General True Crime Shows

[NewDigs]

I'm having a hard time watching almost any of those reenactment shows. Too vivid. And even if I have one on as kind of background noise the music is so dramatic it makes me kind of nervous.

And then ID has the nerve to call those things documentaries!

So many crazy crimes out there and they choose to follow the same ones over and over and they run together for me too. A lot of, Haven't I already seen this? But, nope different take on an old crime. Though I do appreciate a good update.

[editorgrrl]

The show that makes me say "WTF??" is Deadly Devotion. To kill with your relatives, well, crazy families, and plenty of women will do anything to keep a man. But to follow some of these weird religions, preachers, cults, whatever, and do what they say no matter what? I can't even imagine.

I watched Deadly Devotion for the first time: "Killer Karma" (season 3, episode 2), about the 2012 death of Ian Thorson during a three-year Tibetan Buddhist retreat in Arizona.

I knew the case from Dateline (“Danger on Diamond Mountain”), and was pleasantly surprised by the high production values: NYC exteriors, decent acting (a rarity in reenactments!), hair & makeup that really made the actors look like the people they were portraying.

[auntjess]

The Shift is back on Reelz in the afternoons, looks to be weekdays at 2 &3.
If you've never watched it, try it.

[fliptopbox]

I love Deadly Women. It's so campy I can't help myself, especially with Candace and her ever changing wigs and bad puns.

 

I guess I'm in the minority about the creepy commercials for shows like Disappeared and Swamp Murders. I think they're great. I actually started watching this channel because my grandmother told me about it, we both love crime shows and pretty much anything creepy or grisly. She's the only 70-something lady I know who still watches zombie movies.

[Shriekingeel]

Ugh. Pimp episode on House of Horrors. Pimps/sex traffickers are the worst people on earth. After the episode, I wanted to watch the movie Taken on an endless loop.

[NewDigs]

I love Deadly Women. It's so campy I can't help myself, especially with Candace and her ever changing wigs and bad puns.

 

I guess I'm in the minority about the creepy commercials for shows like Disappeared and Swamp Murders. I think they're great. I actually started watching this channel because my grandmother told me about it, we both love crime shows and pretty much anything creepy or grisly. She's the only 70-something lady I know who still watches zombie movies.

And I usually love campy!

I think I have old-school true crime so ingrained in me, Datelines and 48Hrs. etc etc., that maybe I need to look at some of these shows through a different lens.

But I also see the House of Horrors mention and wonder, Can I do it?

I'll try.

[jacofa]

I know I've seen Karla Homolka's story portrayed on at least one ID show, though I can't recall which. They all sort of blend together ... and congeal.

Wicked Attraction and Deadly Sins.

[jacofa]

Finally watched the new episode of Deadly Woman. I have a love for this series, mainly because it was the first one I really got hooked on from the ID channel or whatever it was called during it's early years. Plus, the narrator of the episodes can do no wrong in my book. Her creepy/ campy affect is just to die for. well,....not literally.

One improvement in the episodes is they post an actual picture of the murderer at the end of each story. Nice touch. I don't know how much longer this one can be on. How many more female killers are there? Well, Karla Homolka was never portrayed, but i think laws are much stricter in Canada regarding media coverage and in my opinion the crazy bitch got off too easy.

I've been a big fan of Lynnanne Zager's narrating for quite some time and I think that she is the best narrator on I.D. I don't think there's any narrator on that channel that can touch her.

I agree with you on Karla Homolka getting off too easy.

Edited August 18, 2015 by jacofa

[applecrisp]

Wicked Attraction and Deadly Sins.

Wicked Attractions would be very appropriate for her story- so evil, offering up her sister.  That is why I could not watch that show.  Two people are way more evil than one in most cases.  Also the assertion that if these two people had not met, the crimes may not have occurred.

