Who would it be, and why? We've had posts on this before, but I don't think we've had a thread.

Anyway, I'd pick Keith David. He has a enigimatic presence, and a creepy voice to boot. He's somewhat similar to Stack, but he'd bring his own distinctive qualities to the show.

Stacy Keach
Bill Kurtis - Liked him on C.C.F., but I don't know if he's mysterious enough for U.M.
Brian Dennehy - I have never heard him narrate a documentary, but I imagine he could summon the proper tone.

Brian Dennehy - I have never heard him narrate a documentary, but I imagine he could summon the proper tone.

Well, he did host a show called Arrest and Trial. It aired in first-run syndication from 2000 to 2002. Believe it or not, he was also once considered for the hosting job on America's Most Wanted.

As for Zlatko's hypothetical question, well, besides Robert Stack (or Dennis Farina)? I would have to say Robert Davi.

His credentials: Despite a history of playing bad guys (such as those in The Goonies and Licence To Kill), Davi played an FBI profiler on the NBC TV show Profiler. He also played an FBI man in the original Die Hard movie. In 2000, the Los Angeles FBI named him their "Man of the Year." He is also a spokesman for the safety organization, I-Safe.

He has a presence that I believe would have been beneficial to UM.

I liked the investigator from the Anna Anton case profile - Jerry Kreiger. I remember the way his interview was shot - he looked kind of dark and mysterious. And he had a great voice.

Is Keith David the man who narrated Ken Burns' Jazz?

This seems like a topic we've done before.

My short list:

Peter Thomas: "The Voice" of Forensic Files whom I bet most of us have heard

Will Lyman: The outstanding voice of PBS Frontline and other work.
Visit his website at
http://www.whitethroat.com/
He has samples if you are unfamiliar with his work.

The draw back of both is they are not usually front men (introducing the segment) but why do we need someone to stand in a fake call center?

All due respect Kane.. I don't see much difference in Farina and Davi they both look similiar and have similiar persona's. Although if you are looking for the next Untouchable, both have played cops as RS did.

Hmm, my shortlist:
David Caruso
Gary Sinise
Larry Hagman
Dennis Franz
Andy Griffith

I liked the investigator from the Anna Anton case profile - Jerry Kreiger. I remember the way his interview was shot - he looked kind of dark and mysterious. And he had a great voice.

Is Keith David the man who narrated Ken Burns' Jazz?Yes, that was him.

He also narrated the newer City Confidential episodes before it was canceled.

Another vote for Bill Kurtis...he's a great narrator.

Not that he has the time or needs the job, but how about Morgan Freeman? That's a nice voice for narrating.

All due respect Kane.. I don't see much difference in Farina and Davi they both look similiar and have similiar persona's. Although if you are looking for the next Untouchable, both have played cops as RS did.

Well, with all due respect, Robert Davi has a voice that sounds like the kind that would fit right into the show. If I weren't sufficiently convinced that Davi would be a plausible choice for UM, I wouldn't have named him.

Answering this hypothetical question about an ideal choice for an UM host is really more difficult than it seems, and for good reason. Robert Stack fit into the show very well in more ways than one, and was so well-liked by so many people who worked with him that I can't recall having heard anyone say anything unpleasant about him. Stack appeared to be the kind of person who was easy to get along with, easy to work with, and easy to like. I stand by my belief that there aren't enough people of his ilk.

When a new host was being sought, I remember reading that they had a "short list" of candidates. When you the words "short list", that is also telling. It tells me that they were not seeking to hire just anyone, but only someone who closely matches what they were looking for.

They could have hired Clancy Brown, since they wanted him. But unfortunately, he was unavailable to commit to the show. I think he would have been a good host. (But of all the people on Kadrmas15's short list, the one that I believe comes the closest to being a good fit for UM is Gary Sinise.)

Hey Kane, well I actually agree with you, out of the people on my shortlist, Sinise would be best. I dont know he just has that voice and he does not ham things up for the camera much. To be honest, the biggest problem out of all on my list would be Caruso, he would host it a lot like Farina does. I do not have a beef with Farina in terms of his acting but the problem with Farina on UM is he hams things up for the camera too much which is exactly what Caruso would do and already does on CSI Miami.

