Now that the original Robert Stack episodes are back on "that site," it's been a blast re-watching the episodes in all their glory. It's crazy to think about how long ago UM began - the original specials started airing in January of 1987, over 30 years ago!

If anyone is re-watching the series like me, what are some things that jump out at you that show just how much things have changed since then?

This morning I was at the gym and watched a random episode - it was the Mark Dennis episode involving Vietnam - it's crazy to think that at the time the episode aired, the Vietnam War would still have been somewhat recent, not a distant memory or something you only read about in history books.

In that same episode, there is an update on Kenneth Robert Stanton, the creepy child molester guy who was (thankfully) caught in an update. In the update, they show his "registration card" at a hotel, which was a physical, paper card haha.

One thing that spans across so many older episodes (late 80s/early 90s) is how strong the regional accents are in the people being interviewed. Whether it's New York (Ricardo Caputo segment) or Ohio (Kurt Sova segment), the accents are super noticeable and a reminder of how these strong regional accents are not quite as distinct today, especially in younger generations.

What have you noticed?

Three things stand out to me:

1. The HAIR: Whether it’s mullets on men or big, styled bangs on women, the hair just screams 80’s on so many segments.

2. Words that are no longer acceptable: Whether it’s referring to Asian people as “Orientals” or going out of their way to not mention homosexuals, the times have changed.

3. Parolees: UM has been on so long, I’ve lost count of how many people were wanted, later arrested, and then served out their sentences only to be set free. The updates on Amazon never cease to amaze me, including violent felons who served their time and are back on the street.

Things that stand out:

1. Everybody is still reliant on landlines and payphones.
2. Outside of banks, no security cameras - not even for shopping malls and late night convenience stores.
3. LOTS of stonewashed denim jackets and jeans!
4. All that satanic panic nonsense.
5. Alien abduction stories - when was the last time you heard one? Yet they seemed to be very common back in the day.

The one thing that sticks out is the amount of ugly brown colors. This is especially noticeable in homes and in the reunion scenes at airports. We can complain about how bad flying is but can't deny airports are FAR nicer buildings than they were in the early 90s.

While it wasn't a major part of the show, it's also fascinating to see people smoking inside a building, especially a police interrogation room. It's going to make me feel old when I explain to my son how in the early 90s people in Canada and the USA used to smoke EVERYWHERE with the only exception being elementary schools.

I also can't forget the hair! I just watched an episode where this attractive young woman was interviewed: it looked like she stuck her hand in several electrical outlets before the cameras starting rolling!

What have you noticed?

This is more of a personal nature, but when UM was on TV, I was in grade school and the grades corresponded with the seasons. So, for example, season one aired when I was in first grade, season two in second grade and so on down the line. I'm 37 years old today. Graduated high school in 2000. That all seems like a lifetime ago.

As far as UM itself a few things stick out to me...

1) Any segment about computers or technology is outdated (e.g., Kevin Poulsen).

2) The LACK of cell phones, and how people communicated or did not - pay phones; "so and so didn't come home that night" - now we would be concerned about unreturned texts, calls going straight to voicemail.

3) Any segment on bank robbers where we now have a photograph or video of the robber for the first time because banks they robbed previously didn't have cameras.

To piggyback off the computer angle; The age enhanced computer photos of missing children were REALLY bad more often than not.

Probably the best example would be Anthonette Cayedito. Her computerized aged photo looks exactly the same, only her face is slightly stretched. Even 1992 technology should have been better than that.

1. The film quality.

2. The pacing-actually setting/telling the story, without all the loud music, gimmicky stuff that the modern shows have. Much prefer the old shows for this.

3. The keyboard music.

4. The hairstyles-mullets for the guys & big hair for the ladies.

5. Nobody has mobile phones-unless they are rich & then they are huge blocks.

6. CRT Monitors/Television sets.

7. No mention of LGBTQ issues/Virtue Signalling.

To me I understand that the show started 30+ years ago, I remember when it started and I watched faithfully from the very beginning, now it just seems so timeless to me. I think that's because it dealt with real people and situations, not to mention that cases profiled are still being solved to this day. That itself reinforces to me just how timeless the show is. The filming style and the narrative style (reminiscent of old-time radio) draw you in and stir the mind. I can't think of another show on television that had this capability.

