A friend of mine who is a big fan of the show (as we all are) has been sending some emails off to the CMP team. Thought you might be interested in some of their responses:

Response 1

Dear Jordan,

Thank you for contacting UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. An internet channel, like
Netflix or Hulu, would have to want to order the series. Regarding
Australia, similarly a television network there would have to order the
older series as well.

Sincerely,

The UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Staff

Response 2

Dear Jordan,

Thank you for contacting UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. Unfortunately there are no
plans in the works for any new episodes or DVDs.

Sincerely,

The UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Staff

Response 3

Dear Jordan,

Thank you for contacting UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. Unfortunately the show
cannot air on YouTube due to the contracts with the guilds (WGA, DGA &
SAG). Hopefully someday the show will get picked up again by a
television network and new episodes can be shown, or a service like Hulu
or Netflix will want to the older episodes.
Dear Jordan,

Thank you for contacting UNSOLVED MYSTERIES. In response to your
request for a copy of our show, many of our segments are now available
on DVD through Amazon, Best Buy, and other major retailers. We do not
sell copies directly at this time. There are no plans to release any
additional stories.

Sincerely,

The UNSOLVED MYSTERIES Staff

Thought you guys might be interested.

-Ben

Wow, I'm surprised they actually responded to him. At least they did acknowledge the possibility of Hulu or Netflix. Guess all we can do is keep our fingers crossed.

Hopefully the previous episodes will get released and also hope they will one day do new episodes.

Thanks for the update. 3 responses from them seems like a lot. I think they might be getting annoyed with your friend Jordan. :crazy:

Hopefully the previous episodes will get released and also hope they will one day do new episodes.


This would be awesome, but they're still airing the repackaged episodes with Farina overseas on a channel called CBS Reality, so the production company is still banking off them. I wish they'd just release the old episodes somewhere.....anywhere, since they've been removed from other places.

Maybe if we keep annoying them enough, they'll relent.

Maybe if we keep annoying them enough, they'll relent.


In that case, I strongly suggest flooding their office with physical letters. They carry more weight than emails.

Unfortunately the show cannot air on YouTube due to the contracts with the guilds (WGA, DGA & SAG).

Forgive my ignorance but why would such a thing be written into ANY contract? Is this an old issue or a new one? Because the cases were on the forbidden site for years and years with no problem. I wish this person could elaborate a little more.

Having the cases on the forbidden site does not hurt them in any way. They know and we know the rest of the series is never going to be released on DVD so they're not going to lose a dime.

Forgive my ignorance but why would such a thing be written into ANY contract? Is this an old issue or a new one? Because the cases were on the forbidden site for years and years with no problem. I wish this person could elaborate a little more.

Having the cases on the forbidden site does not hurt them in any way. They know and we know the rest of the series is never going to be released on DVD so they're not going to lose a dime.

It is 100000000% a new one. This all came about after the previous writers strike in Hollywood and how writers get their residuals. After the new deal was put in place there was a massive deletion of copyright material that had been uploaded by private users. The forbidden site itself has changed, wanting a larger slice of ad share revenue. There are ways around this problem. Anyone can make and program their own VOD of an UM episode and put it up themselves through a server or use a 3rd party. There are enough sites that have a VOD service that people upload copyright stuff on. But yeah the last writers strike is the culprit as the writers wanted a larger share of the residuals from material on social media sites.

It is 100000000% a new one. This all came about after the previous writers strike in Hollywood and how writers get their residuals. After the new deal was put in place there was a massive deletion of copyright material that had been uploaded by private users. The forbidden site itself has changed, wanting a larger slice of ad share revenue. There are ways around this problem. Anyone can make and program their own VOD of an UM episode and put it up themselves through a server or use a 3rd party. There are enough sites that have a VOD service that people upload copyright stuff on. But yeah the last writers strike is the culprit as the writers wanted a larger share of the residuals from material on social media sites.

That writers strike happened in 2008. Amazing how 5 years later this suddenly happens.

Unsolved Mysteries had writers but they weren't your typical script writers used for your comedy and drama shows. They just wrote summaries of real life cases and Robert Stack read them.

It just kills me that a show like this, where still unsolved cases being out on the internet can help families and friends of victims is being restricted.

That writers strike happened in 2008. Amazing how 5 years later this suddenly happens.

Unsolved Mysteries had writers but they weren't your typical script writers used for your comedy and drama shows. They just wrote summaries of real life cases and Robert Stack read them.

It just kills me that a show like this, where still unsolved cases being out on the internet can help families and friends of victims is being restricted.

Writers and other unions in Hollywood have all had their contracts restructured to keep up with how movies and television shows are accessed on the internet. This has been going on for a few years now. You also have a lot of actors in the re-enactment scenes that were or are still part of SAG. I have a feeling HULU might pick this up. My only hope is that they air the originals not the updated bells and whistles version on Spike. What would be great is if C&M went and made an official UM website with a full data base on the cases to go along with the show being on HULU. If it in fact HULU does order episodes.

