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These days, true-crime fans are spoiled for choice. Netflix is churning out must-see docuseries like Making a Murderer, Murder Mountain, and The Innocent Man. Cable channels like Investigation Discovery and Oxygen air shows about murder and kidnapping pretty much nonstop. Podcasts like “My Favorite Murder” are all the rage. You could argue that they all owe a debt to Unsolved Mysteries.

When Unsolved Mysteries premiered in 1987, true crime wasn’t the omnipresent genre that it is today. But the show and its trench-coated host Robert Stack helped turn crime, along with stories about ghosts and aliens, into entertainment.

Netflix plans to reboot Unsolved Mysteries

The original run of Unsolved Mysteries lasted until 1999, and new and updated episodes continued to air until 2010, though Dennis Farina eventually took over after original host Robert Stack died. But even after new episodes stopped airing, the show remained popular, with a website posting updates about cases and an active Facebook community.

Now, the original producers are partnering with Netflix to revive the show. The streaming service will air a “modern take on the classic series” that “will maintain the chilling feeling viewers loved about the original.” Twelve episodes are planned. Each will feature a separate mystery or unsolved crime, and viewers will be asked to share any information they have that could help solve the case.

Where to watch the original Unsolved Mysteries  

The new episodes of Unsolved Mysteries will try to recreate the unsettling vibe of the original series, which highlighted stories of unsolved murders, missing persons, ghosts, lost loves, and unexplained phenomena. While the memorable theme song is sure to be heard, one thing it won’t have is iconic host Robert Stack, whose menacing narration ended up being a huge part of the show’s appeal. But fans of the original can still watch the old episodes.

If you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you can stream 12 seasons of the Stack-hosted Unsolved Mysteries for free. You can also watch all the original episodes with Stack for free on Tubi or PlutoTV.

Hulu subscribers can stream one season of the show.

Did Unsolved Mysteries actually help police catch criminals?

During its original run, Unsolved Mysteries made it clear that it was entertainment, not serious journalism. A disclaimer even reminded viewers that it was “not a news broadcast.” But despite the hokey stories about UFOs and crop circles, the program did make a genuine effort to information about real-life crimes that viewers might be able to help solve. Perhaps surprisingly, the show was very successful at generating leads that did just that. (You can still share tips about old cases online.)

According to the show’s website, about 50% of cases involving wanted fugitives were solved, most with the help of tips from viewers. In addition, more than 100 separated family members were reunited after their stories were broadcast.

After one episode aired, a hotel maid tipped off police about a fugitive con man’s whereabouts. In another, viewer tips lead to the arrest of a man suspected of a murder that had occurred 17 years earlier. Perhaps the Netflix reboot will have similar success in solving cold cases.

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