Does anyone else refuse to watch the Spike versions? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Oldschooler81 · 05-17-2009, 06:23 PM

Maybe I'm just stubborn but I hate the Spike segments, LMAO.

Like my name implies I'm very retro and nostalgic... I'm one of those types who usually gets comfortable with things a certain way and kinda gets resistant to change (not with life events that are supposed to, but I mean stuff like this). I can't help but compare them to the full segments I've been watching since I was 11. When they cut half the story out and put modern graphics and music over it, that's just annoying.

Here's what would be IDEAL imo (and would solve everything):

If Spike or some other channel went back to showing reruns in their original full form as Lifetime did... BUT had a small graphic onscren the whole time stating "Originally aired December 1990" or whenever the cases were.

That would instantly clear it up to where it wouldn't confuse people (with the dated clothing styles, production or street scenes), but would also serve the original purpose - getting the entire story out to people to potentially have it solved. The full segments could jog people's memory by being on tv or online, especially since we have technology that wasn't available in UM's glory days ('88-96 or so).

They should also leave Stack's narration alone, and only use Farina to perhaps introduce the cases or let us know if there's been any new information since. Kinda like Keely Shaye Smith did in the mid 90s on the telecenter episodes. He of course should narrate any new stories, though.

Zlatko · 05-17-2009, 07:34 PM

Well, it's nice to see some of the old segments on TV. But, yes, I agree with you. The old UM had a somewhat of a documentary-like vibe to it. It felt enigmatic at times, and very creepy as well; not to mention that the music added to it. One felt like they were being emerced into each case. The new one just feels like an offshoot of America's Most Wanted.

In an ideal world, Spike TV would drop UM all together, then TruTV could pick up the old UM. The old UM would fit perfectly on that channel.

conservativejoe · 05-17-2009, 07:38 PM

Yeah the new episodes do not hold up to the classics. I think Farina should do a intro on the case, show the google map, and say something like here is the original segment with robert stack. The dates are absolutely needed, is frustrating with all the bouncing around. Hey are they ever going to make new unsolved mysteries or just redo the classics?

Oldschooler81 · 05-17-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zlatko

Well, it's nice to see some of the old segments on TV. But, yes, I agree with you. The old UM had a somewhat of a documentary-like vibe to it. It felt enigmatic at times, and very creepy as well; not to mention that the music added to it. One felt like they were being emerced into each case. The new one just feels like an offshoot of America's Most Wanted.

In an ideal world, Spike TV would drop UM all together, then TruTV could pick up the old UM. The old UM would fit perfectly on that channel.

Thanks guys lol, glad I'm not the only one.

Yeah I was thinking that too. The old cases felt more like mini movies and had more heart to them with the interviews and investigations, etc. Sure I think anything is better than nothing, but I guess I can't help but compare Spike's flashy versions to the original UM.

What's funny is how Spike edits them because they don't want to seem dated, but...I realized alot of the original cases were older at the time too! Like it wasn't unusual to see a 1993 segment on a story from 1979 or something. Nowadays there seems to be this obsession with overmodernizing.

colt45allstar · 05-17-2009, 10:46 PM

I by no means refuse to watch it... but I don't consider it "must watch TV" anymore.... I also think Spike has a tendency to show reruns, even more than what Lifetime did overall. (although mercifully nothing like the "church miracle" and lifetime's obsession with that one segment yet)

For the record while I've enjoyed other shows of course.... the only three shows that I've ever considered must watch are Seinfeld, Whose Line is it Anyway? (especially the British version.... and yes The original Unsolved Mysteries.... so it takes a lot for me to consider a show something that I simply have to watch.

With this Spike version there are times there's literally 20-30 episodes just sitting on my DVR. This is in part due to the fact that Spike has the habit of either not showing it at all... or showing approximately 360 episodes a week and in my busy life... I have trouble keeping up and finding time to watch that sheer volume of episodes.... I eventually watch them, but it takes a long while sometimes.

Having said that, if this was The older original segments... rest assured I would somehow find time to watch that many segments rather quickly.

