cases "in a recent broadcast...", when the case may have already been solved during the show's original run or during the series' hiatus from 2002 onward.
Unsolved Mysteries
ended its run on Spike on April 27, 2010.
Netflix (2020?present)
[
edit
]
A 12-part
reboot
was announced by
Deadline Hollywood
on January 18, 2019. The series is being "refreshed" by
Stranger Things
executive producer
Shawn Levy
and his company
21 Laps Entertainment
along with Cosgrove-Meurer Productions and Netflix. Cosgrove and Meurer are showrunners for the series, with Levy and Josh Barry being executive producers. Robert Wise is a co-executive producer, along with showrunner Dunn Meurer. Each episode focuses on a single mystery.
[8]
Cosgrove stated that the reboot would be "pure documentary style" and would have no host or narrator;
[20]
however, an image of longtime host Robert Stack can be seen in the
title sequence
for each episode as an homage to his impact on the show.
[21]
The first six episodes of the new season became available to stream starting July 1, 2020.
[22]
In August 2020, it was reported that 13.7% of subscribers had watched the series over its first month.
[23]
On September 1, 2021, Netflix formally announced that it had ordered an additional season of the series set to launch in the summer of 2022.
[24]
On September 6, 2022, Netflix announced a third volume of nine new episodes, billed as a "three-night event", would begin streaming October 18, October 25, and November 1, 2022.
[10]
Netflix announced in February 2024 that a fourth volume of episodes would air sometime that same year.
[11]
Episodes
[
edit
]
Notable actors and celebrities
[
edit
]
Famous actors and celebrities have appeared on the show, both as role actors (before finding stardom) and also in episodes where they had a connection with the events being portrayed.
As role actors
[
edit
]
In 1992,
Unsolved Mysteries
filmed in Texas and cast
Matthew McConaughey
to play a murder victim. This was one of McConaughey's earliest on-screen roles.
[25]
Cheryl Hines
,
Stephnie Weir
,
Bill Moseley
,
Ned Bellamy
, Scott Wilkinson,
Daniel Dae Kim
,
David Ramsey
,
Diane Franklin
,
Steve Reevis
,
Donna Mitchell
and
Taran Killam
also appeared on the program before receiving more notable work in Hollywood.
[26]
[27]
[28]
Hill Harper
also appeared in an episode about a woman looking for a childhood friend whom she later discovered was indeed her sister.
Connections with episodes
[
edit
]
U.S. television ratings and awards
[
edit
]
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of
Unsolved Mysteries
.
- Note: U.S. network television seasons generally start in late September and end in late May, which coincides with the completion of May
sweeps
.
The figure reflected starting with the 1988?89 season and ending with the 1996?97 season represents the total number of households viewing the program. Starting with the 1997?98 season, the viewing figure is based on total number of viewers.
Season
|
TV Season
|
Rank
|
Viewers
(in millions)
|
1
|
1988?89
|
#17
[30]
|
15.7
|
2
|
1989?90
|
#11
[31]
|
16.6
|
3
|
1990?91
|
#16
[32]
|
14.6
|
4
|
1991?92
|
#13
[33]
|
15.2
|
5
|
1992?93
|
#21
[34]
|
13.2
|
6
|
1993?94
|
#36
|
12.0
|
7
|
1994?95
|
#75
|
9.0
|
8
|
1995?96
|
#59
|
9.4
|
9
|
1996?97
|
#53
|
8.6
|
10
|
1997?98
|
#86
[35]
|
9.9
|
11
|
1998?99
|
#75
[36]
|
9.7
|
The original NBC telecast was nominated six times for an
Emmy Award
for
outstanding informational series
in 1989?1993 and 1995.
[37]
The series won the
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
Award for Top TV Series twice, in 1992 and 1993; both times, the recipients were Michael Boyd and Gary Malkin for their work on the show's music theme.
[38]
Home media
[
edit
]
First Look Studios
released six theme-based DVD sets in Region 1 in 2004/2005. The sets were re-released on June 21, 2005 with a lower suggested retail price. On March 21, 2006, a compilation set called
The Best of Unsolved Mysteries
was released, which contained selected segments from each of the earlier DVD sets along with some previously unreleased-on-DVD content. A special boxed set featuring the first six sets along with the new content from the
Best of
collection was also produced.