Writers and other unions in Hollywood have all had their contracts restructured to keep up with how movies and television shows are accessed on the internet. This has been going on for a few years now. You also have a lot of actors in the re-enactment scenes that were or are still part of SAG. I have a feeling HULU might pick this up. My only hope is that they air the originals not the updated bells and whistles version on Spike. What would be great is if C&M went and made an official UM website with a full data base on the cases to go along with the show being on HULU. If it in fact HULU does order episodes.

This is the closest you'll ever get to a database of the episodes. Great site and updated frequently.

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Casefiles

This is the closest you'll ever get to a database of the episodes. Great site and updated frequently.

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Casefiles

I frequent this at home. My smart phone for some reason really hates it. But you're right it's great for referencing old cases that I long forgot about.

Yeah it's amazing, pictures and detailed information about cases.

I can honestly see Hulu picking UM up. I mean they picked up the 7 episodes of My So Called Life.

I'd think that perhaps petitioning either Netflix or Amazon (or both) to get the show might be a good idea based on those replies. Usually if one of them gets a property it's soon available on the other. The only reason I'm against Hulu is that some of the older shows they have are "pc only" and cannot be watched through Roku or other devices on the tv and I'd hate to see that happen with UM.

Here's a copy if my most recent chat with Netflix. Don't know if it will ever amount to anything but I guess trying don't hurt.


Thank you for contacting Netflix customer support.

Here is the transcript from your recent chat with customer support:

Netflix david
Thanks for chatting into Netflix! My name is David. May I ask who I'm chatting with today?

You
Ryan

Netflix david
Nice to meet you, Ryan!

Netflix david
How can I help you today?

You
I was wondering if it was possible to request an addition to Netflix
Netflix david
Sure! What would you like to see?

You
Unsolved Mysteries which ran on TV from 1987-2002
Netflix david
Awh, I loved that show! I'll submit that for you right away!

You
Thanks. I had sent mail to Cosgrove-Meurer Productions and they said they would be willing to add it to netflix if it was requested

You
One of my all time favorites and you cant watch it anywhere which is no good

Netflix david
Really? That's amazing! I'll submit that right away!

Netflix david
Alright, it's been submitted! Is there anything else you'd like to see?

You
Not at this time

Netflix david
Great! Well thanks for your suggestion! I'd love to see that show up on Netflix. Classic! Thanks again and have a great day! And one more thing, if you wouldn’t mind, please stay online for a one question survey.

Here's a copy if my most recent chat with Netflix. Don't know if it will ever amount to anything but I guess trying don't hurt.


Thank you for contacting Netflix customer support.

Here is the transcript from your recent chat with customer support:

Netflix david
Thanks for chatting into Netflix! My name is David. May I ask who I'm chatting with today?

You
Ryan

Netflix david
Nice to meet you, Ryan!

Netflix david
How can I help you today?

You
I was wondering if it was possible to request an addition to Netflix
Netflix david
Sure! What would you like to see?

You
Unsolved Mysteries which ran on TV from 1987-2002
Netflix david
Awh, I loved that show! I'll submit that for you right away!

You
Thanks. I had sent mail to Cosgrove-Meurer Productions and they said they would be willing to add it to netflix if it was requested

You
One of my all time favorites and you cant watch it anywhere which is no good

Netflix david
Really? That's amazing! I'll submit that right away!

Netflix david
Alright, it's been submitted! Is there anything else you'd like to see?

You
Not at this time

Netflix david
Great! Well thanks for your suggestion! I'd love to see that show up on Netflix. Classic! Thanks again and have a great day! And one more thing, if you wouldn’t mind, please stay online for a one question survey.


it's worth a try! :)

I wonder if Netflix David says that about all of the shows that get requested

Here's a copy if my most recent chat with Netflix. Don't know if it will ever amount to anything but I guess trying don't hurt.


Thank you for contacting Netflix customer support.

Here is the transcript from your recent chat with customer support:

Netflix david
Thanks for chatting into Netflix! My name is David. May I ask who I'm chatting with today?

You
Ryan

Netflix david
Nice to meet you, Ryan!

Netflix david
How can I help you today?

You
I was wondering if it was possible to request an addition to Netflix
Netflix david
Sure! What would you like to see?

You
Unsolved Mysteries which ran on TV from 1987-2002
Netflix david
Awh, I loved that show! I'll submit that for you right away!

You
Thanks. I had sent mail to Cosgrove-Meurer Productions and they said they would be willing to add it to netflix if it was requested

You
One of my all time favorites and you cant watch it anywhere which is no good

Netflix david
Really? That's amazing! I'll submit that right away!

Netflix david
Alright, it's been submitted! Is there anything else you'd like to see?

