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Fans always hope that a canceled TV show will come back, but in the case of Unsolved Mysteries, this actually happened. The series has quite the history with many network changes. Terry Dunn Meurer and John Cosgrove created the show which aired for nine seasons on NBC from January 1987 on. In November 1997, season 10 premiered on CBS, and season 12 premiered in July 2001 on Lifetime. Viewers thought that the series was over when its Lifetime run concluded in September 2002, but Spike took on the series and aired new episodes from October 2008 until April 2010. Since the show has been on so many different networks, it definitely seems like it has been popular, as there has been an audience for it this entire time.

Unsolved Mysteries came to Netflix for season 15 in 2020 and season 16 will become available on the streaming service in mid-October 2022. Why does this show continue to be so fascinating and popular?

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Unsolved Mysteries stands out from other true crime TV shows because answers aren't always given and viewers know that sometimes, stories will be left without a real and concrete ending. Each episode presents the details of a case that hasn't had any resolution, and by the time that the credits roll, nothing new has really been uncovered. While this can be seen as a shame, since true crime fans look for confirmed suspects and endings when listening to podcasts or watching documentaries, this is actually what makes this show work so well.

Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries Logo

The show is endearing for two reasons: because it allows viewers the chance to help crack each case and because it's tough to watch each episode and not hope that the mystery will be have a conclusion. The end of episodes ask viewers to write in if they have tips or information. In an interview with Comicbook.com, Terry Meurer, who co-created the series, said that if a mystery is "creepy or haunting," it's a good bet that it will make it onto an episode. She told the publication, "the goal is always to see if we can solve one of these mysteries. So I guess, if somebody's listening and has a clue, that's always number one. So solvability is something we look at."

Unsolved Mysteries presents an unbiased look at each case and provides the opportunity for viewers to feel like they are playing a part in each case and thinking carefully about the questions that are presented. The sad truth at the heart of the show is that some mysteries are going to be left hanging, but there is always the hope that they can be figured out. There are many great Netflix October 2022 releases and the volume 3 of Unsolved Mysteries premieres on October 18th.

While this is a disturbing thing to think about, it does feel more realistic and genuine than most true crime content, which sometimes feels biased. Take Making A Murderer, for example. The popular Netflix series posits that Steven Avery is innocent of the crime that he was convicted of, but no one knows the truth about what happened, and it feels tough to decide one way or the other.

Unsolved Mysteries is real and honest about how people don't know what actually happened to strangers, despite how exciting it can feel to try to solve a cold case. The true crime story behind The Staircase on HBO Max is about Michael Peterson being accused of killing his wife Kathleen, who fell down the stairs. The show suggests that he is guilty and his family says that he's innocent. Who really knows what is true here?

Robert Stack in Unsolved Mysteries

It's natural to want a satisfying and clear-cut ending, and that's why, when true crime stories are solved, it can feel so amazing and awe-inspiring. Michelle McNamara's book I'll Be Gone In The Dark actually helped locate and catch the Golden State killer, which is incredible. Robert Durst famously confessed to committing murder in HBO's The Jinx. But these stories stand out because they are so rare and they're the exception, not the rule.

Ultimately, Unsolved Mysteries is endearing because people are endlessly fascinated by unanswered questions, and that's what the show provides. The older episodes feature host Robert Stack and he offered a comforting presence to some truly dark stories.

Each episode of the series has questions, emotions, and loose ends that don't always get tied together. Sometimes people will be mentioned as potentially having something to do with the crime, but the general idea is that no one really knows what happened in these cases. It's hard not to want to keep watching Unsolved Mysteries and hoping that something will make sense and justice will prevail. And that desire continues to make it a hit show.

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