History of the Unsolved Mysteries TV Show

During a time where crime scene investigation shows were not on television as much as now, Unsolved Mysteries is one of those programs that helped launched that genre in a big way.

The first show aired on NBC on January 20, 1987 with Raymond Burr, who garnered fame for the lead role of Perry Mason in the 1950s, as host. Burr only hosted that television special. Karl Malden, who is probably most remembered for his role on the TV program The Streets of San Francisco in the 1970s, became the host of the show. After only two episodes, actor Robert Stack replaced Malden.

Stack, who was most famous for playing Eliot Ness in the 1960s hit show The Untouchables, seemed to connect with an older audience after taking over. Stack would most often where a trenchcoat and walk through foggy settings that reminded fans of when he played the role of Ness.

The show became very popular for the very eerie theme music as well as the documented stories that were featured. It also was one of the few shows in that era to grab the attention of fans that liked the supernatural. Plus, the special effects used were very effective in enhancing the details of those particular stories.

Each segment talked about either criminal activity, lost loves, unexplained history, or paranormal stories. A case would be updated during a show if it was solved.

On an average episode, three or four segments of cases would be profiled. If anyone had any information about a particular case, they were urged to contact the show via the toll free number, mail, and email. The website and toll free number are still active today even though the show has been long gone from syndication.

Actors were hired to portray victims, perpetrators, and witnesses while Stack provided narration for each story as well as appearing on-screen at the beginning and end of a segment. Most of the time, victim's family members, close friends, and police officials were interviewed throughout the dramatization.

Because of the early success of Unsolved Mysteries, a short-lived spinoff called Final Appeal appeared on NBC in 1992.

In 1994, Unsolved Mysteries switched from Wednesday to Friday nights on NBC as this move began the steady decline of the show. In 1997, the show was cancelled by NBC because of declining viewership.

Unsolved Mysteries was then picked up by CBS in the same Friday night time slot. Actress Virginia Madsen was hired as co-host in 1998, but this did little to bring in a bigger audience. After two years, CBS cancelled the show from their Friday night lineup.

It wasn't until 2001 that the show started to regain some popularity when the Lifetime television network aired the program. Journalist Keely Shaye Smith was hired as a correspondent in the telecenter during this period of time. Callers would give tips on cases to the telecenter. While the show aired on NBC and CBS, a toll free number would appear on the screen at the end of the story's segment. An address was put in its place when the show moved to Lifetime. Strangely enough, Lifetime kept the telecenter segments in the show despite the fact that it caused confusion for viewers who turned in after it was cancelled by NBC and CBS.

New episodes would sporadically appear on the Lifetime until 2002. Until 2006, Lifetime had aired old episodes on their network. On January 1, 2007, Lifetime Real Women, mostly a digital cable channel, picked up the show.

Many theories exist as to why the show declined in the later years. The switch from Wednesday to Friday nights did see a dropoff in ratings when that occurred. Also, the telecenter with co-hosts was blamed by some as well. The rise of the very popular show America's Most Wanted on FOX likely was a reason for decline, too.

The show is still a favorite amongst fans even after all the changes. A total of 553 episodes with seven specials aired during their existence. Shows like CSI launched as a result of the increased popularity in crime scene investigation dramas.

Many fans have expressed interest in bringing the show back, but finding a replacement for Robert Stack will be close to impossible. In the meantime, fans can enjoy The Best of Unsolved Mysteries on DVD which is available at most retailers.

Sources: Unsolved.com, tv.com, imdb.com