JRA2000TL · 05-17-2009, 10:56 PM

It's been voiced on here that most don't like the new show and that almost all of us would simply want someone to pick up the old episodes and rerun them on whatever channel like Lifetime did. TV these days is rotten, so I'd be happy with watching the same old stuff over and over because it's good stuff.

I'm sure it's a matter of time before Spike pulls the plug on this one, although I heard their contract is for several years. As we've stated before...there's no flow to the cases anymore. They're thrown up there, chopped up, rushed through and done....all while having some heavy metal music playing in the background the whole time.

Cori aka ChrisSCrush · 05-18-2009, 04:46 AM

Actually, I declined to watch them just on the basis of descriptions here.

Apostapler · 05-18-2009, 06:45 AM

They're booooooooooooooooring! No creepy Robert Stack voice, no cool eerie background music, no setting the mood with backstories...nothing that made the original UM cool.

hovaslash · 05-18-2009, 08:50 AM

Yup doesn't do it for me either...........
Just another show.

TracyLynnS · 05-18-2009, 10:56 AM

Normally, people watch a TV show because it's entertaining, relaxing, enjoyable, etc. I don't expect any of that when watching the spike versions of UM. I watch them because the specific case and people involved are important to me, no matter what kind of hacked up mess spike has turned their segment into.

So I don't "refuse" to watch the spike versions, but I when I do watch them, I'm almost always grouchy about it because I'm annoyed by either the lack of important details, lack of dates, addition of prop elements like the loud music and graphics, basically all the complaints you see here on the boards.

IMO, spike is guilty of stealing the hope of solving most of the cases they air. They attempted to use the show specifically for entertainment purposes (almost as if these are just stories that didn't involve real people, or never really happened) and by doing that, they have failed at what the original UM was all about, solving cases while presenting them in an entertaining format.

synthisislab · 05-18-2009, 12:14 PM

The only reasons I watched the new one is to see the cases I haven't seen before (which is a very small percentage of them at this point), to see cases I haven't seen in a while, to see how the new UM screwed up some of the cases that I've seen several times, and to see how they updated the cases that weren't updated on the old UM. I'd DVR the 4 hour block, then fast forward through pretty much all of it. Last week they whittled it down to one hour a day and now it's been pulled off the schedule again. Oh well, now's a good time to watch the other stuff I loaded up the DVR with.

UM Zealot · 05-19-2009, 04:33 PM

I don't refuse to watch it, but I end up fast-forwarding through an episode in about five minutes. It just isn't interesting anymore. Is it even on this week? During the hour when I record it nowadays, 11-12, Spike has been showing other stuff like marathons of that cretinous Married With Children.

If only Stack and the show were still around producing originals, though, frankly, the quality of the show was already falling off during its CBS years. The production had become more conventional and less deft at mysterious atmosphere, the theme score had been watered down, extraneous elements like the eye-candy co-host were added, etc.

Oldschooler81 · 05-19-2009, 09:47 PM

TracyLynn - I agree 100%.

UMzealot- Yeah I agree every few years it got a little worse anyway, although I think as long as Stack was on it there was some trace of its roots. I actually liked middle years alot too (say 1994-97) when Keely Shaye Smith did updates from the telecenter. That was a pretty good mix, like it was slightly updated but still had alot of interesting and scarier segments.

Marcos19 · 05-20-2009, 07:14 AM

I completely agree with your idea, Oldschooler. Using the complete, original segments along with the small graphic/Farina intro/update would give a good format while still preserving the aspects of the show that made it great. While I was very excited when I initially heard about UM coming to Spike, I soon became very bored with the show after a few episodes. I still gave the show plenty of chances, but after a while I stopped watching it entirely.

TracyLynnS hit the nail on the head. It's very ironic how Spike tried to modernize the show with new graphics, music, and effects to make it more entertaining, but achieved the exact opposite. The cases on Spike just don't reel you in like you would expect UM to. I guess it's better than nothing, but it's kind of a shame seeing how it turned out. Here's to the hope that another network picks up the old UM when Spike inevitably drops it.

crystaldawn · 05-20-2009, 09:59 AM

It doesn't come close to comparing to the original but I still watch it sometimes. I guess I'm used to it. I am fortunate in that I have plenty of the original UM's recorded so it helps knowing I watch the real UM anytime I want. I do enjoy seeing the updates that Lifetime never bothered with and I still hear little snippets at times that I think Lifetime and possibly NBC edited out (like the comment about Patsy Wright's daughter getting that mysterious phone call).