You
Not at this time

Netflix david
Great! Well thanks for your suggestion! I'd love to see that show up on Netflix. Classic! Thanks again and have a great day! And one more thing, if you wouldn’t mind, please stay online for a one question survey.


OK,I asked them too.

I put a request in on the "Content Request" board on Hulu. If you go to http://www.hulu.com/discussions/6 you can find where others have made content requests to Hulu. I'm not sure of another way of doing it short of emailing them directly.

I hope they're not edited versions of those NBC episodes that aired on Lifetime.

Just to clarify what they said about youtube:
They said that they officially cannot put stuff on youtube. That's all. The deleting of the videos is just part of the copyright game. It actually hurts UM since people can't watch it, thereby making sure no new fans are going to ever find it and old fans forget about it. Let UM have it their way.

Just to clarify what they said about youtube:
They said that they officially cannot put stuff on youtube. That's all. The deleting of the videos is just part of the copyright game. It actually hurts UM since people can't watch it, thereby making sure no new fans are going to ever find it and old fans forget about it. Let UM have it their way.

That is jargon for they don't see any profit out of it. If CM owns the rights to the show, they can do whatever they want with the episodes. They can make their own channel and upload everything by episode. Famous bands now are starting to make their own channel and put up their own videos because they're starting to pay for their own master or pay for the rights of their material. The reason CM won't go that route or allow the episodes to stay on YouTube is because under the new labor contracts in Hollywood. They'd have to pay out residuals to actors, writers, producers, etc. In probably a few cases some of the actual people interviewed could at anytime ask for residuals contributing to the show. This is more of a business thing than an ethical thing.

I have started a petition to get the original series on Netflix and Hulu. The link to it is in my signature. You'll have to sign up to the petition site to sign it.

I have started a petition to get the original series on Netflix and Hulu. The link to it is in my signature. You'll have to sign up to the petition site to sign it.

Appreciate your work on this!

I signed and would definitely get Netflix if they had UM. :)

Appreciate your work on this!

I signed and would definitely get Netflix if they had UM. :)

Thank you. I use Hulu, so if they could get the show on either or both, I'd be a happy duckling. Still needing a bit over 900 signatures until the petition can be sent in.

Turns out CM is protective of UM to a ridiculous degree. My friend and I tried to make a fan tribute review video similar to the Nostalgia Critic talking about the Aileen Conway case, and they shut us down right quick. Talking to the Unsolved Mysteries Staff, they don't even have an electronic press kit or a stock image of the logo that we could use with their permission. So yeah, basically anything besides mentioning the show by name is forbidden. We weren't even allowed to use a still image of Robert Stack.

It seems like they're deliberately trying to sabotage the old UM. Why are they so determined to kill off any interest in the original version of this program?

It seems like they're deliberately trying to sabotage the old UM. Why are they so determined to kill off any interest in the original version of this program?

Because they're ********s?

I'm shocked they even responded at all (better than nothing), but I still disagree with their logic. Many segments were online for years, but they suddenly just crack down on them earlier this year?

Let's face two important things:

1. There was only a limited number of episodes complied for the DVD sets. They generally didn't sell that well, so they'll probably never release more, certainly not season sets of complete episodes, like we want!

2. The original Robert Stack episodes (reran for many years later, as late as 2007) will likely never air on regular TV again. For that reason, they won't lose any profits or sales by them being freely viewable online.

Other than nostalgia, they serve a very useful purpose in possibly reaching not only new fans for the show (and regenerating interest with old ones), but way more importantly, possibly solving the cases!

We all agree that the rebooted 2008 Farina episodes are crap, and failed to gain new UM fans (and ticked off/disappointed all us older ones). If they ever allow it online or on TV again, please stress that we want the original, unedited RS episodes from the late 80s/early to mid 90s with the narration and storytelling that made it so compelling and emotional in the first place! I'd hate to think they'd perhaps relent, but we only got the lame, modernized ones.

The Farina version does a huge disservice, not only with the editing out big chunks of the original interviews and much of the segments, but leaving out dates and important vital information (just to hide how dated they are...though that comes out anyway, with the cars, technology, and hair/fashion styles!).

I'm shocked they even responded at all (better than nothing), but I still disagree with their logic. Many segments were online for years, but they suddenly just crack down on them earlier this year?

Let's face two important things:

1. There was only a limited number of episodes complied for the DVD sets. They generally didn't sell that well, so they'll probably never release more, certainly not season sets of complete episodes, like we want!

2. The original Robert Stack episodes (reran for many years later, as late as 2007) will likely never air on regular TV again. For that reason, they won't lose any profits or sales by them being freely viewable online.

Other than nostalgia, they serve a very useful purpose in possibly reaching not only new fans for the show (and regenerating interest with old ones), but way more importantly, possibly solving the cases!