Hey Kane, well I actually agree with you, out of the people on my shortlist, Sinise would be best. I dont know he just has that voice and he does not ham things up for the camera much. To be honest, the biggest problem out of all on my list would be Caruso, he would host it a lot like Farina does. I do not have a beef with Farina in terms of his acting but the problem with Farina on UM is he hams things up for the camera too much which is exactly what Caruso would do and already does on CSI Miami.

Well, to be fair, I watch CSI: Miami and I think David Caruso does a good job in the role of Lt. Horatio Caine. Plus, it's a good comeback role for him after going through an eight-year career slump following his departure from NYPD Blue in the fall of 1994.

However, I realize that he has his flaws. Specifically, Caruso has been known to be accused of being demanding and difficult to work with. For this reason, one would have to wonder if the folks at UM would be willing to take a chance with someone like him.

While Gary Sinise is no Robert Stack, he clearly has a lot of the likability that Robert Stack had. (By the way, Sinise recently called in to my favorite radio show, The Savage Nation, to discuss a recent film called Brothers at War, for which he is one of the producers.) He is a very good character actor, and I like his performance at Det. Mac Taylor on CSI: NY. Also, he has never struck me as egotistical or narcissistic.

While there is still the debate on who would be an ideal host for UM, the one thing I believe we can all agree on is that we would want someone who is both compatible with the show and likable. The way I see it, a person who possesses both qualities tend to carry a lot more weight than a person who possesses only one of them without the other.

These are all hosts I wouldn’t mind seeing, and hearing, if Unsolved Mysteries was brought back and done the way they did it with Robert Stack. I could care less who hosts the new train wreck, which is so bad even Dennis Farina’s nasal intonations are a welcome respite from the cheesy effects and execrable soundtrack.

As I was considering my choices, and this list is by no means a complete one, I was considering what I thought would make an efective host (acting ability, presence, quality of voice, quality of narration) and I realized something I had never considered before. The original choices for hosts: Raymond Burr, Karl Malden, & Robert Stack, were all not only well established actors but had each had a popular role as an authority figure. I was forced to consider how much that had to do with them being choices to host the program.



Dennis Haysbert - he has that combo of a great voice and a commanding presence
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371660/



Sharon Gless has a very pleasing style of delivery and her narration would be much appreciated. She can also get creepy when need be. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002102/



JK Simmons - I heard him on a couple of Louis L'Amour audiobooks and he has a very resonant speaking voice when he wants to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799777/



Sean Astin - Not really much of a choice, however he has a natural and effective narrator voice on the fantastic Meerkat Manor http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000276/



Jessica Walter – Before her amazingly funny turn as Lucille Bluth, she had a long voice-over career and is such a complete actress I think she’d make a great host. Might be a bit to willowy to host an AMW type segment but she’d be awesome in the Ghosts, Lost Loves, and Unexplained segments. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910055/



Daniel J Travanti - Character actor with lots of cop/authoritarian roles. Didn't he once host a similar type show? Somewhere in my dark and dullened memory banks I seem to recall that he did. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0871240/



Diane Lane – Because she is gorgeous and any reason to look at her is a good enough reason for me. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000178/



I think Leslie Nielsen would make a good host if he played it straight like he used to. He has a great voice. He was so much funnier when he played Frank Drebin straight and didn’t realize the screwball antics all around him. Once he started mugging and clowning around in every single role he ceased being funny, but also ceased being so effective as an actor. I don’t know if younger people even know there was a time when Leslie Nielsen was a serious and straight-laced character actor. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000558/

Ha, Corky, no, when I think of Leslie Nielsen I think of him more in Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Mr. Magoo, Spyhard and the Naked Gun movies, he was best in Airplane and the earlier Naked Gun movies before it got out of hand like most sequels do. I mean why do people insist on remaking a movie to death? Whether it be Naked Gun, Rocky, Back to the Future, Lethal Weapon, the Godfather, etc. Like okay, with Rocky for instance, the first one was good, a classic, from there it just started falling down, in fact the original Rocky is the only one I could watch all the way through. Back to the Future, all three of these movies were good to a degree, I actually thought the 3rd one was better than the 2nd one. I will admit it is funny to see how people in the late 80's thought it would be in the year 2015.

Lethal Weapon, out of the movies that were made over and over, I would say the Lethal Weapon series worked best mainly because there were different plots introduced to each one. However even that series tired, the first two movies were best, the third one was decent, and the series should have been ended after that one although all four movies were box office successes. Supposedly there are talks of a Lethal Weapon 5 although the original director Richard Donner, who directed the first four movies would not be involved and both Mel Gibson and Danny Glover have expressed lack of interest, in fact Gibson said he would not reprise his role of Martin Riggs unless Donner was involved in the project.

