Unsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008. It was broadcast first as specials in 1987, then as a regular series on NBC (1988–1997), CBS (1997–1999), Lifetime (2001–2002), Spike (2008–2010) and back to Lifetime (2010–present).
Unsolved Mysteries uses a documentary format profiling real-life mysteries and features reenactments of unsolved crimes, missing persons, conspiracy theories and unexplained paranormal phenomena (alien abductions, ghosts, UFOs, and "secret history" theories).
The concept of Unsolved Mysteries was created upon a series of three specials produced by John Cosgrove and Terry-Dunn Meurer that they pitched to NBC in 1985 and were shown in 1986 called "Missing... Have You Seen This Person?". The success of the three programs led to Cosgrove and Meurer to broaden the program to include mysteries of all kinds. The pilot of Unsolved Mysteries was a special that aired on NBC on January 20, 1987 with Raymond Burr as host/narrator to a rousing success. Six more specials aired with the next two being hosted by Karl Malden and the final four by Robert Stack for the remaining 1987–1988 season.