In your opinion what is the worst, most lame wast of a UM segment? One that, whenever it comes on, you think "damn, I HATE this one!". I have to say for me it's the one with the dogs that can detect seizures. While I do find it interesting that dogs can detect seizures for these people and I am happy for them, I just don't think it belongs on Unsolved Mysteries.

Really any of the "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" crap they started coming up with in the mid nineties. There were the fertility statues, aphrodisiacs, bees that could cure paralysis and some woman who got her kicks by massaging the necks of animals.

That is some great television right there :rolleyes:

I use to look forward to UM every week when I was younger, but my night would be shot when they replayed the Alcatraz episode. I found it interesting the first time, but after that it was always, "Damn it!"

The Ripley's episode bored me along with most UFO episodes, Big Foot and the Locheness Monster.

Any recycled footage on Spike that was solved in the Lifetime or NBC days( Richard Church, Reggie Depalma, Dave Davis, or Greg Webb who was released before Robert Stack died). Seeing the lucky school over and over again gets to me too

Cokeville will always be my answer to this. Lifetime showed that smurfing case enough in 3 weeks to last a lifetime.

There's also the story about the minor league baseball player, and money falling from the sky.

Dave Davis

Aw the Shannon Mohr case is a classic and I believe there is still some questions surrounding Dave's guilt or innocence to this day. I'm sure kadrmas15 can make the case for Dave Davis' innocence much better than I can so over to you kadrmas15.

Aw the Shannon Mohr case is a classic and I believe there is still some questions surrounding Dave's guilt or innocence to this day. I'm sure kadrmas15 can make the case for Dave Davis' innocence much better than I can so over to you kadrmas15.


It is a classic but hearing Farina go on a previous broadcast we brought you this story when it was solved 20 years ago. I wish the Robert Stack UM were still around in syndication

Personally, I think every UFO, Cryptozoogical and Paranormal case are wastes of tape, but I know some people like that junk.

Showing solved cases after they've been solved is also kind-of pointless.

the ones with the medical miracles bore me to death!!

Personally, I think every UFO, Cryptozoogical and Paranormal case are wastes of tape, but I know some people like that junk.

Showing solved cases after they've been solved is also kind-of pointless.

Yup, but I can deal when it is harmless fun; as I've said many times on forum in response to this sort of question, the WORST segment UM ever aired was the ghost segment about slave ghosts who come back from the dead to, apparently, steal shoes and murder white women, at least according to the family that made up this bull-**** story. Here was a white family that had no REAL blacks living in the neighborhood to blame crime and violence on, so they conjured up some ghost black people instead. Compare what these ghosts of black people supposedly do to what the ghosts of white people supposedly do: usually, it's have a little harmless fun, at worst, or watch lovingly over children, at best.

Awful, evil - yes, I said evil - segment that allowed a bunch of racist hicks to exploit the worst kind of prejudice and the most shameful chapter in this country's history all to gain themselves a little notoriety and make a little bit of money for the show. Should never have been aired.

Mozart, was that the family in texas?

Also, what about that segment about the "mystery" spiral staircase that they think might have been the work of a saint?

Mozart, was that the family in texas?

Also, what about that segment about the "mystery" spiral staircase that they think might have been the work of a saint?

I forget their names, but the segment was included on the Ghosts boxed set, look at the segment list and you can get it from there.

The spiral staircase case is pretty dumb, though the staircase is beautiful. If I recall correctly, the whole segment is based on the premise that this total stranger dropped from nowhere and built this amazingly complex staircase, and the nuns he built it for think he must have come from heaven... or, it might just be possible that the man was a German carpenter who had built a staircase nearly identical to this one in Europe a few years earlier, emigrated to America, and then moved to the town just down the road from where this other staircase was built.

Yeah, I wonder who it could have been?

Suggestions should be culled from the several threads on this subject and made into a poll.

Wow I have the Ghost DVD and I'm blanking on the Slave Ghost segment....and I am a Paranormal LOVER!

