Hey Kane, I told you hardly anyone here posts about AMW or other new true crime shows

[Big3sCompanyFan]

You were saying you don't think the vast majority of UM fans don't watch AMW. Well, ANOTHER brand new episode of AMW has just come and gone and not a single post!! Every Saturday when there is a new episode of AMW there is usually not a single post on this board about ANY of the new cases on AMW.

You know if there were new weekly episodes of UM people would be posting left and right about the new stories on UM. That is what I meant. People don't post about stories that are shown on AMW currently.

There was also an excellent mystery on 48 Hours over the weekend on aspiring Broadway dancer Catherine Woods and 48 Hours Mystery has some fantastic stories that are just as compelling as some of of UM's stories. AMW and 48 Hours Mystery are 2 of the best with NEW shows every week yet still hardly anyone posts about them!

I'd like hear from everyone why they think that is???

I'd also like to hear from everyone what they think about the Catherine Woods case in that seperate thread.

Thanks

[Kane]

Originally Posted by Big3sCompanyFan

You were saying you don't think the vast majority of UM fans don't watch AMW.

That's not exactly what I said. Just because there aren't enough AMW-related posts on this board doesn't automatically mean that the "vast majority" of UM fans don't watch AMW.

Maybe part of the reason that few UM fans post about AMW here is that many of them are not members of this board (if they even know this board exists). Besides, the number of us members here doesn't represent a majority of all UM viewers.

[nohwheregirl]

I hate to be the one to point out the obvious, but this is a discussion board within a UM discussion board...so that might be why people don't think to post on AMW. Also, since most people here have cable (most of us are still watching UM on Lifetime), we have many many options for television viewing on Saturday night.

You make a good assumption that people who watch UM might also watch other crime shows like AMW, but I for one am not a big fan of AMW. I prefer the documentary format of many shows on A&E and CourtTV (which are shown in the same time slot as AMW...not to mention the alternative of actually leaving the house on a Saturday night!)....and part of the reason why AMW doesn't do it for me is because it just doesn't measure up to Unsolved Mysteries and never will!

[Big3sCompanyFan]

Kane, you are right that obviously the majority of UM fans do not post here but don't you think that the UM fans here are a pretty good representative sample of UM fans in general?

It's like how they measure TV ratings. They only take a sample of a 1000 viewers or so and extrapolate that as a representative sample for millions of people!! I really wonder how accurate the TV ratings are except for the wildly popular shows (like American Idol) that no one can dispute. But for all the shows at the bottom of the top 20 and in the middle of the pack I don't know how accurately a random sampling that small can truly reflect what different shows millions of people across the country are watching.

So, with the UM fans on this board being a fairly good representative sample of UM fans in general you would think they'd be more interested in AMW since at least 60 percent of UM cases involved crime if not 2/3 or more.

But that was a good point about having cable and watching the true crime shows on there. But hardly anyone here posts about those either!! It's just that AMW has that live broadcast feel (it's only taped a few days before) and is the closest thing to a live true crime show unlike those cable shows. And if you like the documentary format then the re-enactments they do on AMW are very similar to the ones they did on UM. They have even used some of the same actors I heard. Also since so many cases overlapped on both UM and AMW you'd think more people would watching AMW now since UM is long gone.

[Kane]

Originally Posted by Big3sCompanyFan

Kane, you are right that obviously the majority of UM fans do not post here but don't you think that the UM fans here are a pretty good representative sample of UM fans in general?

I agree.

It's like how they measure TV ratings. They only take a sample of a 1000 viewers or so and extrapolate that as a representative sample for millions of people!! I really wonder how accurate the TV ratings are except for the wildly popular shows (like American Idol) that no one can dispute. But for all the shows at the bottom of the top 20 and in the middle of the pack I don't know how accurately a random sampling that small can truly reflect what different shows millions of people across the country are watching.

I sometimes toy with the notion that some of the ratings systems are either biased, or are simply inaccurate (and unreliable in any case).

Also since so many cases overlapped on both UM and AMW you'd think more people would watching AMW now since UM is long gone.

Well, in regards to that, one thing is certain: At present, people who want to watch a TV show that regularly profiles wanted fugitives, missing persons, and/or any other unsolved cases have nowhere to turn but America's Most Wanted.

The way I see it, having only show of that kind is not enough. And I admittedly pine for the days when we had more than one of those shows in production. In fact, I still remember that we had at least four shows of that type on the air during the late-'80s/early '90s: AMW, UM, Missing/Reward, and Crimestoppers 800 (the last two of which were in first-run syndication).

[Big3sCompanyFan]

Yeah, Kane. That was great back then although I never saw Crimestoppers 800. Did that run in the entire country?? I don't remember ever hearing of it. I only saw Missing/Reward a few times.

Crime rates in general are down somewhat since then but missing persons cases seem to be up. You would think a show like Missing/Reward would do good now, right?

[Kane]

Originally Posted by Big3sCompanyFan

Yeah, Kane. That was great back then although I never saw Crimestoppers 800. Did that run in the entire country?? I don't remember ever hearing of it.

Crimestoppers 800 was a syndicated show, so I would imagine it was seen in the majority of the U.S., if not all of it. However, as with any other syndicated series, it may not have been broadcast in some areas. But I know it was shown in my area, so I recall watching the show.

You would think a show like Missing/Reward would do good now, right?

I think it could have. But unfortunately, the audiences just weren't there long enough to give it the same type of longevity that AMW and UM would eventually achieve.

