The new Unsolved Mysteries is now streaming on Netflix, and the revival is a reboot that does the franchise proud, capturing the creepy atmosphere of the original version even without the voice of Robert Stack. From the original creators John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer alongside Stranger Things EP Shawn Levy, the new series takes a look at several new mysteries with unsettling details that just might creep you out as much as the original version with Stack used to do for so many of us.
As a longtime fan, the first thing I noticed right away was the lack of Robert Stack. As Stack died in 2003, it’s not like I expected him to be involved, but it still must be said that the the presence of the former host is rather deeply missed. That said, the Netflix revival doesn’t use any host, presenting the stories in a documentary-style format with no actual narrator. I think this was very wise, as truth be told, replacing Stack would be impossible. Still, the new Unsolved Mysteries does pay tribute to the classic host, featuring an image of Stack’s face on the show’s title screen.
Bringing back Stack might have been out of the question, but I was thrilled to see that the creepy theme music from the original Unsolved Mysteries is present in the reboot. The song has been a bit modernized to fit the new format, but the updated version is still just as creepy, especially interspersed with the imagery that shows on screen while the song plays. It perfectly sets the tone for the bizarre and freaky stories that the series explores and goes a really long way toward linking the new show to the classic version so many of us know and love.
Maybe it’s because the first season was limited to six episodes, but they really made each installment of the Unsolved Mysteries revival count. The cases are incredibly compelling, and it really seems like they made sure to explore some of the most baffling stories they could find. One such story involved a man who had fallen through a rooftop, and there just seemed to be no logical explanation for how he got there.
The police also insist it was a suicide while the man’s family and a former detective claim otherwise, and both sides have good arguments. One thing that is for sure is that nobody knows what exactly did happen, and I spent the better part of the night laying awake in bed, haunted by the peculiar details of that case. What really gets me is that rooftop hole — whether he was pushed or had jumped, I want to know how he landed at a spot that seemed impossible.
I must admit that I had some mixed thoughts on the show’s new format of exploring a single story in each episode. Initially, I wasn’t thrilled, as one of the aspects I loved about the original version was how it tackled multiple mysteries of all types in every episode. Fortunately, these thoughts were assuaged once I started making my way through the series. Each of the stories are definitely interesting enough to warrant entire episodes, as the show does a fantastic job of diving into each mystery from every angle.
Going with one story per episode is probably the right call, but the downside here is that six mysteries feels way too short for an Unsolved Mysteries revival. Perhaps Netflix was testing the waters with how the revival would perform before ordering additional episodes, and if we’re lucky, we’ll get a much longer season if and when Unsolved Mysteries season 2 arrives. Hopefully, we’ll get a ghost story or two for that season as well, as those were always pretty fun on the classic version of the show. In the meantime, you can expect me to spend countless hours Googling updates to the various cases featured in season 1, desperately hoping for an update.
All six episodes of the new Unsolved Mysteries are now streaming on Netflix.
RELATED: ‘Dark Side of the Ring’: 10 Stories We Want to See in Season 3
