Unsolved Mysteries worked so well and here is why: Robert Stack had a voice and narration which had grace and strength which directed each episode. The format had re enactments, theories and experts for each mystery. Similar to the series In Search of, with Americans most wanted all mixed into one. Best part of the format was the audience participation with a call in line. The show went from missing persons, crimes, paranormal activity, searching for people who save love ones etc and even urban legends. The direction, themes, stories, lighting, moods all set up with intrigue, and excitement. The updates always made me want to watch next weeks episode. Stories of reunited couples, finding missing criminals etc where fascinating to watch. I still remember a few episodes.. t I can see why the series lasted over 20 years. Would love to see a remake.

One of the reviews here is titled "They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore," and I have to agree. Now the closest things are true crime and those seem too...Penny Dreadful and don't really pack the same punch.I could care less about Cold Cases unless they were pivotal and huge.Unsolved Mysteries has its fair share of Cold Cases but they seem bigger and more important to the grander scheme of history and science...and they are only peppered in the run along side of history, science, the paranormal, and the purely strange.Dorks like me can binge on it for a long time and only have to skip a few here and there.

I always loved this show, even when the broadcast schedule became erratic after 1997 and I had to chase it all over the schedule and from network to network. Robert Stack - Elliot Ness himself - was the definitive host, and was essential in the role he had. There were really two forces at work here that made the show a success. First, the producers of the show didn't put every backwoods legend that came across their desks on the air. They tried to document events and stories that could have happened. Second, Robert Stack was a great host, his trench coat-clad presence and dignified and sincere narration bringing respectability to each segment. Thus, no matter how fantastic something might appear on paper, it was presented as something that a rational person could believe was possible. Among the topics explored were: UFOs - episodes devoted to alien abductions, crop circles, and the controversy surrounding Roswell and Area 51. Ghosts - Among the episodes there is a friendly ghost (not Casper), a matchmaker ghost, a court case with new homeowners suing old homeowners because they weren't told the house was haunted, and other assorted ghost tales.Miracles - Divine influence and angelic interventions were examined in a series of episodes that cover everything from inexplicably answered prayers, to alternative medicines, to religious visions. Psychics - Accounts of ESP, fortune telling, past-life regression, strange seers, and other tales of mental magic. The more interesting segments involved psychics helping the police solve crimes. Bizarre Murders - Focuses on some of the most notorious murders in history. Examines such infamous criminals as the Boston Strangler and the Zodiac Killer, as well as a woman possibly killed by one of her own alternate personalities, and the psychology behind well-known homicidal world leader. Strange Legends" - Segments are included on Bigfoot, what happened to famed skyjacker D.B. Cooper, skunk apes, and other such matters. Also includes segments on the legend of the Mothman, the fate of Amelia Earhart, the death of "Adventures of Superman" star George Reeves, and the strange legacy of the Bermuda Triangle aired. I'll always miss this series and Stack's dignified presence. Highly recommended if you ever run across it. And look closely. You just might recognize some stars of today as extras in the dramatic reconstructions.

SPOILERSNow, I have only seen a couple episodes of Unsolved Mysteries, but when it is on every now and then, I watch it. To be honest, I wish it was on more often. This is a great show. It is also very important for the viewer, because remember, everything in the show is real. Real and true. Some stories are really creepy, some are sad, some are spooky, some are just down right horrifying. Either way, no matter what the story is, it is real.Here is the basis of Unsolved Mysteries. Robert Stack hosts this show. The viewer is shown a story. The story is a real life story about UFO sightings, murders, missing people, and so forth. They usually end up in a mystery, hence the title "Unsolved Mysteries." There are re-enactments of the story, and there are also interviews with the people in the story. Robert then tells the viewers that if they have any information about the story, contact them. The viewers do help, because in almost every episode, they show the conclusion to the story with the help of the viewer.Overall, this is a great show. I wish it was still on, but you know, Robert Stack is dead so I do not think that will happen anytime soon. I encourage you to watch this show when it is on, not for the pure entertainment, but because of the importance of the show. It tells you what can happen in real life. Anyway, this is an important show that is not only exciting and tense, but it is also fantastic.9/10Recommended Shows: America's Most Wanted.