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1
Unsolved Mysteries

NBC

Unsolved Mysteries explores unsolved cases in which you, the viewer, can call in or write and solve them. The show looks at cases such as: lost loves, missing persons, homocide, supernatural, the unexplained, wanted, etc. Unsolved Mysteries usually has four segments in one show, and sometimes shows updates. Unsolved Mysteries has solved 40% of their featured cases, that is 300 cases solved out of about 1,200. Broadcast History First Telecast:October 5, 1988 (as a regular NBC series Last Telecast: Sep 1988-Sep 1994, NBC Wed 8:00-9:00 Sep 1994, NBC Sun 7:00-8:00 Oct 1994-Sep 1997, NBC Fri 8:00-9:00 Apr 1998-May 1998, CBS Fri 9:00-10:00 Jul 1998-Aug 1998, CBS Fri 9:00-10:00 Apr 1999-Aug 1999, CBS Fri 9:00-10:00 Jul 2001-2002, Lifetime Mon-Fri 1:00-2:00 Oct 2008-,Spike TVmoreless
2
Agatha Christie's Poirot

ITV

Welcome to the Poirot guide at TV.com. This is a British series which brings to life Agatha Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, played by David Suchet, whose sleuthing for the purposes of this series belongs in the mid-1930s. Based in London, with the very English Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) as his Dr Watson, Poirot's field of operations ranges around the world. The series has strong story lines, good production and acting, and a real period flavour. Poirot won two BAFTA awards in 1990, then had more BAFTA nominations as Best Drama Series in 1991 and 1992. Most of Agatha Christie's seventy-two Poirot stories have been produced already, all with David Suchet as Poirot, and those which remain will appear as Series 13, now in pre-production. The show has been broadcast in more than one hundred countries around the world.moreless
3
Columbo

NBC (ended 2003)

Many criminals made the mistake of underestimating Lieutenant Columbo, a homicide investigator with a crumpled trench-coat and a beat-up car, who certainly acted as an incompetent bumbler. But he was so polite to every suspect, and he talked so much about his wife (who we never got to see on any episode, but who many believe later had her own show, starring Kate Mulgrew, later of Star Trek: Voyager fame) that he lulled even the shrewdest murderer into a false sense of security. And although the audience had witnessed the murder in the beginning of each episode, it was still a surprise to see what mistakes the killers had made during the seemingly perfect murder. Peter Falk carried the old trench-coat for 7 seasons of 90 and 120 minute movies on NBC, before the series ended. But over a decade later, Falk agreed to revive the character on ABC for an additional 2 seasons with a subsequent string of TV-movies with the loveable detective once again using his calling-card false good-byes: "Oh, there´s just one more thing..." (A note on the running time of the episode: During the first 7 seasons, 18 episodes were 120 minutes long, while the other 27 episodes were 90 minutes long. The episodes after that were all 120 minutes long. In the episode guide, I have only marked out the 90 minute-episodes.)moreless
4
Murder, She Wrote

CBS (ended 1996)

Murder seems to follow Jessica Fletcher, a former English teacher and a mystery writer full of charm, zest-for-life, and personality; who happens to become "the investigator" when traveling around the country to promote a series of novels. Murder always occurs when she is present. Even in Cabot Cove! Although Angela Lansbury was the only regular character throughout the series entire run, she was frequently joined by a number of recurring and special guest stars, including Tom Bosley as Sheriff Amos Tupper in the early seasons and Ron Masak as Sheriff Mort Metzger in the later seasons, William Windom as Dr. Seth Hazlitt, Michael Horton as her nephew Grady Fletcher (one of her many, many relatives), and from time to time Jerry Orbach would appear as private eye Harry McGraw. Orbach's role later led into a short-lived spin-off, The Law & Harry McGraw. The series aired a total of 263 color episodes from 7 October 1984 through 19 May 1996 and five telemovies (including the pilot movie, which aired in September of 1984). As of the fall of 2009, 10 seasons have been released on DVD, with the 11th season due to be released in early 2010.moreless
5
Magnum, P.I.

