The Effects of Unsolved Mysteries on ParaTV

By: Sam Little

In the year 1988 people around the nation tuned in to see the newest program to air on the NBC network. That show was Unsolved Mysteries. While far from the first show to deal with paranormal topics, it was the first to take a realistic approach by recreating eye witness accounts. Unsolved Mysteries did not focus only on paranormal topics but it was these topics that fueled the show's fan base and caused other networks to take noticed. Created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer and hosted by the amazing Robert Stack Unsolved Mysteries beamed into homes and opened many up to their first encounters with paranormal stories. Travis Walton's abduction, Chicago's Resurrection Mary, and many other true accounts were recreated for the viewing audience, who set mesmerized by what they saw. The show would set the tone for many shows to follow and is still aired today on the Lifetime network and can be viewed online at a monstrous site.

In the Fall of 1991 FOX TV could no longer sit back and watch the competition run wild with a paranormal show when they did not have one. This would start FOX on a trip that would lead to many great shows and series but the first was Sightings. FOX aired a UFO special that captivated viewers and in FEB. of 1992 FOX aired a ghost special and that was followed in May by a show on the powers of the mind. FOX took notice of big ratings during the broadcasting of these paranormal specials and soon were in talks about the developing of a weekly series. Produced by Ann Daniel and legendary TV icon Henry Winkler, who played Happy Days' teen heart throb Fonzi, the show was destined for success. Hosted by FOX anchor man Tim White and set to a format that had proven successful on the 3 special programs FOX had already aired the show became a huge success. It dealt with topics such as bigfoot, hauntings, and even in depth looks at psychic ability. Unlike Unsolved Mysteries the show did not have small segments of paranormal accounts but could devote the entire show to them and this struck a chord with viewers. Fridays became FOX days as the nation tuned in to watch Sightings in hopes of seeing amazing footage. Sadly though Sightings suffered from a lack of creative management and soon topics began to thin out. By 1993 Sightings began to slow and would quickly come to a screeching halt. This was due in large part to the lack of topics. I felt the show was destined to die after their "Is Santa Real" special.

FOX felt that maybe there was still a profit to be had in paranormal shows but perhaps the audience needed more action and this could not really be provided in all true accounts. FOX began to develop a concept that took paranormal topics, and focused on their truths but presented them in a fictitious manor. In the Fall of 1993 FOX replaced it's Friday Sightings time slot with a new program called X-files.

Produced by Chris Carter the X-files showcased the exploits of two FBI agents Fox Mulder, the ever ready believer who was played by David Duchovny, and Dana Skully, the skeptic doctor portrayed by Gillian Anderson, as they chased aliens and other paranormal oddities. At first the X-files fell on dead eyes and ears but soon it would be embraced in a way that was not foreseen by FOX. Fan clubs and sites popped up everywhere, and suddenly X-files was one of the biggest shows to hit syndication.

X-files was the basis for a whole new era of paranormal based shows, and is still in fact on several networks. Now days the audience basically has a paranormal show on every network. NTV had Fear, VH1 has the Celebrity Paranormal Project, and even court TV has a few shows such as Haunting Evidence and Psychic Detectives. There is Supernatural and Ghost Whisperer on the WB, Medium on Lifetime along with Unsolved Mysteries, and let's not forget the Sci-Fi combo of Ghosthunters, and Sci-Fi investigates. Discovery, TLC, and the History channels have shows such as Most Haunted, Haunting, and various UFO documentaries. There are literally countless amounts of paranormal based TV to choice from and every person has a different prospective on them It is very hard to believe that the basis for them came from a little show that NBC thought would flop in 1988 called Unsolved Mysteries. Happy Hunting.