DVD Name
|
No. of Ep. #
|
Release Date
|
Volume 1: UFOs
|
26
|
September 7, 2004
|
Volume 2: Ghosts
|
34
|
September 14, 2004
|
Volume 3: Miracles
|
33
|
October 26, 2004
|
Volume 4: Incredible Psychics
|
28
|
January 25, 2005
|
Volume 5: Bizarre Murders
|
32
|
January 25, 2005
|
Volume 6: Strange Legends
|
27
|
February 15, 2005
|
Special Volume: Treasures & Ghosts
|
10
|
September 14, 2004
|
The Best of Unsolved Mysteries
|
33
|
March 21, 2006
|
Unsolved Mysteries: The Ultimate Collection
|
190
|
April 25, 2006
|
DVD Title/Volume
|
Disc
|
Episode/Segment Title
|
Original Title
|
Original Air Date
|
Commentaries
|
Special Features
|
UFOs
|
1
|
Bentwaters UFO
|
Rendlesham Forest Incident
|
September 18, 1991
|
|
Creator Introduction
|
|
|
Allagash Abductions
|
The Allagash Abductions
|
September 18, 1994
|
Allagash Abductions
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Raymond Bridgers
|
|
|
Crop Circles
|
Canada Crop Circles
|
August 8, 2002
|
|
|
|
Phoenix UFO
|
Phoenix Lights
|
May 29, 1998
|
Phoenix UFO
Commentary by David Vassar
|
Behind the Scenes the 150th Solve
|
|
|
Nazca Lines
|
|
November 10, 1995
|
|
|
|
Mexico UFO
|
Mexico City UFO
|
October 28, 1994
|
|
Robert Stack Tribute
|
|
|
Vancouver Lights
|
|
December 12, 1990
|
|
UFOs
|
2
|
Roswell
|
Roswell Crash
|
September 20, 1989
|
Roswell
Commentary by Raymond Bridgers
|
|
|
|
Roswell/Area 51 Connection
|
Area 51
|
September 18, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Hudson Valley UFO
|
Hudson River UFO
|
September 16, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Belgian UFO
|
Belgium UFO
|
November 20, 1991
|
Belgian UFO
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Falcon Lake UFO
|
|
November 4, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
UFO Healing
|
Lynne Plaskett
|
April 25, 1997
|
|
|
UFOs
|
3
|
Australian UFO
|
Frederick Valentich
|
September 29, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Missing Time
|
Robert Matthews; Kristina Florence
|
November 30, 1988
|
Missing Time
Commentary by Raymond Bridgers
|
|
|
|
Socorro Close Encounter
|
Lonnie Zamora UFO Sighting
|
December 1, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Kecksburg UFO
|
|
September 19, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Texas UFO
|
Betty Cash and Vickie Landrum
|
February 6, 1991
|
Texas UFO
Commentary by John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Face on Mars
|
|
February 1, 1989
|
|
|
UFOs
|
4
|
Men in Black
|
|
April 18, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
Canadian UFO
|
Guardian UFO
|
February 3, 1993
|
Canadian UFO
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
Wheatfields Visitations
|
United Kingdom Crop Circles
|
January 31, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Life on Mars
|
|
November 1, 1996
|
Life on Mars
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Interceptors
|
|
March 2, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
The Blob
|
Oakville Blobs
|
May 9, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
UFO Odyssey
|
Wytheville UFO Sightings
|
February 19, 1992
|
|
|
Ghosts
|
1
|
Friendly Ghost
|
Pawley's Island
|
October 31, 1990
|
|
Creator Introduction
|
|
|
Resurrection Mary
|
Resurrection Cemetery
|
February 9, 1994
|
|
|
|
Matchmaker Ghost
|
Delta Queen Riverboat
|
April 9, 1999
|
|
|
|
Queen Mary Ghosts
|
The Queen Mary
|
October 26, 1988
|
Queen Mary Ghosts
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Keva Rosenfeld
|
Behind the Scenes the 200th Solve
|
|
|
Grace's Ghost
|
Covewood Lodge
|
January 5, 1996
|
|
|
|
Voice from the Grave
|
Teresita Basa
|
April 25, 1990
|
|
|
|
Ghosts Go To Court
|
Loews Cottage
|
April 16, 1999
|
Ghosts Go To Court
Commentary by David Vassar
|
Robert Stack Tribute
|
|
|
The Entity
|
Three Partners Ranch
|
April 19, 1996
|
|
|
|
Ghost Boy
|
Jones House
|
July 25, 2001
|
|
Ghosts
|
2
|
Black Hope Curse
|
Black Hope
|
July 17, 2002
|
Black Hope Curse
Commentary by John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Tallman's Ghost
|
Tallman House
|
October 26, 1988
|
|
|
|
|
Ghost Blimp
|
The Crew of the L-8