[Maizie131]

Hard to believe, but I missed the first ep. of this season's Joe Kenda show last night!  (Homicide Hunter)  Did anyone watch?  I'll bet Suz At Large did!  (By the way, love that avatar, Suz!)  Anyhow, should I go searching for it to watch or just wait until next week? 

[editorgrrl]

Homicide Hunter was up to the usual standards—Joe Kenda was a pistol, and Carl Marino can't act.

Joe talked about being left-handed. It always bugs me that Carl isn't. (And that young Don Draper has different colored eyes than Jon Hamm.)

[editorgrrl]

Homicide Hunter has its own forum.

Thanks! Here tis: http://forums.previously.tv/forum/601-homicide-hunter-lt-joe-kenda/

[NewDigs]

Wicked Attractions would be very appropriate for her story- so evil, offering up her sister.  That is why I could not watch that show.  Two people are way more evil than one in most cases.  Also the assertion that if these two people had not met, the crimes may not have occurred.

And there's the Evil Twins show. I have seen other shows that profile twins but had no idea there were so many twins doing evil things in tandem! Really spooky. I think I only watched one episode and decided that was enough evil for the afternoon.

Probably an unpopular opinion but I can't get into Joe Kenda. His voice seems to have little inflection. Like the opposite of the Dateline guy, Keith Morrison. His narrative kinda' creeps me out but I've gotten used to it. He reminds me of campfire ghost story tellers. A bit overdone.

[BigBlueMastiff]

This is funny, Darren Kavinoky of Deadly Sins' fame, just followed me on twitter.

[TaraS1]

My TV stays on ID about 90% of the time, but the one show that will guarantee me switching channels is Deadly Women.  I hate the awful flashbacks, the bad wigs/acting, the narration, the whole lot of it.  I think what turned me against it to begin with is that every time I did see an episode, it would always be about women in the 1800's who killed their kids, or chopped up people with axes or something.  I prefer my murderers to be of the 20th/21st century variety.

 

And while I love Nightmare Next Door, I can never figure out why the narrator always has such a light, almost joking tone.  These are brutal murders, not wacky hijinks. 

[smittykins]

I never cared much for Deadly Women, but when they showed a scene purportedly set in a Baptist church, with a crucifix on the wall(which Baptist churches don't use), they lost me completely.

[bubbls]

I was shocked and saddned to see Ann had died, but then I saw how old she was. I only saw the news by accident on a crime forum I frequent.

[aurora296]

Funny since someone just mentioned Reelz channel upthread. I usually breeze past this channel, but it officially made me it's bitch yesterday. I watched Autopsy: The Final Hours of River Phoenix and was hooked. Already set up my DVR to record the rest of the series. Also watched the Jodi Arias one and got future episodes hooked up too. I'm so ashamed! I've been devoted to ID for so long and I've strayed. I can't find a thread for The Reelz Channel or any of these shows, so moderators, help me out? 

[walnutqueen]

My TV stays on ID about 90% of the time, but the one show that will guarantee me switching channels is Deadly Women.  I hate the awful flashbacks, the bad wigs/acting, the narration, the whole lot of it.  I think what turned me against it to begin with is that every time I did see an episode, it would always be about women in the 1800's who killed their kids, or chopped up people with axes or something.  I prefer my murderers to be of the 20th/21st century variety.

 

And while I love Nightmare Next Door, I can never figure out why the narrator always has such a light, almost joking tone.  These are brutal murders, not wacky hijinks. 

 

You couldn't pay me real money to watch Deadly Women - the narration & music are SUCH a turnoff!

 

Yet I love Nightmare Next Door and it's janky music and folksy joking look at the investigators' hobbies.  Go figure.  :-)

 

 

Funny since someone just mentioned Reelz channel upthread. I usually breeze past this channel, but it officially made me it's bitch yesterday. I watched Autopsy: The Final Hours of River Phoenix and was hooked. Already set up my DVR to record the rest of the series. Also watched the Jodi Arias one and got future episodes hooked up too. I'm so ashamed! I've been devoted to ID for so long and I've strayed. I can't find a thread for The Reelz Channel or any of these shows, so moderators, help me out? 