CBS (ended 1988)

Former Naval Intelligence officer Thomas Magnum resigns his commission to become a private investigator on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He lands a home in the guest house on the estate of millionaire author Robin Masters in exchange for testing the estate's security, but is forced to work under the strict and ever watchful eye of Jonathan Higgins, a former British Army soldier who serves as the estate manager, and constantly patrols the grounds with his two "lads" Zeus and Apollo, who are loyally trained Doberman Pinschers always ready to pounce on Magnum. Magnum makes good use of the perks that come with working on the estate, including driving Masters' sporty red 308 GTS Ferrari, Audi, and all-terrain Jimmy, as well as equipment such as high-end cameras and telescopes. Of course, all of these expensive toys are under the keen scrutiny of Higgins, and Thomas often finds himself at the end of Higgins's hard bargaining to secure their loan. Although Magnum's carefree ways often clash with Higgins's stricter manner, their mutual respect forms a strong basis for their working relationship. Two of Magnum's former Vietnam comrades and friends live and work nearby. T.C. Calvin owns "Island Hoppers", a helicopter tour company, and Rick Wright manages the King Kamehameha Club, an exclusive beach front club. T.C.'s piloting skills and Rick's shady underworld contacts often get them roped into Magnum's cases. Others in Magnum's circle include Naval officers Mac MacReynolds, Maggie Pool, and Buck Greene; Hawaii P.D. officers Nolan Page and Yoshi Tanaka; Dr. Ibold; Higgins's fellow Brit Agatha Chumley; Rick's underworld contact "Ice Pick"; and Deputy D.A. Carol Baldwin. Robin Masters was never fully seen, ultimately leading Magnum to the conclusion that Higgins was actually Masters, though this theory was never fully proven. The show was a huge hit, with the first five seasons ranking in the top 20 shows in the U.S. ratings each year, thanks to its wide range of stories appealing to a broad cross section of fans, The series ranged from broad slapstick comedy and farce, to deep, thoughtful drama, to edge-of-the-seat action. The series was widely applauded for being the first to recognize the difficulty Vietnam era soldiers faced in making the readjustment to civilian life. Many episodes touched upon the impact that serving in Vietnam had on Magnum and his friends, as well as echoes to the events of World War II. The series won many awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes for Selleck and Hillerman. Broadcast History: December 1980 - April 1981: Thursday on CBS, 9:00 PM October 1981 - April 1987: Thursday on CBS, 8:00 PM October 1987 - May 1988: Wednesday on CBS, 9:00 PMmoreless
6
Miami Vice

NBC (ended 1989)

Miami Vice was one of the most innovative and powerful TV series of all time. Focusing on the Miami Metro-Dade Police "Vice" Department and it's continued battle against the illicit drug, prostitution, and firearms crime underworld of the city of Miami. It used fashion, color, and a varied musical selection in order to accentuate and amplify the emotional undercurrent of the drama it portrayed.moreless
7
Night Gallery

NBC (ended 1973)

Night Gallery was creator-host Rod Serling's follow-up to The Twilight Zone. Set in a shadowy museum of the outre, Serling weekly unveiled disturbing portraiture as preface to a highly diverse anthology of tales in the fantasy-horror vein. Bolstering Serling's thoughtful original dramas were adaptations of classic genre material--short stories by such luminaries as H. P. Lovecraft, Fritz Leiber, A.E. van Vogt, Algernon Blackwood, Conrad Aiken, Richard Matheson, August Derleth, and Christianna Brand. Variety of material brought with it a variety of tone, from the deadly serious to the tongue-in-cheek, stretching the television anthology concept to its very limits. (CREW INFORMATION SUPPLEMENT: Jaroslav Gebr was the artist for the pilot film's three gallery paintings. For the series, all of the gallery canvases were painted by Tom Wright. The gallery's metal sculptures were created by Phil Vanderlei and Logan Elston. Most episodes contained multiple story segments. For the listing of episode credits, crew information is listed under the primary story segment except where a production aspect--music, cinematography--differs among the segments.)moreless
8
In the Heat of the Night

NBC (ended 1995)

Based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name, this series provided a hopeful, yet honest look at life in the new South. Set in the fictional Sparta, Mississippi, the show was a marvelous blend of heartfelt drama and folksy humor. It portrayed both the professional and personal pursuits of Sparta P.D's officers. Series star Carroll O'Connor, in a role far removed from Archie Bunker, served as executive producer. Using the pen name Matt Harris, Mr. O'Connor was also the story editor and wrote many of the episodes.moreless
9
21 Jump Street

FOX (ended 1991)