|
May 19, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Gordy's Ghost
|
Wyrick House
|
October 21, 1994
|
Gordy's Ghost
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
Highway Vision
|
Highway 50 Phantom
|
February 21, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
Civil War Ghosts
|
Drum Barracks
|
October 28, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Profiling the Paranormal
|
HOPE
|
June 11, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
Ghost Lights
|
Marfa Lights
|
October 25, 1989
|
|
|
Ghosts
|
3
|
Lizzie Borden
's House
|
Lizzie Borden House
|
July 23, 2001
|
|
|
|
|
Tatum's Ghost
|
Tatum House
|
October 26, 1988
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostly Attraction
|
Harden House
|
October 30, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Ghost Writer
|
Margaret Wilson
|
December 9, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Mary Celeste
|
|
December 2, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Comedy Store Ghosts
|
The Comedy Store
|
February 23, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
Myrtles Plantation
|
|
August 1, 2001
|
Myrtles Plantation
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
General Wayne's Inn
|
The General Wayne Inn
|
October 26, 1988
|
General Wayne's Inn
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Keva Rosenfeld
|
|
|
|
Devil's Backbone
|
The Devil's Backbone
|
January 12, 1996
|
|
|
Ghosts
|
4
|
Gettysburg Ghosts
|
Gettysburg National Military Park
|
March 15, 1996
|
Gettysburg Ghosts
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Raymond Bridgers
|
|
|
|
Frightened Family
|
Smith Home
|
April 4, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
Moss Beach Ghost
|
Moss Beach Distillery
|
October 28, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Lady in Black
|
Robert Davidson
|
May 3, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
Bullock Deadwood
|
Hotel Bullock
|
December 9, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Lake Wales Haunting
|
Mann House
|
October 27, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Mystery Hum
|
E.L.F.
|
May 19, 1995
|
Mystery Hum
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
Always, Karen
|
Karen Walker
|
October 21, 1994
|
|
|
Miracles
|
1
|
Lucky School
|
Cokeville Elementary School Explosion
|
December 13, 1996
|
|
Creator Introduction
|
|
|
Miracle of Lourdes
|
|
February 16, 1994
|
|
|
|
Fertility Statues
|
|
October 18, 1996
|
|
|
|
Shroud of Turin
|
The Shroud of Turin
|
October 2, 1991
|
|
|
|
Ice Woman
|
Jean Hilliard
|
February 9, 1996
|
Ice Woman
Commentary by David Vassar
|
Robert Stack Tribute
|
|
|
Lucky Choir
|
West End Baptist Church
|
January 3, 1990
|
Lucky Choir
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Keva Rosenfeld
|
|
|
Coma Healer
|
Audrey Santo
|
April 2, 1999
|
|
|
|
Angels
|
Janie Halliday; Estela Vera
|
May 25, 1994
|
|
Miracles
|
2
|
Miracle of Fatima
|
|
November 3, 1993
|
Miracle of Fatima
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
Baby's Breath
|
Logan Carroll
|
November 3, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Healing from the Grave
|
Charlene Richard
|
June 11, 1999
|
Healing From The Grave
Commentary by John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Power of Prayer
|
Kathleen Burghardt; Eric Danowski
|
May 5, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Candy and Roxy
|
|
April 4, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
Trisha's Miracle
|
Trisha Zemba
|
September 20, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
Father Solanus Casey
|
|
October 9, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Christmas Miracle
|
Chucky McGivern
|
December 23, 1992
|
|
|
Miracles
|
3
|
Medjugorje Miracles
|
|
February 5, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Police Woman Savior
|
Saviors of Doris Smith
|
May 28, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
Healing Touch
|
Michael Ziegler; George and Marie
|
April 13, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Miracle Staircase
|
Loretto Chapel
|
November 21, 1990
