Joe's TV List Is Not a News Broadcast

#40: Unsolved Mysteries
(NBC, 1987-1997; CBS, 1997-1999)

You watched it for the crime stories, cheesily re-enacted by actors who lacked the talent to land any other job. You watched it for the emotional tales of long-lost loves or estranged family members suddenly meeting after decades apart. You watched it for the government conspiracy theories and supernatural tales: haunted houses, miracles, UFO sightings, and alien abductions, all related with a straight face and ultra-serious demeanor by Robert Stack, possibly the single most perfect reality-TV host, at least until the glorious arrival of Phil Keoghan. And you looked forward to the breathless update that ended each episode, telling you of how your phone calls (yes, yours!) led to the capture of another crazed killer, putting Unsolved Mysteries only 132 captures behind America’s Most Wanted, which was slightly more diligent about, you know, results. But you didn’t care, because your show had something John Walsh could never dream of: that unforgettable Unsolved Mysteries music. Yes, that gently creepy, relentless, coffin-door whine that bookended every segment. Oh, you remember it. It’s in your head right now, in fact. It will remain there for some time. Good luck sleeping tonight.

Comments

[tami]

Yes, that music definitely made me feel a little uneasy when I went to bed after watching it.

Thanks for the reminder, Joe. Now I'll have to drug myself so I can sleep tonight. Thank God for Lunesta...