We all agree that the rebooted 2008 Farina episodes are crap, and failed to gain new UM fans (and ticked off/disappointed all us older ones). If they ever allow it online or on TV again, please stress that we want the original, unedited RS episodes from the late 80s/early to mid 90s with the narration and storytelling that made it so compelling and emotional in the first place! I'd hate to think they'd perhaps relent, but we only got the lame, modernized ones.

The Farina version does a huge disservice, not only with the editing out big chunks of the original interviews and much of the segments, but leaving out dates and important vital information (just to hide how dated they are...though that comes out anyway, with the cars, technology, and hair/fashion styles!).

Unfortunately, by now they've surely seen the moral argument for helping the victims. They probably counter in their mind (if they even bother) that most of the cases are old and will never be solved.

You would think they could at least put it on iTunes - I don't think it even costs anything to put it up there (Apple just take a big commission out of every episode sold)

It just doesn't make any sense why they are so jealously guarding it - there are plenty of more valuable properties (big time boxing matches, music videos etc) which are freely available on YouTube - as well as PLENTY of TV show episodes from the 80s/90s and 00s. :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Unfortunately, by now they've surely seen the moral argument for helping the victims. They probably counter in their mind (if they even bother) that most of the cases are old and will never be solved.

I'd like to think you're wrong, but unfortunately, you're probably right. I'd still argue (with them) that many cases were already old back then, especially missing persons/lost loves, which got solved as a result. And that was, of course, in the old school pre-YouTube, even pre-Internet world. Shoot, in 1988, a few people still didn't even have VCRs or basic cable (especially older folks) and relied solely on basic network TV!!

I think a lot of people in the industry underestimate the wide-reaching and positive influence YT has. It's not just a luxury like it was circa 2006, its redefined pop culture and how we watch things. Many kids/younger people go on there, of course, too. This is kinda like how they cracked down on music videos back in the day, but now Vevo or the artists/bands themselves uploaded most of them. (Except a few, like Prince and Don Henley, but that's another story, lol.)

I don't know why C/M doesn't see that and give it a try. To be on the safe side, maybe they could just upload ones which aren't on the DVD sets, so they won't lose sales from it.

Unfortunately, by now they've surely seen the moral argument for helping the victims. They probably counter in their mind (if they even bother) that most of the cases are old and will never be solved.

I doubt they bothered. But if they did use this logic, it would be false. Sure, some cases still seem more farfetched than others when it comes to the possibility of being solved but some do in fact get solved. Christi and Bobby Baskin were found after 20 years. Patricia Carlton was found after 33 years. Wendy Camp, Lisa Kregear and Cynthia Britto's bodies were dug up this past spring after 20 years.

When I uploaded segments to the forbidden site this past spring and as JPenn80 a few years ago, one of my favorite things was hearing from the loved ones of those featured in the segments. I heard from Angela Hammond's cousin, Kathy Hobbs' sister, Joyce McLain's sister just to name a few. The day after I uploaded the Norman Ladner segment, his brother thanked me in a pm. These people still live the pain of losing their loved one every day and they are so grateful to have any outlet that can keep their cases in the public eye, available at any time to see. What better device is there than Y*uT*be?

Cosgrove Meurer Productions should be ashamed.

I doubt they bothered. But if they did use this logic, it would be false. Sure, some cases still seem more farfetched than others when it comes to the possibility of being solved but some do in fact get solved. Christi and Bobby Baskin were found after 20 years. Patricia Carlton was found after 33 years. Wendy Camp, Lisa Kregear and Cynthia Britto's bodies were dug up this past spring after 20 years.

When I uploaded segments to the forbidden site this past spring and as JPenn80 a few years ago, one of my favorite things was hearing from the loved ones of those featured in the segments. I heard from Angela Hammond's cousin, Kathy Hobbs' sister, Joyce McLain's sister just to name a few. The day after I uploaded the Norman Ladner segment, his brother thanked me in a pm. These people still live the pain of losing their loved one every day and they are so grateful to have any outlet that can keep their cases in the public eye, available at any time to see. What better device is there than Y*uT*be?

Cosgrove Meurer Productions should be ashamed.

Perfectly said! :) You should write to C/M if you haven't already and point all of that out. Chances are that they're only thinking of copyright and profits and may not even consider that in depth.

That's really rewarding that you've heard compliments from relatives of people on UM. That proves that these cases are still very much alive in the hearts of the victims' loved ones.

Trying to get 'the original' episodes on Hulu or Netflix is a non starter for a number of reasons. A ton of the cases are either solved or have grossly outdated information and would probably be more harmful than helpful. There are several where the person wanted was caught, served their sentence, and are now released. There is no reason to ever air most of those again.