|
Miracle Staircase
Commentary by John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Miracle Child
|
Kristina Smith
|
April 4, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Kentucky Visions
|
Valley Hill Lights
|
October 27, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Life Saving Pets
|
Mia; Shadow
|
July 15, 2002
|
Life Saving Pets
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Miracle Buffalo
|
Miracle the White Buffalo
|
December 8, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Coma Recovery
|
Don Hamilton
|
November 15, 1989
|
|
|
Miracles
|
4
|
Image of Guadalupe
|
|
April 7, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Car Crash Lazarus
|
David Shublak
|
May 9, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
MS Miracle
|
Mary Clamser
|
March 29, 1996
|
MS Miracle
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Padre Pio
|
|
January 20, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Christmas Miracle Baby
|
Teryn Hedlund
|
December 23, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Miracle Cross
|
Blinking Crucifix
|
September 27, 1989
|
Miracle Cross
Commentary by Stuart Schwartz
|
|
|
|
Signs from Heaven
|
Joe McCarthy; Herman Stegos; Michael Landon
|
November 13, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
Money from Heaven
|
Matt and Wendy Jameson
|
April 26, 1996
|
|
|
Incredible Psychics
|
1
|
Life After Lightning
|
Dannion Brinkley
|
October 21, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Pix of the Dead
|
Coral Polge
|
November 28, 1990
|
Pix of the Dead
Commentary by Mike Mathis
|
|
|
|
Rainboy
|
Don Decker
|
February 10, 1993
|
Rainboy
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Reincarnated Submariner
|
Bruce Kelly
|
September 22, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
James Van Praagh
|
|
February 3, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Epilepsy Pooches
|
Victoria Doroshenko
|
November 14, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Plateau Vision
|
Milly McGregor
|
May 17, 1996
|
|
|
Incredible Psychics
|
2
|
George Anderson
|
|
November 18, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Twins
|
Mark S. Newman and Gerald I. Levy; Donald M. and Louis G. Keith; Lavona and Lavelda Rowe-Richardson
|
May 2, 1990
|
Twins
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Suddenly Psychic
|
John Holland; Elizabeth Joyce
|
April 16, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
Bible Code
|
Michael Drosnin
|
April 3, 1998
|
|
|
|
|
Storm In Hell
|
Howard Storm
|
November 15, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
POW Dream
|
Joe O' Brien
|
October 20, 1995
|
Gulf POW Dream
Commentary by Mike Mathis
|
|
|
|
Murder Premonition
|
Etta Smith
|
February 3, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Lottery Miracle
|
Sam Zelikson
|
October 25, 1996
|
|
|
Incredible Psychics
|
3
|
Electric Lady
|
Jeanine Price
|
February 3, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Reincarnation
|
Georgia Rudolph
|
February 14, 1990
|
Reincarnation
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Raymond Bridgers
|
|
|
|
Dorothy AllisonDorothy Allison, Police Psychic
|
Dorothy Allison
|
May 6, 1988
|
Dorothy Allison
Commentary by John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Mother's Instinct
|
Carolyn Hebert; Elaine Emmi; Linda Babb
|
March 23, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Twin ESP Connections
|
Karen and Kathy Mills
|
August 23, 2001
|
|
|
|
|
After Death Visits
|
John and Patti Eggleston; Paige Roark
|
May 4, 1994
|
|
|
Incredible Psychics
|
4
|
Past Lives
|
Sharon Johnson
|
November 6, 1991
|
Past Lives
Commentary by Mike Mathis
|
|
|
|
Incredible Journeys
|
Nova; Lady
|
March 2, 1994
|
Incredible Journeys
Commentary by Jim Lindsay
|
|
|
|
Psychic Detective
|
John Catchings
|
November 10, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Life After Life
|
Kristle Merzlock; Thomas Sawyer
|
February 22, 1989
|
|
|
|
|
Powers of Miss Katie
|
Katie
|
October 31, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Dreams Come True
|
