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‘Unsolved Mysteries’ tips coming in from viewers, says exec producer

'Unsolved Mysteries' crime scene (Season 1, Ep. 103, aired July 2, 2020). Netflix / Courtesy: Everett Collection

Only one day after its long-awaited return, Unsolved Mysteries, the American mystery/documentary series, has already received more than 20 potentially credible “tips” to help solve some of the different crime cases explored in the first six episodes of its recent Netflix reboot.

“We have received tips,” series co-creator and executive producer Terry Dunn Meurer confirmed during an interview with USA Today last Friday, later revealing that any that come from a trustworthy or reliable source are passed on “to the appropriate authorities.”

Receiving viewer-submitted tips for unsolved cases isn’t something that the showrunners are unfamiliar with, however.

When Unsolved Mysteries debuted more than three decades ago, Meurer and co-creator John Cosgrove received thousands of leads for many of the different cases covered on the show. More than 260 of them were later solved as a result, according to Meurer.

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“It’s only been 24 hours,” said Meurer of the series’ revival. “We’re hoping there’s a lot of people who still haven’t watched and maybe this weekend they’ll sit down and binge the episodes and we’ll get more leads,” he added.

After more than a decade off-air, the series officially returned again last week, on July 1, with the first half of a 12-part season — which is exclusive to Netflix.

Among the six new episodes, Unsolved Mysteries covers a wide range of different cases, including not only disappearances and murders, but supposed paranormal and extraterrestrial happenings too.

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One episode covers a reported UFO sighting in Massachusetts from back in 1969, while another covers the disappearance of a father, whose wife and four children were found dead at their home in France in 2011.

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Meurer told USA Today that of the 20-plus tips they’ve received, three have already been passed along to the FBI in relation to the death of an Alonzo Brooks.

Brooks’ body was found one month after he disappeared from a party in Kansas in 2004.

Another episode covers clues associated with the death of a man who was found in a Baltimore hotel in 2006. Though authorities said that he had died of suicide, Meurer said that several tips pertaining to the case have come in.

As well as that, tips relating to the disappearance of Lena Chapin and the cause of death of Rey Rivera have been submitted to Unsolved Mysteries.

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The much-beloved series originally kicked off in 1988 and lived on NBC, CBS and Lifetime respectively between then and 2002. It ended just before the death of longtime host Robert Stack in 2003.

Though the first reboot only explored old cases, Unsolved Mysteries returned on the Spike TV network in 2008, before concluding again in 2010.

The 2020 revival takes a fresh approach on Unsolved Mysteries as it focuses on only one mystery per episode, as opposed to four or five. As well as that, there is no narrator or host.

Meurer told USA Today that they “decided it would be impossible to fill Bob’s shoes,” so opted not to have a presenter at all.

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The first six episodes of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries are now streaming worldwide. As of this writing, it’s unclear when the second half of the No. 1 trending comeback season will premiere.

For those looking to submit a tip, you can visit the series’ official website.

adam.wallis@globalnews.ca

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