The best to hope for at this point is another reboot. There was nothing wrong with the idea of rebooting UM..it was just that the segments were 1) old 2) the music, titles, etc all sucked. I've always defended Farina as a host, it wasn't his fault they did such a poor job with it. UM needs a reboot where instead of short segments, episodes could be cut into 15 min or 30 min segments. This would allow them to be sold on DVD in season sets. Then do the unthinkable and start having completely new cases, and redo versions of unsolved old cases w/ new interviews, etc. Maybe one segment an episode could be devoted to a classic unsolved case. Unsolved Mysteries would be better on networks like ID instead of Lifetime.

And BTW, I think Cosgrove has overplayed their hand with the takedown noticies on the forbidden site. Things such as opening themes, still shots, etc all fall under FAIR USE. I would probably fight them on it if I got such a notice.

Would be nice if they released all the seasons on DVD or at least put them online. Lots of cases need solving and the exposure can help.

Interesting stuff here. Just wish we could "legally" watch the old show.

Perhaps....just perhaps.... You might be able to solve this mystery. The greatest one of all.

Trying to get 'the original' episodes on Hulu or Netflix is a non starter for a number of reasons. A ton of the cases are either solved or have grossly outdated information and would probably be more harmful than helpful. There are several where the person wanted was caught, served their sentence, and are now released. There is no reason to ever air most of those again.

The best to hope for at this point is another reboot. There was nothing wrong with the idea of rebooting UM..it was just that the segments were 1) old 2) the music, titles, etc all sucked. I've always defended Farina as a host, it wasn't his fault they did such a poor job with it. UM needs a reboot where instead of short segments, episodes could be cut into 15 min or 30 min segments. This would allow them to be sold on DVD in season sets. Then do the unthinkable and start having completely new cases, and redo versions of unsolved old cases w/ new interviews, etc. Maybe one segment an episode could be devoted to a classic unsolved case. Unsolved Mysteries would be better on networks like ID instead of Lifetime.

And BTW, I think Cosgrove has overplayed their hand with the takedown noticies on the forbidden site. Things such as opening themes, still shots, etc all fall under FAIR USE. I would probably fight them on it if I got such a notice.

I don't agree that a lot of cases shouldn't be aired again because of their age/solved status. For many years, before I had regular computer access and before I discovered this forum, my only way of knowing if a case had been solved was by watching t.v. and getting the famous "Update!" There are still many people out there that don't have computer access or don't care to.

And I don't think the reason UM was never sold in season sets has anything to do with how long the segments were. The reason is probably the same reason that many segments never made it to Lifetime, which has been discussed several times at length on this forum. It mostly has to do with some relatives of victims not wanting their cases profiled anymore, legal complications, stuff like that.

I don't agree that a lot of cases shouldn't be aired again because of their age/solved status. For many years, before I had regular computer access and before I discovered this forum, my only way of knowing if a case had been solved was by watching t.v. and getting the famous "Update!" There are still many people out there that don't have computer access or don't care to.



Depends on what it is. There are some cases that I don't think they should air again just not to embarass the family further. Like that case where the white mother kidnapped her white-looking mixed raced daughter - cases like that being reaired do nothing embarass the family further, especially since her sentence has long since been served. Reairing those served no good or purpose.

Then there are alot of unsolved cases that are dated. Mike Reimer is probably the biggest example. Those segments would need a major updating and recutting before they should be aired again.

Depends on what it is. There are some cases that I don't think they should air again just not to embarass the family further. Like that case where the white mother kidnapped her white-looking mixed raced daughter - cases like that being reaired do nothing embarass the family further, especially since her sentence has long since been served. Reairing those served no good or purpose.

Then there are alot of unsolved cases that are dated. Mike Reimer is probably the biggest example. Those segments would need a major updating and recutting before they should be aired again.

I see where you're coming from, but I still disagree. These late 80s/early 90s cases were already pretty dated by 2006, yet Lifetime still did reruns that long later, so why would it matter now?

And, just to ease confusion, I'd suggest (if the RS shows ever do air again) putting a small graphic bug on-screen saying "Originally aired April 1991" or whatever the airdate was.

I see where you're coming from, but I still disagree. These late 80s/early 90s cases were already pretty dated by 2006, yet Lifetime still did reruns that long later, so why would it matter now?

And, just to ease confusion, I'd suggest (if the RS shows ever do air again) putting a small graphic bug on-screen saying "Originally aired April 1991" or whatever the airdate was.

Or they could just make new ones? I can't imagine ratings being very good on 20 year old solved cases. Then there is the problem that all of the old shows are 4:3, and I cannot imagine most TV stations like the idea of airing many of those now unless they are bonified 'classics'.

I like the old ones as much as anyone, but we have to face it that they are now just plain old. The best solution is for Cosgrove to just allow uploads of their cases to just get views for their OWN CHANNEL on YT, which they could then use to alert us about new happenings, a new run on UM, etc.

Or they could just make new ones? I can't imagine ratings being very good on 20 year old solved cases. Then there is the problem that all of the old shows are 4:3, and I cannot imagine most TV stations like the idea of airing many of those now unless they are bonified 'classics'.

