Why don't they just reair the old episodes instead of the new awful ones? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

ILikeTurtles · 04-18-2011, 04:47 PM

OK. I know this has been discussed quite a bit since the new Unsolved Mysteries started airing about 2 and a half years ago on Spike TV. We all know how bad it is. Dennis Farina is awful. The music is awful. The editing is awful. The graphics are awful. It's just awful on all levels.

I haven't seen it on Spike much anymore, but I know they are airing these Spike episodes on Lifetime during the mid-afternoon in the weekdays.

Can someone please explain to me why they just can't air the Pre-2002 episodes? I'm so baffled as to why they stopped. It seems like they've thrown so much money away trying to make this show "modern" when everything about the show reeks late 80's-early 90's (which makes it so awesome) and the original broadcasts were epic!

ms_bates · 04-18-2011, 05:44 PM

Likely because some higher-up at Cosgrove/Meurer thought it was a good idea, and would generate more interest in the show.

Now that they've invested the money in "modernizing" it, they're going to run with it rather than admit it was a poor choice and bring the originals back.

I've said it before; they should have realized that the UM fan base likes the show largely for nostalgic reasons and that we didn't want it re-vamped. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

Killarney Rose · 04-18-2011, 07:37 PM

I was thinking the other day....perhaps it was cheaper to use Farina than to re air the Stack episodes because his heirs wanted to much money to use those episodes?

greatgarrett2 · 04-18-2011, 09:31 PM

I agree, the 'new' UM is not the same as the old one. I watched a Farina case on You Tube the other day and couldn't get into it. It was classic in the late 1980s/early 90s. There was something about the show that made it epic (and awesomely creepy) then. The creepiness just isn't there anymore. I don't know if I could regularly watch the new one. The music makes it sound like every other generic true crime/CSI show on the air these days. Maybe not all of them, but AMW comes to mind. I was never a big fan of America's Most Wanted, just something about it. That's what the Farina episodes remind me of.

Others may differ though.

ILikeTurtles · 04-18-2011, 10:25 PM

I think why I love 1987-1994/1995 UM so much is because even though a lot of it was dramatized and over-the-top at times in their recreations, it focused so much on the actual people and their personalities/characters. The testimonials and interviews brought different perspectives. The detail and storytelling within each episode, hell, even every segment, felt like a rollercoaster ride at times. Robert Stack was the absolute icing on the cake. His narration took well-written words and turned them into his own and make you hang onto to every sentence he said. At times he would make you terrified, even with a positive update to a case, and at times felt like the comforting elder in a very tough situation.

God I miss this show. It made me sick watching today on Lifetime how awful UM is now.

I wish Stack was still around!

Kyte · 04-18-2011, 10:32 PM

I wouldn't say I like the new ones better than the old ones but one thing I do like is that all the editing and all that gay music has made it a HELL of a lot less scary. I would not have been able to get back to UM again if it weren't for this new revamping. The difference is really astounding. Even when I rewatch the same cases that I caught on the new Lifetime one on YouTube when it was w/ Stack, I get scared as ****.

I do miss Robert Stack a lot though. He was awesome in UM.

DarkDante · 04-18-2011, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILikeTurtles

OK. I know this has been discussed quite a bit since the new Unsolved Mysteries started airing about 2 and a half years ago on Spike TV. We all know how bad it is. Dennis Farina is awful. The music is awful. The editing is awful. The graphics are awful. It's just awful on all levels.

I haven't seen it on Spike much anymore, but I know they are airing these Spike episodes on Lifetime during the mid-afternoon in the weekdays.

Can someone please explain to me why they just can't air the Pre-2002 episodes? I'm so baffled as to why they stopped. It seems like they've thrown so much money away trying to make this show "modern" when everything about the show reeks late 80's-early 90's (which makes it so awesome) and the original broadcasts were epic!

I think you answered your own question right there. They put a lot of money into re-editing the show (hiring Farina, re-editing segments, chasing down updates) that they aren't going to throw that all away to go back to the original broadcasts. Besides even if they did they would have to invest even more time and money to re-edit those to include the new updates they researched and tacked onto the segments a few years back.