Low def TV.

Those huge 80s/90s eyeglasses. If someone wore those in 2019, they'd be labeled a creep and/or child molester.

The ages/birthdays of some of the involved people.

For example, I'm reading Suzanne Finstad's book on the Richard Minns/Barbra Piotrowski case. Piotrowski, now known as Janni Smith, is 66 years old today. Minns would have been 90 YEARS OLD this year. Quite a striking thing to realize, given all those photos of them as golden, toned, athletic young folks in bikinis and Speedos.

This definitely makes me feel old. Take for example the white bird segment. The old man interviewed gives his testimony of hearing an airplane for the first time in his life.

I always look back to the lifetime era when I religiously watched the show everyday. Seeing some of the newer segments that talked about modern technology like internet and DNA. that was 15 years ago!

The ages/birthdays of some of the involved people.


To piggyback off that, it blows me away to think of how many people from the show have passed away - not just criminals, but also victims, family members, police officers, random interviewees, etc. The "deaths of some people" thread is a testament to that.

I think it's especially pronounced in segments where all the principal figures are dead. For example, in the lost loves segment about Carl Dentai and his daughter Brigitte's search for an old friend - Phillip Pelletier, who was found as a result of the show, Dentai, his daughter, and Pelletier have all since died. Yet, we can watch their story and see the reunion over and over again. I'm pretty sure it's even on Amazon.

Also, it's sadder in still unsolved cases where all the key parties are dead. For instance, in the Charles Southern segment, his father, mother, and sister are all dead. It makes you wonder who, if anyone, is going to continue searching for answers.

A lot of segments had interviews with people who could share their experiences of life in the early 20th century. It gives UM a sort of historical significance as there's no one left to give these types of interviews, even if they're just sharing stories about everyday life instead of major historical events. For example, the sister of the young woman who knew Curly Green in his youth, or the lady who thought the Marfa lights should be left a mystery.

UM did have a lot of segments full of religious dogma. That kind of programming still has a niche market on cable tv today, but you don't see anything like that on the major networks anymore.

To piggyback off that, it blows me away to think of how many people from the show have passed away - not just criminals, but also victims, family members, police officers, random interviewees, etc. The "deaths of some people" thread is a testament to that.

I think it's especially pronounced in segments where all the principal figures are dead. For example, in the lost loves segment about Carl Dentai and his daughter Brigitte's search for an old friend - Phillip Pelletier, who was found as a result of the show, Dentai, his daughter, and Pelletier have all since died. Yet, we can watch their story and see the reunion over and over again. I'm pretty sure it's even on Amazon.

Also, it's sadder in still unsolved cases where all the key parties are dead. For instance, in the Charles Southern segment, his father, mother, and sister are all dead. It makes you wonder who, if anyone, is going to continue searching for answers.

How long until it makes sense to start a "People on UM who are still alive?" thread?

I hope this forum is still around at that point

In the Walter Curly Green segment, there is a woman interviewed old enough to remember 1917!

Also, the Marfa Ghost Lights segment has a lady born in 1898 (18 years old when she saw the lights in 1916).

These are just two examples that astonish me time-wise.

UM premiered over 30 years ago...

When UM started, it was only 24 years since JFK was assassinated; it was less than 20 years since the moon landing; and it was less than 15 years since the end of the Vietnam War.

I never thought of it in those terms until others started mentioning it. Crazy to think of it now.

UM premiered over 30 years ago...

When UM started, it was only 24 years since JFK was assassinated; it was less than 20 years since the moon landing; and it was less than 15 years since the end of the Vietnam War.

I never thought of it in those terms until others started mentioning it. Crazy to think of it now.

Indeed. The start of the O'Neal Moore segment shows black and white film/footage of the Civil Rights movement down south. And Stack eventually says, "25 years ago, things were different."

My mind was kind of blown when I recently watched this one and thought about how it had only been 25 years at the time that segment was produced. :eek:

Also the fact that The Great One Robert Stack would be 100 years old this year,.

In the Walter Curly Green segment, there is a woman interviewed old enough to remember 1917!

Also, the Marfa Ghost Lights segment has a lady born in 1898 (18 years old when she saw the lights in 1916).