21 Jump Street is about a group of under-age looking cops who go undercover at high schools to catch young criminals before they become older, more dangerous criminals. In later seasons, the team went less and less undercover on high schools, and the plots focused more on the cops' personal lives. THEME SONG: The theme song was written by Liam Sternberg and sung by Holly Robinson - with backup vocals by Johnny Depp and Peter Deluise. The lyrics were: We never thought we'd find a place where we belong. Don't have to stand alone, we'll never let you fall. Don't need permission to decide what you believe. I said jump, down on Jump Street. I said jump, down on Jump Street. Your friends will be there when your back is to the wall. You'll find you'll need us cause there's no one else to call. When it was hopeless a decision is what you need. You'd better be ready to, be ready to jump. 21 Jump Street. FILMING LOCATION: The series was filmed on location throughout Vancouver, BC, Canada.moreless
10
Fantasy Island

ABC (ended 1984)

Welcome to the Fantasy Island episode guide. Smiles everyone, Smiles! So began this long-running (7 season) series which was one of the ABC Network's anthology guest-cast series (along with The Love Boat) that proved wildly popular. Each week two guests came to Fantasy Island to get their wish/fantasy fulfilled. Their mysterious host, the debonair and suave white-suited Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), would do the sometimes impossible and grant them their wishes ... but there was always some twist to the fantasy, letting the guest learn something about themselves or get something they weren't expecting. Best remembered for the presence of Herve Villechaize as the diminuitive "Tattoo" and his cry of De plane! De plane!, the show proved popular enough to go the distance and then spawn a brief revival/remake in the 1990s. A remake of Fantasy Island (1998) in the late 1990's was not as successful as its predecessor.moreless
11
America's Most Wanted

FOX (ended 2011)

America's Most Wanted is not only the longest-running TV series in the history of the FOX network but the eighth-longest running prime time network show ever and credited for bringing reality television to mainstream. The idea for the show came from other reality crime shows in the 60s and 80s. By the summer of 1987, FOX executive Stephen Chao and Executive Producer Michael Linder had the idea for America's Most Wanted. It premiered on February 7, 1988 and within four days of the first broadcast convicted killer David James Roberts was captured. The show was canceled for a month and a half in the fall of 1996 but returned after protests from the public, law enforcement, government officials and low ratings for the shows replacing America's Most Wanted.

Now in it's 22nd season, America's Most Wanted has captured 1057 fugitives and recovered 59 missing persons. The toll-free-hotline number to report any tips on any case featured on the show is 1-800-CRIME-TV (1-800-274-6388).

Show Times Sunday 7:00-7:30(1988-1989) Friday 7:00-8:00(1990-1992) Tuesday 8:00-9:00(1993) Saturday 8:00-9:00(1994-present) Show Titles America's Most Wanted(1988-1996) America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back(1996-2003) America's Most Wanted(2003-present)

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12
Quincy, M.E.

NBC (ended 1983)

Quincy, M.E, a man who must have been a nightmare to work with! Quincy was a crusading Medical Examiner in Los Angeles, an expert at his job he was always capable of finding something that everyone else missed. A small clue that would go against all the rest of the evidence in a case and would lead to him arguing with his boss, Asten, and/or the investigating detective, nearly always Monahan. Quincy started of as a straight forward crime series with a difference, it was a M.E. investigating not a police officer or private eye.As the series went from strength to strength the writers, probably with a little push from Klugman, started bringing in stories about social injustice rather than criminal. Most of the time this worked, in fact it is sometimes interesting to see that some of the things highlighted still have not changed even now! Sometimes it came over a little preachy but the show can never be faulted for trying to enlighten the eyes of its viewers.moreless
13
Hart to Hart

ABC (ended 1984)