Rhonda and Roxanne Anderson; Catherine Webb
|
October 21, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Silent Witness
|
Nancy Myer
|
December 2, 1994
|
|
|
Bizarre Murders
|
1
|
Colorado Cop Killers
|
Jason McVean and Alan Pilon
|
April 9, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
Boston Strangler
|
|
May 11, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Texas Most Wanted
|
Edward Bell
|
April 21, 1993
|
Texas Most Wanted
Commentary by David Vassar & John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Trailer Terror
|
Danny and Kathy Freeman
|
July 3, 2001
|
|
|
|
|
Bad Chief
|
Greg Webb
|
April 28, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Marie Hilley
|
|
November 3, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Journalist's Murder
|
Danny Casolaro
|
March 10, 1993
|
Journalist's Murder
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
Bizarre Murders
|
2
|
Scared To Death
|
Cindy James
|
February 13, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Murdered Heiress
|
Camilla Lyman
|
June 11, 1999
|
Murdered Heiress
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Stuart Schwartz
|
|
|
|
Unicorn's Secret
|
Ira Einhorn
|
January 5, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
Women's Prison Killing
|
Jesslyn Rich
|
November 4, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
Skull Duggery
|
Linda Sherman
|
July 2, 2001
|
|
|
|
|
Backyard Bones
|
Monika Rizzo
|
November 13, 1997
|
Backyard Bones
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Mike Mathis
|
|
|
|
World Leaders
|
James Fox; Elliott Leyton; Reid Maloy
|
November 3, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Burning Bed
|
Megan Curl
|
December 10, 2001
|
|
|
Bizarre Murders
|
3
|
Mistake Hit
|
Charles Morgan
|
February 13, 1991
|
Mistake Hit
Commentary by Jim Lindsay
|
|
|
|
Friends To The End
|
Don Henry and Kevin Ives
|
October 12, 1988
|
|
|
|
|
Whistle Blown
|
Dave Bocks
|
March 2, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Richard's Rampage
|
Richard Church
|
November 7, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Plane Crash Sabotage
|
Gander Plane Crash
|
May 5, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Burned Evidence
|
Eric Tamiyasu
|
July 26, 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Jesse James Hollywood
|
|
August 2, 2002
|
Jesse James Hollywood
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
Two Mary Murders
|
Mary Morris and Mary Morris
|
June 17, 2002
|
|
|
Bizarre Murders
|
4
|
Bordello Murders
|
Candy Belt and Gloria Ross
|
November 13, 1997
|
Bordello Murders
Commentary by Jim Lindsay
|
|
|
|
Campus Murder
|
Brook Baker
|
April 2, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
Dakota's Double
|
Arnold Archambeau and Ruby Bruguier
|
April 14, 1995
|
Dakota's Double Death
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
Margo Freshwater
|
|
August 26, 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Zodiac Unabomber
|
Zodiac Killer
|
September 20, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
The Other Intern
|
Chandra Levy and Joyce Chiang; Christine Mirzayan
|
June 10, 2002
|
|
|
|
|
Social Security Murders
|
Julius Patterson and Paulette Hite
|
November 17, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Civil Rights Murders
|
O'Neal Moore
|
November 14, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Campus Calamity
|
Bryan Nisenfeld
|
July 4, 2001
|
|
|
Strange Legends
|
1
|
Elvis' Last Night
|
Elvis Presley
|
November 13, 1997
|
|
|
|
|
Brandon Lee
|
|
October 20, 1995
|
Brandon Lee
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Raymond Bridgers
|
|
|
|
Eliot Ness
|
Butcher of Kingsbury Run
|
February 20, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Holy Grail
|
Nanteos Cup
|
April 10, 1998
|
|
|
|
|
Amelia Earhart
|
|
November 7, 1990
|
Holy Grail
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Alcatraz
|
Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers
|
February 8, 1989
|
|
|
Strange Legends
|
2
|
Noah's Ark
|
|
April 29, 1992
|
Noah's Ark
Commentary by Stuart Schwartz
|
|
|
|
Martin L. King
|
Dr.