I think the slave ghost one just re-aired this week on spike

I think the slave ghost one just re-aired this week on spike


Ya I saw that. It was stupid

lord have mercy that is funny. if you cant find any black people in your neighborhood to blame. blame the slave ghosts!!!! I laughed so hard when I read that! slave ghosts: stealing stuff and killing white folk, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the slave ghost one just re-aired this week on spike

You're correct. The ones that are getting to me are the ones where the update makes it clear the statute of limitations has run out for the person who was wanted. Ok, dump it.

The one that just aired last week on Spike about the circular massage lady with the tigers was pretty lame too

The one that just aired last week on Spike about the circular massage lady with the tigers was pretty lame too

Tony Marabella. They should have waited until the guy had at least gone to the majors to claim victory. The fact he was a bust that didn't even get to the majors, make the segment seem totally stupid and worthless imo.


There have been others which I had mentioned before. The Men in Black segment with the lady who saw some guy in a black trench coat in the street and claimed he was a man in black without even interacting or giving anything valuable in info was the weakest argument in the history of UM. The Fertility statues, Chocolate Aphrodysiacs and the school bombing are also very weak. Also the one about the kids having apparations in the forest especially with the photo that supposedly was a grave but in reality it was the paper print of a picture. There are a lot of really weak UM segments.

I can't stand the UFO ones....also the lost love ones I usually skip through. I wish them luck, but just not what I want to see on UM.

And basically the entire Spike series and the way it was executed. Farina looks like he is bored out of his mind and could care less. And the fact that they air so many cases that have been solved is a joke. I like seeing a lot of the classic ones of course but it would be good to show a lot that have never been solved, like Tara Calico, Angela Hammond, etc.

Fletch your avatar is scary!!!!

The Spike show is good cause at least I get to see unsolved mysteries, but yeah I hate when i get all worked up over a case and then bam its solved. They do show some unsolved ones.

But yeah, the whole set up is hilarious.

They just keep Farina in the telecenter. Stack would be filmed on location.

Some think the UFO and cryptozoology episodes don't belong, but I think they do. They are so interesting. But as far as ones UM never should have done:

Fertility statues
Bees that cure diseases
that minor league baseball player who had a seizure, or something
the UFO healing
astrology of serial killers
that woman who sweat gold foil and puked up diamonds
lucky school choir (it wasn't divine intervention, it was a coincidence)
false crime confession on the radio
Cokeville, Wyoming school. there were too many factors about the bomb that helped them survive
Jean Hilliard. it wasn't prayer that saved her. it was the hard work of doctors
Sleepwalkers
Spontaneous combustion
Don Decker
George Anderson
Reincarnation
Strange symbols on a rock
Brandon Lee (it wasn't that mirror blown away, it was the negligence of the movie crew that sacrificed safety for time and a little money).

Tony Marabella. They should have waited until the guy had at least gone to the majors to claim victory. The fact he was a bust that didn't even get to the majors, make the segment seem totally stupid and worthless imo.

That's a great one! Looking at the guy's stats, you can't even tell where his "mystery" occurred. He was never any good.

Fletch your avatar is scary!!!!


Thanks....? :)

the west side church explosion was lame, lame, lame!

Hand down, the UFO healing. I'll be frank--I think that is the single most idiotic and incredible story UM has ever profiled.

Hand down, the UFO healing. I'll be frank--I think that is the single most idiotic and incredible story UM has ever profiled.

I remember that one, and I still haven't the foggest why UM thought that would be a good story. I think it was filler more than anything, and they honestly could have picked something else.

I don't like the ghost ones but I like the historical ones like the holy grail one for instance.

Although the military murder or suicide sort of annoy me.

I've never cared for the alien segments. They looked chessy as hell to me! The other specific stories that bugged were the stories on the aphrodisiacs and the pregnancy statue. Those were a waste of time, IMO! :crazy:

Although the military murder or suicide sort of annoy me.


Me too. There's somewhat of a notable exception in the Carmichael/Hargrove segment, but generally UM tended towards implying the military consistently and intentionally shrouds unexplained deaths and disappearances from public knowledge. I'm also generally annoyed with the heavy credence the show seemed to place on "secret mission" claims a la Chad Langford and Justin Burgwinkel. "Have you ever seen the movie White Sands?" :rolleyes:

The ones I hate are all the "famous people who didn't die like they said the died" stories. I can't stand those. It get to the point that anybody famous dies and you wait for the conspiracy theory on them. I mean Tupac, Kurt Cobain, Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid, Elvis, Huey P Long, etc. The John Wilkes Booth one was the last straw, I don't even watch it when they show it on spike anymore.

