Just hearing the spine-tingling theme song is enough to recall memories of late nights in the ’80s and ’90s, when solemn-faced Robert Stack would appeal to viewers to help solve one of several chilling mysteries. Whether it was an alien abduction, a child’s kidnapping, a long lost lover reunited, or an unexplained death, each case had a chance of being cracked with the help of fans who were energized by the thought that they might have seen a clue in their own community.

After a decade-long hiatus, Unsolved Mysteries has returned thanks to Netflix, which has partnered the original producers with the creative minds behind Stranger Things to deliver a fresh take on the iconic series. In an era where True Crime content and ancestry-tracing technology are plentiful, there’s never been a better time to be an armchair sleuth; however, there are things even the most ardent fan may not know about Unsolved Mysteries.

10 IT WAS INSPIRED BY A MISSING PERSON’S CASE THAT WAS SOLVED

When William Catterson mysteriously disappeared in 1982, he left behind a wife and two children. After two years the case was closed, and the family lost hope that they would ever see Catterson again until Terry Dunn Meurer aired the case a part of HBO’s Missing Persons: Four True Stories.

The missing man happened to catch the episode that featured his disappearance and later turned himself in, saying he’d faked his disappearance. He was reunited with his family, and Meurer was inspired to create Unsolved Mysteries as a way for viewers to help solve cases.

9 CROOKS WERE CAUGHT AFTER SEEING THEMSELVES IN AN EPISODE

In a 1998 interview with Conan O’Brien, original series host Robert Stack was asked about the outcome of some of the episodes, including if any had gotten solved based on tips provided by fans of the series. Stack shared a story about two criminals who happened to catch the episode their crime was featured in.

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According to Stack, the crooks had just seen their episode air, connecting them to a gas station robbery that resulted in the murder of its attendant. When the police came to their house a few hours after the crooks had watched the episode, they were waiting for them.

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8 OVER 260 CASES HAVE BEEN SOLVED THANKS TO THE SERIES

The series covered over 1,000 cases over its various incarnations across four networks. Over half of the episodes involving fugitives have been solved, and over 100 separated families have been able to reunite.

Over 260 cases have been solved thanks to the tips and clues provided by viewers, which accounts for roughly 34% of all the cases featured on the series. Just days after the Netflix reboot aired, tips started pouring into the Unsolved Mysteries website.

7 IT ONCE BLEW UP A CHURCH

“Lucky Choir” was a segment that told the story of a church choir that met every Wednesday to practice at exactly 7:25 pm. The one exception was the Wednesday when all the members were late to church and narrowly avoided their church blowing up at 7:27 pm.

The producers of Unsolved Mysteries selected a church ready for demolition in Unadilla, Nebraska to represent the church in question. They positioned five cameras around it, and the special effects director blew it up with 75sticks of dynamite and three 10-gallon tubs of gasoline, creating a huge fireball.

6 IT HAS HAD A VARIETY OF HOSTS

Unsolved Mysteries began as a series of specials, hosted in 1987 by Raymond Burr who had famously played Perry Mason. Following Burr, character actor Karl Malden hosted the second and third specials in 1987, but it was Robert Stack (who had played Elliot Ness in The Untouchables in the ’60s) who won the hosting job. He would co-host with Virginia Madsen in the late ’90s to boost ratings.

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Stack’s grim and foreboding presence, along with his stentorian voice, made the crimes seem both serious and chilling. Anything from paranormal abductions to ghost stories was narrated with the same gravitas as child kidnappings. Due to his passing in 2003, longtime producers decided to have the Netflix reboot be “hostless” out of respect.

5 SEVERAL STARS GOT THEIR BREAK IN THE SERIES

Matthew McConaughey was given his first professional acting gig (appearing shirtless no less) in a season 5 episode of Unsolved Mysteries in which he played a victim of Edward Bell. Thanks to his appearance, two weeks after the episode aired authorities apprehended Bell.

Hawaii Five-0 and Lost alum Daniel Dae Kim appeared in a season 6 episode, as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Cheryl Hines. Don’t expect any budding stars to appear in the Netflix reboot, as the series prioritizes news footage and interviews over re-enactments.

4 NOT EVERYONE WANTED THEIR MYSTERIES SOLVED

Some of the episodes of the series delved into the supernatural and the paranormal. While the subject matter was entertaining, people with stories of abductions or ghost sightings didn’t always want to be interviewed about their encounters.

Worried that their stories would invite ridicule, they were skeptical about appearing on the series. However, as the producers informed them, the more compelling and articulate their evidence, the more viewers would be intrigued. The Netflix reboot only features one UFO episode and expects to have fewer supernatural in general.

3 IT WAS NOMINATED FOR 6 EMMY AWARDS

Unsolved Mysteries didn’t go unnoticed at the Emmy Awards, and snagged nominations consecutively from 1989-1993 and again in 1995 in the category of Outstanding Informational Series. Unfortunately, it lost to PBS specials like Nature and Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers.

The series frequently ranked within the Top 10 programs in the country in the ’90s thanks to viewers’ insatiable desire to be scared and help solve crimes. The fact that viewers might have an unsolved mystery in their own neighborhoods and backyards gave the series its unique energy.

2 IT INSPIRED A DRAMATIZED SPIN-OFF

A reality-based spin-off of the popular series called Final Appeal: From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries aired in 1992, with Robert Stack hosting. Each episode examined real cases of injustice where convicted people might be innocent.

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Instead of solving unsolved mysteries, it seemed to reverse engineer the appeal of the series, questioning the outcome of cases to get innocent people acquitted. Viewers didn’t much care for the format and it was canceled a year after its debut.

1 THE TIPLINE IS STILL ACTIVE

When the series first debuted, Stack always appealed to viewers to ring the Unsolved Mysteries call center, or send letters to the producers. Eventually, they were directed towards a website set up for the express purpose of fielding the information.

After Spike TV’s final interpretation in 2008, Netflix rebooted the series in 2020, referring viewers to the website and a textline. This has been continuously up and running, allowing viewers a portal to send in their tips and clues.

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About The Author


Kayleena Pierce-Bohen
(1344 Articles Published)

Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. A film buff, she has a Western collection of 250+ titles and counting that she’s particularly proud of. When she isn’t writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she’s working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can.

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