I like the old ones as much as anyone, but we have to face it that they are now just plain old. The best solution is for Cosgrove to just allow uploads of their cases to just get views for their OWN CHANNEL on YT, which they could then use to alert us about new happenings, a new run on UM, etc.

If the majority of the public is anything like this forum, then they love and cherish the Stack version and don't give two rats about the Spike version.

Tons of old shows are still being re-run today, so I don't see your point. UM ran for nearly 15 years and had hundreds of episodes. It's a classic and I don't think anyone could put up a successful argument that it isn't.

And I understand that wide screen is all the range nowadays, but I still have my square t.v. and am perfectly content with it. I don't want to look at annoying bars on the top and bottom when I watch t.v. I don't view things in wide screen IRL, so I don't care to on t.v. either.

If the majority of the public is anything like this forum, then they love and cherish the Stack version and don't give two rats about the Spike version.

Tons of old shows are still being re-run today, so I don't see your point. UM ran for nearly 15 years and had hundreds of episodes. It's a classic and I don't think anyone could put up a successful argument that it isn't.


Old shows, sure. But how about old news shows, old (solved) segments of America's Most Wanted? That's about the best comparison I can think of. Airing 20 year old episodes were about 50% or more are solved is strange and only would please fanboys. (I admit to being a UM fanboy BTW so this isn't meant as an insult)

And I believe the reason people here don't 'give two rats' about the Spike version is because it was poorly done. What if though, it was a tasteful updating of UM with new segments mixed with some old ones? We wouldn't be having this conversation. I didn't bother with the new UM because none of it was new, but if it had looked/sounded better, and had fresh cases, well then that's a different story. UM shouldn't be stuck in the 80s and 90s, there are alot of cold cases that would be a great fit for the show.

As for the 16:9 vs 4:3 issue, it doesn't matter what your or my tastes are. I imagine that all 'new' shows probably require it by now.

I watch C&I quite a bit for American Justice as well as Justice Files (even though it seems like they rerun the same ten episodes all the time). Justice Files was a news-journal type show that is a lot like 20/20 or Dateline, and most of the reruns are from the late '90s or early '00s. They've been edited at the end with text updates that are as recent as last year. I suppose if there's an audience (albeit probably a small one) for old Justice Files, they would take to UM just as well.

I've also noticed LA Detectives is rerun frequently (for those that don't know, this was something of an early The First 48 and was hosted by Bill Kurtis). The most recent cases on that show are from 2001.

I watch C&I quite a bit for American Justice as well as Justice Files (even though it seems like they rerun the same ten episodes all the time). Justice Files was a news-journal type show that is a lot like 20/20 or Dateline, and most of the reruns are from the late '90s or early '00s. They've been edited at the end with text updates that are as recent as last year. I suppose if there's an audience (albeit probably a small one) for old Justice Files, they would take to UM just as well.

I've also noticed LA Detectives is rerun frequently (for those that don't know, this was something of an early The First 48 and was hosted by Bill Kurtis). The most recent cases on that show are from 2001.

Yes, but the bulk of those were solved cases and weren't in a 'if you have any information, please call _____' type of format. They might re-air stuff from the mid 90s and early 00s, but I don't think you'll see say 1987-8 made segments (like the oldest UMs are).

I know I may sound like a downer on this, I just had to recognize reality here with UM. We're all going to love the old UM as it was, but TV stations aren't going to want to air things just to satisfy our sense of nostalgia.

We have to make it known to Cosgrove that there would be interest in a truly new UM, if done right. Instead, they seem to almost want there to be hardly any mention of UM anywhere. Are they hoping people will forget it? It seems that way.

Let's hope they are in negotiations with ID for a new series and they will all surprise us with it. I can dream can't I?

And speaking of vanished segments, it's sad to me how all the great old Bill Kurtis crime stuff on A&E seems to be going down the memory hole. I don't know if they air any of it now. I love the First 48, but that is a different style.

I watch C&I quite a bit for American Justice as well as Justice Files (even though it seems like they rerun the same ten episodes all the time). Justice Files was a news-journal type show that is a lot like 20/20 or Dateline, and most of the reruns are from the late '90s or early '00s. They've been edited at the end with text updates that are as recent as last year. I suppose if there's an audience (albeit probably a small one) for old Justice Files, they would take to UM just as well.

I've also noticed LA Detectives is rerun frequently (for those that don't know, this was something of an early The First 48 and was hosted by Bill Kurtis). The most recent cases on that show are from 2001.

I'm also a fan of all those shows, Meg. I've also noticed most of them are from circa 2000 and it doesn't seem to be a problem now.

I think another rebooted UM would only work if they covered new cases, or tacked on new information to any old ones if they got solved. That was the biggest mistake they made a few years ago with the Farina version. And I don't believe that helped solve any of the previous cases.