As to why they went with the new format initially? My best guess would be is SPIKE offered them a new contract to take the show on but only if it was modernized/updated. It's possible that SPIKE was not interested in syndicating UM as it stood prior to being revamped.

Finally with all due respect the episodes as aired by "Lifetime" before the Spike revamp actually weren't any great shakes. Like most people I became familiar with the show via the Lifetime syndications but you'd be surprised how heavily edited the Lifetime broadcasts were. Were they better than what is currently being aired? Certainly but that being said I'm not in a real hurry to see them restored either.

asmitty · 04-18-2011, 10:53 PM

Another thing to consider, they may be contractually obligated to Farina to air the new episodes for X amount of time. It's possible that syndication royalties were built into his contract that require the airing of these episodes or none at all.

kane7474 · 04-19-2011, 03:11 AM

Ok my question is, are there really any new episodes? Because all I have seen are old episodes with Farina talking instead of Stack. So what new episodes are we talking about?

Kane · 04-19-2011, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kane7474

Ok my question is, are there really any new episodes? Because all I have seen are old episodes with Farina talking instead of Stack. So what new episodes are we talking about?

No. The show is not currently in production. So, unless the re-edited episodes can be counted as new episodes, there aren't any.

2trackmind · 04-19-2011, 10:05 AM

I'm willing to bet that if the Farina episodes were all new segments, it would be a much better show. Watching the Farina shows is like watching a cover band perform; just not quite the same as the original.

I really don't understand why the producers of the show chose to simply air older segments on the Farina show. There are so many new unsolved cases that are being left unsolved and forgotten.

If it was money that prevented them from making new segments, then it would have simply made more sense to just continue airing the Stack episodes and use the good ol' Lifetime "text screen" updates.

Killarney Rose · 04-19-2011, 11:04 AM

Also- it's like Thomas Wolfe said- "you can't go home again".

We look back on the originals as being better, but we remember them from what our mindset was back then, or even as a childhood remembrance. We might see them far differently if we saw those same ones today.

It's like a few years ago, I had a few favorite movies from back in the 70s. I had never been able to find them on video. I finally found them on ebay from overseas. I bought them and when I sat down to watch them, I actually thought they were kinda cheesy.....not nearly as good as I had originally thought.

TheCars1986 · 04-19-2011, 12:45 PM

I can only see three good things about the Farina hosted episodes:

1. It's still UM.
2. They do provide updates to older cases that were updated after Stack passed away.
3. They at least re-air the lesser known segments (Glen Consagra is one I never saw before Farina) that were never broadcast on Lifetime.

Everything else sucks.

justins5256 · 04-19-2011, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Glen Consagra is one I never saw before Farina

Guilty or innocent?

TheCars1986 · 04-19-2011, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justins5256

Guilty or innocent?

Innocent.

04-18-2011, 04:47 PM	#1
ILikeTurtles Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 17, 2009 Posts: 128	Why don't they just reair the old episodes instead of the new awful ones? OK. I know this has been discussed quite a bit since the new Unsolved Mysteries started airing about 2 and a half years ago on Spike TV. We all know how bad it is. Dennis Farina is awful. The music is awful. The editing is awful. The graphics are awful. It's just awful on all levels. I haven't seen it on Spike much anymore, but I know they are airing these Spike episodes on Lifetime during the mid-afternoon in the weekdays. Can someone please explain to me why they just can't air the Pre-2002 episodes? I'm so baffled as to why they stopped. It seems like they've thrown so much money away trying to make this show "modern" when everything about the show reeks late 80's-early 90's (which makes it so awesome) and the original broadcasts were epic!

04-18-2011, 09:31 PM	#4
greatgarrett2 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 11, 2006 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 544	I agree, the 'new' UM is not the same as the old one. I watched a Farina case on You Tube the other day and couldn't get into it. It was classic in the late 1980s/early 90s. There was something about the show that made it epic (and awesomely creepy) then. The creepiness just isn't there anymore. I don't know if I could regularly watch the new one. The music makes it sound like every other generic true crime/CSI show on the air these days. Maybe not all of them, but AMW comes to mind. I was never a big fan of America's Most Wanted, just something about it. That's what the Farina episodes remind me of. Others may differ though.
	__________________ "To thyne own self, be true........." "If we don't know something, then our model of reality is inadequate" Start making money today: http://tasks4job.com/?refer=55797 http://www.amazon.com/Garrett-Campbe...8662355&sr=8-5 Plus, follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/greatgarrett2

