Narrators - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

wiseguy182 · 02-07-2013, 03:57 AM

Being that narrators don't appear on screen too much, in some cases hardly ever, their voice pretty much determines whether I'll like the show or not.

I think it's safe to say Robert Stack and Bill Kurtis are the greatest ever.

Paul Winfield of City Confidential took a little getting used to with his slower delivery, but I like it now. I've seen him in several things and he was always a great actor. I think the first thing I ever saw him in was 227, when he was a regular.

I haven't seen Rescue 911 in forever, like since it was originally on, but I remember Shatner being pretty good. I don't care for his attitude IRL, but you gotta love when he would stare directly at the camera and say "Rescue...911" with the utmost authority.

I tried hard to like "Disappared", but I just can't watch that show with the narrator they've got (Christopher Walker). His voice is not commanding at all, it's too quiet, almost to the point of being a whisper. He also seems to have a lisp at times, it's hard to describe. I also don't know how he got that job, his imdb page doesn't have anything else listed on it. The Charlie Allen aka Neo Maximus case they aired again yesterday is pretty intriguing though.

But yeah, long story short, the narrator usually makes it or breaks it for me. It's somewhat like radio, which is weird because sometimes the people with the most annoying voices get jobs in radio, LOL

MegtheEgg86 · 03-01-2013, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

Being that narrators don't appear on screen too much, in some cases hardly ever, their voice pretty much determines whether I'll like the show or not.

I think it's safe to say Robert Stack and Bill Kurtis are the greatest ever.

Paul Winfield of City Confidential took a little getting used to with his slower delivery, but I like it now. I've seen him in several things and he was always a great actor. I think the first thing I ever saw him in was 227, when he was a regular.

I haven't seen Rescue 911 in forever, like since it was originally on, but I remember Shatner being pretty good. I don't care for his attitude IRL, but you gotta love when he would stare directly at the camera and say "Rescue...911" with the utmost authority.

I tried hard to like "Disappared", but I just can't watch that show with the narrator they've got (Christopher Walker). His voice is not commanding at all, it's too quiet, almost to the point of being a whisper. He also seems to have a lisp at times, it's hard to describe. I also don't know how he got that job, his imdb page doesn't have anything else listed on it. The Charlie Allen aka Neo Maximus case they aired again yesterday is pretty intriguing though.

But yeah, long story short, the narrator usually makes it or breaks it for me. It's somewhat like radio, which is weird because sometimes the people with the most annoying voices get jobs in radio, LOL

My fiancé--who never watches true crime shows at all unless he catches them briefly with me--cannot stand Paul Winfield narrating CC. He even said, "That guy needs to take a lesson from Bill Kurtis!", which I thought was hysterical coming from him.

Me, I've always liked him. I too have tried hard with Disappeared. I could handle the narration early on in the first two seasons, but now it's so pervasive to me I can't even watch the show anymore. I also know what you mean about the lisp; it's David Carradine-esque.

I actually also had no idea who Keith David (the other CC narrator) was until I saw that old John Carpenter take on The Thing last weekend and heard him speak.

WishfulDreamer · 03-01-2013, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

I think it's safe to say Robert Stack and Bill Kurtis are the greatest ever.

Agreed, wholeheartedly.

I was trying to watch crime docs in lieu of UM and one of them had this lady who sounded like she was on Jersey Shore narrating

How could you possibly take the show seriously?

Sterling Holobyte · 03-01-2013, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

I think it's safe to say Robert Stack and Bill Kurtis are the greatest ever.

Yeah, I liked Robert Stack on Unsolved Mysteries. He had a voice that was altogether "mysterious", dramatic, and "all business". Of course playing Eliot Ness probably didn't hurt that perception.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

I haven't seen Rescue 911 in forever, like since it was originally on, but I remember Shatner being pretty good. I don't care for his attitude IRL, but you gotta love when he would stare directly at the camera and say "Rescue...911" with the utmost authority.

That's what I was thinking about when I saw your thread.

But yeah, Bill did a good job, I thought.

Another guy I think does a pretty good job narrating is John Bunnell from "World's Wildest Police Videos". Sometimes his voice can seem kind of "stark" and cold, but he manages to put just the right amount of feeling into it to keep it from becoming too robotic.
Course he was much better when he was on Cops.

Spark Of Spirit · 03-05-2013, 07:43 PM

Keith David has a fantastic voice. He could narrate everything and I'd never tire of his voice.