Often, whenever a Stack UM case was solved, they'd do a brief 1-2 minute recap, then the updated information tacked on. At the very least, that's what they should do, and leave Stack's original narration and the old interviews alone. As I suggested, maybe put the original airdate onscreen, just so the hairstyles/fashion, old boxy 70s/80s cars, older technology, etc. won't confuse anyone to how old it is.

I'm also a fan of all those shows, Meg. I've also noticed most of them are from circa 2000 and it doesn't seem to be a problem now.

Whew, I'm glad I met another Justice Files fan! A few times there have been UM "crossovers" on that show, too. There were segments on Michael Swango and Carl Broadnik, aka Pat Brown (that one even featured him watching his own UM segment, which was kind of trippy).

Whew, I'm glad I met another Justice Files fan! A few times there have been UM "crossovers" on that show, too. There were segments on Michael Swango and Carl Broadnik, aka Pat Brown (that one even featured him watching his own UM segment, which was kind of trippy).

I also love Forensic Files and New Detectives. I think all of those are kinda the closest "modern" shows to early UM. Anything Bill Kurtis hosts is excellent too, his voice and narration style really fits crime storytelling.

Oh wow, never saw that, but it reminds me a bit of the Dennis DePue update. The reenactment of him packing and hurriedly leaving his new girlfriend's house, while the segment played in the background, was a trip in itself.

I also love Forensic Files and New Detectives. I think all of those are kinda the closest "modern" shows to early UM. Anything Bill Kurtis hosts is excellent too, his voice and narration style really fits crime storytelling.

Oh wow, never saw that, but it reminds me a bit of the Dennis DePue update. The reenactment of him packing and hurriedly leaving his new girlfriend's house, while the segment played in the background, was a trip in itself.

Forensic Files is my jam. There are a lot of FF crossovers to JF as well--don't know if you've seen either the FF episode or JF segment on Susie Mowbray (convicted of murdering her suicidal husband in 1987, her son actually became an attorney and was instrumental in getting his mother a new trial and released from prison), but I always thought that was an interesting story.

I've also noticed LA Detectives is rerun frequently (for those that don't know, this was something of an early The First 48 and was hosted by Bill Kurtis). The most recent cases on that show are from 2001.

Ah yes, LA Detectives. I don't get C&I, but had somone record it for me in a trade. I couldn't get into that show, though, it was too much of a downer. It seemed like most segments ended with a suspect being identified and it was obvious they were guilty, but there wasn't enough evidence to convict. I read that Kurtis thought it was a middle-of-the-road show.

Yes, but the bulk of those were solved cases and weren't in a 'if you have any information, please call _____' type of format. They might re-air stuff from the mid 90s and early 00s, but I don't think you'll see say 1987-8 made segments (like the oldest UMs are).

I know I may sound like a downer on this, I just had to recognize reality here with UM. We're all going to love the old UM as it was, but TV stations aren't going to want to air things just to satisfy our sense of nostalgia.

We have to make it known to Cosgrove that there would be interest in a truly new UM, if done right. Instead, they seem to almost want there to be hardly any mention of UM anywhere. Are they hoping people will forget it? It seems that way.

Let's hope they are in negotiations with ID for a new series and they will all surprise us with it. I can dream can't I?

And speaking of vanished segments, it's sad to me how all the great old Bill Kurtis crime stuff on A&E seems to be going down the memory hole. I don't know if they air any of it now. I love the First 48, but that is a different style.

American Justice debuted in 1992 and wasn't around in the 80's, so I can say with 100% certainty nobody would see any 1980's American Justice episodes.

A & E has been a wastleland for crappy reality shows for quite a number of years now. All of the quality programming (American Justice, Cold Case Files, City Confidential, Biography) is now being aired on its child network, the Bio Channel.

As for what tv channels would want to air (original vs. reboot) I don't know, you'd have to talk to them. I think it would come down to profit. I would imagine that they spent a lot of money to hire Farina, build the "call center" and all of the other costs associated with it. The old UM won't have any of those costs.

I also don't see how we couldn't have both. Reruns of classic episodes along with new episodes. Many networks air shows that way, with new episodes in the prime time hours, and reruns in other time slots. It's worked that way successfully for many other shows, there's no reason for me to believe it couldn't happen with UM.

American Justice debuted in 1992 and wasn't around in the 80's, so I can say with 100% certainty nobody would see any 1980's American Justice episodes.

A & E has been a wastleland for crappy reality shows for quite a number of years now. All of the quality programming (American Justice, Cold Case Files, City Confidential, Biography) is now being aired on its child network, the Bio Channel.

As for what tv channels would want to air (original vs. reboot) I don't know, you'd have to talk to them. I think it would come down to profit. I would imagine that they spent a lot of money to hire Farina, build the "call center" and all of the other costs associated with it. The old UM won't have any of those costs.