Okay, forgot about this one but watched it yesterday, "Our Lady of Valley Hill", that place in Kentucky where people saw gold, angels, all that crap. Then someone took pictures and those girls thought there were images in the pictures, and the name of a girl's cousin, which an expert confirmed were double exposures and light getting into the film. Totally cheesy.

Huey P Long

On most of these I agree with you, but on the Huey Long segment, I think there is pretty solid circumstantial evidence that the "official" version of events that day are not accurate. Long apparently was killed by bullets from a gun other than Dr. Carl Weiss's, although this is not to say that Dr. Carl Weiss is totally innocent. The Wikipedia article on Carl Weiss (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Weiss) mentions something the UM segment does not:

Dave Haas, the leader of an anti-Long group called the "Minute Men", claimed that five men met in the DeSoto Hotel in Baton Rouge to draw straws as to who would kill Long. Weiss allegedly drew the short straw, and according to Haas, "He would have killed Huey as he would a snake."

He could have gone there to assassinate Long, gotten perhaps one or two shots off, but then been best upon by guards and police. It may well be that Weiss was there to kill Long - perhaps he even got one non-fatal shot into Long - but that ultimately Long was killed not by Weiss, but by stray bullets from all the guns being fired.

In this case, of course, Weiss is still morally responsible. But it would differ from the official version of events.

Probably I've mentioned this before, but again--the "french toast grandfather" dream segment is one of the lamest exercises in pointlessness I can name. The great-grandson's name was Benjamin as was, I believe, the grandfather's.

After his death, his granddaughter claimed that he revealed to her in dreams STARTLING INFORMATION NO ONE IN THE FAMILY HAD EVER TOLD HER, such as that he liked the racetrack, where his son, the girl's father, sold "lucky pencils" as a child, that he liked french toast, and that he would always watch over her and Benjamin.

For one, no one can prove she even had these dreams. For two, if she did, no one can prove that she didn't hear the information from her grandfather before he died, or from her father when she was a small child. Maybe she and her father both have lousy memories and don't recall that she was told these family stories, or they could have made the whole thing up.

If she did have the dreams and really had NO access to this EARTHSHAKING INFORMATION (now, finding a lost treasure would be something, but really, french toast? :rolleyes: ) how is the "mystery" solvable? Either you believe in communication after death, or you don't. It was touching that she remembered her grandfather in a loving way, but in no way did it qualify as an Unsolved Mystery! :thumbsdow

I used to be a hardcore unsolved mysteries watcher and there were quite a few that bored me to death. They were so boring, I remember I would just do something else until one of the more important segments came on.

The one about the people who found the human skull in their backyard. This one was from either the 1998/1999 or 2000-2002 season. Not only was it boring and so easily predictable, but it wasn't even a mystery IMO. I think they already identified who it was quickly. Nothing special.

Next comes the Anastacia case. Just made me fall asleep. They kept insisting that they found people who were still alive that were related to her and eventually they aired an update that said they were wrong. All that hype for nothing.

The segment about the golden retriever dogs that could heal people from diseases, as mentioned, while it was nice to see animals healing people, I just don't see how it belonged on the show.

I usually skip the lost love segments. Although some of them are sad, I just don't see how these cases can be associated with unsolved mysteries.

What about L'efant?

Where the man kept getting calls from a child, and it turns out he was mentally ill and made the whole thing up.

What about L'efant?

Where the man kept getting calls from a child, and it turns out he was mentally ill and made the whole thing up.

Not quite. He didn't fabricate a story. The calls were real, but drove him to commit himself to a mental instutitution--where, in fact, he still received the threatening phone calls.

Personally, I think every UFO, Cryptozoogical and Paranormal case are wastes of tape, but I know some people like that junk.

Showing solved cases after they've been solved is also kind-of pointless.

I agree with this NOW, but in the old days (1993-2005) I used to like that since I could record them as they were (instead of the condensed Update versions).