05-17-2009, 06:23 PM	#1
Oldschooler81 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 03, 2009 Location: Northern CA Posts: 457	Does anyone else refuse to watch the Spike versions? Maybe I'm just stubborn but I hate the Spike segments, LMAO. Like my name implies I'm very retro and nostalgic... I'm one of those types who usually gets comfortable with things a certain way and kinda gets resistant to change (not with life events that are supposed to, but I mean stuff like this). I can't help but compare them to the full segments I've been watching since I was 11. When they cut half the story out and put modern graphics and music over it, that's just annoying. Here's what would be IDEAL imo (and would solve everything): If Spike or some other channel went back to showing reruns in their original full form as Lifetime did... BUT had a small graphic onscren the whole time stating "Originally aired December 1990" or whenever the cases were. That would instantly clear it up to where it wouldn't confuse people (with the dated clothing styles, production or street scenes), but would also serve the original purpose - getting the entire story out to people to potentially have it solved. The full segments could jog people's memory by being on tv or online, especially since we have technology that wasn't available in UM's glory days ('88-96 or so). They should also leave Stack's narration alone, and only use Farina to perhaps introduce the cases or let us know if there's been any new information since. Kinda like Keely Shaye Smith did in the mid 90s on the telecenter episodes. He of course should narrate any new stories, though.

05-17-2009, 07:34 PM	#2
Zlatko Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 04, 2008 Location: Nowhereland Posts: 367	Well, it's nice to see some of the old segments on TV. But, yes, I agree with you. The old UM had a somewhat of a documentary-like vibe to it. It felt enigmatic at times, and very creepy as well; not to mention that the music added to it. One felt like they were being emerced into each case. The new one just feels like an offshoot of America's Most Wanted. In an ideal world, Spike TV would drop UM all together, then TruTV could pick up the old UM. The old UM would fit perfectly on that channel.

05-17-2009, 07:38 PM	#3
conservativejoe Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 28, 2009 Location: sacramento Posts: 55	Yeah the new episodes do not hold up to the classics. I think Farina should do a intro on the case, show the google map, and say something like here is the original segment with robert stack. The dates are absolutely needed, is frustrating with all the bouncing around. Hey are they ever going to make new unsolved mysteries or just redo the classics?

05-17-2009, 10:46 PM	#5
colt45allstar Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 09, 2006 Posts: 69	I by no means refuse to watch it... but I don't consider it "must watch TV" anymore.... I also think Spike has a tendency to show reruns, even more than what Lifetime did overall. (although mercifully nothing like the "church miracle" and lifetime's obsession with that one segment yet) For the record while I've enjoyed other shows of course.... the only three shows that I've ever considered must watch are Seinfeld, Whose Line is it Anyway? (especially the British version.... and yes The original Unsolved Mysteries.... so it takes a lot for me to consider a show something that I simply have to watch. With this Spike version there are times there's literally 20-30 episodes just sitting on my DVR. This is in part due to the fact that Spike has the habit of either not showing it at all... or showing approximately 360 episodes a week and in my busy life... I have trouble keeping up and finding time to watch that sheer volume of episodes.... I eventually watch them, but it takes a long while sometimes. Having said that, if this was The older original segments... rest assured I would somehow find time to watch that many segments rather quickly.

05-17-2009, 10:56 PM	#6
JRA2000TL Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 14, 2007 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 107	It's been voiced on here that most don't like the new show and that almost all of us would simply want someone to pick up the old episodes and rerun them on whatever channel like Lifetime did. TV these days is rotten, so I'd be happy with watching the same old stuff over and over because it's good stuff. I'm sure it's a matter of time before Spike pulls the plug on this one, although I heard their contract is for several years. As we've stated before...there's no flow to the cases anymore. They're thrown up there, chopped up, rushed through and done....all while having some heavy metal music playing in the background the whole time.

05-18-2009, 04:46 AM	#7
Cori aka ChrisSCrush Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 30, 2001 Location: USA and still trying to be proud of it! Posts: 2,071	Actually, I declined to watch them just on the basis of descriptions here.

