Exciting news this week revealed that media juggernaut Netflix gas green-lit and brand new reboot of the iconic Unsolved Mysteries television series. The series is being resurrected by Stranger Things producers in conjunction with Cosgrove-Meurer Productions, who are the creators of the original series. Word now is that the reboot will consist of 12 episodes, with each episode being dedicated to one particular mystery (as opposed to the original series where each episode contained multiple stories). The mysteries span a number of different themes, including missing persons, paranormal, and unexplained deaths. Each mystery is conveyed using re-enactments, oftentimes using the actually family members and police officials associated with the case.
This is not the first time there has been talk of a reboot. Back in 2007 Cosgrove and Meurer expressed their interest in revamping the show during a Reddit AMA session:
We are actively talking to a couple of broadcasters who have shown interest, and we’re very optimistic that we’ll have something by way of new episodes by the end of the year. It’s too early to go into much detail, but we’ve had our research producers look into possible stories, and they’ve found some excellent ones which can be ready to go quickly.
The original Unsolved Mysteries series ran from 1987 to 2010, airing about 500 episodes. Part of what made the original such a smash hit was the eerie narration from legendary actor Robert Stack and the incredibly haunting theme song. After Stack’s death in 2003, hosting duties were given to the late Dennis Farina.
The arrival of the original series on streaming platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime has done a great deal to rekindle interest in the show. Unsolved Mysteries is my second favorite show of all time, and I have long wanted some fresh material. While it won’t be the same without Robert Stack, I am incredibly interested in checking out this reboot and definitely have high hopes.
“Perhaps you may be able to help solve a mystery.”