Most people also do not realize that U.S. Marshals was actually a sequel to the Movie, The Fugitive. In fact they wanted Harrison Ford to be in it and reprise his role as Dr. Richard Kimball however Ford had zero interest in doing a sequel thus a lot of the plot had to be changed and re-written to make the new story work.

Hmm, Kane, I am glad you like Sinise. I like him too, both for his acting and his overall down to earth nature but also the fact he is a loyal conservative, something rare in Hollywood these days.

As for Caruso, well I like Caruso but after looking at the UM hosting job if he were offered it and if he accepted it would not be the best thing for him or the people he had to work with. From what I have read, Caruso has become a bit more tolerant in recent years and a little easier to work with, especially compared to his NYPD Blue days.

Of course Caruso is well known for that flap of leaving NYPD Blue, supposedly at the end of the first season when the show turned out to be a huge hit, it went to Caruso's head, he had been a jerk to people during the first season too but it really went to his head at the end of that first season and supposedly he was demanding like half a million dollars an episode and things like that and when he did not get what he wanted he was basically fired, he and the producers came to an agreement he would leave after the first four episodes of the 2nd season and his character would be written out of the show. Of course Caruso thought he was going to go off and be this big movie star and it did not happen, remember such flops as Jade and Kiss of Death? After he left NYPD Blue, it took 8 years for Caruso to build his career back up when he was cast in CSI Miami.

Ironically, Jimmy Smits, who replaced Caruso on NYPD Blue was actually the original choice to be the partner of Dennis Franz but Smits passed and the role went to Caruso. Ironically, Smits was offered the lead role on CSI Miami and also turned it down and it went once again to Caruso.

However Caruso's on set blow ups are legendary, throwing a trash can at Dennis Franz, yelling at other cast members because they did not get their lines right the first time, nearly getting into physical brawls with members of the cast and production team, etc. In fact, the last scene he did on NYPD Blue, he did it in one take. He went down and walked out of the station house, to a waiting limo and drove off without telling the cast, they were going to re-shoot the scene and they found Caruso had taken off. Caruso also had similar problems early on in CSI Miami, in fact that is a big reason why Kim Delaney was quietly dismissed from the show very early on, as her and Caruso's characters had virtually zero connection and in fact she and Caruso did not like each other personally as Delaney's alcoholism was in full swing at that time and it was taking her over 20 takes on average to get her lines right and this was driving Caruso crazy to the point to where he would storm off and go sit in his trailer and say he would not come out until Delaney got her lines straight. In fact, it is rumored that Caruso was so fed up that he said he would quit the show if Delaney was not fired.

These are all hosts I wouldn’t mind seeing, and hearing, if Unsolved Mysteries was brought back and done the way they did it with Robert Stack. I could care less who hosts the new train wreck, which is so bad even Dennis Farina’s nasal intonations are a welcome respite from the cheesy effects and execrable soundtrack.

As I was considering my choices, and this list is by no means a complete one, I was considering what I thought would make an efective host (acting ability, presence, quality of voice, quality of narration) and I realized something I had never considered before. The original choices for hosts: Raymond Burr, Karl Malden, & Robert Stack, were all not only well established actors but had each had a popular role as an authority figure. I was forced to consider how much that had to do with them being choices to host the program.



Dennis Haysbert - he has that combo of a great voice and a commanding presence
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371660/



Sharon Gless has a very pleasing style of delivery and her narration would be much appreciated. She can also get creepy when need be. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002102/



JK Simmons - I heard him on a couple of Louis L'Amour audiobooks and he has a very resonant speaking voice when he wants to http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799777/



Sean Astin - Not really much of a choice, however he has a natural and effective narrator voice on the fantastic Meerkat Manor http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000276/



Jessica Walter – Before her amazingly funny turn as Lucille Bluth, she had a long voice-over career and is such a complete actress I think she’d make a great host. Might be a bit to willowy to host an AMW type segment but she’d be awesome in the Ghosts, Lost Loves, and Unexplained segments. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910055/



Daniel J Travanti - Character actor with lots of cop/authoritarian roles. Didn't he once host a similar type show? Somewhere in my dark and dullened memory banks I seem to recall that he did. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0871240/



Diane Lane – Because she is gorgeous and any reason to look at her is a good enough reason for me. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000178/



I think Leslie Nielsen would make a good host if he played it straight like he used to. He has a great voice. He was so much funnier when he played Frank Drebin straight and didn’t realize the screwball antics all around him. Once he started mugging and clowning around in every single role he ceased being funny, but also ceased being so effective as an actor. I don’t know if younger people even know there was a time when Leslie Nielsen was a serious and straight-laced character actor. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000558/

I think Sharon Gless and Jessica Walter could be great hosts. For some reason I think Jessica could be sort like a female Stack.

