A&E is Bringing Back "Cold Case Files" on Feb. 27th - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Awsi Dooger · 05-31-2017, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

I'm inclined to think it wasn't planned and it's an attempt to save the series.

Definitely correct. I just watched the first new "Bill Kurtis" episode tonight. I put his name in quotation marks because he is the narrator in technical terms only. A&E should be embarrassed to market it that way.

Kurtis has very little to do with these episodes, at least based on the one that debuted on May 25 and I watched on rerun tonight. His voice was heard for maybe 60 or 90 seconds total, if I had to estimate. Otherwise the detective on the case was the true narrator throughout, with assist from the brother of the victim. This was a 1984 case in Utah at a gas station. I have seen it covered previously on another true crime program.

They didn't even do a competent job of disguising their patchwork intentions while using Kurtis. As soon as I noticed that Kurtis was narrator only at the outset, I said to myself, "Don't tell me they are going to sloppily throw him in for a few seconds in the middle and then again at the end."

Yep. That's exactly what happened. I don't doubt they'll do the same for the remaining episodes. That's why they were pulled from the initial schedule and delayed for a month or two. Somebody in charge wasn't happy with the initial product and/or the ratings/reviews so they made a proposal to Kurtis and edited the already produced episodes. Note at the end of the show on the credits there are a couple of "Post Production Supervisors" listed and most notably a "Re-Recording Mixer" named.

I will say the episode was superior to the early versions of the renewal, with or without Kurtis. But if they are going to rely on detectives and relatives to narrate the vast majority of the show then naturally you're subject to wild fluctuation in caliber from week to week.

Kane · 06-01-2017, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

I'm inclined to think it wasn't planned and it's an attempt to save the series.

I'm inclined to agree. Judging from articles at the Show Buzz Daily web site, it is painfully clear that the new Cold Case Files is in trouble. The articles in question are of ratings performances of first-run cable programs, and the articles that I came across show that CCF has been consistently garnering less than a million viewers per episode. Not only is it a bad sign, but it validates your suspicion about the return of Bill Kurtis.

http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/?s=Cold+case+files

Awsi Dooger · 06-01-2017, 03:07 PM

A&E has taken it even further. I guess it was predictable although I didn't think about it.

They have gone back and edited the episodes from earlier this year, adding Kurtis as narrator. I'm watching one from March 16 right now. Kurtis is now credited as narrator. He offered perhaps one sentence at the beginning of the episode. It's only 6 or 7 minutes into the rerun of the episode as I'm typing this, but I'm sure it will be the same patchwork -- Kurtis used briefly in middle and end.

Quite pathetic, A&E. I don't like your chances with this series.

atomicfizz · 06-02-2017, 11:05 PM

I just caught this new show one of the last few days. I'm glad I read this thread with the update that Kurtis is now on the show because I swore I heard him, but I still didn't like the new format of these shows. I don't know if I didn't see the whole thing or what, but Kurtis seemed to be way underutilized. I only heard him right at the very end of the show, there wasn't any other narration that I heard. I didn't even realize I was watching Cold Case Files until I looked up at one of the commercial breaks and it had the title when it came back on. They should not call this Cold Case Files, it doesn't feel like the same show at all, even with Kurtis back narrating it.

Kane · 06-04-2017, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomicfizz

They should not call this Cold Case Files, it doesn't feel like the same show at all, even with Kurtis back narrating it.

You can say that again. Calling it "Cold Case Files" is a joke (unless the title includes the words, "In Name Only"). Investigation Discovery did a better job at giving us a cold case documentary series with reenactments; that show was called Murder Book.

5353 · 05-19-2018, 11:01 PM

On Sunday May 27th, starting at 1 PM/12 PM Central, the Justice Network is having a marathon of some of the episodes from the first season. I haven't seen a lot of these air in the past several years I've been watching, and one in particular, "Burning Secret/Justice Delayed," never aired on Bio in reruns. That's one of the rarest episodes out there, and pretty good too.

06-01-2017, 03:07 PM	#18
Awsi Dooger Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2003 Location: Miami Posts: 1,537	A&E has taken it even further. I guess it was predictable although I didn't think about it. They have gone back and edited the episodes from earlier this year, adding Kurtis as narrator. I'm watching one from March 16 right now. Kurtis is now credited as narrator. He offered perhaps one sentence at the beginning of the episode. It's only 6 or 7 minutes into the rerun of the episode as I'm typing this, but I'm sure it will be the same patchwork -- Kurtis used briefly in middle and end. Quite pathetic, A&E. I don't like your chances with this series.

06-02-2017, 11:05 PM	#19
atomicfizz Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 07, 2008 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 310	I just caught this new show one of the last few days. I'm glad I read this thread with the update that Kurtis is now on the show because I swore I heard him, but I still didn't like the new format of these shows. I don't know if I didn't see the whole thing or what, but Kurtis seemed to be way underutilized. I only heard him right at the very end of the show, there wasn't any other narration that I heard. I didn't even realize I was watching Cold Case Files until I looked up at one of the commercial breaks and it had the title when it came back on. They should not call this Cold Case Files, it doesn't feel like the same show at all, even with Kurtis back narrating it.

05-19-2018, 11:01 PM	#21
5353 Call me Perm Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 08, 2013 Posts: 152	On Sunday May 27th, starting at 1 PM/12 PM Central, the Justice Network is having a marathon of some of the episodes from the first season. I haven't seen a lot of these air in the past several years I've been watching, and one in particular, "Burning Secret/Justice Delayed," never aired on Bio in reruns. That's one of the rarest episodes out there, and pretty good too.