 

You could try the forum Genre Talk : General True Crime Shows.  Or start a Reelz Channel thread on the Network Talk forum.

[editorgrrl]

I can't find a thread for The Reelz Channel or any of these shows.

As walnutqueen said, http://forums.previously.tv/topic/26536-general-true-crime-shows/

Autopsy: The Last Hours Of was reviewed here back in June 2014: http://previously.tv/autopsy-the-last-hours-of/autopsy-report/

[Maizie131]

You couldn't pay me real money to watch Deadly Women - the narration & music are SUCH a turnoff!

 

Yet I love Nightmare Next Door and it's janky music and folksy joking look at the investigators' hobbies.  Go figure.  :-)

 

walnutqueen - couldn't agree with you more on both counts. 

 

I'll add another one I've tried to watch several times but just can't make it through - Deadline: Crime With Tamron Hall.  I think she must be buddies with Paula Zahn, because their narration/interview styles are pretty much interchangeable.  I usually watch the first 5-10 minutes of Paula Zahn, then fast-forward to the last 10 minutes to learn the outcome. 

 

Hard to believe, but last night I actually watched Indecent Proposal (I was really bored).  It's one of the most ridiculous shows I've ever seen, as I knew it would be from the commercials.  What in the hell is I.D. thinking?!  I don't know if they pay attention to ratings, but airings of A Crime To Remember had to be off the charts for their highest number of viewers.  (Sigh....)

[Taylorh2]

I just watched another re-run of the Darlie Routier story. My question: When will this bitch die? For fuck's sake, I'll inject her, tell me when and where.

 

Same for Diane Downs.

[tobeannounced]

I watched the last bit of Indecent Proposal about the escort.  All I could focus on was the woman's cheek implants (I assume). She looked like she was storing nuts for the winter.  The episode right after that about the guy trying to decide whether to give up parental rights to his son was just too sad.  Couldn't deal.  What did he end up doing?

[NewDigs]

Dateline's "Secrets in the Desert" is on right now. It, to me, was such a travesty of justice that I could not watch again. In my effort to spell Bill Macumber's name properly, in order to rant about said travesty, I found some very troubling info. While it doesn't negate his trials and tribulations, I feel sad.

[applecrisp]

Dateline's "Secrets in the Desert" is on right now. It, to me, was such a travesty of justice that I could not watch again. In my effort to spell Bill Macumber's name properly, in order to rant about said travesty, I found some very troubling info. While it doesn't negate his trials and tribulations, I feel sad.

I'm with you.  I think a lot of people who watch ID and frequent this thread, really want to see justice served.  I think it would be so hard to come out of prison after so many years and function in this world.  That does not excuse what he has done(allegedly).

Edited August 24, 2015 by applecrisp

[NewDigs]

And then the Dateline episode A Killing in Cottonwood came on! And I had to change the channel again.

That's the, Mark Duenas might have killed his wife and might have confessed in a 911 call, case.

I was ambivalent about his guilt or innocence but Stephanie Bridgett's (the prosecuting attorney's) arrogant, 100% confidence pushed me towards believing him innocent.

It, to me, seemed to be nothing but circumstantial evidence that she and her office cobbled together. Like they had already decided whodunit and then found "evidence" to support their case.

If anyone has forgotten her, that link does have a photo of Bridgett. Ugh. Just seeing her pic raises my BP!

[tobeannounced]

NewDigs, totally agree on that prosecutor.  She was awful.  I rarely remember them, but this case and this prosecutor stick out in my mind.  Such arrogance.

