“This program is about Unsolved Mysteries. Whenever possible, the actual family members and police officials have recreated the events. What you are about to see is not a news broadcast.” “Join me; you may be able to help solve a mystery.” Welcome dear readers. This is Mr. Birdwell with a new review this week. In case you haven’t figured it out, today’s review is focused on the TV Show “Unsolved Mysteries.”
“Unsolved Mysteries” was a reality TV show that would use reenactments to tell its cases. These cases would range from criminal cases, lost loves, strange legends, and UFO’s as well. There would be interviews with those involved with the stories, and every so often, there would be an update featured. This was due to a phone number featured during the broadcast.
It’s hard to believe it has been 28 years since this show debuted on television. It is one of those shows where I actually remember how I got into it. It was the spring of 2001, and my cousins were staying at my grandparents’ house visiting. While we were hanging out, they were talking to me about this show I had never heard of. They talked about segments such as ghosts, UFO’s, and the creepy murder segments. Naturally, it peaked my interest and I have been hooked to this show ever since.
Now if you’re going to talk about Unsolved Mysteries, the first thing to talk about is the host. That would be the legend known as Robert Stack. His presence and voice combined with the creepy atmosphere made the show intriguing. You could tell he was determined to solve mysteries and get the information known to the viewers. I still remember the day when my grandmother told me he passed away. That’s how much of an impact he had as a host of this show.
The second plus were those segments. The way these segments were filmed, some felt like mini movies almost. My favorite segments were the ghosts, murders, and the strange legends. One ghost segment that will always stay with me was about this family in Wisconsin who claimed their house was haunted. The family said that they heard strange noises, their children were sick all the time, and the children were terrorized by evil spirits. What made it creepier was the fact that when the husband and wife were being interviewed, they were all shrouded in darkness. To this day, I still wonder what they look like.
If I had to pick a murder segment that stuck with me, it would be the case involving William Bradford Bishop. Bishop allegedly murdered his family back in the 70s in Maryland and has been on the run ever since. Only recently has Bishop been added to the FBI’s list of Most Wanted Fugitives. It angers me to know that a man who seems to have it all could murder his family in cold blood. Some say it was all because he didn’t get a promotion at his job with the U.S. State Department.
One final segment that stuck with me was the strange legends. There would be ones that had a historical aspect. Some focused on assassinations, such as the one of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and Louisiana Senator Huey Long. The show would take what most people know about the deaths of these historical figures, and try to delve deeper into the theories behind their deaths. In fact, looking back, this show may have helped me into becoming a History major.
Overall, I would say Unsolved Mysteries is one show that should never be forgotten. As of this writing, there are new episodes out. I hope one day the show will come back because there are cases that always need to be solved. For my overall rating, I am going to give Unsolved Mysteries a 5/5. Thanks so much for reading this review. This is Mr. Birdwell saying, “Keep reading and watching. You’ll never know when you’ll find something remarkable.”