I also don't see how we couldn't have both. Reruns of classic episodes along with new episodes. Many networks air shows that way, with new episodes in the prime time hours, and reruns in other time slots. It's worked that way successfully for many other shows, there's no reason for me to believe it couldn't happen with UM.

Pretty much all the channels now have reality garbage on them. Sick to death of these kinds of shows & wish they'd just disappear.

Ah yes, LA Detectives. I don't get C&I, but had somone record it for me in a trade. I couldn't get into that show, though, it was too much of a downer. It seemed like most segments ended with a suspect being identified and it was obvious they were guilty, but there wasn't enough evidence to convict. I read that Kurtis thought it was a middle-of-the-road show.

It's not my favorite, either. I remember the first one I saw involved the discovery of a woman in what looked to be a ravine. They showed her body only from the legs down, but it was a profound image. Her killer actually was eventually convicted, but it's difficult to be constantly exposed to images of the crime aftermath and little, if any, of the responsibles being held accountable for their crimes.

God bless homicide investigators. The pain they feel on a consistent basis must be immense.

Pretty much all the channels now have reality garbage on them. Sick to death of these kinds of shows & wish they'd just disappear.

You and I, both, Peachy. In fact...I would say it would be "peachy" if they all disappeared! :lol:

Sorry.....I couldn't resist. But dear God do I hate "reality" tv. I don't even bother watching tv, anymore...because that's about all that's left. :(

It was mentioned previously in the thread, but any request made to Netflix/Hulu/whatever needs to clearly say "We want the original Unsolved Mysteries episodes in chronological order of air date hosted by Robert Stack from 1987 to 2002. Specifically, we want the episodes that aired on NBC from 1987 to 1997."

It's tough to debate at this point whether or not the UM Productions people will want this online because they will lose income compared to their TV deal with Lifetime. The show is their bread and butter and there's more to be made with daytime cable reruns from advertising and the contract with the network than the online services. They'll milk it out as long as possible, especially after the disaster of 2008's revamp.

I'd hate to see those episodes put online streaming. They are unwatchable. And now that Farina has passed, they are outdated and completely unnecessary in addition to being poorly constructed and presented.

Another thing we need to keep in mind is what exactly Stack's estate is willing to cut for a royalty deal in the event the 87-02 episodes get picked up by a paid online stream site.

I think there is a shot one day they could throw the originals online. But there would have to be a strong demand and expectation that casual viewers would nostalgically want to re-watch parts of the show to justify the move.

It's almost a guarantee it won't happen at the same time as the Lifetime deal. As long as the episodes are airing on cable, they won't cut a deal with anyone. The only way it would happen is if the network decided to remove it from daytime reruns and not renew the deal for the future. If they did that, then online streaming is all the show has left for a stream of revenue.

...I didn't bother with the new UM because none of it was new, but if it had looked/sounded better, and had fresh cases, well then that's a different story...

Not for me.

I personally didn't like it because of how they changed the format in an attempt to make it fast-moving to try and keep the focus of those with even the shortest attention span.

The original on the other hand was very-detailed oriented and slow moving.

Not quite sure what kind of audience they were trying to reach out to with the updated series, but there are plenty of slow moving dramas aired even today and those still get great ratings.

Trying to get 'the original' episodes on Hulu or Netflix is a non starter for a number of reasons. A ton of the cases are either solved or have grossly outdated information and would probably be more harmful than helpful. There are several where the person wanted was caught, served their sentence, and are now released. There is no reason to ever air most of those again.

The best to hope for at this point is another reboot. There was nothing wrong with the idea of rebooting UM..it was just that the segments were 1) old 2) the music, titles, etc all sucked. I've always defended Farina as a host, it wasn't his fault they did such a poor job with it. UM needs a reboot where instead of short segments, episodes could be cut into 15 min or 30 min segments. This would allow them to be sold on DVD in season sets. Then do the unthinkable and start having completely new cases, and redo versions of unsolved old cases w/ new interviews, etc. Maybe one segment an episode could be devoted to a classic unsolved case. Unsolved Mysteries would be better on networks like ID instead of Lifetime.

And BTW, I think Cosgrove has overplayed their hand with the takedown noticies on the forbidden site. Things such as opening themes, still shots, etc all fall under FAIR USE. I would probably fight them on it if I got such a notice.

I don't agree on the outdated information argument. We got In Search Of on the Discovery channel almost 20 years after it had been canceled in syndication. The information in a lot of those cases was outdated or never thoroughly researched.

Personally the updated episodes with the bells and whistles was a huge let down for me. If you ever get the chance, you should see the documentary The Thin Blue Line. The similarities in cinematography and presentation are very close. The film uses re-enactments just like UM did. Even almost after 20 years it's a very powerful film and still maintains that mysterious feel.

The forbidden site is notorious for backing the rights holders. That being said, there are exists a large number of different VOD, flash, etc. upload clients.