Martin Luther King
|
March 31, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Big Foot
in Oregon
|
Bigfoot
|
May 25, 1994
|
|
|
|
|
Sonny Liston
|
|
November 22, 1989
|
|
|
|
|
Who Killed Superman?
|
George Reeves
|
December 8, 1995
|
|
|
|
|
Billy The Kid
|
Brushy Bill Roberts
|
March 1, 1989
|
|
|
|
|
BC Sea Monster
|
Caddy
|
December 15, 1995
|
BC Sea Monster
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
Strange Legends
|
3
|
Elvis' Twin
|
Jessie Presley
|
February 9, 1996
|
|
|
|
|
Yeti
|
|
February 12, 1992
|
|
|
|
|
DB Cooper
|
D. B. Cooper
|
October 12, 1988
|
|
|
|
|
Huey Long
|
|
September 30, 1992
|
Huey Long
Commentary by David Vassar
|
|
|
|
Who Plugged Bugsy
|
Bugsy Siegel
|
April 2, 1999
|
Who Plugged Bugsy
Commentary by Bob Wise
|
|
|
|
John Wilkes Booth
|
|
September 25, 1991
|
|
|
|
|
Mona Lisa
|
The
Mona Lisa
|
November 17, 1993
|
|
|
Strange Legends
|
4
|
Agatha Christie
|
|
November 11, 1994
|
Agatha Christie
Commentary by John Cosgrove & Christine Lenig
|
|
|
|
Skunk Ape
|
The
Skunk Ape
|
April 9, 1999
|
|
|
|
|
Chair of Death
|
|
May 22, 1998
|
|
|
|
|
RFK Pix
|
Scott Enyart
|
May 3, 1996
|
RFK Pix
Commentary by John Cosgrove
|
|
|
|
Anastasia
|
Anna Anderson
|
October 6, 1993
|
|
|
|
|
Bermuda Triangle
|
|
September 26, 1990
|
|
|
|
|
Mothman
|
|
July 26, 2002
|
|
|
Treasures & Ghosts
|
1
|
Ghost-Fighters
|
La Posada Hotel
|
October 2, 1994
|
|
Behind the Scenes the 200th Solve
|
|
|
Haunting on 37th Street
|
Woods Home
|
April 17, 1998
|
|
|
|
Direct Contact
|
Michelle O'Malley
|
February 16, 1996
|
|
|
|
Mummy's Curse
|
The Curse of King Tut
|
May 10, 1996
|
|
|
|
Haunted Mansion
|
Beaty Castle
|
February 19, 1992
|
|
|
|
Dutch Schultz Treasure
|
|
April 27, 1994
|
|
Robert Stack Tribute
|
|
|
Marcos' Buddha & Update
|
Yamashita's Treasure
|
January 27, 1993
|
|
|
|
Lost Dutchman's Mine
|
Lost Dutchman Mine
|
March 15, 1989
|
|
|
|
Nazi War Treasure
|
Lunersee Lake Treasure
|
October 17, 1990
|
|
|
|
Plummer's Booty
|
Bannack Treasure
|
May 2, 1990
|
|
Soundtrack
[
edit
]
In 2018, Terror Vision Records made a deal with program creator John Cosgrove to release the show's official score on vinyl,
Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts/Hauntings/The Unexplained
. Two sets on color vinyl were released on June 22, 2018 ? the first, a three vinyl set collecting the scores written for each of the show's ghost and missing/wanted segments along with three theme songs; the second, a 34 tracks single vinyl collection featuring the best cuts off the first three vinyl set. Segment cues were taken from the show's original
DAT
tapes.
