Hello all

[Mr. Roboto]

I was very saddened to hear that Robert Stack passed on a while back. I thought he was one of the greatest actors of all-time. A few days ago, I was channel surfing, and found what I think was his best role, playing the host to UNSOLVED MYSTERIES! I'll admit I haven't watched a single episode since 1996, so I don't know what's been going on since then.

But let me tell you, I've been very let down so far. First, Lifetime refuses to show it in their primetime schedule execept for Monday's. What is the deal with that? I mean, I still get to see it each day, as it occurs during my break from work, but it would be nicer to watch it in the night. Second, WHERE ARE ALL THE SCARY CASES??? The reason I loved this show was because of how they made it scary with the music, low-budget filming, and pictures whether it be an age-enhancement photo or a criminal composite sketch. Most of the cases I've been seeing focus more on Unexplained and Lost Loves, which though I like them, I don't want to see them as much as the Wanted/Missing Persons/Unexplained Death cases. Is this Lifetime's part, toning the material down to catch on with it's "Television for Women" audience? I seriously hope not.

Well, I don't want to be a complainer though. This show gave me nightmares in the late 80's/early 90's. I thought Robert Stack was the scariest looking thing on the universe. (OK, I feel bad saying that, now that he's deceased, but that's how I thought when I was 8) But, it was the cases that scared me the most, with the exception of the occasional Lost Love or Treasure segment. I clearly remember a few cases, which I would like to know if they've been updated or not:

-One segment was the murder of this couple who were in Seatle, AFAIK. They were later found murdered, and had last been seen on a ferry. Then later, their family members got these Christmas cards which had obscene messages and were belived to be from the killer. I don't ever remember seeing an update.

-Another was this one about two children who were kidnapped, a boy and a girl. About a year later, a photo of them were found together at a convience store. That's all I can remember, but that photo kept me up at night for a while

-A lot of various ghost/UFO stories freaked me out. I clearly remember one story about this family who bought a "haunted" bunk bed and all these creepy things started happening. The Roswell case scared the living **** out of me for a kid! (I'm pretty sure that nowadays the latter wouldn't be so creepy)

-Yet another case was one where a convience store worker was kidnapped and later murdered. I remember the composite of the killer, who was one ugly dude with black hair and was wearing a t-shirt which sported some death metal's band name (I think it was Megadeth). Creeeeeeeeeepy.

-Finally, there was this one murder case that occured in Canada, I think. An old couple in a Winneabago had stopped at a rest stop for the night. In the middle of the night, a murderer posing as a policeman knocked at the door and killed the couple and another person, if I recall. That case was so acted effectivley that it was one of the cases that truly disturbed me. Plus, they showed an odd composite; it was a 3D-computer sketch of the guy.

I know there are more, but that's all I can think of now. But, I hope to stay around here a bit, and also see if I can't aquire some videotapes with some cases to tide me over instead of the stuff Lifetime is showing.

[Allierain]

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto!......sorry, I had to do it! Welcome to the forum!

"WHERE ARE ALL THE SCARY CASES???"

I've often wondered the same thing myself. Honestly, I've noticed the same things you (and many others) have. Once the show hit the 8th or 9th season, it lost it's scary appeal.....doesn't mean I don't like it anyway, but that's why I watched it in the first place....aside from Robert Stack, of course. :P

"Is this Lifetime's part, toning the material down to catch on with it's "Television for Women" audience? I seriously hope not."

The last time I got to see Lifetime, which was over a year ago (shame on me, but I am getting cable again soon! I promise!), I saw ads for 'My Stepson, My Lover' and 'I'll Take Manhatten'. Ugh! I'm a woman and even *I* got sick of that programming.

"Well, I don't want to be a complainer though. This show gave me nightmares in the late 80's/early 90's."

I did my share of hiding under any blanket I could get my hands on when I saw scary parts...the most vivid I remember was the season premier of 1987 (I think??) with the Roswell segment. I was literally hiding in the kitchen and peeking around the corner at the TV in the living room, I was so frightened of the "aliens" on the show. I also remember being petrified when I saw the Little Miss Panasoffkee case, and hiding under my mum's desk when I first saw it. Of course, I was just a kid during this time (I was 6 or 7 when the show first started), but ohhhh the things we do when we're kids!!

"-Another was this one about two children who were kidnapped, a boy and a girl. About a year later, a photo of them were found together at a convience store. That's all I can remember, but that photo kept me up at night for a while"

Are you talking about the two kids who were bound up? Is this the Polaroid picture that was found? No updates that I know of.

"A lot of various ghost/UFO stories freaked me out. I clearly remember one story about this family who bought a "haunted" bunk bed and all these creepy things started happening. The Roswell case scared the living **** out of me for a kid! (I'm pretty sure that nowadays the latter wouldn't be so creepy)"

Hahaha! The bunkbeds, that's my favorite "Haunting" segment. That was also the one with the "witch" behind the door and the radio going on and off by itself, and "burning" house. What a weird story! And the Roswell story, again I was totally freaked by the alien body props they used in the story (when I was a kid of course).

"-Finally, there was this one murder case that occured in Canada, I think. An old couple in a Winneabago had stopped at a rest stop for the night. In the middle of the night, a murderer posing as a policeman knocked at the door and killed the couple and another person, if I recall. That case was so acted effectivley that it was one of the cases that truly disturbed me. Plus, they showed an odd composite; it was a 3D-computer sketch of the guy."

Ahh, yes, the Blind River Rest Stop killer dude. What an SOB. They caught him recently, as I understand it. Search for the updates on this board. The saddest parts of the story: him taking away the innocent father from his children, and the older woman from her husband. What a cold-blooded animal. I'm glad they caught him.