It's interesting that the original UM reruns went off the air JUST as the social networking era started taking off. In one respect that makes it seem even more old school, but I'd think with there being so much widespread internet access, showing the Lifetime reruns now might have slightly increased their chances of being solved.

Some think the UFO and cryptozoology episodes don't belong, but I think they do. They are so interesting. But as far as ones UM never should have done:

Fertility statues
Bees that cure diseases
that minor league baseball player who had a seizure, or something
the UFO healing
astrology of serial killers
that woman who sweat gold foil and puked up diamonds
lucky school choir (it wasn't divine intervention, it was a coincidence)
false crime confession on the radio
Cokeville, Wyoming school. there were too many factors about the bomb that helped them survive
Jean Hilliard. it wasn't prayer that saved her. it was the hard work of doctors
Sleepwalkers
Spontaneous combustion
Don Decker
George Anderson
Reincarnation
Strange symbols on a rock
Brandon Lee (it wasn't that mirror blown away, it was the negligence of the movie crew that sacrificed safety for time and a little money).

Cokeville was interesting the first couple (thousand lmao) times, but yeah I hated when it started being reran every other episode. I did like the reincarnation one too, but basically I agree with these.

I wouldn't have minded UFOs, ghosts (some of these were good) or things like fertility statues if they'd done it more on occasion for variety. But they didn't belong as regulars. It was much better for fugitives and missing people.

In retrospect I wonder if that's one thing that led to the show gradually getting less popular by the late 90s.

Now, I kind of liked the fake radio murder confession. It provided a way to potentially royally embarass the a** clowns that set it up (of course, from my recollection I don't think the DJs' careers really suffered much).

I'm in the extreme minority here (and I majorly risk becoming laughingstock here), but I rather enjoyed the "astrology of serial killers" piece. Astrology's been an interest of mine for many, many years. Yeah, it's not precise, and yeah, it's been majorly bungled by pop-astrologists who really don't know what they're doing, but an in-depth look at the "science" does reveal a lot of interesting consistencies between criminals. Actual astrologic analysis goes so far beyond what the average person reads in newspaper horoscopes and the like (which only utilizes one's "sun sign", as it were. There's so, so many other factors that go into one's full "chart", and that's primarily the reason so many garden-variety "horoscopes" are either ambiguous, inaccurate, or both.)

It doesn't help when you've got people with a little bit of extra knowledge on the subject actually trying to do predictive astrology without any formal education in the practice--much like the guy who runs that website in which he attempts to figure out what's happened to the missing, or what went on in an unsolved crime (anyone around here remember him?). He's the one who created an analysis for Mia Zapata's murder (which was indeed solved by that time, although he was unaware of it) and got EVERY possible aspect of the crime wrong, most notably Zapata's killer--whom he described as a white male and totally not fitting the description of the individual who actually committed the murder (rarely, if ever, would one get a racial profile from an astrologic analysis :rolleyes: , but that's besides the point).

I would describe myself as someone who has an extensive knowledge on the subject, but no formal training at all (it's for this reason I don't make any analysis I may do blatantly public). However, I have done analyses on some of the cases featured on UM. It's a long process to say the least.

A good example would be the Rhonda Hinson murder. I started with her "natal chart" (simply the position of all the planets in the sky on the date of her birth), her "progressed chart" (where the planets were 19 days past her birthdate--which, given the "day-for-a-year" formula--predicts what's going on in her life at age 19), and the actual "event chart" for the date and time of the murder. All of these things interact and influence one another, and it's only by using all of these elements that one can make anything halfway close to prediction. Among other interesting things I did find certan aspects in her natal and progressed charts that could indicate she was involved in a secretive and clandestine relationship with a man of considerable influence or power--a businessman or community leader--and this could have been easily deduced even without the "married man" comment in the segment.

Of course, I'm not a professional, and I certainly don't take astrology as absolute law. It's a just something of a hobby for me. I do think, however, there may be at least some merit to it. Ronald Reagan utilized it during his presidency, after all. ;)

I agree with this NOW, but in the old days (1993-2005) I used to like that since I could record them as they were (instead of the condensed Update versions).

