General True Crime Shows

[Jordan61]

On 4/29/2019 at 11:16 AM, funky-rat said:

And speaking of annoying, I can't deal with the promo anymore that has the crappy 80's Rockwell "Somebody's Watching Me" in the background, but it's re-done and sung buy some woman who is flat-out screaming by the time the promo is over.  HATE IT.

+1. ID has some really bad promos, and they just play them incessantly.

[Josette]

On 5/1/2019 at 9:49 AM, funky-rat said:

Does anyone know if HLN stuff is available On Demand?  I wanted to see the "Very Scary People" on Jonestown.  The DVR didn't indicate it was a 2-parter.  I only got part 2.  I couldn't locate HLN on our cable's On Demand menu. 

They're having a marathon of episodes today (Saturday) starting with the Jonestown one (they are all shown as two-hour episodes).  It begins at noon Eastern/9 am Pacific time.

[Brattinella]

Does anyone hate Paula Zahn as much as I do?

[funky-rat]

On 5/4/2019 at 5:02 AM, Josette said:

They're having a marathon of episodes today (Saturday) starting with the Jonestown one (they are all shown as two-hour episodes).  It begins at noon Eastern/9 am Pacific time.

I managed to get hooked up on my Roku, but I appreciate the heads up.  It was really good - learned some new stuff about Jones, and he was even sicker than I had ever imagined.

[SunnyBeBe]

15 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Does anyone hate Paula Zahn as much as I do?

I think that I've posted about my feelings of Paula twice.  I just can't take the cadence in her voice. Do you know what I mean?   She puts this timed, rhythmic beat to her sentence structure, with a heavy emphasis on certain words.  It drives me crazy.  She obviously does this on purpose.  Why can't she just speak normally.  That might be okay.  It's to the point that I just can't watch any show that she hosts. It's worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. 

Edited May 6, 2019 by SunnyBeBe

[Brattinella]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I think that I've posted about my feelings of Paula twice.  I just can't take the cadence in her voice. Do you know what I mean?   She puts this timed, rhythmic beat to her sentence structure, with a heavy emphasis on certain words.  It drives me crazy.  She obviously does this on purpose.  Why can't she just speak normally.  That might be okay.  It's to the point that I just can't watch any show that she hosts. It's worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. 

Yes, her cadence is unbearable.  I'm not sure who she is emulating, but it bugs.  But her attitude with victims is just beyond beyond.  She is like a vulture, a vampire, sucking every bit of pain from the lips of these hurting people.

[Jordan61]

2 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Yes, her cadence is unbearable.  I'm not sure who she is emulating, but it bugs.  But her attitude with victims is just beyond beyond.  She is like a vulture, a vampire, sucking every bit of pain from the lips of these hurting people.

Yes! Her whole, "we have to speak for the victims" schtick is such a load of crap. But I don't hate her nearly as much as I hate M. William Phelps, who seems to show up EVERYWHERE.

[Jaded]

2 hours ago, Jordan61 said:

 But I don't hate her nearly as much as I hate M. William Phelps, who seems to show up EVERYWHERE.

He is awful. I know his sister-in-law was murdered but he seems like such a creeper himself. I felt bad for laughing at times when trying to watch episodes of that Dark Minds show he had since it was about serious crimes. Looking at his IMDB profile I see he's been on a lot of other shows besides the few I've seen him on. That awful hair he sports doesn't help in regards to taking him seriously. 

My Mom loved to watch ID and the Crime & Investigation channel. I would watch some shows with her and others by myself when she was still here. After she died I kinda quit watching it all since I was trying to keep myself from getting depressed and not wanting to make myself uncomfortable since I didn't have another human living with me anymore. In the past couple years I've watched some of the newer stuff Oxygen has been showing which I've liked better then what was airing on ID during the time I quit watching that channel. I've watched some other true crime stuff too. It kind of feels like I'm dipping my toes into viewing without submerging myself into it all at one time.

[Jordan61]

Aw, sorry about your mom Jaded. 😞

[Jaded]

8 minutes ago, Jordan61 said:

Aw, sorry about your mom Jaded. 😞

Thank you. With Mother's Day coming up I've been thinking about her more then I usually do. 

