Here’s Why the 175 ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ Episodes on Spike TV Were An Epic Fail
Unsolved Mysteries is back in full force on Netflix for mystery lovers everywhere. However, this isn’t the first time a network tried to reboot the classic show from the 90s. Spike TV produced two seasons and 175 episodes of the true crime series, but many fans believe it was an epic fail.
‘Unsolved Mysteries’ is in the top 10 most-watched TV shows on Netflix
Since its arrival on Netflix on July 1, 2020, Unsolved Mysteries remains the number one most-watched show in the United States. Although the format is a little different, fans still love the reboot.
The original host, Robert Stack, died in 2003, so he could not return for the reboot. Instead, original co-creator and EP Terry Dunn Meurer made the tough decision not to have a host at all.
The rebooted series also features only one case per episode instead of four. Each installment goes in-depth regarding one mystery and includes news broadcasts and interviews with everyone involved.
There are fewer reenactments with the new series, and no cheesy actors pretending to be the victims. Overall, Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix is very popular. Tips are coming in fast to help solve the cases, and fans ask when the next six episodes are going to drop to the streaming giant.
Why didn’t fans like ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ on Spike TV in 2008?
When the true crime series debuted on Spike TV in 2008, it had a whole new feel. Stack died five years earlier, so Dennis Farina became the new host. It also picked up a new set, a new logo, and new music.
Fans heavily criticized the series because it only presented old cases. No new segments were added to the show. Plus, the revisited mysteries were cut down even further. The series covered five cases in a one-hour segment instead of four.
Since the show aired in 2008, many of the cases were 20 to 40 years old. Farina didn’t mention the year that many of the mysteries happened because they were extremely out of date. Some mysteries might be solved already, but still aired as if they were unsolved. Somehow, the show lasted for two seasons and produced 175 episodes of revisited mysteries.
“Not sure where they were trying to go there, perhaps they were trying to be like America’s Most Wanted,” one fan wrote on IMDb. “It sure seemed that way the last few years before the show got canceled. The show was in its prime in the 88-89 season. Great topics, great recreations. RIP Robert Stack, we really miss you.”
‘Unsolved Mysteries’ was also on NBC, CBS, and Lifetime
The first nine seasons of Unsolved Mysteries premiered on NBC from 1987 to 1997. Many fans thought the show was the best in those early seasons. It was the first of its kind to appeal to fans of the supernatural and use special effects to tell the stories.
At the end of the 1996-97 season, NBC canceled the true crime series. CBS picked the show up for the tenth season and put it in the Friday 9:00 p.m. timeslot. Unsolved Mysteries aired for two short seasons on CBS of only six episodes each before being canceled.
Lifetime Television also tried its hand at the series as well for two seasons. Their run was a mixture of new and old mysteries.