These are just two examples that astonish me time-wise.

Oh yes the lady in the Marfa lights segment. I Love her.

1. The film quality.

2. The pacing-actually setting/telling the story, without all the loud music, gimmicky stuff that the modern shows have. Much prefer the old shows for this.

3. The keyboard music.

4. The hairstyles-mullets for the guys & big hair for the ladies.

5. Nobody has mobile phones-unless they are rich & then they are huge blocks.

6. CRT Monitors/Television sets.

7. No mention of LGBTQ issues/Virtue Signalling.

There were actually references to homosexuality on UM (e.g. the Wil Hendrick case), although it wasn't very common. But given how painfully politicized such an issue has become, it's just as well. Although UM featured cases with political angles (such as the death of Vince Foster), the show was wise not to become too political, which is too common on television nowadays. Such a move can easily alienate viewers.

There were actually references to homosexuality on UM (e.g. the Wil Hendrick case), although it wasn't very common. But given how painfully politicized such an issue has become, it's just as well. Although UM featured cases with political angles (such as the death of Vince Foster), the show was wise not to become too political, which is too common on television nowadays. Such a move can easily alienate viewers.

True. in its core UM was a show that stretched the envelope for the viewer. That’s what hooked us. It was so hard to watch yet so hard to walk away. But when they knew they were on the edge they always wrote it in Bob’s script to “keep an open mind” or “you be the judge”. I love that they always defended the victims that they profiled.

Also there was a feature on Camilla Lyman in the later years. If I recall it was also on one of the dvd sets as well?

People using Payphones is another sign the show is showing it's age.

There were actually references to homosexuality on UM (e.g. the Wil Hendrick case), although it wasn't very common. But given how painfully politicized such an issue has become, it's just as well. Although UM featured cases with political angles (such as the death of Vince Foster), the show was wise not to become too political, which is too common on television nowadays. Such a move can easily alienate viewers.

Choosing not to mention homosexuality is political too, for the record.

Choosing not to mention homosexuality is political too, for the record.

But it is clearly less politically controversial than including any kind of commentary about homosexuality that could be taken as negative. I take Kane to have meant that if any kind of negative commentary on homosexuality had been included, then the show could easily have become an albatross for distributors and broadcasters by now. We're not yet at the point where simply failing to aver a liberal position on homosexuality can plausibly be used as a reason for censorship.

The use of film stock in the first 5-6 seasons.

I recently re-watched the Larry George case: Among his belongings at his makeshift campsite was a Game Gear, a device no one has even thought about since 1995.

I recently re-watched the Larry George case: Among his belongings at his makeshift campsite was a Game Gear, a device no one has even thought about since 1995.

I loved my Game Gear. Never understood how people preferred the Game Boy to that beauty's full backlit colour display. :lol:

In one Lost Loves segment, the mother died following childbirth after being injured in a hurricane in Arkansas in 1915, and the father had to give the baby up for adoption. Her siblings thought her name was Verniece but it turned out to be Pernisa. The father remarried and had a total of 12 or 13 children, of which she was the only one he never found. When she was identified her family learned she had died in an accident over 50 years earlier but had married and had a couple of children. IIRC the father lived to be told of these grandchildren but passed away either just before the reunion, or just after. What's more, most if not all of his other children were still living although the event occurred in 1915! I wonder if even the younger children from the remarriage would be alive now!

I heard a good one this morning. "suspect was picked up on the side of the interstate by a 1955 Buick"

Another one I keep thinking about: We are within ten years of finding out the truth about the Elvis' Autopsy ;)

I recently re-watched the Larry George case: Among his belongings at his makeshift campsite was a Game Gear, a device no one has even thought about since 1995.

:lol:

The low rent in Woonsocket during the time of the Doreen Picard murder/ Susan Laferte attack.

Lack of cell phones is an obvious one. Disappearances now would have family and friends trying to text/call cell phones to check in on anyone who goes missing. That wasn’t a thing in the 80s and early 90s. The other one is prevalence of hand drawn composite sketches. They’re still used today, but seems like many departments favor newer technology and computer generated profiles of the suspects, for various reasons. I think today we would see many more of those and fewer sketches of the suspects

The music, decor, style (clothes, hair), low-res film, mention of stuff that today would get flagged by the PC police (and vice versa).