[Makoto_4]

Welcome Mr. Roboto.

I too was saddened to hear about Robert Stack's passing recently. That was the first thing I heard on that day and it pretty much ruined the rest of my day and the rest of the week. Upon hearing the news of his death, I created a web page tribute for him: http://www.res-alian.com/mayclaire/stack_1919-2003.html I still miss him dearly and I still can't believe he is gone. When I watch him on Unsolved Mysteries or anything he is in, it seemed as though he never left. Yet I can still feel his absence.

Like you, I too feel let down by Lifetime on their recent scheduling of the show. When I started watching the show in fall 2002, it would be on at noon, 8PM, and 2AM five days and nights a week. There were also a few nights UM would air back-to-back at 7PM and 8PM. These days, it airs in the afternoon and Monday nights at 8. I don't understand why Lifetime seems to be phasing the show out. It's one of the best programs on that network. In fact, it's the only gender-neutral program that I know of that's on a women's channel.

As started to become immersed in UM, I looked forward to watching every episode, even if I've seen some of the stories before. The music and the filming techniques you mentioned are part of what made the show scary but definitely worth watching. I miss those things in the recent episodes. Speaking of music, the opening theme to UM from 1987-early 1990s is the creepiest of all UM themes. The mid-90s version with the light shining in the center background of the show's title in the opening credits is also pretty creepy too.

On the types of cases on the show, I too don't have anything against the lost love/mysterious legends/etc. kind of cases but I would like to see more of the wanted/unexplained death/missing persons cases. I'm not sure if Lifetime is trying to tone down the show to fit within its network but if that's the case, that would be very strange.

I haven't gotten any nightmares from the show...yet. If I had watched it when I was about 7 (for instance) it would have scared me to death. I was 19 when I began to watch UM late last year and though I can put up with some scary stuff, I still get goosebumps when I watch it, whether I watch the show with the lights on or off. I tend to watch the show in the dark since it's more fun and scarier that way. Still, it creeps you out with the lights on.

Originally posted by Mr. Roboto
-One segment was the murder of this couple who were in Seatle, AFAIK. They were later found murdered, and had last been seen on a ferry. Then later, their family members got these Christmas cards which had obscene messages and were belived to be from the killer. I don't ever remember seeing an update.

-Another was this one about two children who were kidnapped, a boy and a girl. About a year later, a photo of them were found together at a convience store. That's all I can remember, but that photo kept me up at night for a while

-A lot of various ghost/UFO stories freaked me out. I clearly remember one story about this family who bought a "haunted" bunk bed and all these creepy things started happening. The Roswell case scared the living **** out of me for a kid! (I'm pretty sure that nowadays the latter wouldn't be so creepy)

-Yet another case was one where a convience store worker was kidnapped and later murdered. I remember the composite of the killer, who was one ugly dude with black hair and was wearing a t-shirt which sported some death metal's band name (I think it was Megadeth). Creeeeeeeeeepy.

Hmmm... I seem to be familar with the cases you mentioned but not the bunk bed one, the two kidnapped children, and the convience store murder. What were those about?

-Finally, there was this one murder case that occured in Canada, I think. An old couple in a Winneabago had stopped at a rest stop for the night. In the middle of the night, a murderer posing as a policeman knocked at the door and killed the couple and another person, if I recall. That case was so acted effectivley that it was one of the cases that truly disturbed me. Plus, they showed an odd composite; it was a 3D-computer sketch of the guy.

This one I remember seeing. The third person killed, if I remember correctly, was a bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is one of the most disturbing cases I've ever seen.

-Makoto_4

[TJ]

This was originally posted by Mr. Roboto a number of weeks ago, but it was lost due to a database crash so I am reposting it:

Hmmm... I seem to be familar with the cases you mentioned but not the bunk bed one, the two kidnapped children, and the convience store murder. What were those about?

Well, the bunk bed one was one of the first, if not the first ever one, I saw. It was about this family who bought a bunk bed, which was "possessed". Strange things started occuring soon afterward. One example I remember was the father of the family, who worked late, came by the house in the middle of the night. When making his way to the door, he heard a creepy voice and then he saw an illusion of his garage on fire. Scary movie material! The kidnapped children and convience store murder I can't remember too well. I am so glad that the rest stop murder was solved! I didn't go to the link because I really did not want to see the guy's ugly face and his sketch, which was so creepy! (Of course, UM doesn't help with the morbid music and grainy filming)

Well, at least Lifetime showed an old episode yesterday! It was from 1989, and I decided to build my video collection of UM! However, I only taped 3 out of the 5 segments, two being Unexplained Death cases and the other an update (which was essentially an Unexplained Death). One segment dealt with the murder of a person who rejunvinated an old motorcycle, and was later seen being harrassed by members of a motorcycle gang. Unfortunatly, the suspects involved were never put in jail and his body still hasn't been found. The other involved a rich woman in Beaumont, Texas who was killed by a deadly chemical that was put in her cough syrup, which she took each night. That case was never solved, either. Finally, the update involved the finding of a man named Matthew Chase. Apparently, he was missing, and the last traces of him were photos taken at an ATM machine, where he withdrawed hundreds of dollars. In the photos, there was a man seen, and they drew two very creepy composites o!
f him. Finally, some good old Unsolved Mysteries scariness!

The other two segments, though I stupidly did not tape them, were a fraud and a lost love case, the latter dealing with WWII.

Well, I'm glad I found this place because UM is a very special show. Unfortunatly, Lifetime is having a "Lifetime Movie Marathon" in place of UM. Oh well...

[canadaman]

I actually posted a thread on the Seattle couple case, cause it has haunted me too, and I want to know if they ever caught the guy...it is a super creepy case, and I'd like to kniow the guy got put away...