05-18-2009, 06:45 AM	#8
Apostapler Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 06, 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 872	They're booooooooooooooooring! No creepy Robert Stack voice, no cool eerie background music, no setting the mood with backstories...nothing that made the original UM cool.

05-18-2009, 08:50 AM	#9
hovaslash Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 10, 2006 Location: ma Posts: 87	Yup doesn't do it for me either........... Just another show.

05-18-2009, 10:56 AM	#10
TracyLynnS Don't Look Up Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 07, 2009 Posts: 3,107	Normally, people watch a TV show because it's entertaining, relaxing, enjoyable, etc. I don't expect any of that when watching the spike versions of UM. I watch them because the specific case and people involved are important to me, no matter what kind of hacked up mess spike has turned their segment into. So I don't "refuse" to watch the spike versions, but I when I do watch them, I'm almost always grouchy about it because I'm annoyed by either the lack of important details, lack of dates, addition of prop elements like the loud music and graphics, basically all the complaints you see here on the boards. IMO, spike is guilty of stealing the hope of solving most of the cases they air. They attempted to use the show specifically for entertainment purposes (almost as if these are just stories that didn't involve real people, or never really happened) and by doing that, they have failed at what the original UM was all about, solving cases while presenting them in an entertaining format.

05-18-2009, 12:14 PM	#11
synthisislab Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 552	The only reasons I watched the new one is to see the cases I haven't seen before (which is a very small percentage of them at this point), to see cases I haven't seen in a while, to see how the new UM screwed up some of the cases that I've seen several times, and to see how they updated the cases that weren't updated on the old UM. I'd DVR the 4 hour block, then fast forward through pretty much all of it. Last week they whittled it down to one hour a day and now it's been pulled off the schedule again. Oh well, now's a good time to watch the other stuff I loaded up the DVR with.

05-19-2009, 04:33 PM	#12
UM Zealot Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 24, 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 55	I don't refuse to watch it, but I end up fast-forwarding through an episode in about five minutes. It just isn't interesting anymore. Is it even on this week? During the hour when I record it nowadays, 11-12, Spike has been showing other stuff like marathons of that cretinous Married With Children. If only Stack and the show were still around producing originals, though, frankly, the quality of the show was already falling off during its CBS years. The production had become more conventional and less deft at mysterious atmosphere, the theme score had been watered down, extraneous elements like the eye-candy co-host were added, etc.

05-19-2009, 09:47 PM	#13
Oldschooler81 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 03, 2009 Location: Northern CA Posts: 457	TracyLynn - I agree 100%. UMzealot- Yeah I agree every few years it got a little worse anyway, although I think as long as Stack was on it there was some trace of its roots. I actually liked middle years alot too (say 1994-97) when Keely Shaye Smith did updates from the telecenter. That was a pretty good mix, like it was slightly updated but still had alot of interesting and scarier segments.

05-20-2009, 07:14 AM	#14
Marcos19 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 17, 2009 Location: California Posts: 19	I completely agree with your idea, Oldschooler. Using the complete, original segments along with the small graphic/Farina intro/update would give a good format while still preserving the aspects of the show that made it great. While I was very excited when I initially heard about UM coming to Spike, I soon became very bored with the show after a few episodes. I still gave the show plenty of chances, but after a while I stopped watching it entirely. TracyLynnS hit the nail on the head. It's very ironic how Spike tried to modernize the show with new graphics, music, and effects to make it more entertaining, but achieved the exact opposite. The cases on Spike just don't reel you in like you would expect UM to. I guess it's better than nothing, but it's kind of a shame seeing how it turned out. Here's to the hope that another network picks up the old UM when Spike inevitably drops it.

05-20-2009, 09:59 AM	#15
crystaldawn Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 17, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 4,261	It doesn't come close to comparing to the original but I still watch it sometimes. I guess I'm used to it. I am fortunate in that I have plenty of the original UM's recorded so it helps knowing I watch the real UM anytime I want. I do enjoy seeing the updates that Lifetime never bothered with and I still hear little snippets at times that I think Lifetime and possibly NBC edited out (like the comment about Patsy Wright's daughter getting that mysterious phone call).