I do - there is nothing special about him that makes him an "interesting" host.

With Robert Stack, you get a cold, yet emotional tone in his voice that makes the cases feel real & special. With Farina, you get some tacky "cool" sounding voice that fades in and out only when he feels like adding a little wisecrack.

Ugh, if the new UM wasn't bad enough...

Nah I don't hate Farina. That is a bit too strong for me. Plus, the thing I always keep in mind with Farina is he wasn't allowed to narrate the segments as he saw fit. He's just redoing Stack's old monologues down to the last word. I'm saw Stack had somewhat of a script to follow as well but what Farina was asked to do, well it is what it is.

Since we can't have Stack, I'm okay with Farina hosting the show. However, I think he's capable of doing a much better job than we're seeing.

He might have even been a half way decent alternative to Stack if Spike just hadn't gone and made such a mess out of the segments. IMO, Farina really has almost no material to work with, which makes the Spike segments even harder to watch.

Stack cannot be replaced...but Farina doesn't do a bad job IMO.

Since we can't have Stack, I'm okay with Farina hosting the show. However, I think he's capable of doing a much better job than we're seeing.

I agree.

Yeah, I agree with the others. I don't hate Farina either, I think it's the crappy mess they have made of UM that makes it so bad. The old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" comes to mind. I wonder if the show had never moved to Spike in the first place and just stayed on Lifetime where it belongs, would we have gotten these new "rock" versions of UM?

I think "hate" is too strong a word. I don't like Farina as the host, but I'm at a loss to suggest someone who could replace Stack and do the job just as good or better. That being said, I do "hate" the editing and attempts to modernize the show by omitting dates, adding heavy metal music, flashy effects, hyper edits etc. If the episode content was exactly the same and just re-narrated by Farina I could probably live with that.

hate is a strong word, but yes he is aweful!!

My guess is bottom line: they felt that the show needed to be updated. I will say that I will always be a fan of the original and I don't care for the re-edits they have done. But I will say that if you look at it from a network perspective, they probably feel that to the casual viewer, the show has a more current tone to it. They tend to emphasize words like csi, and forensics, because those are much more popular in pop culture han they were 20 years ago.

Farina is an ok host, but I feel like this is just a weekend job for him. If they were doing new shows, there might be a bit more heart put into it. His narrative isn't bad, but he can never replace Stack.

In a perfect world, (even one where Stack would not live forever as host) I would choose... ready for this, William Shatner. His narrative on rescue 911, back in the day was good. And that show was quite similar to UM. That's just my 2 cents on the issue.

I wont go as far to say I hate Dennis Farina,but in my mind Robert Stack IS Unsolved Mysteries. Farina has had roles that I have enjoyed him in. The new Unsolved Mysteries just isnt on the same level as before.

My guess is bottom line: they felt that the show needed to be updated. I will say that I will always be a fan of the original and I don't care for the re-edits they have done. But I will say that if you look at it from a network perspective, they probably feel that to the casual viewer, the show has a more current tone to it. They tend to emphasize words like csi, and forensics, because those are much more popular in pop culture han they were 20 years ago.

Farina is an ok host, but I feel like this is just a weekend job for him. If they were doing new shows, there might be a bit more heart put into it. His narrative isn't bad, but he can never replace Stack.

In a perfect world, (even one where Stack would not live forever as host) I would choose... ready for this, William Shatner. His narrative on rescue 911, back in the day was good. And that show was quite similar to UM. That's just my 2 cents on the issue.

I was thinking Christopher Lee, but thinking about it now perhaps he would be too creepy. And besides that he's no spring chicken so chances are you'd be looking for a new host sooner than you'd want to. Shatner might be ok or Leonard Nimoy.

Stack portrayed Elliott Ness, Shatner portrayed T.J. Hooker. I rest my case.

I dont hate Farina, he just reads like he isn't interested and he is possibly the most boring voiceover talent I have ever heard in my entire life.

CBW

That guy that does the Geico commercials could be a suitable replacement for Stack, IMO.

