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Post by severin on Jan 23, 2020 13:30:52 GMT -5
I know, but fair or not if there was a headline "Fran Drescher host of AMW" it would get a lot of WTF? reactions lol.
In other words, it would be an unpleasant surprise. Although I am aware that Fran Drescher was a rape victim in the '80s, I don't see her as AMW material. If there's any chance of her hosting/narrating a true crime show, maybe one day someone will develop a new true crime show that could be a better fit for her.
Regarding all the talk about an actor/actress as a hypothetical host for AMW, I don't think it would work. I learned from John Walsh's 1997 autobiography Tears of Rage that several actors were considered for the job before he was selected. Among them were: Brian Keith, Brian Dennehy, Theresa Saldana, and Ed Marinaro of Hill Street Blues fame. Of course, Robert Stack worked out well as the longtime host of Unsolved Mysteries, but the nature of that show was different from AMW. During its primetime years, production on UM stopped in the spring for summer hiatus, while AMW was basically in production 12 months a year. What it means is that the work schedule for AMW was generally more demanding than the work schedule for UM, so much so that if an actor/actress were to host AMW, he or she would have to either cut back on his or her acting career or quit acting altogether.
Therefore, it's a good bet that whoever becomes the new host of AMW will most likely not be an actor/actress.
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Post by severin on Oct 16, 2019 13:08:02 GMT -5
As many of you already know, HLN will be airing new episodes of Forensic Files in 2020. The series debuted as Medical Detectives on TLC in 1996, before it was renamed Forensic Files in 2000, when the series moved to Court TV. The series was still in production when the network was rebranded TruTV in 2008 and remained so until 2011. Some of the cases featured on America's Most Wanted have been documented on FF, including John List FF episode "The List Murders"), John Hawkins ("Mistaken For Dead"), and Margaret Rudin ("For Love or Money").
Series narrator Peter Thomas died on April 30, 2016, five years after the show's final first-run episodes aired. There is no official word yet on who will be the new narrator, but it goes without saying that he or she will have big shoes to fill.
www.distractify.com/p/new-forensic-files
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Post by severin on Jan 20, 2019 10:22:45 GMT -5
There is a long-running syndicated TV show called Missing. It is a half-hour series that profiles missing persons and offers safety tips. Missing (not to be confused with Missing: Reward) is hosted by Alex Paen. It is obviously made on a low budget, as it looks like a half-hour infomercial. Of all the public service shows that have aired in first-run syndication over the the years, Missing is the longest running one. It debuted in 2003 and is currently in its 16th year on the air. It has successfully led to the recovery of many missing people. Missing airs on Saturdays on the Escape channel. Check your local listings to see if it is on a station in your area. www.usamissing.com
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Post by severin on Nov 1, 2018 12:33:50 GMT -5
Actually, imo the host might not have necessarily been a victim's advocate. John Walsh was one of several candidates to host AMW and most were actors or law enforcement figures. (There was one actress who was raped, but she was still an actress). The network wanted him because of the authenticity they felt he would bring, and advanced missing child and victim advocacy basically started because of him. That advanced victim advocacy wouldn't have been there in the 70's for the networks to want to feel the need for an authentic host who was actually a crime victim. (Also, John Walsh has stated if he could go back and time and have Adam back he would despite his career as AMW host- but unfortunately we can't make that happen). In his 1997 book Tears of Rage, John Walsh mentioned that some actors were considered for the hosting job. One of them was actress Theresa Saldana, who was stabbed and almost killed by a crazed fan in 1982, and who played herself in the 1984 TV-movie Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story. According to Walsh, other actors considered for the job were: Brian Keith (Uncle Bill on A Family Affair and Judge Milton Hardcastle on Hardcastle and McCormick), Brian Dennehy, and Ed Marinaro (of Hill Street Blues fame). Theresa Saldana was a credible choice, but if she had done AMW, she would never have done The Commish. In retrospect, given the nature of AMW, Fox was wise to go with someone who was not in show business. Had an actor/actress been hired to host AMW, he/she would have had to basically sacrifice his/her acting career, since production continued even through summer. That's a contrast to Unsolved Mysteries, which, like scripted comedies and dramas for example, went on summer hiatus, giving host Robert Stack enough time to pursue and fulfill acting jobs.
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Post by severin on Sept 26, 2018 9:15:50 GMT -5
Fair enough, he sorta looks the part of a creepy host, but he has been the subject of lots of jokes as well (well when he was more famous and known for his relationship with Julia Roberts). If Lyle Lovett looks like he has the image of a creepy host, then maybe he could host a show that would be a better match for him than UM. If UM were to come back with a new host, it would have to be someone with more substance and credibility. Robert Stack had both, plus an authoritative image. All of those factors contributed to the show's success.
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Post by severin on Sept 25, 2018 12:59:17 GMT -5
Honestly, with all due respect, Lyle Lovett wouldn't be taken seriously as the host of UM. The show wouldn't be a good fit for him and having him on board would serve no purpose other than to repel viewers.