As for Caruso, well I like Caruso but after looking at the UM hosting job if he were offered it and if he accepted it would not be the best thing for him or the people he had to work with.

Probably not. But it would be worse if any of the people who didn't get along with David Caruso happened to be fans of UM. They would probably feel so insulted that they would send negative letters to UM, saying things like, "what were you thinking" or, "you have just lost yourself a loyal UM viewer."

the guy with the creepy voice on Forensic Files!

I liked David Selby from Dark Shadows to do the hosting

Tony Todd

Tony Todd

Great suggestion

Wait, the guy from Night of the Living Dead? Awesome! I vote for him too!

Great suggestion

Thank you his voice is very eerie great for something like UM.

Wait, the guy from Night of the Living Dead? Awesome! I vote for him too! Dont forget Candyman and Final Destination he was great in those films.

Thank you his voice is very eerie great for something like UM.

Dont forget Candyman and Final Destination he was great in those films.

I loved him in those movies.

Stack was so good it is hard to think of anyone else for the part. I would have to go with Bill Kurtis.

Len Cariyou (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0137230/) - He is the "voice" of Det. Harry Bosch, the famous Michael Connelly detective, on several audiobooks. His voice is great. Gruff and gravelly yet smooth, I think he has fantastic chops and would be more than up to the challenge.

1. Jonathan Frakes (my personal favorite choice)

2. Richard Belser (although his voice is similar to Farina's, I think Belser's delivery and his demeanor are more suited to unsolved musteries, and HEY, wouldn't Det. John Munch be the type that watches UM??!! :))

3. John Doman
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231283/
Check out some of his voice work.

Michael Savage or Stephen Hawking.

1. Jonathan Frakes (my personal favorite choice)

2. Richard Belser (although his voice is similar to Farina's, I think Belser's delivery and his demeanor are more suited to unsolved musteries, and HEY, wouldn't Det. John Munch be the type that watches UM??!! :))

3. John Doman
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231283/
Check out some of his voice work.

Jonathan Frakes was great host on Beyond Belief. I think he would be a great host for UM.

Personally I feel Rush Limbaugh would be good for the job too. If you wanted to look purely at conservative radio talk show hosts, Limbaugh would be good. In terms of other people to replace Stack, it is too bad Jack Webb is not still around. I still say Gary Sinise would be a good pick. Even though I am not a fan of his (although he is awesome in Milk, which I just saw last weekend when I rented it and I strongly recommend) Sean Penn, there are so many possibilities. Arnold Schwarzennger will need a job when he leaves office after a terrible several years as California Governor.

Personally I feel Rush Limbaugh would be good for the job too. If you wanted to look purely at conservative radio talk show hosts, Limbaugh would be good. In terms of other people to replace Stack, it is too bad Jack Webb is not still around. I still say Gary Sinise would be a good pick. Even though I am not a fan of his (although he is awesome in Milk, which I just saw last weekend when I rented it and I strongly recommend) Sean Penn, there are so many possibilities. Arnold Schwarzennger will need a job when he leaves office after a terrible several years as California Governor.


Well, one can expect the Governator to return to acting in movies when he leaves office. His status as a big-time movie star would make him too pricey to star in (or even host) a TV series. The same can be generally said about countless other movie actors/actresses. Besides, they are so preoccupied with doing movies that their schedules tend to make it very difficult for them to commit to a potentially long TV run anyway.

But I can imagine a hypothetical scenerio if the host were Sean Penn: He would probably punch the UM cameraman for not shutting off the camera in time! :lol:

Maybe some of the Law and Order folks? Sam Waterson, if he's not too melodramatic, or Mariska Hargitay - she's got an awesome voice.