04-18-2011, 10:32 PM	#6
Kyte The Greatest Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 10, 2008 Location: California Posts: 122	I wouldn't say I like the new ones better than the old ones but one thing I do like is that all the editing and all that gay music has made it a HELL of a lot less scary. I would not have been able to get back to UM again if it weren't for this new revamping. The difference is really astounding. Even when I rewatch the same cases that I caught on the new Lifetime one on YouTube when it was w/ Stack, I get scared as ****. I do miss Robert Stack a lot though. He was awesome in UM.
	__________________ I love you all and there's nothing you can do about it

04-18-2011, 05:44 PM	#2
ms_bates Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 14, 2008 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 134	Likely because some higher-up at Cosgrove/Meurer thought it was a good idea, and would generate more interest in the show. Now that they've invested the money in "modernizing" it, they're going to run with it rather than admit it was a poor choice and bring the originals back. I've said it before; they should have realized that the UM fan base likes the show largely for nostalgic reasons and that we didn't want it re-vamped. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

04-18-2011, 07:37 PM	#3
Killarney Rose Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 24, 2010 Location: AL Posts: 656	I was thinking the other day....perhaps it was cheaper to use Farina than to re air the Stack episodes because his heirs wanted to much money to use those episodes?

04-18-2011, 10:25 PM	#5
ILikeTurtles Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 17, 2009 Posts: 128	I think why I love 1987-1994/1995 UM so much is because even though a lot of it was dramatized and over-the-top at times in their recreations, it focused so much on the actual people and their personalities/characters. The testimonials and interviews brought different perspectives. The detail and storytelling within each episode, hell, even every segment, felt like a rollercoaster ride at times. Robert Stack was the absolute icing on the cake. His narration took well-written words and turned them into his own and make you hang onto to every sentence he said. At times he would make you terrified, even with a positive update to a case, and at times felt like the comforting elder in a very tough situation. God I miss this show. It made me sick watching today on Lifetime how awful UM is now. I wish Stack was still around!

04-18-2011, 10:53 PM	#8
asmitty Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 01, 2007 Location: South Dakota Posts: 523	Another thing to consider, they may be contractually obligated to Farina to air the new episodes for X amount of time. It's possible that syndication royalties were built into his contract that require the airing of these episodes or none at all.

04-19-2011, 03:11 AM	#9
kane7474 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 10, 2006 Posts: 778	Ok my question is, are there really any new episodes? Because all I have seen are old episodes with Farina talking instead of Stack. So what new episodes are we talking about?

04-19-2011, 10:05 AM	#11
2trackmind Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 20, 2011 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 26	I'm willing to bet that if the Farina episodes were all new segments, it would be a much better show. Watching the Farina shows is like watching a cover band perform; just not quite the same as the original. I really don't understand why the producers of the show chose to simply air older segments on the Farina show. There are so many new unsolved cases that are being left unsolved and forgotten. If it was money that prevented them from making new segments, then it would have simply made more sense to just continue airing the Stack episodes and use the good ol' Lifetime "text screen" updates.

04-19-2011, 11:04 AM	#12
Killarney Rose Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 24, 2010 Location: AL Posts: 656	Also- it's like Thomas Wolfe said- "you can't go home again". We look back on the originals as being better, but we remember them from what our mindset was back then, or even as a childhood remembrance. We might see them far differently if we saw those same ones today. It's like a few years ago, I had a few favorite movies from back in the 70s. I had never been able to find them on video. I finally found them on ebay from overseas. I bought them and when I sat down to watch them, I actually thought they were kinda cheesy.....not nearly as good as I had originally thought.

04-19-2011, 12:45 PM	#13
TheCars1986 #VLSKMS Forum Fanatic Join Date: Nov 22, 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 8,606	I can only see three good things about the Farina hosted episodes: 1. It's still UM. 2. They do provide updates to older cases that were updated after Stack passed away. 3. They at least re-air the lesser known segments (Glen Consagra is one I never saw before Farina) that were never broadcast on Lifetime. Everything else sucks.