It's interesting that the original UM reruns went off the air JUST as the social networking era started taking off. In one respect that makes it seem even more old school, but I'd think with there being so much widespread internet access, showing the Lifetime reruns now might have slightly increased their chances of being solved.

Lifetime's rights for the show ended sometime around 2006 or 2007, after that they took it off the main network and aired it on the digital-only channel "Lifetime Real Women", then it dissapeared completely.

Hmmm, I don't know about that MegTheEgg.

I just watched it again on that forbidden video site, and the update specifically says he was mentally ill, and all the info he gave to UM was all in his head.

Now, I kind of liked the fake radio murder confession. It provided a way to potentially royally embarass the a** clowns that set it up (of course, from my recollection I don't think the DJs' careers really suffered much).

I'm in the extreme minority here (and I majorly risk becoming laughingstock here), but I rather enjoyed the "astrology of serial killers" piece. Astrology's been an interest of mine for many, many years. Yeah, it's not precise, and yeah, it's been majorly bungled by pop-astrologists who really don't know what they're doing, but an in-depth look at the "science" does reveal a lot of interesting consistencies between criminals. Actual astrologic analysis goes so far beyond what the average person reads in newspaper horoscopes and the like (which only utilizes one's "sun sign", as it were. There's so, so many other factors that go into one's full "chart", and that's primarily the reason so many garden-variety "horoscopes" are either ambiguous, inaccurate, or both.)

It doesn't help when you've got people with a little bit of extra knowledge on the subject actually trying to do predictive astrology without any formal education in the practice--much like the guy who runs that website in which he attempts to figure out what's happened to the missing, or what went on in an unsolved crime (anyone around here remember him?). He's the one who created an analysis for Mia Zapata's murder (which was indeed solved by that time, although he was unaware of it) and got EVERY possible aspect of the crime wrong, most notably Zapata's killer--whom he described as a white male and totally not fitting the description of the individual who actually committed the murder (rarely, if ever, would one get a racial profile from an astrologic analysis :rolleyes: , but that's besides the point).

I would describe myself as someone who has an extensive knowledge on the subject, but no formal training at all (it's for this reason I don't make any analysis I may do blatantly public). However, I have done analyses on some of the cases featured on UM. It's a long process to say the least.

A good example would be the Rhonda Hinson murder. I started with her "natal chart" (simply the position of all the planets in the sky on the date of her birth), her "progressed chart" (where the planets were 19 days past her birthdate--which, given the "day-for-a-year" formula--predicts what's going on in her life at age 19), and the actual "event chart" for the date and time of the murder. All of these things interact and influence one another, and it's only by using all of these elements that one can make anything halfway close to prediction. Among other interesting things I did find certan aspects in her natal and progressed charts that could indicate she was involved in a secretive and clandestine relationship with a man of considerable influence or power--a businessman or community leader--and this could have been easily deduced even without the "married man" comment in the segment.

Of course, I'm not a professional, and I certainly don't take astrology as absolute law. It's a just something of a hobby for me. I do think, however, there may be at least some merit to it. Ronald Reagan utilized it during his presidency, after all. ;)

That's pretty interesting Meg. :) I actually agree that I also like profiles of serial killers (I've watched shows on A&E and Discovery Channel about things like this too). Of course they're despicable people and nothing changes that, but just studying their progression and what makes them become a certain way is fascinating in a dark way. The Rhonda Hinson example sounds plausible - I think I've always been pretty open minded to things like this, even if there's no concrete proof.

Anything crime related usually interests me, even if it's not a crime story per se. Like I enjoyed the UM segments where psychics were called to help solve murders - i.e. Noreen Reinier or Nancy Myer.

I wouldn't have minded UFOs, ghosts (some of these were good) or things like fertility statues if they'd done it more on occasion for variety. But they didn't belong as regulars. It was much better for fugitives and missing people.

In retrospect I wonder if that's one thing that led to the show gradually getting less popular by the late 90s.

Actually, I began a thread about that many years ago on this forum. When they started to do the "unsolvable mysteries" (ie. ghosts, UFOs, etc.) three out of four segments every week in the mid-90s, that is when I personally lost interest and stopped watching (which was incredible because I was the show's biggest fan ever! Well, I am sure I would have a number of readers here dispute that, but anyway ...)

