When The Show first Aired What was THE FIRST Segment ever showned on T.V.?? Thanks!

That would be Donald Kemp on the Pre-Stack Special hosted by Raymond Burr. Very interesting case.

Yeah it is still one of the most bizarre unexplained deaths cases they ever profiled and it was the first case ever to boot!

Oh, I wish I'd seen it.

But I can't see anyone else hosting UM besides Robert Stack!
Anybody know how he came to be the host?

Well Raymond Burr hosted the first special and Karl Malden the following two. After that Robert Stack took over for the final four specials.

When the show was going to become a weekly series offers were apparently made to all three men for the opportunity to host the show on a weekly basis. Although exact figures are not known, Burr & Malden both apparently demanded outrageous salaries while Stack was willing to take the job at a cost more in line with what the producers had in mind.

Therefore it was basically a matter of economics as to why Robert Stack became the permanent host of the show.

would first of all put Unsloved Mysteries 2wice a Day! No offense to Golden Girls fans I'm one to(Look at my username!LOL!) But Golden Girls comes on 4 Times a day!4!! I LOVE GOLDEN GIRLS,but DVDs are coming out the wazoo! They're coming very fast,and soon we'll have all 7 Seasons& Golden Palace! I mean you can still air Golden Girls on Lifetime(Seeing It's their Higest Rated Show for Lifetime!)but mamby 2 times a day! Also I would love Unsloved Mysteries to do more early segments! I've seen segments from 93 and up! I would really like to see 87 segments! Also I would Like to see Unsloved Mysteries a Night Time again! That way I can watch it everyday! I have school!! Anybody else agree with me on these things!

Does anyone have this episode on tape?

Does the Donald Kemp case show up on any of the comp tapes or is it ever edited into some of the 'newer' episodes?

Pertaining to the segments LIFETIME doesn't air - It has been speculated in the past that the segments they choose not to air have been deemed "too hot" for LIFETIME. While this may be true I subscribe to any of the following three reasons.

1) A long time ago when the series started being syndicated on LIFETIME (I believe in 1992) the network began re-editting the episodes in order to include "updates" to a myriad of cases. Therefore with the various "update" segments (especially the "Lost Loves" updates which can take up to five minutes) they had to delete some of the longer segments that were originally part of that broadcast. For example I believe the case featuring Tara Calico was originally broadcast during the same episode as the Kecksberg UFO sightings but it is not included on the "Lifetime" syndication likely for this reason

2) As it pertains to the Burr/Malden episodes the network would have to pay royalties to the actors/estates each time they broadcast those episodes. I'm sure LIFETIME at this stage in the game don't want to do that.

3) In one case (I forgot which segment) somebody profiled in that particular case (I believe it was related to the death of a police officer) sued UM and that episode has never been syndicated but does make the rounds in trading circles.

As far as having the pre stack specials on tape, several people on this board do (including me!) - I'm going to include segments from them on Volumes 6 & 7 respectively of the "Unsurpassed Mysteries" series that have been making the rounds.

So you mean that they were to bad (About Sex and all that other stuff to show some segments on LIfetime?? Because if that Is I can't belive that! On Lifetime they're movies are always about somebody getting raped! I really hope one day they will air them 2wice aday! and HOPEFULLY Firstlookmedia will make more DVDs!

is it possible they will release the specials on dvd?

What were the specials??Thanks!

What were the specials??Thanks!

These are the Pre-Stack Specials hosted by Raymond Burr and the last two by Karl Malden that were the first UM episodes ever aired. After these were aired (probably only once or twice) RS was chosen to host the show.

Special #1
January 20, 1987

Synopsis: Raymond Burr looks at four real-life mysteries; a Wyoming man found dead under mysterious circumstances three years after he disappeared from home; a 72-year-old Detroit woman who claimed to be the Siamese twin of a member of the Dodge auto family, separated at birth and put up for adoption, and now heir to the family fortune; the professional murder of a Tulsa executive at his country club; and two especially dangerous bank robbers who were then at large. (Repeated August 9, 1987)


Special #2
May 25, 1987

Synopsis: Karl Malden hosts a second anthology of dramatizations of actual events, including the disappearance of a 26-year old woman who left a trail of conflicting clues; an 18-year old amnesia victim unchanged by her return to home and family; women who drug and rob their well-to-do "dates"; and three women who vanished on separate occasions spanning 18 years, after dining with the same man. (Repeated December 30, 1987)


Special #3
September 24, 1987

Synopsis: Karl Malden hosts a program examining the real-life mysteries of a flight engineer, wanted on bigamy charges, who was reported missing by four of his wives ; a Florida man imprisoned for murder, who claims he's innocent; a serial bomber who has detonated devices in computer businesses and at universities (later identified as the Unabomber); and a fortune left by an elderly laborer who died in a Kansas City, Mo., nursing home. (Repeated April 25, 1988)

themaninblack - I don't think they'll ever sell these. Lifetime has never even showed them. My guess is Raymond Burr (or his family since he's deceased) and Karl Malden would have to be paid royalties to air them and no one probably wants to mess with that.