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Post by severin on Mar 19, 2018 14:05:03 GMT -5
Alright well I'll consider her a dark horse candidate for an AMW or AMW-esque crime show at least, but she doesn't fit into Unsolved Mysteries (there will never be another Robert Stack but the show did not work as well with Dennis Farina imo, it needs to be somebody with an authoratative stature and presence with preferably a deep and/or haunting voice). I agree with you, especially the part about Fran Drescher not fitting into Unsolved Mysteries. I'm aware that she was raped in the 1980s, so she is no stranger to crime. But she wouldn't be a credible choice for the show. If she were to host/narrate a true crime series, however, maybe there will be one along the way that would be a better fit for her than UM. Having an authoritative image was one of the things that made Robert Stack a great UM host, so authoritativeness is essential to the show.
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Post by severin on May 2, 2017 18:30:39 GMT -5
I think it's pretty messed up and perhaps a sign of why the didn't show didn't last that a viewer who could potentially helped was CHARGED MONEY to do so. It's the complete opposite of how things should be. I agree. The 900 number must have been discouraging. If a toll-free number had been used for Missing: Reward, maybe the show would have had a better chance at lasting longer than it did. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.
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Post by severin on May 2, 2017 13:45:56 GMT -5
I never saw it but remember hearing about this show as a sort of America's Most Wanted imitation. There was also another show called Missing: Reward that was sort of similar but focused on missing children and known abductors. My guess it wasn't very successful (ratings-wise, not to say it wasn't a good show) and perhaps there were other AMW imitators, but AMW was in a league of it's own.
I remember Missing: Reward. It ran in syndication from 1989 to 1992. Although I wasn't a regular viewer of the series, I watched it nonetheless. One of the distinctions between that show and others like AMW and Unsolved Mysteries was that it had a 900 number for which viewers were charged, as opposed to a toll-free 800 number.
Speaking of AMW imitators, there was a syndicated show called Crime Stoppers 800, which aired from 1989 to 1991. The show itself offered possible rewards for information leading to the arrest of a fugitive. In addition to wanted fugitives, the series profiled unsolved homicides. The reenactments were shot on video, just like the early AMW reenactments.
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Post by severin on Nov 3, 2016 12:48:51 GMT -5
Yeah what I was told from someone who was a producer of AMW was it wasn't really the ratings (which admittedly were not that great but better than what Lifetime previously had on Friday nights) but the cost of the Fox licensing fees that led to ultimate cancellation.
That is a big disadvantage to network ownership of television programs. Such ownership seems good in theory, but what's good in theory is not always good in practice. Policies on network ownership can vary. Some can be soft while others can be so stringent that, in the event that the network canceled the program, shopping it elsewhere can be easier said than done. That's why, in hindsight, it was a good thing that Unsolved Mysteries (AMW's competitor) was not a network-owned series. If it were, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for another network to pick up the show after its cancellation by NBC in 1997.
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Post by severin on Oct 18, 2016 8:26:53 GMT -5
That being said if AMW ever came back, I think they should not follow the Hunt's lead. Since they would be a breaking news show again, they would once again need to cover as many cases as possible.
Agreed. It's one thing for a new show to emulate an old show, but it's another for an old show to emulate a new one. If AMW were to be revived one day, it would need to be revived as the AMW we know and recognize, not as a clone of another TV show.
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Post by severin on Jun 30, 2016 9:45:46 GMT -5
That's a shame. It goes to show how a change in network management can sometimes negatively impact certain shows.
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Post by severin on Jun 25, 2015 14:14:32 GMT -5
I have been reading about this and it looks promising. Basically, the show will be a crime newsmagazine featuring an assortment of crime-related stories but I'm glad to hear that unsolved cases will be included in the mix. I also like the idea of it being shown in first-run syndication.
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Post by severin on Dec 31, 2014 16:51:55 GMT -5
Close - it was John Turchin He actually did freelance work for AMW from around 1996 until 2002, when he was hired full-time for the show. After AMW got canceled, I think he was rehired at his old TV network, and how he's the crime reporter for the channel. I like John Turchin. He's one of my favorite AMW correspondents.
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Post by severin on Dec 31, 2014 16:49:21 GMT -5
Please no! There's no way UM would be taken seriously if he hosted. CSI: Miami is a rare show that if I come across it on tv I watch it not because it's a good show, but it's one of those "so bad it's good" shows. CSI: Miami was not a drama but an unintentional comedy as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't be able to watch UM without thinking of his trademark sunglasses and one-liners. We want creepy/mysterious but capable of being mature and serious, not a caricature. I can just imagine if UM ever solves a case with him. I can see David Caruso going "Looks like you amateur sleuths at home... *dramatic pause*... have solved your first case." and then he puts on his sunglasses and you hear the "Won't get Fooled Again" music! Not to mention that Caruso, as good as he was on CSI: Miami, has a history of being difficult to work with, which has been well-documented.
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