Hmmm, I don't know about that MegTheEgg.

I just watched it again on that forbidden video site, and the update specifically says he was mentally ill, and all the info he gave to UM was all in his head.

So was he really in a mental institution? And, if so, did the nurse actually tell him L'Enfant called? Did he make that up, or did the nurse know what he was imagining and decide to have some fun with him? :crazy:

For some reason the earlier seasons (1987-1992) were always scary and then from 1993-2002 the show just didn't have that terrifying dark creepiness to it anymore. I can watch the later segments without budging or getting creeped out by some composite or music.

I kinda agree, but the later seasons gave us Molly Bish and Mia Zapata, which are arguably, some of the scariest they've ever profiled.

So was he really in a mental institution? And, if so, did the nurse actually tell him L'Enfant called? Did he make that up, or did the nurse know what he was imagining and decide to have some fun with him? :crazy:

I recommend you look this up on that forbidden video website, his real name was Bashir Gaby Kouchacji and the update at the end, clearly states, he was mentally ill and made the whole thing up.

Also, he blames the Israelis and homosexuals for his ordeal involving the "L'Efant" :rolleyes:

Also, he blames the Israelis and homosexuals for his ordeal involving the "L'Efant" :rolleyes:

Thanks, we can all now rest a little easier.

Probably I've mentioned this before, but again--the "french toast grandfather" dream segment is one of the lamest exercises in pointlessness I can name.

The other dead relative stories at least had some point and purpose.

The guy who ended up in the frozen river--regardless of whether you believe he contacted the old man, who took the information to the guy's wife--he did end up dead under extremely suspicious circumstances.

The old man who saw his dead son in the hospital after being struck by a car--sure the pain meds could have made him hallucinate, but how to explain that he correctly knew the numbers to win a $90 million lottery--something even psychics can't pull off?

The woman whose husband died driving their van into a river--regardless of whether you believe he appeared to her afterwards--the mystery is in how she got herself and the children out so quickly--she felt it was with his help.

The "letters from Karen" segment, and some of the ghosts like the Blue Lady, had fascinating aspects, but french toast grandfather for some reason pushed the bounds of patience. It seemed like self-indulgence on the part of the family and indulgence of the program, to them--just plain silly.

The one about the mute woman named "Luxi".
Girlfriend had some crazy dance moves. Did she just get done watching a Paula Abdul video or something?

I recommend you look this up on that forbidden video website, his real name was Bashir Gaby Kouchacji and the update at the end, clearly states, he was mentally ill and made the whole thing up.

That update is "homemade". Someone on the site edited the video of the segment at the end, to make it look like a legitimate update. The FBI was involved in the original case, and those calls were definitely confirmed by telephone records. It definitely had a basis in reality. There was never any "real" update to the story.

His full name was used in the segment as well, by the way.

The one about the mute woman named "Luxi".
Girlfriend had some crazy dance moves. Did she just get done watching a Paula Abdul video or something?

:rofl:

The red shoes!

Well, for me, the lamest episodes would have to be:

The Aphrodisiac Episode - What the hell does this have to do with anything? What, slow news week?

The Spiral Staircase - Where's the mystery? That this group of nuns have never seen good craftsmanship?

The Fertility Statues - Did these statues actually help women get pregnant? Um...well...NO!!! And really, who gives a sh*t? There's a backlog of missing people and unsolved homicides and they waste time with this monkey crap?

Man, now I'm just ticked off having recalled these damn episodes... yeesh

Thanks, we can all now rest a little easier.

Maybe not so fast! This thread http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=265436 says the update was not real. It was faked, then posted to the forbidden site, and never aired on any edition of UM.

It's a toss up between the fertility statues, Ed Walters, and Bigfoot.

Hands down, the most lame UM segment (I forget the name of it) was the ghost story (off the UM Ghosts DVD) where the teenage son starts doing laundry, the mother gets electric shocks across her and the baby's ailment magically goes away (I think the baby had gas). What an abysmal, yet hysterically bad segment.

Besides that, the fertility statue and Cokeville are both runner up. UM is such a fine show, but even it has some lower points.