[friendperidot]

I became conscious this morning to an episode of Deadly Women, as my brain began to function, I was listening to the Frankie Silver case. Took place in the Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky, I think, late 1800s, I think. It is an interesting story and if anyone wants to know more about it, Sharyn McCrumb's "The Ballad of Frankie Silver" tells an excellent story. Ms McCrumb's Appalachian books are among my favorites ever. She is a wonderful story weaver. But if you like her, skip the Elizabeth MacPhearson books, not her greatest. 

[applecrisp]

I became conscious this morning to an episode of Deadly Women, as my brain began to function, I was listening to the Frankie Silver case. Took place in the Appalachian Mountains, Kentucky, I think, late 1800s, I think. It is an interesting story and if anyone wants to know more about it, Sharyn McCrumb's "The Ballad of Frankie Silver" tells an excellent story. Ms McCrumb's Appalachian books are among my favorites ever. She is a wonderful story weaver. But if you like her, skip the Elizabeth MacPhearson books, not her greatest. 

 

Love her books.  The Ballad series was very good.  I even liked her other ones.  It was also a very interesting case.

[auntjess]

You know the way that once you notice something, it keeps popping up?

Well that's me and the Moroccan pattern rugs on the ID show sets.

There was one on Kenda last night, I think.
These rugs are on the flipping/real estate shows a lot, which is fine, because they're set in the now.
But in the 80s, they weren't around.
Someone from ID should go to a thrift store and buy rugs from the earlier periods.

[friendperidot]

applecrisp, there's nothing really wrong with the Elizabeth MacPhearson books, they are just not as good as the Appalachian books. I even like her 2 science fiction books and the Dale Earnhart book. And The Ballad of Tom Dooley was so sad. I think my favorites are She Walks These Hills and The Songcatcher. 

 

Topic? I have nothing, will have to sleep on it as usual.

[Shriekingeel]

The latest Nowhere To Hide about the family reunification in Mexico was good, but they obviously padded out the hour with completely extraneous details about a murder they'd never be able to solve and had no intention of solving.

Haven't seen Aphrodite Jones in a long time. Please tell me they cancelled her smug, self-righteous show.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Shriekingeel

[Rina99]

The latest Nowhere To Hide about the family reunification in Mexico was good, but they obviously padded out the hour with completely extraneous details about a murder they'd never be able to solve and had no intention of solving.

Haven't seen Aphrodite Jones in a long time. Please tell me they cancelled her smug, self-righteous show.

 

The fourth season for her just ended in January.  The ever-reliable Wikipedia states that she's filming her fifth season now, and if so then show will pop up later in the fall/winter.

[smittykins]

You know the way that once you notice something, it keeps popping up?

Well that's me and the Moroccan pattern rugs on the ID show sets.

There was one on Kenda last night, I think.

These rugs are on the flipping/real estate shows a lot, which is fine, because they're set in the now.

But in the 80s, they weren't around.

Someone from ID should go to a thrift store and buy rugs from the earlier periods.

auntjess, I have a similar issue with the Brianna Maitland episode of Disappeared. During the reenactments, they show her driving a two-tone, blue Chevy, but in the actual photo, it's a gray Oldsmobile. I know I shouldn't let it bother me--I realize it's not always possible to procure the exact model--but it's just different enough to bug the crap out of me. :/

[tobeannounced]

Re the latest Nowhere to Hide, I actually was so bored with it, I deleted it before I finished it.  I guess I'm not alone in finding it totally boring, but I usually like this show.  I loved the one last week about the runaway.

[Rina99]

I think Nowhere To Hide needs to do two half-hour segments for cases that don't merit an hour-long episode, to avoid the padding.

