UM's hiatus from 1999-2001

[Makoto_4]

A person whom I've been corresponding with asked me why UM was cancelled between 1999 and 2001. Why was the show on hiatus between those years? For that matter, why was it dropped from NBC after being on that network for nearly 10 years?

Thanks,
Makoto_4

[rerungirl]

I remember reading at the time that NBC dropped Unsolved Mysteries because they were going for a "younger demographic." From what I've read on this board, UM has a pretty wide fan base...people of all ages (not just older, retired folks) so it seems like their decision was really off the mark. I'm not sure CBS was ever really commited to the series. They only aired a handful of episodes and (if I remember correctly) only had it on for one season.

[Blackout]

yeah, i dont know the official reason i remember during that time, Lifetime would show reruns daily (but now, they barely pay attention to it) and I e-mailed them and asked when the show would make any new episodes and they said they had a crapload of segments planned to air in the summer of 01

[Kane]

Originally posted by rerungirl
I remember reading at the time that NBC dropped Unsolved Mysteries because they were going for a "younger demographic." From what I've read on this board, UM has a pretty wide fan base...people of all ages (not just older, retired folks) so it seems like their decision was really off the mark. I'm not sure CBS was ever really commited to the series. They only aired a handful of episodes and (if I remember correctly) only had it on for one season.

When it announced in the summer of 1997 that CBS was picking up UM as a mid-season replacement, Robert Stack mentioned that NBC's canceling of the show was "a business decision." He believed that ownership might have been an issue since networks generally tend to prefer to own the shows they air. (NBC had no official ownership stake in Unsolved Mysteries.)

When NBC announced that it would not be renewing the show for the fall 1997 season, I was stunned, and for good reason: the ratings were still strong. I guess it shows that ratings don't always play a role in a show's cancellation.

CBS aired the show as a midseason replacement in the spring of 1998 and 1999, before it was canceled again.

In early 2000, it was announced that the producers were looking to revive the show as a first-run cable series. Although several cable networks (including A&E) expressed interest in the show, it came as no surprise that Lifetime ended up being the channel to commission new episodes of the show.

When the show starting airing new episodes in 2001 for the first time in two years, I was happy to see it back in production. My general response was that the show--if you'll pardon the paraphrase--got a new lease on Lifetime. It was unfortunate that it had been out of production for two years, but I think it turned out to be a good thing. Cable networks generally seem to be more supportive of reality/documentary shows than non-cable networks are. I have no idea why it is. But, hey, cable audiences have been on the rise in recent years anyway. So cable TV seems to provide a better life for shows like Unsolved Mysteries.

[Starbright726]

What I had heard from my mom is that NBC wanted a younger demographic, and I remember that in place of Unsolved Mysteries NBC put on this show starring rapper Ice-T called "Players", (I think that's the title). It was sort of an action-dark comedy with two other "youthful" actors. Well, the show got cancelled after a couple of episodes and no one remembers it!

[Kane]

Originally posted by Starbright726
What I had heard from my mom is that NBC wanted a younger demographic, and I remember that in place of Unsolved Mysteries NBC put on this show starring rapper Ice-T called "Players", (I think that's the title). It was sort of an action-dark comedy with two other "youthful" actors. Well, the show got cancelled after a couple of episodes and no one remembers it!

I'm not disputing that NBC's reason for canceling UM had to do with the network wanting younger demographics. I'm just implying that ownership could have been a secondary reason (while demographics was apparently the primary reason). In fact, Players (which ran from October 1997 to April 1998) was produced in part by NBC Studios, meaning that NBC had some official ownership in that series.

[Silver Dark]

Originally posted by Starbright726
What I had heard from my mom is that NBC wanted a younger demographic, and I remember that in place of Unsolved Mysteries NBC put on this show starring rapper Ice-T called "Players", (I think that's the title). It was sort of an action-dark comedy with two other "youthful" actors. Well, the show got cancelled after a couple of episodes and no one remembers it!

No one remembers it because it in no way could reach out and shake the soul like Unsolved Mysteries could. Another reason is that national networks are extremely "bean-counter-like" in their tastes on shows. They want normal, mainstream (think The Practice and The West Wing), and get uncomfortable with anything creative (translation: weird), especially something so out-there awesome as UM in its best episodes. The thing about it, and they have a point, is that UM doesn't lend itself to product-selling mindset (in my experience, anyway). It attracts all kinds of people, and not only can't you "target" a universal demographic with a particular style/set of products, but the kind of people who watch UM are the kind who completely ignore all commercials (or use them as breaks to get food while getting otherwise creeped out).

UM doesn't "sell things." It sells itself.