Ha, Corky, no, when I think of Leslie Nielsen I think of him more in Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Mr. Magoo, Spyhard and the Naked Gun movies, he was best in Airplane and the earlier Naked Gun movies before it got out of hand like most sequels do.

people generally associate Leslie Nielsen with comedic roles because that's pretty much all he's done in the last 30 years, starting with Airplane! but before that, as Corky mentioned, he did non-comedic roles. I've seen him in Night Gallery and several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, 2 horror shows.

If he was still alive, I'd pick Jerry Orbach (who of course, was replaced by Dennis Farina on L&O). But he's not, so I'd pick Hal Linden (Barney Miller). Not only did he play a cop for many years, but he has that authority/leader thing going on. I also like the idea of Sam Waterston, as mentioned above.

I would pick Dan Rather from CBS Evening News. I believe his voice has the creepiness and inflection that is similiar to Stack's. Plus, he should be familiar with UM (based on his age in compare to Stack's age).

Oh, Hal Linden is a good one!

You want a creepy voice? James Earl Jones!

You want a creepy voice? James Earl Jones!
That's another good one. :cool:

How about another Barney Miller alum, Ron Glass? He has that orator's voice and did play a cop. I think he'd be great!! :cool:

I think no one could ever do it as mysterious or sinister as Stack, but here are a few that come to mind that could fit the profile of a host with a sinister-sounding voice:

Peter Thomas (probably my number 1 pick, because of his experience on Forensic Files)

William Petersen (from his acting on CSI, he could do a good job too)

Scott Glenn (not as mysterious, but very gruff, like Stack)

How about another Barney Miller alum, Ron Glass? He has that orator's voice and did play a cop. I think he'd be great!!

Barney Miller himself, Hal Linden, probably could have pulled it off.

The actor who played Deitrich has the perfect voice as well.

I still hold that Jonathan Frakes would be the perfect replacement for Stack.

I really think it doesn;t matter that the actor has to have portrayed a law enforcement character.

And part of UM is UFOs and bizzare legends...and Frakes has played a characters in those genres.

To me it's all about the voice.


Richard Belser also might be able to pull it off. He could even play John Munch and increase his ever growing record.

If it was back in the day....Leonard Nimoy.

If it was back in the day....Leonard Nimoy.

For sure. He added the exact same creepiness factor to In Search Of.. that RS did to UM.

Keith Morrison from Dateline NBC

Who would it be, and why? We've had posts on this before, but I don't think we've had a thread.

Anyway, I'd pick Keith David. He has a enigimatic presence, and a creepy voice to boot. He's somewhat similar to Stack, but he'd bring his own distinctive qualities to the show.



I kid you not, I opened this thread up with the sole purpose of naming Keith David. He's done a lot of funny stuff (There's Something About Mary), but he's very capable of doing the serious stuff and he has a commanding voice and presence.


Mastermind, nice Munch ref - Homicide, L/O, L/O SVU, X-Files...I know there was another one, but I can't remember it. There may even be more, I can't remember.

I kid you not, I opened this thread up with the sole purpose of naming Keith David. He's done a lot of funny stuff (There's Something About Mary), but he's very capable of doing the serious stuff and he has a commanding voice and presence.


Mastermind, nice Munch ref - Homicide, L/O, L/O SVU, X-Files...I know there was another one, but I can't remember it. There may even be more, I can't remember.
Richard Belzer also played Munch on L&O: Trial By Jury, The Beat, The Wire and Arrested Development.

Honorable mention - a Muppet version of Munch (though not voiced by Belzer) appeared in this hilarious Sesame Street sketch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5121VjLwqZM

Barney Miller himself, Hal Linden, probably could have pulled it off.

The actor who played Deitrich has the perfect voice as well.
Yup, I mentioned Hal Linden earlier in the thread - and you're right about "Dietrich". I think Steve Landesberg could totally pull it off. :cool:

Richard Belzer also played Munch on L&O: Trial By Jury, The Beat, The Wire and Arrested Development.

Honorable mention - a Muppet version of Munch (though not voiced by Belzer) appeared in this hilarious Sesame Street sketch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5121VjLwqZM




Thanks for the info - and the link. That is glorious!!

Thanks for the info - and the link. That is glorious!!
My pleasure!! The Belzer/Munch and Meloni/Stabler Muppets look uncannily like their real-life counterparts. I think that sketch is hilarious - and I found it is on the SVU Season 6 DVD set as an extra. :cool:

Some very interesting suggestions here. I've mentioned him before, but I think Stacy Keach would be a good fit. He did a great job as the host of a syndicated show called "Missing: Reward" back in the eighties (which was quite similar to UM), and is currently the narrator on CNBC's "American Greed."

