Unsolved Mysteries Behind the Legacy Highlights and Recap
-Unsolved Mysteries: Behind the Legacy celebrates 35 years of the iconic show, which was hosted by Robert Stack. Dennis Farina did a reboot of the series, while Steve French hosted the podcast and Netflix launched an all-new series.
-The executive producers and people behind the scenes recall how it became a major phenomenon with Robert becoming a household name.
-The show began after a missing persons special on NBC became a hit. Seven specials had been planned, originally hosted by Raymond Burr. When it went to series, Robert took over in his iconic trench coat.
-Nobody knew what to expect in the beginning, but they were delighted that viewers would tune in every week to watch and look for case updates.
-Robert once had an issue with holding a dog in a segment about dogs who help their owners with health issues….which was more adorable than anything else.
-Research back then was difficult, so people behind the scenes would often call police stations and other contacts to get leads for segments. They got stories on missing persons, UFOs, fraud, murder and everything in between. They would also use newspaper clippings to help with research and segments.
-Angela Hammond’s abduction from a phone booth was one of the most-talked about segments on the show. She’d been on the phone with her boyfriend when she spotted a strange man who may have been the one to kidnap her. Her boyfriend Robert heard her being abducted and even spotted her in the car with her abductor.
-As the show got more popular, viewers would send letters and petitions in to have their stories covered, including the murder of Joyce McLain. Her case was later solved and her killer was brought to justice.
-Several paranormal cases, including the one where a woman claimed to know the killer of a young woman through trances (and ended up being correct) were also popular, as was the arson case that was narrated by an unseen person.
-The music is the most memorable part of the show and still scares people to this day….especially in conjunction with Robert’s voice.
-The crew loved being on location….as did the people who welcomed them into their towns. They helped set things up, re-create crime scenes and made things as easy as possible for them.
-Casting was also an interesting task. Re-enactments were often emotional, making it difficult to film. Several of the actors were also inexperienced when it came to acting, making the crew have to be creative when it came to filming. At one point they cast a re-enactment actor that was later eating in a restaurant. Someone called the police and had him arrested, only to realize it was an actor from the show. This led to disclaimers and actors being given credit for their work.
-There were also glitches, such as when a man who claimed to be experienced with horse was….not.
-Some actors also became famous…such as Daniel Day Lewis, Cheryl Hines and Matthew McConaughey (who was shirtless). In fact, Matthew even considers his appearance his big break.
-Some production challenges included getting correct props and lighting, as well as making sure they got things as accurate as possible.
-Production also enjoyed the international trips, especially the ones where they got to stay in an Egyptian museum, research the remains of Noah’s Ark and the story of Anastasia.
-Some of the staff’s favorite cases include the Cindy James case, the psychic artist (which led to her drawing pictures of a staff member’s relatives) and human combustion case.
-The best part of the show was the updates. The murder of Kari Lynn Nixon and disappearance of Gail DeLano were among the first to be solved. The lost love updates were among the most heartwarming…..and surprising for those who got calls that a loved one was looking for them.
-Back then, a PO Box was used to get tips, but before long, a call center was set up to receive tips.
-Thanks to the show and its viewers, hundreds of criminals were brought to justice and many others were reunited with loved ones or people who impacted their lives.
-Several cases that were featured helped people who were arrested and looking for their final appeal. Patricia Stallings was one of those people. She had been accused of killing her baby son, but it was soon proven he had died of a genetic disorder.
-The show also became and still is a pop culture phenomenon that is still prevalent today. The crew is overwhelmed by the support and love from fans….and cannot thank them enough for all they have done.
-Fingers crossed for more episodes on Netflix and the podcast coming back.