I think one of the weirdest things I've noticed is how old everyone looks. What I mean by this is...say they show someone in their early twenties...but she looks older than I am. Or people in their mid-thirties (my age) who look like they're in their fifties. I'm not certain, beyond hair styles and clothing, what exactly it is that causes me to not be able to properly judge the ages of these people...but it occurs in almost every segment lol

I think one of the weirdest things I've noticed is how old everyone looks. What I mean by this is...say they show someone in their early twenties...but she looks older than I am. Or people in their mid-thirties (my age) who look like they're in their fifties. I'm not certain, beyond hair styles and clothing, what exactly it is that causes me to not be able to properly judge the ages of these people...but it occurs in almost every segment lol
It's a very common observation. I'm virtually a carbon copy of my father but looking at photos of him when he was my age throughout the years he ALWAYS looked older. Not just to me but everybody. I looked at 30 the exact same as he did at 20.

It's a very common observation. I'm virtually a carbon copy of my father but looking at photos of him when he was my age throughout the years he ALWAYS looked older. Not just to me but everybody. I looked at 30 the exact same as he did at 20.

Cigarettes and bad food will do that. We're healthier than our parents.

We're healthier than our parents.

I don't know about THAT :lol::lol::lol:

But no, I'm kind of leaning toward the smoking/etc, as well. It's just weird seeing it, as it's not something I really think of much. But I've been going through a depressive bout and comfort-watching the entirety of UM, in order. So it's something I've seen A LOT lately.

But no, I'm kind of leaning toward the smoking/etc, as well. It's just weird seeing it, as it's not something I really think of much. But I've been going through a depressive bout and comfort-watching the entirety of UM, in order. So it's something I've seen A LOT lately.
I'm with ya on watching the show for comfort reasons. I'm a single Dad trying to buy a house for us and the stress/depression mounts quite high. UM is always there for a great distraction. It sucks you into another world.

I'm with ya on watching the show for comfort reasons. I'm a single Dad trying to buy a house for us and the stress/depression mounts quite high. UM is always there for a great distraction. It sucks you into another world.

It really is. You don't necessarily HAVE to pay attention to it (since it's been watched so many times), if your mind is going, but if you do, maybe you'll notice something or think of something differently than before.

As for the depression/stress...hang in there, man...

I think one of the weirdest things I've noticed is how old everyone looks. What I mean by this is...say they show someone in their early twenties...but she looks older than I am. Or people in their mid-thirties (my age) who look like they're in their fifties. I'm not certain, beyond hair styles and clothing, what exactly it is that causes me to not be able to properly judge the ages of these people...but it occurs in almost every segment lol

We've mentioned this in other threads. The best examples being Mary Ann Perez (who was 36 when she disappeared) and Gail Delano (who was 34.)

What's even more crazy was when they showed an age enhanced photo of Mary Ann Perez, after sooooooo much time that had passed and what she would have looked like at the time of the airing of the segment. It looks like a senior citizen photo yet she would have only been 47. :crazy:

Gail Delano (who was 34.)

I realize it wasn't your intent, but dear God, is that depressing...

I saw an episode last night from March 1996 that focused on the Oklahoma City Bombing (which wasn't even a year old at that point), Vince Foster's suicide note, and James Ellroy.

All just seem like products of their time. They were probably hot button issues then, but hardly anyone in the media talks about them now.

When Michael Drosnin said the Bible predicted "World War, Atomic Holocaust, 2000, 2006".

Oops. :lol:

I think one of the weirdest things I've noticed is how old everyone looks. What I mean by this is...say they show someone in their early twenties...but she looks older than I am. Or people in their mid-thirties (my age) who look like they're in their fifties. I'm not certain, beyond hair styles and clothing, what exactly it is that causes me to not be able to properly judge the ages of these people...but it occurs in almost every segment lol

Totally agree. I've rewatched the Gail Delano segment recently and I ALWAYS SAY IT after I see it-- she looks so much older than her age. At this point in time now, I am older than Gail when she faked her disappearance. I still maintain she looks older than me in photos.