[editorgrrl]

Is anyone watching ID's Serial Thriller: Angel of Decay? I've only seen Part 1 so far, but zzzzzzzzzzz....... Maybe parts 2 & 3 will be better. No matter how many times its been attempted, there has never been a more chilling depiction of Bundy and his crimes than Mark Harmon's in The Deliberate Stranger. JMO

For those of you who also get Reelz, "Murder Made Me Famous" is featuring Ted Bundy on Saturday, September 12, at 9 p.m.: http://www.reelz.com/murder/

Back on topic: starting this Friday at 9 p.m., ID is showing Death by Gossip with Wendy Williams: http://press.discovery.com/us/id/press-releases/2015/investigation-discovery-greenlights-new-serie-3491/

Beware of offices, gyms, playgrounds, and nosey neighborhoods, as they all make for great rumor mills, but when dishing the dirt results in a body six feet under, not minding one's own beeswax can quickly become a deadly offense. From a respected English teacher's very own Shakespearean tragedy entangled by sex, greed and betrayal, to college kid wrapped up in a twisted love triangle with a dash of black magic, DEATH BY GOSSIP warns viewers of the tempting grapevine, because it can quickly strangle the most unsuspecting of prattlers.

DEATH BY GOSSIP is produced by Wendy Williams Productions (WWP) in association with m2 Pictures for Investigation Discovery.

The first episode, "Killer Education," features the 1979 disappearance of Philadelphia English teacher Susan Reinert and her two children.

Edited August 30, 2015 by editorgrrl

[slensam]

For those of you who also get Reelz, "Murder Made Me Famous" is featuring Ted Bundy on Saturday, September 12, at 9 p.m.: http://www.reelz.com/murder/

Back on topic: starting this Friday at 9 p.m., ID is showing Death by Gossip with Wendy Williams: http://press.discovery.com/us/id/press-releases/2015/investigation-discovery-greenlights-new-serie-3491/

The first episode, "Killer Education," features the 1979 disappearance of Philadelphia English teacher Susan Reinert and her two children.

I saw the commercial for the Gossip show. Don't think gonna catch this one.

[tobeannounced]

No thoughts on Killer Instinct from last night?  It was definitely one I hadn't heard before.  That story was full of all kinds of WTF.  In the first part of the show when they said the nine months pregnant lady was doing a cleaning job, I felt so bad for her.  But, wow, there can be a lot worse ways to make money when you're nine months pregnant.

Edited September 1, 2015 by tobeannounced

[Maizie131]

No thoughts on Killer Instinct from last night?  It was definitely one I hadn't heard before.  That story was full of all kinds of WTF.  In the first part of the show when they said the nine months pregnant lady was doing a cleaning job, I felt so bad for her.  But, wow, there can be a lot worse ways to make money when you're nine months pregnant.

tobeannounced - Yep, I watched it, too, and was fairly impressed - enough to watch again next week, anyhow. 

 

I, also, was shocked that she really wasn't cleaning houses.  I actually like Chris Hansen...as a matter of fact one of my girlfriends dated him for a short time when they were both at Michigan State University (altho I never met him).  "To Catch A Predator" was one of my favorite shows, and I think he did a pretty good job with it. I wish him well with his new gig on ID.  God knows this channel can use all the help they can get! 

[sleekandchic]

I think Nowhere To Hide needs to do two half-hour segments for cases that don't merit an hour-long episode, to avoid the padding.

That's exactly what the show did tonight! The common-thread theme was scamming involving US military personnel. In the first one, a gullible career-MP was scammed over eight years by a one-time gf in Honduras for over $50K. When the PI told him the whole story was a huge lie, the MP was truly hurt and betrayed.

The second story had a gullible, thrice-divorced Southern lady who fell MADLY in love after TWO WEEKS talking to a liar on social media, who posed as a US soldier overseas. Lady began sending money for THE most ridiculous reasons! When she arrived at her local post office to ship a cell phone to freaking Nigeria, even the PO clerk warned her she was a victim of a scam and suggested she not send the phone. But poor lady wouldn't hear of it. Mail that phone now!!

None of the stuff in either story was shocking or unexpected to hear in 2015, but it was good storytelling.

[KellsBells]

I'm watching the Swamp Murders from the other night, about the woman who was found dead in a creek. The story's kind of interesting, but I've never seen so many bad actors in one place in my life. You'd almost have to work at it to have that many really terrible actors in one show. It's actually kind of hilarious.  

