Here’s every host of classic documentary series Unsolved Mysteries, and why the Netflix revival decided to go without one. The fifteenth season of Unsolved Mysteries arrived on Netflix in 2020 and marked a return for the beloved show after a decade-long absence. The series originally debuted back in 1987 on NBC and quickly became a huge hit. Like the title implies, the series investigates all sorts of unexplained cases, from true crime to hauntings or UFO sightings, with multiple cases being presented during an episode.
Unsolved Mysteries also became famous for long-time host Robert Stack’s – star of The Untouchables TV series – stoic presenting style and its exploration or eerie or disturbing cases. The series gave early roles to future names including Matthew McConaughey, Daniel Dae Kim and horror icon Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects) too. Despite its popularity, NBC decided to cancel the series in 1997 due to dipping ratings, and later seasons would hop around from networks like CBS, Lifetime and eventually Spike TV.
Unsolved Mysteries’ Robert Stack sadly passed away in 2003 and is by far the most iconic host. He wasn’t the only famous face to front the show, however, with the original Unsolved Mysteries host being Raymond Burr. The series originally began as a collection of specials, with the very first being fronted by Perry Mason and Ironside legend Burr in 1987. Burr’s stint only lasted for a single episode, with veteran actor Karl Malden then hosting for the next two installments.
Robert Stack then came on for Unsolved Mysteries’ fourth episode in season 1 and would remain the solo host for over a decade. When CBS greenlit the show for a shortened season 11, they hired actress Virginia Madsen to join Stack as the new co-host to attract new viewers. However, this move didn’t work, and after the network canceled that run of Unsolved Mysteries, Stack was brought back to host new episodes for Lifetime until his passing. For the revival by Spike in 2008, actor Dennis Farina became the new face of the show.
Sadly, this iteration is probably the least liked version of Unsolved Mysteries, with fans largely hating its new look, logo and for only focusing on past segments; it was canceled in 2010. Season 15’s arrival on Netflix marked a few changes, including focusing on only one case per episode. Those curious about how the new Unsolved Mysteries host would stack up to the great Robert Stack didn’t have to worry, as the new format has no narrator or host at all. Co-creator Terry Dunn Meurer explained to TVLine that it was hard to have no host for the Netflix Unsolved Mysteries, but it was just too difficult to find someone with the same presence as Stack so it was decided the participants themselves would guide the story.