That guy that does the Geico commercials could be a suitable replacement for Stack, IMO.

yes. i believe his name is Mike McGlone. i think all the put-together episodes with Farina hosting were all completed last year or two years ago. somebody call Cosgrove, Meurer, or whoever has the rights to the show now and make a sales pitch for McGlone as their next host! :-)

Hate is a little strong (considering it's not really Farina's fault), so I don't have anything against him per se, but I hate what they did to the show. For reasons people have discussed before, I also agree with the "If it's not broke, don't fix it" theory.

If the main purpose of reairing the unsolved cases up to 2006 on Lifetime and again now on Spike was to actually solve them, it doesn't make much sense to cut out dates, large chunks of interviews and original parts of the broadcast (with the documentary feel that really made it flow together and have some heart) just for the sake of making it look modern. I've said this a billion times I know lmao, but I can't stand how the 21st Century is very obsessed with modernizing or redoing things from the past (and this is the perfect example), while the 80s and 90s had far more "older" things still around.

What they should've done was go COMPLETELY one way or the other. Either make it a brand new show with newer cases similar to classic UM, or leave the original Stack segments intact with just some modern intros or tips from Farina and the current staff.

The reason I think it's tanked is because they went trying to mix it together to please everyone, when in turn the end result is that it's not pleasing anybody. It's not really clear who it's target audience is. The classic UM lovers like us are annoyed by it being modernized and shortened, while the crowd who would want a newish show like this will be confused by the older settings.

I dont hate Farina, he just reads like he isn't interested and he is possibly the most boring voiceover talent I have ever heard in my entire life.

CBW

This was my point exactly. I guess you people take hate in the most literal manner...

He's awful, it's not the Stack factor though as I watch the Raymond Burr and Karl Malden episodes and enjoy them. I think the show's layout etc is horrible now compared to early 90's UM which is the main problem.

You know who would make a good host (Not that anyone could beat the Stackmeister) ? Patrick Stewart. I'd listen to that voice all day. Or maybe the guy that voices Forensic Files.

You know who would make a good host (Not that anyone could beat the Stackmeister) ? Patrick Stewart. I'd listen to that voice all day. Or maybe the guy that voices Forensic Files.

Agree with you there. Another good person to host (who did do voice work and made at least one on camera appearence for UM during the Delano Floyd case) would be Kevin Ogle. He had a good UM voice.

You know who would make a good host (Not that anyone could beat the Stackmeister) ? Patrick Stewart. I'd listen to that voice all day. Or maybe the guy that voices Forensic Files.The guy that narrates Forensic Files is Peter Thomas, I love hearing his voice every time I watch forensic files. I also like Bill Curtis voice every time I hear him talking on American Justice. I really don't hate Farina but Robert Stack is my favorite UM host and always will be. I love watching Stack hosted UM segments on youtube by UMucantstopme, UMonrequest, and doownaes. I hate the way they took parts out of the old UM broadcasts with a lot of the cases in the Farina version.

Originally posted by Oldschooler81 If the main purpose of reairing the unsolved cases up to 2006 on Lifetime and again now on Spike was to actually solve them, it doesn't make much sense to cut out dates, large chunks of interviews and original parts of the broadcast (with the documentary feel that really made it flow together and have some heart) just for the sake of making it look modern. I've said this a billion times I know lmao, but I can't stand how the 21st Century is very obsessed with modernizing or redoing things from the past (and this is the perfect example), while the 80s and 90s had far more "older" things still around.

What they should've done was go COMPLETELY one way or the other. Either make it a brand new show with newer cases similar to classic UM, or leave the original Stack se

Yep, I totally agree! My real problem isn't with Farina at all - I really don't mind him as a host (He was great in "Midnight Run"!) , my problem is the no mentioning of dates or any other pertinent information! And the fact that there are no new scripts, just Farina reading the old ones verbatim.

I just find it annoying (and kinda sad) how the new UM seems to come across as cashing in on the "'80's nostalgia" rather than producing a good and effective show - many of these can still be solved but I get the feeling that UM, Spike and/ or Cosgrove/Muerer are not interested in that

I just find it annoying (and kinda sad) how the new UM seems to come across as cashing in on the "'80's nostalgia" rather than producing a good and effective show - many of these can still be solved but I get the feeling that UM, Spike and/ or Cosgrove/Muerer are not interested in that

Agreed...when Stack was host they had a telecenter where people could call and even when the reruns were aired they had an address where people could write to if they knew about a certain case. Now? It's just "Here check out our website at www.unsolved.com and listen to this crappy heavy metal music".