I guess Lifetime never aired these! These would be cool to put on DVD! Thanks!

It is also crucial to note at this juncture that the Stack specials themselves have also been heavily "editted" by Lifetime. Only special #4 (featuring Jule & Dottie Caylor, Dave Davis, Aileen Conway and a LEGENDS segment) has been aired in full. Hang on because beyond this when it pertains to the specials it gets quite complicated:

Special #5 as broadcasted by "Lifetime" is missing a segment on Missy Munday and Jerry Strickland who were two lovers who murdered one of Missy's co-workers at a gas station. This segment (along with its update originally featured in special #6 has never been broadcasted in syndication)

Instead the syndicated version of Special #5 features the segment on the murder of Doreen Picard which was originally broadcasted as part of Special #7. In addition to the Picard segment the syndicated version of Special #5 features Kurt McFall & the final appeal of Michael Scott Martin along with the search for the heirs of Charles Sheel. (all originally broadcasted as part of Special #5)

Special #6 as originally broadcasted featured the profile of a psychic named Dorothy Allison, Steve Hadley's robbery of the credit union he worked for in Iowa and a strange little segment on some recovered WWII V-mail.

Special #6 has also never been syndicated in full. The syndicated version omits the segment on Hadley and instead includes a segment on murderer Joe Shepard which was originally broadcasted as part of the first "regular run" episode in the fall of 1988 (along with Gail DeLano and others). The case of Steve Hadley has also been shown on "Lifetime" I believe during the same episode that featured "The Boys On The Tracks"/Don Henry & Kevin Ives case.

Special #7 as originally broadcasted featured the aforementioned Doreen Picard case as well as the case of a con man named Louis Carlucci, the escape of inmate Jon Yount made possible with the help of his girlfriend and a TREASURE segment as well as further updates on "The Jai Alai Murders" and the sentencing of Robert Weeks.

Special #7 has never been syndicated in its original form but all of the segments barring the one featuring Jon Yount's prison escape (and the update segment) have been shown on LIFETIME as part of other random episodes.

What was the middle segment, half way thru UM's run? I hope it was Resurrection Mary because she's sadly neglected around here lately.

What was the middle segment, half way thru UM's run? I hope it was Resurrection Mary because she's sadly neglected around here lately.

Well that would explain why they feel to need to air it so much.

Hey Awsi maybe you could research THE middle segment on UM and let us know. :lol:

OMG... that's hilarious. :)

Hey Awsi maybe you could research THE middle segment on UM and let us know. :lol:

Well, I really think that honor should be reserved for people who have posted polls lately. :D That should narrow the field down to the absolute cream.

Actually, it's a terrifying assignment. What if there IS no middle segment? I mean, no problem if the total number is odd. But if UM was duncecap enough to halt on an even number, then you've got two segments tug of warring for that claim for all eternity, like the computer on War Games relentlessly trying to win a game of tic tac toe.

While I missed out on the first few specials... (or at least don't remember seeing them... would have been seven at the time of the first one) I think they had to have picked the right guy in Stack.

From what I can remember became an avid fan of the show around 89 and Stack did and still does seem perfect for the role.

For what it's worth I would be more than willing to send someone some cash via paypal or something, in return for quality copies of these specials.

Would love to catch them, seeing how I never got to watch them. If interested contact me and perhaps we could work something out.

Keep in mind I don't make much right now, so about 10 bucks per special would be my limit.... and yes I would pay a trustworthy member of the forums in advance, that way you would know I wouldn't back out on my word.

I realize this is a real nitpick but....

Does anyone know if Stack had closing remarks on special six? On my copy, it cuts right to the closing credits after the last segment. It looks suspiciously edited to say the least. I can recall closing comments from Stack on all the other specials, but not on six?

Also, if anyone has a better copy of special six or special four (from NBC), please get in touch with me. My special six is pretty jumpy and it can be annoying to watch at times.

Thanks,
Justin

In one case (I forgot which segment) somebody profiled in that particular case (I believe it was related to the death of a police officer) sued UM and that episode has never been syndicated but does make the rounds in trading circles.

What is this reference too?

What is this reference too?

Damn, this is an old thread.

I think he was talking about Doyle Wheeler.

would first of all put Unsloved Mysteries 2wice a Day! No offense to Golden Girls fans I'm one to(Look at my username!LOL!) But Golden Girls comes on 4 Times a day!4!! I LOVE GOLDEN GIRLS,but DVDs are coming out the wazoo! They're coming very fast,and soon we'll have all 7 Seasons& Golden Palace! I mean you can still air Golden Girls on Lifetime(Seeing It's their Higest Rated Show for Lifetime!)but mamby 2 times a day! Also I would love Unsloved Mysteries to do more early segments! I've seen segments from 93 and up! I would really like to see 87 segments! Also I would Like to see Unsloved Mysteries a Night Time again! That way I can watch it everyday! I have school!! Anybody else agree with me on these things!

I totally agree with you, GoldenGirlsFan92.