Unsolved Mysteries Movies?

[MegtheEgg86]

This morning I happened to catch the American Justice episode on Shannon Mohr and Dave Davis. There was something I was trying to remember about the case that wasn't mentioned in the episode and in my search I came across this:

http://mytvlog.blogspot.com/2009/03/...tory-1993.html

So my questions are these:

1. How many of these are there?
2. Did they air regularly, and if so, when?
3. Are these Cosgrove productions, or another production company who entered into some kind of joint deal with C-M in order to capitalize on the UM connection?

I have no idea. Thanks much in advance!

[dynoguy88]

I remember several TV movies were made with the opening label: From the case files of Unsolved Mysteries, if that's what you are asking.

About 10 years back, I remember Lifetime had a marathon week of some sorts where they would show the UM segment involving the case and then show the movie involving that specific case.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by dynoguy88

I remember several TV movies were made with the opening label: From the case files of Unsolved Mysteries, if that's what you are asking.

Thanks. Yes, I'm just trying to get an idea of what these were, if they were independently produced movies that everyone realized had a UM tie after the fact, or if these were a sort of spin-off like "Final Appeal". I ask mainly because of the NBC title cards I noticed on the link I posted.

About 10 years back, I remember Lifetime had a marathon week of some sorts where they would show the UM segment involving the case and then show the movie involving that specific case.

When I went to see if anyone had posted a thread about this I saw one of your posts in another thread from many years back about this. Guess it must have been the same thing they apparently did on NBC? No clue.

[justins5256]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

1. How many of these are there?

There are at least four. Someone feel free to add more I might not be remembering...

Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story (1993) (Shannon Mohr and Dave Davis)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108486/

Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story (1995) (Teresa and Paul Stamper)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109745/

Voice From the Grave (1996) (Teracita Basa)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115975/

The Sleepwalker Killing (1997) (not based on a UM case to my knowledge)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120147/

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

2. Did they air regularly, and if so, when?

I think they may have all originally been aired on NBC in the mid-nineties.

I know for a fact the Shannon Mohr movie aired on NBC because Stack actually talked about it on an Unsolved Mysteries episode at the tail end of the program where they preview next week's show. IIRC, they even showed some footage from the original Mohr/Davis segment (the part where he knocks her off the horse and gives her the injection) and Stack said that Davis was captured because of a UM viewer tip and that the movie was based on the story.

All of the movies were syndicated on Lifetime in later years. I vaguely remember the "marathon" too where they showed the UM episode and then the movie about it. There was a time that UM aired regularly on Lifetime on weeknights at 8pm eastern for an hour followed by a 2 hour "Lifetime Movie" starting at 9pm. They used this format to have an Unsolved Mysteries marathon (episode followed by the movie about it) at least once and possibly on other occasions.

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

3. Are these Cosgrove productions, or another production company who entered into some kind of joint deal with C-M in order to capitalize on the UM connection?

They were all produced by CM. If I had to guess, they were probably ordered or partially financed by NBC.

It's been years since I've seen the movies, but I remember not thinking they were all that great. They definitely had a "movie of the week" type vibe.

One thing that was kind of cool - the films were introduced by the actual victims in the cases such as the Mohrs and Teresa Stamper. I can't recall who introduced the Teracita one.

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Thanks much in advance!

De nada.

[dynoguy88]

The main things I remember about the movie involving Teresa Stamper was that Cindy Williams (of 'Laverne & Shirley' fame) played the mother of Teresa. There was a scene of the two of them sitting down to watch the UM segment. I thought that was a nice touch. But the movie itself didn't give you that nerve wrecking feeling whenever Paul went nuts to the level of the segment.

There was also a TV movie about the Jaclyn Dowaliby story called 'Gone in the Night." Shannen Doherty played Cynthia Dowaliby and Dixie Carter played David's mother who lived in the basement. You can watch the entire movie on the forbidden site.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by justins5256

It's been years since I've seen the movies, but I remember not thinking they were all that great. They definitely had a "movie of the week" type vibe.

I had a feeling that's why they probably hadn't been discussed very often on the board.

dynoguy, I think I remember seeing the Dowaliby movie years and years ago--when you mentioned Shannon Doherty it sparked my memory. Pretty sure I caught bits and pieces of it on Lifetime sometime in the early 00's but had no idea in the time it was about the Dowaliby story!

Thank you very much for your help, guys.

[Kyle416]

Out of curiosity, what station were you watching American Justice on? It's one of my favourite shows, and I haven't seen it on anywhere for over 2 years. Episodes are next to impossible to find online, and the DVD prices are ridiculous.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Kyle416

Out of curiosity, what station were you watching American Justice on? It's one of my favourite shows, and I haven't seen it on anywhere for over 2 years. Episodes are next to impossible to find online, and the DVD prices are ridiculous.

I don't quite remember if it was Crime & Investigation Network or Biography Channel, but it was definitely one of those two. There's a one-hour block it's shown on around ten-ish here. I see you're in Canada and I'm currently living in the Hawaiian Islands, so I'm not sure if there are great differences in programming on those channels or not. In any event, it was definitely one of those channels. Sorry I can't be of more help.