Originally posted by TheCars1986 and listen to this crappy heavy metal music".

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

:lol:

Too true!

And sad...!

One thing I do hate about Farina is that stupid little pinky ring he wears...I have to see it everytime I come to this board!

I watched a whole episode of UM on Lifetime yesterday. I've pretty much ignored the new updated version of the show all this time. But nothing else was on so I had it on in the background.

Poor Dennis Farina. He is probably the worst narrator I have ever heard. Seriously, I was astonished to hear how bad he was. He speaks with an insane amount of awkward pauses for every sentence he states. If someone talked to me during a casual conversation the way Farina talks during these segments, I would never be able to keep a straight face.

Stack's voice was scary but he could, you know, TALK. In fact, I remember hearing an old interview with a friend of Stack's who said he had the perfect voice for storytelling. So when Stack was hired as host of UM in the 80's, it felt like fate to everyone.

I'm not looking for a Stack clone. But the new UM should have done a better job finding a host. One that doesn't suck the personality out of every word he says.

Nah I don't hate Farina. That is a bit too strong for me. Plus, the thing I always keep in mind with Farina is he wasn't allowed to narrate the segments as he saw fit. He's just redoing Stack's old monologues down to the last word. I'm saw Stack had somewhat of a script to follow as well but what Farina was asked to do, well it is what it is.


Good point. I saw the Kevin Hughes segment recently, you know, the one about the alleged chart scam - DF (who is a fine actor in a different element) sounded a little silly explaining that a number one song is more popular than a number five song.

I can handle Dennis Farina as long as I don't compare him to the awesomeness that was Roert Stack.

I don't hate him, that'd be a bit much... but he wouldn't be my first choice as host. His voice doesn't really fit the role of narrating a show like this, IMHO.

I think he gets a lot of mileage out of the fact that he used to be a cop. It served him well on Crime Story; and when he was cast on Law & Order I watched him for a while but lost interest pretty quick.

i have NO issues with Farina really, is he as good as Stack, NO!!! Stack was the best at this, his voice made the stories more scary, but he's gone (RIP Stack), anyways, my only issue with the new Unsolved Mysteries is simple, first off, dont like the music, it's good, just not as great as the old one used to be, the old music ALSO made the stories better, 2nd, i wish they would have NEW segments on the show.

What they should've done was go COMPLETELY one way or the other. Either make it a brand new show with newer cases similar to classic UM, or leave the original Stack segments intact with just some modern intros or tips from Farina and the current staff.

The reason I think it's tanked is because they went trying to mix it together to please everyone, when in turn the end result is that it's not pleasing anybody. It's not really clear who it's target audience is.
It's clear the target audience was to us to at least watch and enjoy, BUT the problem was we have seen them and with Farina hosting old/seen episodes, it doesnt hook the classic fans like us. i agree with what oldschooler says, either make it a brand new show with NEW cases (which i think the producers/writers, whatever they are should NOW do, or just air re-runs of the ones with Stack and have new updates added in or something, but i personally want to see a new show with new segments (that will catch my eye) and then air OLD cases every now and then and also give us updates on them please, like for example, Debrah Poe, Angela Hammond, Molly Bish, Paul Pollis and others.

does anyone get the urge to punch that man in the neck......i do ;)

does anyone get the urge to punch that man in the neck......i do ;)

Do that and you'll be arrested for assaulting an officer. :lol:

It's clear the target audience was to us to at least watch and enjoy, BUT the problem was we have seen them and with Farina hosting old/seen episodes, it doesnt hook the classic fans like us. i agree with what oldschooler says, either make it a brand new show with NEW cases (which i think the producers/writers, whatever they are should NOW do, or just air re-runs of the ones with Stack and have new updates added in or something, but i personally want to see a new show with new segments (that will catch my eye) and then air OLD cases every now and then and also give us updates on them please, like for example, Debrah Poe, Angela Hammond, Molly Bish, Paul Pollis and others.

I agree about updating the older cases, and I think it would be interesting if they went back and re-interviewed the people involved in the original segment.