UMFaninMD · 03-07-2013, 09:59 PM

Bill Kurtis and Robert Stack are awesome and so is Peter Thomas, narrator of Forensic Files. Hard to believe he was born in 1924 because he sounds a lot younger.

Maureen Mohrer (sp) from 48 Hours Mystery is a really good female narrator. However, the one that does the Snapped episodes is extremely grating. She's trying way too hard to be serious and her voice is monotone.

The "Jersey Shore" lady is so annoying! She did Pretty Bad Girls and I Married a Mobster for ID. Needless to say, those shows aren't on anymore. I think they got too many fan complaints on their Facebook page about her. I couldn't take the shows seriously with her 'Joisy" accent.

One of the worst is the Skeleton Stories guy. Imagine a white Barry White with no personality.

wiseguy182 · 03-08-2013, 01:59 AM

Ah yes, I forgot about Maureen Maher. Probably because I haven't seen 48 hours in a while. She's good also.

biffbronson · 03-08-2013, 05:29 PM

I like the narration on Cold Case Files. One of the reasons I'm glued to the show whenever I come across it...!

And though not true crime, also deserving of mention is the late Art Gilmore, who narrated Highway Patrol. Memorable.

MegtheEgg86 · 03-09-2013, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

Bill Kurtis and Robert Stack are awesome and so is Peter Thomas, narrator of Forensic Files. Hard to believe he was born in 1924 because he sounds a lot younger.

I like him too.

Quote:

However, the one that does the Snapped episodes is extremely grating. She's trying way too hard to be serious and her voice is monotone.

I think it sounds like she's trying hard for a major-news-network-Dateline-ish vibe. Or like she watched way too many reruns of Justice Files (which I actually love). I don't like it, either.

I actually recorded the Snapped episode about Amy Bosley and the narrator was different, a woman with an English accent. She was much better.

wiseguy182 · 08-04-2013, 11:24 PM

Here's an interesting factoid: Bill Kurtis and Peter Thomas were both born in Pensacola, FL.

I love wiki's comment on Peter Thomas: "known for his crystal clear voice and precise diction, and his unique narrative tone of urgency, concern and empathy."

5353 · 08-05-2013, 01:34 AM

Marlene Sanders, I think is an incredible narrator. She did HBO's Autopsy. It's serious. It's creepy. It's stern. It's like she's giving directions for a surgeon. No emotion. But I think it's a perfect fit.

Peter Thomas is my favorite. Even his narration on Nature is great. Bill Kurtis I think is right up there as well.

Who I despise? M. William Phelps and Candice DeLong.

wiseguy182 · 02-08-2016, 03:50 AM

This is pretty wild. Yesterday, I took a CPR training course. The voice for the AED (defibrillators)? None other than Peter Thomas.

UMFaninMD · 02-10-2016, 06:36 PM

Peter Thomas narrated an album on CB lingo in the 70's. It was funny to hear him talk 70's trucker slang. There's a guy on YouTube who has a show called The Oddity Archive where he talks about technology, music and television fads of the 70's through the 90's. He played some of the record on an episode about the CB fad.

And I've started to change my mind about the Snapped narrator, Sharon Martin. She narrates a new show called #killerapp about crimes involving social media and you get to see her talk. Knowing what she looks like and watching her speak helped me with my attitude.

Kane · 01-20-2017, 04:58 PM

Of all the narrators who pique my interest, one of them is Jamie Haines. He's the narrator of the Investigation Discovery series Unusual Suspects. The sound of his voice is compatible with the atmosphere of the show.

Here is a link that includes a photo of him and a near-four-minute audio of his voice.

http://www.deyanaudio.com/male60s2.html

AriadneHaze · 01-09-2018, 03:32 PM

There are two ID show narrators I can't listen to: the woman who narrates Deadly Women, and the man who narrates Disappeared. I would like to enjoy those shows, but the narrators ruin it all for me.

02-07-2013, 03:57 AM	#1
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	Narrators Being that narrators don't appear on screen too much, in some cases hardly ever, their voice pretty much determines whether I'll like the show or not. I think it's safe to say Robert Stack and Bill Kurtis are the greatest ever. Paul Winfield of City Confidential took a little getting used to with his slower delivery, but I like it now. I've seen him in several things and he was always a great actor. I think the first thing I ever saw him in was 227, when he was a regular. I haven't seen Rescue 911 in forever, like since it was originally on, but I remember Shatner being pretty good. I don't care for his attitude IRL, but you gotta love when he would stare directly at the camera and say "Rescue...911" with the utmost authority. I tried hard to like "Disappared", but I just can't watch that show with the narrator they've got (Christopher Walker). His voice is not commanding at all, it's too quiet, almost to the point of being a whisper. He also seems to have a lisp at times, it's hard to describe. I also don't know how he got that job, his imdb page doesn't have anything else listed on it. The Charlie Allen aka Neo Maximus case they aired again yesterday is pretty intriguing though. But yeah, long story short, the narrator usually makes it or breaks it for me. It's somewhat like radio, which is weird because sometimes the people with the most annoying voices get jobs in radio, LOL
	Last edited by wiseguy182; 02-07-2013 at 04:12 AM.

