‘Unsolved Mysteries’ Gets A Chilling Netflix Reboot

Fans will be thrilled to know that the iconic show Unsolved Mysteries is back, and this time, you can binge it all in one sitting. A contemporary version of the hit show will be available to a global audience on Netflix beginning July 1st. The creators of the original 1987 series, Terry Dunn Meurer and John Cosgrove, are producing it along with Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Production Company, the producers of Stranger Things.

Unsolved Mysteries solved approximately 1 in 4 cases over the years with the help of its loyal armchair detectives. It was the first-ever television series that asked audiences to help solve cases. In a pre-internet world, the original show hired a clipping service to search newspapers for mysteries. Once the show became popular, fans would write in to submit their own mysteries, and even law enforcement started sharing cases after they recognized the show’s success.

Now, instead of a hotline to call, with operators waiting by the phones and law enforcement officers on hand to vet potential leads, the show invites viewers to go on its website to help save lives and bring perpetrators to justice. The eerie theme song is still the same, as is the wide range of stories selected for the show-from missing persons, to wanted persons, to paranormal activity, to murder. This season includes the story of a woman who disappeared from her place of work in broad daylight, the gruesome murder of the family of a French Count in 2011 and a UFO sighting in 1969.

The show’s creators decided no one could replace the late host Robert Stack and his signature gravitas. Instead, they choose to allow the victims’ loved ones to tell their own stories in a documentary-style format that gives a deeper glimpse into their lives. The first six episodes of Unsolved Mysteries air July 1st, with six more to be released later in the year.

“We are thrilled to be on Netflix, in the global streaming platform, because we have international stories. We like the fact that we can present international mysteries, but also the fact that with the Netflix audience—they have this global reach, so we can solve some of these mysteries,” Terry Dunn Meurer, one of the original creators of the series, shared.

Asked why she thought Unsolved Mysteries has always appealed to a wide demographic, Meurer responded, “It really does cross generations. It’s amazing the different ages of people who remember the show. I think there’s a relatable, ‘What would I do in this situation?’ I think the stories that were always most frightening to me were the random crimes where the person is doing everything right, and something happens.” She continued, referencing the beginning episodes of the show: “Right away, we were solving cases. I think when we realized that we were going to be able to solve some of these cases through broadcasts, that made us really excited, and then doing the updates on those cases is what made people come back. They wanted to see what happened.” The show continues to do updates on older cases, noting cases that have been solved, and people who have been released from prison. There have been seven final appeal cases in which innocent people have been exonerated thanks to Unsolved Mysteries.

The first six episodes of Unsolved Mysteries will be released globally on Netflix July 1st.