I don't hate Farina as an actor or a person but he doesn't fit well with narrating UM. There are few people that I think would be better than him. Other mentioned Mike McGlone and I agree with that. I think Tom Selleck who narrates episodes of America's Game would also be better than Farina.

I agree about updating the older cases, and I think it would be interesting if they went back and re-interviewed the people involved in the original segment.
yep, i dont hate Ferrina (that's too strong a word), he's not Stack that's easy to see, but to me the issue with the show is that it's like a complete re-creation of the show, no new updates or interviews, no new cases, nothing, people want updates on MANY cases for me it's the Hammond, Nick, Marshall, Bish and Blair Adams cases.

Pretty much agree with everyone else that Farina is not a good fit for this show. I also can't stand the attention-deficit MTV style quick cuts and would rather they pace it the way they did back in the day.

My second choice for a narrator would have been Paul Winfield (original narrator for City Confidential), but may he RIP as well. In lieu of that, I'd nominate Bill Kurtis.

Don't hate him, although he's been in quite a number of movies, for some reason everytime I see him in UM keep thinking back to his role in 'Another Stakeout' and then think he is just too nice to fit the bill.

Not mysterious enough like Stack was, might seem more authentic if someone with a complete Bad Guy image like De Niro or Capone was presenting.

What I really don't understand is why UM even went into hiring Farina in the first place? All of the segments I have seen thus far are reruns from when Stack was the host. Instead of paying Farina and whatever other production costs there are in filming, producing, etc. why not just reair the Stack hosted shows? It would cost no money, and the eerie ambiance would be intact.

Pretty much agree with everyone else that Farina is not a good fit for this show. I also can't stand the attention-deficit MTV style quick cuts and would rather they pace it the way they did back in the day.

My second choice for a narrator would have been Paul Winfield (original narrator for City Confidential), but may he RIP as well. In lieu of that, I'd nominate Bill Kurtis.

I agree with you too on the quick cuts of the Farina episodes.

I loved Paul Winfield as a narrator. Bill Kurtis would be better than Farina.

like for example, Debrah Poe, Angela Hammond, Molly Bish, Paul Pollis and others.

Are there updates to any of these cases? Or are you just pickin them at random.

I know Molly Bish has likely been solved (though it will likely never be proven officially), but how about the others? Angela Hammond especially intrigues me. Any updates on it?

What I really don't understand is why UM even went into hiring Farina in the first place? All of the segments I have seen thus far are reruns from when Stack was the host. Instead of paying Farina and whatever other production costs there are in filming, producing, etc. why not just reair the Stack hosted shows? It would cost no money, and the eerie ambiance would be intact.

I could not agree more and am baffled by it. UM: Original Recipe was the best and I don't understand why they updated the style and host in the way they did. It would be different if the changes pleased the viewing audience, but it doesn't seem that way. This is the same M.O. we see with sitcom producers when they add in an extra kid to boost sagging ratings. It never works and usually it's just annoying to the viewers who still watch.

Farina, bless his heart, in this analogy is like the sitcom kid they add during the last seasons thinking it'll bring in more viewers.

Long live UM: Original Recipe, I say. Nothing against Farina, he's just not a good fit. Sometimes you gotta stick with the original.

IOW, Stack was da man! ;)

Bill Kurtis and Mike McGlone--great choices!

I don't exactly hate Farina, but he's got a weirdly annoying Midwestern accent thing going on with certain words, i.e.

"When the Wackers opened the door, there was a mysterious message waiting AHN the porch."

I have also noticed the weird Midwestern accent at times.

Are there updates to any of these cases? Or are you just pickin them at random.

I know Molly Bish has likely been solved (though it will likely never be proven officially), but how about the others? Angela Hammond especially intrigues me. Any updates on it?

Angela Hammond's case is still unsolved - there has not been one update on it, other then Trudy Darby's murder has been solved, and hasn't (yet) been connected to Hammond's case.

