I honestly don’t think there has ever been a cooler show than “Unsolved Mysteries.” It ranks right up there with “America’s Most Wanted” as the ultimate in reality shows. Week after week, viewers were treated to dramatizations of such varied situations as haunted houses, lost loves and bizarre murders. It was hosted by Robert Stack, who years earlier had become a TV icon having played Eliot Ness in the series, “The Untouchables.” He was the perfect choice to host the series, as his stoic visage and recognizable voice lent him a credibility that would have been hard-pressed to find in another actor. Viewers felt they could trust Stack, which made the stories that much more believable. The series was so popular that it ran for an incredible 14 years on NBC, and racked up an impressive list of over 300 ‘solved’ cases. I used to watch “Unsolved Mysteries” almost religiously, and often caught stories that I was familiar with or involved people I knew personally.

Though I never helped to solve a mystery myself, I did know one of the actors that was used in a dramatization of a guy that had faked his death in a car crash. What I think elevated the series beyond that of other similar shows, was the fact that so many of the mysteries ended up being solved. Criminals were caught and lost loves and family members were reunited (the latter often causing me to tear up a bit…). That was why the best part of the show was the updates.

I had always wondered if the series would ever get released on DVD, and if it did how it would be done. Finally, there’s a studio taking up the task. First Look Media is banking on the fact the series was popular enough to warrant the release of the series on DVD. And I think they’re going about it the right way. They are shying away from the full season sets that have become so popular with TV shows, and are instead opting to release 4-disc sets that focus on particular subjects. For example, they have already released a set devoted entirely to the best UFO stories as well as another that is all about Ghosts. Coming up next month, there will be a set that covers Miracles.

The reason I feel this works is because the subject matter on the series was so varied that releasing them in full season sets might not appeal to viewers who only watched the show for the Ghost stories. In releasing them by the types of stories, consumers will probably be more apt to at least pick up the sets that include the subject they are most interested in.

I don’t have a full set handy for this review, but from the sample discs I’ve seen it appears that the packaging will be done using the super slim cases, which in turn will be housed in a slipcover. Each set will have 4 discs, which will generally add up to about 6 hours of materials. The sample discs I had included several stories each, and the only complaint I had was that the chapter stops were not set up after every story. The chapter stops seemed random and often cut into the middle of a story. I’m not sure if this is the case with the final product, but it would certainly be better if you could jump to a particular story if you so desired.

Each set is also going to include extra features, which range from commentaries to featurettes. But again the sample discs I watched did not have any of the features so I cannot comment as to their length or quality.

I hope the sets sell well, as they are preparing to release 3 more sets next year. If all goes well, perhaps all of the stories will eventually make their way onto the DVD market. And who knows, if you pick up a set and watch some of the stories, perhaps you can help solve a mystery.

Hosted by: Robert Stack
Extras:
UFOS Edition - Audio Introduction by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Muerer, Audio Commentary on Select Episodes by the Series Producers/Creators/Directors, Special Effects Compilation, Tribute to Robert Stack
Ghosts Edition - Featurette with John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer, Behind the Scenes - The 200th Solved Cases, 8 Audio Commentaries for Select Episodes by Series Creator/Producer/Directors, Tribute to Robert Stack
Specifications: Full Screen (4:3), Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: First Look Media
Release Date: Available
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give the Unsolved Mysteries sets a B-.