Created by author Sidney Sheldon, the series started out under title Double Twist. Tom Mankiewicz was asked to revamp the script and it was soon renamed Hart to Hart. With Robert Wagner as self-made millionaire Jonathan Hart, Stefanie Powers as his journalist wife Jennifer and Lionel Stander as their trusty sidekick Max the "Hartbeat" began. Premiering on August 25, 1979, Hart was met with mixed reviews but by the end of the first season Jonathan and Jennifer Hart were household names. Guest appearances were made by everyone from Stella Stevens and Roddy McDowell to Jill St. John and Dorothy Lamour and even a cameo by Natalie Wood. The series would run for five seasons before leaving ABC in 1984. Hart to Hart is still airing in syndication in over 60 countries worldwide. In 1993 while touring together in A.R. Gurney's Love Letters, RJ, Stefanie and Lionel would return to television in the first of what would be eight 2-hour Hart movies. Jokingly dubbed "Hart to Hart: The New Generation", Jonathan and Jennifer still found themselves going from one adventure to the next. The first five would air as NBC Friday Night Mysteries. Sadly, Lionel Stander died shortly after completing the fifth movie and the sixth movie saw the Harts atending Max's funeral. The final three movies aired on The Family Channel. Interesting tidbit. The last movie aired on Aug 25 1996. Exactly 17 years (to the date) of the airing of the pilot movie. ======================== Company credits Production Companies * Columbia Pictures Television * Rona II * Spelling-Goldberg Productions Distributors * American Broadcasting Company (ABC) * Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001) * Independent Television (ITV) * Sony Pictures Television (2002-) ======================== Awards American Cinema Editors, USA 1980 -- Nominated -- Best Edited Episode from a Television Series -- Bob Bring [For episode "Max in Love".] Emmy Awards 1982 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Art Direction for a Series -- James J. Agazzi (art director), Paul Sylos (art director), Bob Signorelli (set decorator) [For episode "The Hart of the Matter"] 1982 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series -- Stefanie Powers 1981 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Art Direction for a Series -- James J. Agazzi (art director), Paul Sylos (art director), Bob Signorelli (set decorator) [For episode "Blue Chip Murders"] 1981 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Film Sound Mixing -- Blake Wilcox (production mixer), Robert L. Harman (re-recording mixer), William L. McCaughey (re-recording mixer), Howard S. Wollman (re-recording mixer) [For episode "'Tis the Season to be Murdered"] 1981 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series -- Stefanie Powers 1980 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Art Direction for a Series -- James J. Agazzi (art director), Paul Sylos (art director), Bob Signorelli (set decorator) [For episode "Man with Jade Eyes"] Golden Globes 1984 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama -- Robert Wagner 1984 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama -- Stefanie Powers 1984 -- Nominated -- Best TV-Series - Drama 1983 -- Won -- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV -- Lionel Stander 1983 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama -- Robert Wagner 1983 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama -- Stefanie Powers 1983 -- Nominated -- Best TV-Series - Drama 1982 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama -- Stefanie Powers 1982 -- Nominated -- Best TV-Series - Drama 1981 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Drama -- Robert Wagner 1981 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama -- Stefanie Powers 1981 -- Nominated -- Best TV-Series - Drama 1980 -- Nominated -- Best TV Actor - Drama -- Robert Wagner 1980 -- Nominated -- Best TV Actress - Drama -- Stefanie Powers Young Artist Awards 1983 -- Won -- Best Young Actress, Guest on a Series -- Roxana Zal 1983 -- Nominated -- Best Young Actor, Guest on a Series -- Rossie Harris ===================== [opening narration] Max: This is my boss, Jonathan Hart - a self-made millionaire. He's quite a guy. This is Mrs. H. She's gorgeous. She's one lady who knows how to take care of herself. By the way, my name is Max. I take care of *both* of them, which ain't easy; 'cause when they met... it was *murder*! (Note: Max's opening narration differs in some episodes. Most episodes have him finish by declaring "When they met, it was murder!" but some episodes have him saying "Their hobby is ... murder!") =============================== Release dates USA -- 25 August 1979 UK -- 3 February 1980 France -- 11 July 1982 Sweden -- 1 July 1983 West Germany -- October 1983 ================== Filming Locations 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA (studio) First Christian Church, Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA ========================moreless
14
The Fall Guy

ABC (ended 1986)

The Fall Guy was a series about bounty hunter Colt Seavers. Every week Colt and his gang was assigned to apprehend a fugitive from justice.

Colt and his cousin Howie were also working as stuntmen in Hollywood. The tricks of that trade often helped them to capture their guy.moreless
15
Scarecrow and Mrs. King

CBS (ended 1987)