That's exactly what the show did tonight! The common-thread theme was scamming involving US military personnel. In the first one, a gullible career-MP was scammed over eight years by a one-time gf in Honduras for over $50K. When the PI told him the whole story was a huge lie, the MP was truly hurt and betrayed.

The second story had a gullible, thrice-divorced Southern lady who fell MADLY in love after TWO WEEKS talking to a liar on social media, who posed as a US soldier overseas. Lady began sending money for THE most ridiculous reasons! When she arrived at her local post office to ship a cell phone to freaking Nigeria, even the PO clerk warned her she was a victim of a scam and suggested she not send the phone. But poor lady wouldn't hear of it. Mail that phone now!!

None of the stuff in either story was shocking or unexpected to hear in 2015, but it was good storytelling.

 

Ugh. My eyes were rolling out of my head at these people who failed to do even basic fact-checking or homework before blithely sending off money. I think there comes a point where you just have to say, "Sorry, but if you're THAT dumb (especially the case of the women who even the clerk knew was being scammed) you deserve what happens to you." And I'm considered a pretty kind, compassionate person, so...

[tobeannounced]

I'm watching the Swamp Murders from the other night, about the woman who was found dead in a creek. The story's kind of interesting, but I've never seen so many bad actors in one place in my life. You'd almost have to work at it to have that many really terrible actors in one show. It's actually kind of hilarious.  

 

This is how I felt about Suspicion from the other night.  It was a really interesting story about a serial killer in a hospital that I had never heard before.  The acting and, in particular, writing was just so bad though that I'm not sure I'll be putting this one on the DVR schedule.

[KellsBells]

This is how I felt about Suspicion from the other night.  It was a really interesting story about a serial killer in a hospital that I had never heard before.  The acting and, in particular, writing was just so bad though that I'm not sure I'll be putting this one on the DVR schedule.

 

I completely agree. I started watching it and had to turn the channel. It was so poorly done that I didn't even care. 

[imjagain]

I saw the commercial for the Gossip show. Don't think gonna catch this one.

Death by gossip was pretty good. I had never heard of the case and was shocked by the whole case. Very interesting.

[zentropa]

I am full of resentment that late on Saturday night right before retiring and and primed for a bit of murder and mayhem, I'm stuck with the snooze fest that is Indecent Proposal. Whoever greenlighted this needs eviscerating.

 

 

[jacofa]

On Labor Day from 5am CT - 11am CT will be a marathon of A Crime To Remember.

11am CT - 8pm CT will be a marathon of Homicide Hunter.

Don't know if that's a good thing or not but just saying.

[auntjess]

I have alternatives.  Yesterday afternoon was marathon of Texas Flip & Move, a show that usually provides lots of laughs.
Then I've also started watching Air Disasters, on Smithsonian channel.  This is the real thing, NTSB and all.

[smittykins]

I'll take it. Usually it's a Deadly Women marathon.

[Constantinople]

Back on topic: starting this Friday at 9 p.m., ID is showing Death by Gossip with Wendy Williams: http://press.discovery.com/us/id/press-releases/2015/investigation-discovery-greenlights-new-serie-3491/

The first episode, "Killer Education," features the 1979 disappearance of Philadelphia English teacher Susan Reinert and her two children.

 

I saw the commercial for the Gossip show. Don't think gonna catch this one.

I watched Killer Education today.

I wasn't familiar with the case, even though it was turned into a mini-series.

I'd be freaked out enough if one of my teachers were murdered, but this freaked me the $%*&@ out! I can only imagine what the high school reunions are like for that school, at least for those who graduated in the 70s.

As for the episode itself, Wendy Williams was barely around. From reading-up on the case, some of the evidence was discovered more quickly than the episode would have left you to believe. They should also have provided more detail about the appeals. Aside from that, I thought it was done pretty well.