Other things that are fun-- the size of Kevin Paulson's computer in the Dark Dante segment. The fact that he had DIAL UP INTERNET. The fact that when I saw this segment for the first time, I thought ALL OF THAT was the coolest thing ever.

Rotary phones. Payphones. The lack of *69 or Caller ID functions. I've clearly spent a lot of time being amused by phones...

The way that marijuana was so negatively portrayed really stands out in several cases.

Brian Brophil’s segment is one such example. An entire segment on a nationally televised true crime show devoted to catching a guy that had never committed a violent crime just because he grew and sold pot seems ridiculously outdated. No accredited true crime show would ever bother profiling such a “criminal” in this day and age yet they tried to paint him like some type of Pablo Escobar Jr. or something.

Another one was the overreaction of the family and LEOs upon Steve Sandlin’s family discovering one pound of weed in his house was comical. It was more than likely planted there by dirty cops but why? Because of outdated ideologies is why. That bag had a street value of less than $1,000 back in 1988. Even if the bag was really Sandlin’s, I wouldn’t care. However, it most likely wasn’t and it was a small price to pay to make him look bad in the eyes of the uninformed back then.

That last paragraph leads me to another one: how much the average person blindly trusted the police back then is also rather outdated. Before cell phone cameras, YouTube, social media, etc. people didn’t really see how dirty the average LEO was on a daily basis like you can now with even just a modicum of research.

The 80s were just a totally different time, man.

P.S. Hail Satan... or something. ����*♂️

Rotary phones. Payphones. The lack of *69 or Caller ID functions. I've clearly spent a lot of time being amused by phones...

What's so funny or out of place about a rotary phone?! I've got two hooked up...

What's so funny or out of place about a rotary phone?! I've got two hooked up...

That must really be challenging because those messages that said "if you only have a rotary phone, stay on the line for assistance" went away about 20 years ago. :D

That must really be challenging because those messages that said "if you only have a rotary phone, stay on the line for assistance" went away about 20 years ago. :D

That's why I have a touch tone upstairs :lol:

Home phones in general are outdated af. I don’t think I’ve had a landline since 2006ish.

Realizing that Robert Stack would be over 100 today.

Pretty much all pets mentioned in the series' run are long gone.

Great Depression/WWII eyewitnesses being interviewed (I realize we still have them, but they're very elderly now). Those old enough to remember WWI (such as the little sister in the Walter Curly Green segment), are more stunning to realize.

Realizing how many of these crimes might have been solved with modern day technology. Example: Angela Hammond would never have been using a payphone in the first place, but even in an abduction, her cell phone likely would have pinged and helped her be found. Pictures of license plates could have been taken whenever someone was suspicious of someone else. Police could have been called in the middle of nowhere.

I think I mentioned this a little farther back, but the Ogopogo segment has a map shown onscreen which mentions the USSR.

I think one of the weirdest things I've noticed is how old everyone looks. What I mean by this is...say they show someone in their early twenties...but she looks older than I am. Or people in their mid-thirties (my age) who look like they're in their fifties. I'm not certain, beyond hair styles and clothing, what exactly it is that causes me to not be able to properly judge the ages of these people...but it occurs in almost every segment lol

So true! Another example of this is the Chuck Morgan segment. There's a photo of Chuck and he looks like he's in his late 50s at least...then you find out he was only 39?!

People today absolutely look "younger for their age" than they did in UM's heyday. I think it's due to less smoking, less harsh hair/makeup looks, and people having children later in life (thus retaining their youthful vitality a little longer lol).

So true! Another example of this is the Chuck Morgan segment. There's a photo of Chuck and he looks like he's in his late 50s at least...then you find out he was only 39?!

People today absolutely look "younger for their age" than they did in UM's heyday. I think it's due to less smoking, less harsh hair/makeup looks, and people having children later in life (thus retaining their youthful vitality a little longer lol).

I hate to keep harping on Mary Ann Perez but...she was 33 when she vanished....

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/theadvocate.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/14/814f34be-e801-11e7-bd20-db6dc989349d/5a3e899f73624.image.png

She already had a teenager daughter watching after the younger kids the night she disappeared. Doing the math, she must have gotten married in high school.