03-05-2013, 07:43 PM	#5
Spark Of Spirit Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 20, 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 563	Keith David has a fantastic voice. He could narrate everything and I'd never tire of his voice.
	__________________ “A thing may be too sad to be believed or too wicked to be believed or too good to be believed; but it cannot be too absurd to be believed in this planet of frogs and elephants, of crocodiles and cuttle-fish.” ― G.K. Chesterton

03-08-2013, 05:29 PM	#8
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,502	I like the narration on Cold Case Files. One of the reasons I'm glued to the show whenever I come across it...! And though not true crime, also deserving of mention is the late Art Gilmore, who narrated Highway Patrol. Memorable.
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

03-07-2013, 09:59 PM	#6
UMFaninMD I love a mystery Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,287	Bill Kurtis and Robert Stack are awesome and so is Peter Thomas, narrator of Forensic Files. Hard to believe he was born in 1924 because he sounds a lot younger. Maureen Mohrer (sp) from 48 Hours Mystery is a really good female narrator. However, the one that does the Snapped episodes is extremely grating. She's trying way too hard to be serious and her voice is monotone. The "Jersey Shore" lady is so annoying! She did Pretty Bad Girls and I Married a Mobster for ID. Needless to say, those shows aren't on anymore. I think they got too many fan complaints on their Facebook page about her. I couldn't take the shows seriously with her 'Joisy" accent. One of the worst is the Skeleton Stories guy. Imagine a white Barry White with no personality.

03-08-2013, 01:59 AM	#7
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	Ah yes, I forgot about Maureen Maher. Probably because I haven't seen 48 hours in a while. She's good also.

08-04-2013, 11:24 PM	#10
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	Here's an interesting factoid: Bill Kurtis and Peter Thomas were both born in Pensacola, FL. I love wiki's comment on Peter Thomas: "known for his crystal clear voice and precise diction, and his unique narrative tone of urgency, concern and empathy."

08-05-2013, 01:34 AM	#11
5353 Call me Perm Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 08, 2013 Posts: 152	Marlene Sanders, I think is an incredible narrator. She did HBO's Autopsy. It's serious. It's creepy. It's stern. It's like she's giving directions for a surgeon. No emotion. But I think it's a perfect fit. Peter Thomas is my favorite. Even his narration on Nature is great. Bill Kurtis I think is right up there as well. Who I despise? M. William Phelps and Candice DeLong.

02-08-2016, 03:50 AM	#12
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	This is pretty wild. Yesterday, I took a CPR training course. The voice for the AED (defibrillators)? None other than Peter Thomas.

02-10-2016, 06:36 PM	#13
UMFaninMD I love a mystery Senior Member Join Date: Apr 19, 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,287	Peter Thomas narrated an album on CB lingo in the 70's. It was funny to hear him talk 70's trucker slang. There's a guy on YouTube who has a show called The Oddity Archive where he talks about technology, music and television fads of the 70's through the 90's. He played some of the record on an episode about the CB fad. And I've started to change my mind about the Snapped narrator, Sharon Martin. She narrates a new show called #killerapp about crimes involving social media and you get to see her talk. Knowing what she looks like and watching her speak helped me with my attitude.

01-20-2017, 04:58 PM	#14
Kane Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 07, 2001 Location: MA, United States Posts: 3,367	Of all the narrators who pique my interest, one of them is Jamie Haines. He's the narrator of the Investigation Discovery series Unusual Suspects. The sound of his voice is compatible with the atmosphere of the show. Here is a link that includes a photo of him and a near-four-minute audio of his voice. http://www.deyanaudio.com/male60s2.html

01-09-2018, 03:32 PM	#15
AriadneHaze Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Dec 06, 2017 Location: St. Louis Posts: 32	There are two ID show narrators I can't listen to: the woman who narrates Deadly Women, and the man who narrates Disappeared. I would like to enjoy those shows, but the narrators ruin it all for me.