Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
In August of 2017, I reached out to the man who was directly responsible for making sure my childhood bedroom had a fully functional night light: John Cosgrove. Along with Terry Dunn Meurer, Cosgrove created the trailblazing true-crime series Unsolved Mysteries. Premiering in the late ’80s before blossoming into a ’90s phenomenon, episodes usually contained four to five cases that explored mysteries ranging from unexplained deaths to supernatural phenomena to lost loves. One of the two main reasons Unsolved Mysteries is remembered so fondly and remains the gold standard of true crime television is the fact that every episode had something for everybody.
The other reason? The unrivaled gravitas of the show’s legendary host Robert Stack, who passed away in 2003.
I originally contacted Cosgrove to see if there were any updates on reviving the series. Now, almost three years later, a contemporary version of the iconic series is set to return, making its Netflix debut on July 1 (with six more episodes premiering at a later date).
Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries is just as captivating as the original series, but the revival doesn’t follow the same formula as its predecessor. Executive produced by the original creators of the show and the producers of Stranger Things (Shawn Levy and Josh Barry), each episode of the new hostless iteration revolves around one mystery, as opposed to four or five, with each installment highlighting the experiences of ordinary people who’ve lived through unthinkable ordeals. While nostalgic fans of the franchise may have preferred the classic format, the first six episodes deliver engaging mysteries, with five stories centering on unexplained deaths and one following the peculiar case of the 1969 Berkshire County UFO sightings.
The first six episodes are worthy of the vaunted Unsolved Mysteries title, with “House of Terror” — a subtitled episode that details the horrific 2011 murder of the the Dupont de Ligonnès family and the highly questionable disappearance of the father, Count Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès — serving as the standout offering. “Best episode” is relative considering that a compelling case can also be made for “Missing Witness” (which centers on the disappearance of Lena Chapin), “No Ride Home” (an episode that investigates the suspicious death of Alonzo Brooks), and “Berkshire’s UFO.”
The updated series has an understandably different feel from the original. The campy reenactments have been replaced with slick cinematography, and the show decided to proceed without a host, correctly predicting that you can’t replace a talent who’s become ubiquitous with the franchise. But ’90s kids will appreciate the subtle nods to the original show. An updated version of the classic theme song welcomes viewers, and an outline of Robert Stack appears during the closing moments of the intro.
If you enjoyed the original series, the Netflix revival offers a hint of nostalgia and an abundance of true-crime intrigue.
If you want to take a stroll down memory lane by revisiting the original show, classic episodes that feature new updates on old cases are currently streaming on Prime Video, Hulu, Tubi, Pluto TV, and more.
The first six episodes of Unsolved Mysteries premiere Wednesday, July 1 on Netflix.