[UMLongtimefan]

Originally Posted by Kane

I sometimes toy with the notion that some of the ratings systems are either biased, or are simply inaccurate (and unreliable in any case).

Well, in regards to that, one thing is certain: At present, people who want to watch a TV show that regularly profiles wanted fugitives, missing persons, and/or any other unsolved cases have nowhere to turn but America's Most Wanted.

The way I see it, having only show of that kind is not enough. And I admittedly pine for the days when we had more than one of those shows in production. In fact, I still remember that we had at least four shows of that type on the air during the late-'80s/early '90s: AMW, UM, Missing/Reward, and Crimestoppers 800 (the last two of which were in first-run syndication).

A couple of things.. hopefully we can make this forum a little bit more active

First with regards to ratings... I have to agree with Kane... I love the American people but let us not forget many of these people have problems making sure their vcr is not flashing 12:00... I gotta believe that some of the Nielsen households may be overwhelmed by modern technology and forget to turn the channel (hence shows like House will have such high ratings because viewers of American Idol simply are too lazy? or confused by the technology to change the channel?)

I for the life of me cannot figure out why NBC dropped UM because as I recall it still had top 20 ratings although maybe not with the consistency of their other juggernauts Seinfeld and Friends... remember it was the SITCOM era and a show like UM may have been too much of a debbie downer for the nitwit execs.

I'm glad you mentioned Missing/Reward.. I only remember a few episodes t0o and while it wasn't that intriguing.. (didn't they cover the same funny car racer murder UM did?) it seemed like a good show.

As for today's current crop... there are shows like Nancy Grace and Greta Van Sustern.. obviously they are more court drama but Van Sustern does cover missing or unsolved cases besides it seems like the daily Natalie Holloway update. While Grace is a little to aserbic? for my taste , Van Sustern is pretty good (at least it makes Fox News a channel worth having.. sorry Kane I can't stand Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hanity )

[Ireneparalegal]

Originally Posted by UMLongtimefan

A couple of things.. hopefully we can make this forum a little bit more active

First with regards to ratings... I have to agree with Kane... I love the American people but let us not forget many of these people have problems making sure their vcr is not flashing 12:00... I gotta believe that some of the Nielsen households may be overwhelmed by modern technology and forget to turn the channel (hence shows like House will have such high ratings because viewers of American Idol simply are too lazy? or confused by the technology to change the channel?)

I for the life of me cannot figure out why NBC dropped UM because as I recall it still had top 20 ratings although maybe not with the consistency of their other juggernauts Seinfeld and Friends... remember it was the SITCOM era and a show like UM may have been too much of a debbie downer for the nitwit execs.

I'm glad you mentioned Missing/Reward.. I only remember a few episodes t0o and while it wasn't that intriguing.. (didn't they cover the same funny car racer murder UM did?) it seemed like a good show.

As for today's current crop... there are shows like Nancy Grace and Greta Van Sustern.. obviously they are more court drama but Van Sustern does cover missing or unsolved cases besides it seems like the daily Natalie Holloway update. While Grace is a little to aserbic? for my taste , Van Sustern is pretty good (at least it makes Fox News a channel worth having.. sorry Kane I can't stand Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hanity )

[Kane]

Originally Posted by UMLongtimefan

I for the life of me cannot figure out why NBC dropped UM because as I recall it still had top 20 ratings although maybe not with the consistency of their other juggernauts Seinfeld and Friends... remember it was the SITCOM era and a show like UM may have been too much of a debbie downer for the nitwit execs.

UM ranked at #58 for the overall 1996-97 season (its last season on NBC). But some of its broadcasts during that season managed to make the top 30. During that season, the show had an average of over 12 million viewers each week. Indeed, the ratings were still strong when UM was canceled. But in today's market, it would never have been canceled with those ratings.

Demographics might have been a factor in NBC's decision to cancel UM. They seemed to have been desiring shows that best suit the their target audiences (18-35 or 18-49).

I imagine that UM always made a good amount of money. But I guess it was never enough for NBC (or any primetime network for that matter). In addition, it might be very well that UM isn't "mainstream" enough for the powers-that-be. In any case, I still stand by my belief that many of today's network honchos are out of touch with us.

sorry Kane I can't stand Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hanity

What do Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity have to do with this?

[UMLongtimefan]

What do Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity have to do with this?

Sorry for the confusing comment.....Nothing in the context of UM and the genre.. the comment was actually a light hearted reference directed at your use of the Michael Savage book Avatar and the assumption that you were conservative and that you might enjoy Mssrs. O'Reilly and Hannity more than I do... but then again I think we all know what happens when one Assumes something... and in this case it may be particularly me that I'm making look the part.

Again sorry for the confusion.. feel free to disregard it

[Kane]

Originally Posted by UMLongtimefan

Sorry for the confusing comment.....Nothing in the context of UM and the genre.. the comment was actually a light hearted reference directed at your use of the Michael Savage book Avatar and the assumption that you were conservative and that you might enjoy Mssrs. O'Reilly and Hannity more than I do...

I do watch O'Reilly and Hannity. I admire people of their ilk because they aren't afraid to stand up to society's ills, such as media bias and the judges who go lenient on child molesters. Plus, I mentioned in another thread that Bill O'Reilly recently called John Walsh "a true American hero."

Admittedly, I have conservative leanings. But, whether you know it or not, so did Robert Stack.

Again sorry for the confusion.. feel free to disregard it

Apology accepted. But I think it's time we get back on the topic of UM and/or other shows of the genre, before we stray too far away from it.