Some very interesting suggestions here. I've mentioned him before, but I think Stacy Keach would be a good fit. He did a great job as the host of a syndicated show called "Missing: Reward" back in the eighties (which was quite similar to UM), and is currently the narrator on CNBC's "American Greed."
Yeah, he'd be good, too. I know this is a long shot, but how about - Tom Selleck?

Yeah, he'd be good, too. I know this is a long shot, but how about - Tom Selleck?

With or without the mustache?

Quote:
Originally Posted by catlover79
Yeah, he'd be good, too. I know this is a long shot, but how about - Tom Selleck?

With or without the mustache?

Tom Selleck without the mustach is not Tom Selleck IMHO! :lol:

Speaking of The Wire ...(without a doubt the best show ever...next to UM of course. :p )

1.John Doman,(Rawls) who does the Home Depot radio spots, would be a good choice. Though his sexual preferences may turn some people off. He also had a pretty scary turn as a child molester in Mystic River.

2. Wendell Pierce (The Bunk) has the perfect voice and demeanor IMHO. He can also work the trench coat real well. :cool:

that guy that does the geico commercials in the deep voice would be perfect!!!

that guy that does the geico commercials in the deep voice would be perfect!!!
Oh yes, he'd be great - I can just see him in a trench coat. :lol: His name is Mike McGlone - and actually does resemble a young Mr. Stack!! :lol:

With or without the mustache?
With, of course!! I agree with Mastermind - Tom Selleck is not complete without the mustache. :cool:

Everyone has come up with some really cool and interesting ideas. Keep them coming, folks!! :cool: :D

What about Steven Hill (Adam Schiff on Law & Order), he could be a creepy dude when he wanted to be

Linus Roache (Cutter on L&O)

William Daniels

Robert Vaughn

David McCallum (IllyaDucky would rock!)

Constance Towers (Creepy as hell as Helena on GH)

Stuart Damon

Michael Moriarty (I can't help it if L&O has bitching people)

The dude who plays Dr Webber on Grey's Anatomy


If all else fails.....Conan could use a job! LOL

^ You've got some great ideas!! I think Steven Hill would be great, but he's pushing 90 now, is retired, and the state of his health may make him loath to commit long term.

Michael Moriarty!! Definitely a brilliant actor; a complex man for sure. That would be interesting for sure. Like his L&O character, Ben Stone, he fights for justice and the rights of the people with compassion. Plus, if you've ever seen him in the miniseries Holocaust, he can be cold and steely-eyed with the best of them. The one thing he's missing is that real gravelly voice like some of these other actors have. Plus they would have to produce in Canada (British Columbia, to be exact) since he doesn't like to travel (http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/author/mmoriarty/).

Stuart Damon, last I heard, has no long term acting commitments right now, and I think he'd be a great choice. Same goes for William Daniels. :cool:

Conan on UM...:rofl: The Jay/Conan fiasco is still an unsolved mystery in an of itself!! :nod:

Michael Moriarty!! Definitely a brilliant actor; a complex man for sure. That would be interesting for sure. Like his L&O character, Ben Stone, he fights for justice and the rights of the people with compassion. Plus, if you've ever seen him in the miniseries Holocaust, he can be cold and steely-eyed with the best of them. The one thing he's missing is that real gravelly voice like some of these other actors have. Plus they would have to produce in Canada (British Columbia, to be exact) since he doesn't like to travel (http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/author/mmoriarty/).

When it comes to the topic of hypothetical UM hosts, Michael Moriarty was a name that crossed my mind.

I'm aware that Moriarty is now a columnist. In fact, I have read one of his columns in which he criticized his former TV show Law & Order.

Andy Dick (jk)

I think Christopher Walken might make for an interesting host, although his delivery could probably be a distraction from the show at times.

Can characters from movies be the host? How about "Anton Sigour" (sp?) (Javier Bardem) from "No Country For Old Men"? He would make a creepy host with his voice and Peter Tork-from-the-Monkees haircut.

I'm surprised that nobody brought up Kyle MacLachlan (Agent Dale Cooper of Twin Peaks)

Considering that UM deals with both unexplained murders and unexplained phenomenon, Kyle would be a natural for the role. :D

But, I doubt he would stoop to doing UM. Perhaps as Kyle gets older and is desperate for work. he may consider.