A housewife, Mrs. King, is handed a package by a secret agent, Lee Stetson, who is being pursued by bad guys. Mrs. King gets a job working for Mr. Stetson's agency, doing secretarial work, as needed, but ends up working with him on his cases. She is not really accepted by agent Francine Desmond,because she has no training and has a self-deprecating, ditsy style,which adds to the humor in the show. She is accepted by the other agents. Awards: American Society of Cinematographers, USA -- 1988 -- Nominated Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series' -- Richard L. Rawlings Emmy -- 1986 -- Won -- Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) -- Arthur B. Rubinstein (composer) [For episode "We're Off to See the Wizard"] Emmy -- 1986 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series -- Molly Harris Campbell (women's costumer) & James Lapidus (men's costumer) [For episode "Welcome to America, Mr. Brand"] 1985 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Achievement in Costuming -- Andrea E. Weaver (women's costumer) & James Lapidus (men's costumer) [For episode "Ship of Spies"] Emmy -- 1985 -- Nominated -- Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Drama - Kate Jackson Golden Globe -- 1985 -- Nominated -- Outstanding Cinematography for a Series -- Edward R. Brown [For episode "D.O.A.: Delirious On Arrival"] Young Artist -- 1988 -- Nominated -- Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Drama Series - Paul Stout Young Artist - 1985 -- Nominated -- Best Young Supporting Actor in a Daytime or Nighttime Drama -- Paul Stout ============================ Release dates: USA -- 3 October 1983 France -- 15 October 1985 West Germany -- 23 June 1986 ======================= Note: The series was referenced in the movie TRUE LIES. ========================= Filming Locations: London, England, UK (episode "Affair at Bromfield Hall") Munich, Bavaria, Germany (episode "The Times They Are A Changin'") North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA Rome, Lazio, Italy (episode "A Lovely Little Affair") Salzburg, Austria (episode "The Legend of Das Geisterschloss") Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany (episode "Our Man In Tegernsee") Washington, District of Columbia, USAmoreless
16
Moonlighting

ABC (ended 1989)

When former fashion model Maddie Hayes goes broke and finds that one of her few remaining assets is ownership of the Blue Moon Detective Agency, she is tempted to liquidate it until she meets the quirky employees and gets involved in their even quirkier cases. Moonlighting as a series was plagued by production delays and erratic scheduling. Scheduled episodes were often delayed for weeks and reruns substituted at the last minute. Many in-jokes and short fill-in pieces refer to this and other topical items at the beginning and end of some programs. Episodes 35 - 39 were particularly affected by this, and in their original broadcast contained intros dealing with the slow production pace. ABC Broadcast History March 1985 - February 1989: Tuesdays 9:00 PM April 1989 - May 1989: Sundays 8:00 PMmoreless
17
Simon & Simon

CBS (ended 1988)

Simon & Simon is a show based on two brothers who just happen to be private investigators. They live and work in San Diego where once a week, for eight seasons, the series revealed the loyality and love they had for one another. "They're more than brothers, they're best of friends." The show was cancelled midway into the eighth season, and it was only in re-runs that the final episodes were ever aired.

The original theme song for the show was performed by The Thrasher Brothers. Later seasons featured a more contemporary instrumental theme, but used the same music as the original.moreless
18
Taggart

ITV (ended 2010)

Welcome to the Taggart guide at TV.com. In the early 1980s, Robert Love, Controller of Drama at Scottish Television, and Glenn Chandler, pathologist-turned-writer, created a Glaswegian police detective named Jim Taggart, a creation that resulted in a world-wide successful television drama that lasted for twenty-seven years. Over the course of 110 stories the series, which followed the exploits of Maryhill CID, continued to win over viewers old and new despite major changes in the cast which caused most in the business to write it off. From the pilot broadcast, "Killer", to the final episode, the show presented more grizzly murders and plot twists than even the most ardent of fans can remember. Its film noir quality, along with the stunning setting of Glasgow, the second city of the empire, helped it remain a success even after the death of the titular character. The excellent cast, both past and present, have provided characters that have become much loved and remain in the hearts of fans even after their departure. This guide is dedicated to the memories of Mark McManus, Iain Anders, Robert Robertson and Tom Watson. Taggart was made by Scottish Television (later Scottish Media Group) Productions and broadcast on the ITV network across the UK. In 2010, with ITV assessing their output due to financial issues, the show was at risk of being cancelled. The two broadcasters agreed a co-production arrangement for the next series, which was broadcast first on STV, and later aired in the rest of the UK on ITV1. However, despite the new format and the series' continuing popularity in Scotland, viewing figures across the rest of the UK were disappointing, and ITV announced in May 2011 that it had decided not to commission any further series.moreless
19
Amazing Stories

NBC (ended 1987)

Amazing Stories is an incredible collection of short tales from the creative mind of Steven Spielberg. Most episodes ran in a half-hour time slot, with only a few going longer than that. In spite of the brevity of the show, each episode packs in a well-developed story, along with some subtle commentaries on human nature and morality.moreless
20
Spenser: For Hire

ABC (ended 1988)

Welcome to the Spenser: For Hire guide at TV.com. Spenser: For Hire is a mystery/suspense series based on Robert Parker's "Spenser" novels. Spenser, a private investigator living in Boston, gets involved in a new mystery each episode. Using his years of experience, his natural talents for observation and reasoning, and the occasional bit of help from his friend Hawk, Spenser never fails to crack the case.moreless
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