[6]
A second collection entitled
Unsolved Mysteries Volume Two: Bizarre Murders/UFOs/The Unknown
was released in December 2019.
[39]
Podcast
[
edit
]
On October 21, 2020, it was announced that Cosgrove/Meurer Productions had struck a deal with
Entercom
-owned
Cadence13
for an official
Unsolved Mysteries
weekly
podcast
.
[40]
The podcast is narrated by
voice-over artist
Steve French
.
[41]
Documentary
[
edit
]
A 35th anniversary documentary special titled,
Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy
, was formally announced on September 7, 2023. The documentary, produced by
FilmRise
, hit
Alamo Theaters
nationwide on October 4, 2023. The
AVOD
premiere took place the following day, October 5.
[42]
Spin-offs
[
edit
]
- On September 18, 1992, NBC debuted a short-lived 6-episode spin-off series, hosted by Robert Stack himself, titled
Final Appeal: From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries
.
- In 1993, NBC aired a two-hour primetime movie called
Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story
.
- On January 23, 1995, NBC aired a two-hour primetime movie called
Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story
.
- On April 22, 1996, NBC aired a two-hour primetime movie special titled,
From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries: Voice from the Grave
.
- On April 28, 1997, NBC aired a new primetime movie called
From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries: The Sleepwalker Killing
.
See also
[
edit
]
- Aktenzeichen XY… ungelost
- Corrupt Crimes
- Unsealed Files
- Traffic Cops
(also called
Car Wars
)
- America's Most Wanted
, a similar program
- Fugitive Watch
, a similar program
- India's Most Wanted
,
an inspired program in
India
- Police Report
, a similar program in
Hong Kong
- Linha Direta
, a similar program in
Brazil
- Efterlyst
, a similar program in
Sweden
- Crimecall
, a similar program in
Ireland
- Crime Watch
, a similar program in
Trinidad and Tobago
[43]
- Police 5
, a similar program on
ITV
- Crime Watch Daily
, a similar syndicated program hosted by
Chris Hansen
- Crimewatch
, a similar program in the
United Kingdom
.
- Ten 7 Aotearoa
, a similar program in
New Zealand
.
- The Hunt with John Walsh
, a similar program
- BuzzFeed Unsolved
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"
'Unsolved Mysteries' Solved? Amazon to Stream Updated Episodes in 2017"
. The Wrap. December 15, 2016
. Retrieved
January 21,
2017
.
- ^
"Pluto TV Just Added a 24/7 Channel That Streams "Unsolved Mysteries" Nonstop"
. September 20, 2018.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries with Dennis Farina, Season 1 ? YouTube"
.
YouTube
.
- ^
"season-1-hulu-robert-stack ? Unsolved Mysteries"
.
- ^
"- YouTube"
.
YouTube
.
- ^
a
b
"Unsolved Mysteries: Ghosts / Hauntings / The Unexplained Single LP Version"
.
Terror Vision Records and Video
.
- ^
Rayne, Elizabeth (August 22, 2017).
"Unsolved Mysteries could be creeping up on you shockingly soon"
.
- ^
a
b
White, Peter (January 18, 2019).
"Netflix Reboots True Crime & Paranormal Series 'Unsolved Mysteries' With 'Stranger Things' EP Shawn Levy"
. Deadline.
- ^
"Season 2 of 'Unsolved Mysteries' Coming to Netflix in October 2020"
.
What's on Netflix
. August 19, 2020.
- ^
a
b
"
"Unsolved Mysteries" Will Return With a 3-Night Netflix Event This October"
.
Bloody Disgusting
. September 6, 2022.
- ^
a
b
Squires, John (February 1, 2024).
"
"Unsolved Mysteries: Volume 4" Coming to Netflix in 2024"
.
Bloody Disgusting
. Retrieved
February 2,
2024
.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries"
. Unsolved.com. Archived from
the original
on November 3, 2012
. Retrieved
November 13,
2012
.
- ^
Cathy Scott (March 14, 1997).