Speaking of Twin Peaks, how about Michael Ontkean? I think he'd be a fine UM host, too. :cool:

I'm surprised that nobody brought up Kyle MacLachlan (Agent Dale Cooper of Twin Peaks)

Considering that UM deals with both unexplained murders and unexplained phenomenon, Kyle would be a natural for the role. :D

But, I doubt he would stoop to doing UM. Perhaps as Kyle gets older and is desperate for work. he may consider.

I doubt that being "desperate for work" would be sufficient reason to convince Kyle (or anyone else for that matter) to host the show. But I am curious as why you doubt Kyle would "stoop to" hosting UM. Maybe he's "too good" for it? :confused:

Just wondering.

My pick would be Morgan Freeman. Great voice and he has a serious side to him.

Keith David has an excellent voice and would bring a degree of gravitas to the role.

Christopher Lee, I know he's old but he has that creepy voice factor. Also, Patrick Stewart might be good.

My first choice was Henry Rollins but someone said Morgan freeman and he would be great too. I dont think anyone could replace Stack though that guys voice just gives me chills. I think it sucks that the new show is just old episodes with Denis Farina talking over stack. I dont get that.

How bout James Earl Jones?

Andy Dick. You're welcome. :D

Richard Simmons or Antoine Dodson.






:p

Bill Curtis or Mitch Pileggi.

I have to add Clancy Brown into the mix of candidates. His performance as Brother Justin in Carnivale was excellent. He has a very commanding presence. It's a shame that he doesn't get more acting roles.

Wasn't Clancy Brown supposed to be the original host for the redone Unsolved Mysteries when HBO picked it up a few years back?

Christopher Lee would be great.

Wasn't Clancy Brown supposed to be the original host for the redone Unsolved Mysteries when HBO picked it up a few years back?

He was under consideration, but apparently had other committments and was unable to accept the job. I think he would have been an effective host.

Stack was born to do the role in the same mold as Bob Barker for Price is Right.

But if you were to pick someone who could hold a candle to him it would be Christopher Walken. For starters he has the spooky look to him. He also has the spooky and isolated voice. The musical score along with Stack's voice made the show what it was, but Walken could compete at that level

Yup, I mentioned Hal Linden earlier in the thread - and you're right about "Dietrich". I think Steve Landesberg could totally pull it off. :cool:

Sadly, we can no longer consider Steve Landesberg. :(

Mike McGlone (Geico commercials) seems like a pretty good choice for someone to fill in for Robert Stack. IMO Stack cannot be replaced, someone would have to "fill in" for him. I also like Jonathan Frakes as another possibility.

Kevin Ogle who interviewed Franklin Delano Floyd. He would do a great job.

Stack was born to do the role in the same mold as Bob Barker for Price is Right.

Since you mentioned those men in the same sentence, I should note that Robert Stack had something in common with Bob Barker: Despite their success and likability as a TV show host, neither man was the original host of their respective shows.

Of course, the original UM host was Raymond Burr, who hosted the first episode, only to be replace by Karl Malden, who hosted the next the two episodes, before he was permanently replaced by Robert Stack. As for The Price Is Right, the original host was Bill Cullen, who hosted that show for a total of nine years. He hosted two versions: the daytime version, which aired on NBC from 1956 to 1965, and an evening version on primtime (first on NBC and later on ABC) from its debut in 1957 until its cancellation in 1964. Barker became the new host when CBS revived it in 1972.

Needless to say, TV shows that find (or retain) genuine success with someone who is not the original host are few and far between. TPIR and UM are among those few. (Not to mention that This Old House remains in production to this day, more than two decades after Bob Vila left the show.)

Needless to say, TV shows that find (or retain) genuine success with someone who is not the original host are few and far between. TPIR and UM are among those few. (Not to mention that This Old House remains in production to this day, more than two decades after Bob Vila left the show.)

The Tonight Show? Johnny Carson was not the original host was he? As far as I remember it was Steve Allen. Jay Leno has done a good job since Carson left too, but his image got hurt a bit with the whole "should I retire or not" thing. Still, Leno at his best is not Johnny

The Tonight Show? Johnny Carson was not the original host was he? As far as I remember it was Steve Allen.

Yes. The original host of The Tonight Show was Steve Allen. He hosted it from 1954 to 1957. Jack Paar took over in 1957 and hosted the show for five years, longer than Steve Allen. In 1962, Johnny Carson became the new host and kept that job for thirty years.