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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 television
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 seasons 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.
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Though I never helped to solve a mystery myself,
I did happen to have an actor friend who was featured
in a dramatization about 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 this month is 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.
While my particular interests tend to go more
towards Ghosts and UFOs, I still find the subject
of Miracles fascinating. Though I am a Christian,
I have my own personal opinions about the validity
of any stories about miracles, including faith
healing and images of deities. In some cases,
I do need a little more than faith to believe
some of the stories, but that does not make them
any less interesting or emotionally effective.
I didn’t have full sets available for my
reviews of the first two sets, but for “Unsolved
Mysteries: Miracles” I was able to get my
hands on one. The packaging utilizes the super
slim cases I love so much, which in turn are housed
in a partial slipcover. I say partial, because
the slipcover is not a full box, but is instead
cut somewhat like the cardboard magazine holders
you find in the library, which are cut short at
the top, then diagonally to the back edge. (It
looks much better than it sounds.) The set has
4 discs, which holds about 6 hours of stories
and an additional 2+ hours of bonus materials.
The discs are each set up to hold about 8-9 stories,
each separated by its own chapter stop. You can
choose the Play All feature, or skip to an episode
listing to play the one you want to see. I really
liked the way the menu was set up, utilizing the
show’s theme music and overall style. There
were also a number of extra features, mostly in
the form of commentaries on select episodes, and
while each commentary was well worth a listen
it would have been nice to have a listing of which
episodes had them on the individual packages.
There was also a fairly lengthy tribute to Robert
Stack, which ran about 15 minutes and covered
a large portion of his career.
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.
Extras: Introduction by John Cosgrove and Terry
Meurer, Audio Commentary For Select Episodes by
Series Producers / Creators / Directors, A Special
Tribute to Robert Stack
Specifications: Full Screen Format, Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: First Look
Release Date: 10/26/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give Unsolved Mysteries: Miracles an A.
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