"Behind the scenes of 'Unsolved' Shakur mystery ? Las Vegas Sun News"
. Lasvegassun.com
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
Commercials
on
YouTube
aired during
1995 World Series
, including an
Unsolved Mysteries
promo featuring a revamped theme song
- ^
http://www.televisiontunes.com/Unsolved_Mysteries_-_Update.html
Unsolved Mysteries
theme song from 1995
- ^
"Suspected videotape arsonists arrested"
.
UPI
. Retrieved
September 3,
2018
.
- ^
"True Crime Factor Interview: John Cosgrove"
. February 10, 2017.
- ^
"Robert Stack Touched Success Many Times"
. May 16, 2003.
- ^
"Married with Children Comes to TBS This Fall, In Addition to Spike TV; Spike TV Fall 2008 Update"
. Sitcomsonline.com. June 24, 2008
. Retrieved
November 13,
2012
.
- ^
"Interview with John Cosgrove Co-Creator of 'Unsolved Mysteries,' Show with New Episodes on Netflix"
. January 28, 2019.
- ^
Stolworthy, Jacob (July 1, 2020).
"Unsolved Mysteries fans in awe of 'spooky' Robert Stack homage in Netflix reboot"
.
Independent
. Retrieved
July 5,
2020
.
- ^
"Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" Reboot Premieres in July With Six Brand New Episodes!"
.
Bloody Disgusting
. June 9, 2020
. Retrieved
June 9,
2020
.
- ^
Tran, Kevin (August 10, 2020).
"
'Hamilton' Far Bigger Than Anything on Netflix in July, Audience Data Reveals"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
August 14,
2020
.
- ^
White, Peter (September 1, 2021).
"
'Unsolved Mysteries' Renewed For Third Run At Netflix"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
July 5,
2020
.
- ^
"Before They Were Stars: Matthew McConaughey on "Unsolved Mysteries"
"
. the-back-row.com. August 31, 2010
. Retrieved
December 18,
2012
.
- ^
"Before They Were Stars: Cheryl Hines on "Unsolved Mysteries"
"
. the-back-row.com. February 22, 2012
. Retrieved
December 18,
2012
.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries celebrity trivia contest - Unsolved Mysteries"
. Archived from
the original
on November 15, 2017
. Retrieved
November 14,
2017
.
- ^
"27 Things You Probably Didn't Know About
Unsolved Mysteries
"
. September 20, 2017.
- ^
"The Mysterious Death of Katherine Korzilius"
.
Unsolved Mysteries
. Retrieved
February 3,
2019
.
- ^
"TV Ratings > 1980's"
. ClassicTVHits.com
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"TV Ratings > 1980's"
. ClassicTVHits.com
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"TV Ratings > 1990's"
. ClassicTVHits.com
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"TV Ratings > 1990's"
. ClassicTVHits.com
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"TV Ratings > 1990's"
. ClassicTVHits.com
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"The Final Countdown"
. EW.com. May 29, 1998
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"Final ratings for the 1998?1999 TV season"
. Archived from
the original
on October 29, 2009
. Retrieved
April 8,
2013
.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries"
. Emmys.com
. Retrieved
November 13,
2012
.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries - IMDb"
.
IMDb
.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries Volume Two: Bizarre Murders/UFOs/The Unknown"
.
Terror Vision Records and Video
.
- ^
White, Peter (October 21, 2020).
"
'Unsolved Mysteries' Moves Into Podcasting With Cadence13 Deal"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
October 23,
2020
.
- ^
"Unsolved Mysteries Podcast ? Steve French Voice over"
.
- ^
Luchies, Adam (September 7, 2023).
"
'Unsolved Mysteries' 35th Anniversary Special Coming to Alamo Drafthouse Theaters"
.
Collider
. Retrieved
September 7,
2023
.
- ^
"TnT Crime Watch"
. Archived from
the original
on May 29, 2011
. Retrieved
June 4,
2011
.
External links
[
edit
]
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| |
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| 1980s-1990s debuts
| |
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2000s debuts
| |
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2010s debuts
| |
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2020s debuts
| |
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|
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