All the segments related to the Vietnam War. When the show premiered in the eighties, Vietnam was still a raw wound in this country, and it shows in the narration/tones of voice used by guests. Vietnam is still a painful part of our history, but the passage of time has helped heal some of the pain and anger associated. When talking about it now, people are able to discuss it as history and less as a traumatic wound.

All the segments related to the Vietnam War. When the show premiered in the eighties, Vietnam was still a raw wound in this country, and it shows in the narration/tones of voice used by guests. Vietnam is still a painful part of our history, but the passage of time has helped heal some of the pain and anger associated. When talking about it now, people are able to discuss it as history and less as a traumatic wound.


Also...those Vietnam vets are the same age as the WW2 vets were, at the time...which is such a mindf*** for me...

Typewriters.

The Bonnie Haim Story. They interviewed the lead detective back then and Michael's Aunt. Both were recently interviewed on Dateline. Michael's aunt no longer has the big glasses or the 80's hair. The Detective no longer had the 80's hair.

Typewriters.

Yes and those word processors with floppy discs.
VHS and VCRS. No more blockbuster or Movie Gallery.

VHS and VCRS. No more blockbuster or Movie Gallery.

I kind of have a tendency to live in the past. I was using a VCR as late as 2014. Once in a while I taped a program but they were mostly for taping football games. I can still remember walking up to the counter once at Rite Aid to buy a couple blank VHS tapes. The cashier looked at the tapes as if he were looking at a dinosaur fossil and even said, "I can't believe we're still selling these."

I finally joined the rest of the world and currently watch shows on Demand now. But I'll always have happy memories as a kid going to Blockbuster. Those were fun times.

I't's crazy how many of the fugitives that we thought "will they ever get caught?!?" have now been caught, served their time and are just free men/women living their lives now.

Also, pretty much every "Lost Loves" segment is so dated. They used to spend years searching, hiring detectives, etc. and UM was a last resort. Now to find someone you just check Facebook and there they are! That is, if you didn't connect on social media when you first met and never lose touch in the first place.

I first watched the show when I was in upper elementary/middle school. The segment about the videotape left by the arsonist gave me nightmares.

Watching it now, all of the technology shown on the show totally dates it, but its like a crazy little time capsule, and that's why I love it.

(Probably the worst "tech dating" is the Apple Computer murder...just a terrible crime, but to think that machine was worth that much back then...)

As a service member myself I take a special notice for the military-related segments.

It makes me wonder how and why back in the old decades from the 40s to 80s so many incidents involving the military and some sort of lapse or mispractice on the service's behalf, from coverups to mismanagement on the administrative level. This ranges from UFO incidents to members who disappeared/died under mysterious/unknown circumstances. It seems to be a rare occurance in today's age, if ever. I wonder how upper management in the military were able to fix these issues.

I also take note of how all branches of service would generally wear the common camouflage uniform (known as BDUs/battle dress uniform) and individuals just wear the name of their respective branch on the lefthand side of their blouse. Nowadays, each branch of service is overspending on research and development for their own respective uniform patterns. If they all shared a common battle fatigues uniform it would be much more resourceful and they could use that funding to improve quality of life for members in addition to having them better prepared to carry out their missions.

I't's crazy how many of the fugitives that we thought "will they ever get caught?!?" have now been caught, served their time and are just free men/women living their lives now.

Also, pretty much every "Lost Loves" segment is so dated. They used to spend years searching, hiring detectives, etc. and UM was a last resort. Now to find someone you just check Facebook and there they are! That is, if you didn't connect on social media when you first met and never lose touch in the first place.

Assuming the people are on social media, recently in a local paper somebody had contacted them asking for help in locating somebody she worked with in the early 1970's. Amazing to think that nowadays with social media accounts & all of these genealogy websites tracking people down is so much easier for the average person, back then they either had to hire somebody to do it or try to do it themselves with would have been incredibly time consuming & costly with all the travel to different offices, making requests for information etc.

I watched the "Missing Time" segment on YouTube yesterday from the very first Season. I remember seeing this as a kid. When they said the Navy Officer's (Bob?) encounter was from 1966 ! I was a little shocked, so long ago yet in 1988 I guess the 60's were only 20 years prior. Was also surprised to read Budd Hopkins passed in 2011, I wasn't even aware he was no longer with us.