He's not completely terrible, it's just that he's no Robert Stack, that's for sure. Plus, the space station-type set really annoys me. I'm not crazy about his haircut either, but now we're just getting picky...:lol:

I have to say that I never felt Farina's voice or style were good fits for UM. There have been some great suggestions on here for others who would do a fine job....What about Michael Dorn (Worf from Star Trek TNG)? I watched a doc about UFOs he narrated one time and I thought he did great. The bottom line is no one could ever replace Stack...his voice, timing, pitch, cadence, style, persona, trench coat for those outdoorsy segments...

The editing on the most recent cuts of UM is terrible. Also the way they have to spell out everything Farina says onscreen...I hate that! It's like they think we're too stupid to get it the first time. One more complaint...this might just be my TV, but I have a terrible time with the volume during the new UM episodes. If I get the voices loud enough the music is too loud to tolerate. I mess with the volume a lot when I watch. Didn't have to do this during the Stack years.

I think William Shatner should give hosting UM a go. I always liked his style on Rescue 911

Hate Farina, he's so smug.

Never could stand Farina on L&O and would rather see someone else hosting a new version of UM with more recent cases along with the old ones. If Morgan Freeman were not already hosting a show on Science Channel I would say him--great narrator's voice and onscreen presence. Same with Johnny Depp--calm but commanding voice and would be nice to look at LOL! But would probably have to cut his hair and shave to fit the image (which would be fine with me, like in "Public Enemies")...Maybe after his movie career slows down a bit (yeah, right, I know).

I had a dream about Dennis Farina a few months ago. Never shared it with anyone else, but thought you all might get a kick out of it. In the dream, I was at work, he came into the office, called me "dollface" and asked me to go to lunch. I told him it was too early to go to lunch and he just smiled and left. Not sure what it means...or what would have happend if I had taken him up on the lunch offer!

I think William Shatner should give hosting UM a go.

Then the mystery would be: Could (and would) William Shatner host UM with his ego in check? :lol:

Then the mystery would be: Could (and would) William Shatner host UM with his ego in check? :lol:


:yeahthat


Uggh...Kane, you hit the nail directly on the head. Have you watched that insufferable William Shatner's Raw Nerve? He gets people on there, ostensibly for the purpose of being interviewed, and then proceeds to interject himself into each and every topic? Its amazing. I've never seen anyone have such a proclivity for self-involvement.

:yeahthat


Uggh...Kane, you hit the nail directly on the head. Have you watched that insufferable William Shatner's Raw Nerve? He gets people on there, ostensibly for the purpose of being interviewed, and then proceeds to interject himself into each and every topic? Its amazing. I've never seen anyone have such a proclivity for self-involvement.

Aside from maybe a brief clip or two, I have never watched that show. But what you said isn't surprising.

For a long time, William Shatner has been accused of being difficult to work with. Although there are undoubtedly some different accounts, and some stories might have been exaggerated somewhat, there is one inescapable fact: Some people liked working with Shatner, some people didn't.

I have heard stories about how he never really knew most of Star Trek co-stars very well. When I first heard that he had been at odds with some of his co-stars, especially George Takei, it kind of struck me as unbelievable since they looked friendly to each other on-screen. But then again, looks can be deceiving. By many accounts, some of his Star Trek colleagues - including Leonard Nimoy and the late DeForest Kelley - liked Shatner. But Shatner's relationship with George Takei is an interesting story.

Needless to say, George Takei's relationship with William Shatner was stormy. One recent sign of that was in 2008 when George married his longtime partner. George stated that he invited Shatner to his wedding, only to get no response from him. Shatner, however, contradicted this, claiming that he was never invited. In fact, Shatner griped about the alleged snub in an online video.

Now, going back to UM, if Shatner became the show's host, I bet he would insist that the title be changed. Perhaps it would be renamed William Shatner's Unsolved Mysteries or Unsolved Mysteries with William Shatner. :lol:

The editing on the most recent cuts of UM is terrible. Also the way they have to spell out everything Farina says onscreen...I hate that! It's like they think we're too stupid to get it the first time. One more complaint...this might just be my TV, but I have a terrible time with the volume during the new UM episodes. If I get the voices loud enough the music is too loud to tolerate. I mess with the volume a lot when I watch. Didn't have to do this during the Stack years.

Yeah, it's like they have to dumb things down for the viewers, and the empty call center/spaceship set is goofy.

Plenty of other good hosts out there.