I kind of have a tendency to live in the past. I was using a VCR as late as 2014. Once in a while I taped a program but they were mostly for taping football games. I can still remember walking up to the counter once at Rite Aid to buy a couple blank VHS tapes. The cashier looked at the tapes as if he were looking at a dinosaur fossil and even said, "I can't believe we're still selling these."

I finally joined the rest of the world and currently watch shows on Demand now. But I'll always have happy memories as a kid going to Blockbuster. Those were fun times.

I agree dynoguy! I always took the kids to Blockbuster especially trying to get there early enough on Friday to snag a new release (and almost never succeeding lol)!

Another sign of the times that UM aired a long time ago:

- Kids actually reading books!

I always thought it was interesting how many people/fugitives were described as having "acne scars" or "pock-marked face". I guess ProActiv didn't come out until the mid-90s LOL.
The big hair and big glasses is another tell of the time period. Cheryl Holland's glasses are the size of my entire face.
And as someone else mentioned, the aging. I think people wanted to look older in the 80s, as maybe it made them a credible adult to look mature. People in the segments who were 40 look older than most 55 year olds these days.
One area where UM was ahead of it's time - when Ida Pruitt said "griping and bitching". In those days "bitch" was not a word said on television the way it is now. In 1984 there was a mini-series called "Lace" and the main character asks "which one of you bitches is my mother?" It was considered a VERY big deal for that to be aired at the time. So for UM to air Ida saying that was pretty progressive at the time.

The Lost Loves segments definitely feel anachronistic at this point. With social media and smart devices being what it is today, I'm still connected with people I knew in grade school.

The idea of losing someone and needing a TV show to help find them seems almost too excessive now, barring cases of adopted children. There are way more resources to get in touch with people.

When you watch the Mark Adams segment (Season 1, Episode 8 on Prime) and RS notes how Adams.was sentenced to 25 years to life, and that means Adams' first chance at parole would have been 2007.

That seemed so far away at the time but now that we are in 2019 it seems so far away but in the opposite direction.

That seemed so far away at the time but now that we are in 2019 it seems so far away but in the opposite direction.

Remember when the Year 2000 seemed completely futuristic with almost a Science Fiction ring to it?:lol:

As a service member myself I take a special notice for the military-related segments.

It makes me wonder how and why back in the old decades from the 40s to 80s so many incidents involving the military and some sort of lapse or mispractice on the service's behalf, from coverups to mismanagement on the administrative level. This ranges from UFO incidents to members who disappeared/died under mysterious/unknown circumstances. It seems to be a rare occurance in today's age, if ever. I wonder how upper management in the military were able to fix these issues.

I also take note of how all branches of service would generally wear the common camouflage uniform (known as BDUs/battle dress uniform) and individuals just wear the name of their respective branch on the lefthand side of their blouse. Nowadays, each branch of service is overspending on research and development for their own respective uniform patterns. If they all shared a common battle fatigues uniform it would be much more resourceful and they could use that funding to improve quality of life for members in addition to having them better prepared to carry out their missions.

Well said, but also wanted to thank u for your service to our country.

The Lost Loves segments definitely feel anachronistic at this point. With social media and smart devices being what it is today, I'm still connected with people I knew in grade school.

The idea of losing someone and needing a TV show to help find them seems almost too excessive now, barring cases of adopted children. There are way more resources to get in touch with people.

I often think that with a lot of the Lost Loves. It's interesting, isn't it? Also, so many of those segments detail the heartbreak of people separated from parents or their children for reasons having more to do with what authorities and "society" thought was right. So many children taken away, often without consent from anyone! It's kind of stunning. I think sociologists/historians call it the Baby Scoop Era. One that pops to mind is the British woman, Delia, who was eventually reunited with the baby (who was sent to America) that she desperately wanted to keep.

The Lost Loves segments definitely feel anachronistic at this point. With social media and smart devices being what it is today, I'm still connected with people I knew in grade school.

The idea of losing someone and needing a TV show to help find them seems almost too excessive now, barring cases of adopted children. There are way more resources to get in touch with people.

The PBS show "We'll Meet Again" deals with lost loves. It deals with people's lives in the shadow of a major world event and how they reunited after years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr5DN-_AOGM