I keep forgetting that HLN is showing more true crime stuff. I was to traumatized by Nancy Grace's reign of terror there (joking for the most part) that turning it to that channel doesn't really come to mind. @funky-rat's mention of the show she was looking for the other day made me think about checking HLN out again.

[Toothbrush]

My husband says that Paula Zahn is filmed through so many filters that she looks like a hologram 😂

@Jaded I'm sorry about your mom, and hope this weekend isn't too hard for you. On a happier note, I love your avi - I'm a total Miss Piggy fan girl!

[andromeda331]

7 hours ago, Jaded said:

Thank you. With Mother's Day coming up I've been thinking about her more then I usually do. 

I keep forgetting that HLN is showing more true crime stuff. I was to traumatized by Nancy Grace's reign of terror there (joking for the most part) that turning it to that channel doesn't really come to mind. @funky-rat's mention of the show she was looking for the other day made me think about checking HLN out again.

I'm sorry Jaded. My mom died a little over two years ago. Its hard. We used to watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy together every night. But after she passed we stopped for a little over a year. It was just so hard to watch without her. Along with Amazing Race and other shows. Mother's Day is still hard. All holidays are hard. 

I love the Nancy Grace reign of terror. That's so perfect. I avoided HLN too because of her. She's the worse although Paula Zahn is up there with her.

[Minivanessa]

On 5/5/2019 at 9:34 PM, Brattinella said:

Does anyone hate Paula Zahn as much as I do?

With the heat of a thousand suns.

17 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I think that I've posted about my feelings of Paula twice.  I just can't take the cadence in her voice. Do you know what I mean?   She puts this timed, rhythmic beat to her sentence structure, with a heavy emphasis on certain words.  It drives me crazy.  She obviously does this on purpose.  Why can't she just speak normally.  That might be okay.  It's to the point that I just can't watch any show that she hosts. It's worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. 

Oh yeah, and don't forget that oh so special tilt of her head as she speaks. I find myself hitting the mute button when a promo for her show shows up on my teevee. Gah.

And @Jordan61 nailed it about her being such a vampire with the victims. 

9 hours ago, Jaded said:

Thank you. With Mother's Day coming up I've been thinking about her more then I usually do. 

I keep forgetting that HLN is showing more true crime stuff. I was to traumatized by Nancy Grace's reign of terror there (joking for the most part) that turning it to that channel doesn't really come to mind. @funky-rat's mention of the show she was looking for the other day made me think about checking HLN out again.

I'm so sorry about your mom. That's so hard, no matter your age. 

And, "Nancy Grace's reign of terror" wins the innernets today. I also avoid HLN because of the toxicity with which she imbued it in my mind. 

[geekgirl921]

Did anyone watch Unbreakable last night? The whole thing was horrifying but there was a bit of dark humor. The killer actually called his boss to tell him that he wouldn't be in to work the next day because he had just killed a few people! Dude, you just murdered two people and almost killed a third, I think missing work is way down on the list of things to worry about!

[walnutqueen]

On 5/5/2019 at 8:34 PM, Brattinella said:

Does anyone hate Paula Zahn as much as I do?

[extremely Small Voice]  She doesn't really bug me.[/extremely Small Voice].

Did anyone catch The Disappearance of Susan Cox Powell?  I had seen this crime done to death, or so I thought, but the extraneous time just served to show what a sick fucking fucker that FIL was.  The videos they were able to show were horrendous ...

I lost my Mum, too.  The only person who truly knew me is gone, and life as I knew it has ended. I feel your pain, acutely, and am ever so sorry for your loss(es).

[funky-rat]

13 hours ago, Jaded said:

I keep forgetting that HLN is showing more true crime stuff. I was to traumatized by Nancy Grace's reign of terror there (joking for the most part) that turning it to that channel doesn't really come to mind. @funky-rat's mention of the show she was looking for the other day made me think about checking HLN out again.

Very Scary People is a really good show.  If you like cults and serial killers, it's well done and I learned some new info.

[geekgirl921]

1 hour ago, walnutqueen said:

[extremely Small Voice]  She doesn't really bug me.[/extremely Small Voice].

Did anyone catch The Disappearance of Susan Cox Powell?  I had seen this crime done to death, or so I thought, but the extraneous time just served to show what a sick fucking fucker that FIL was.  The videos they were able to show were horrendous ...

I lost my Mum, too.  The only person who truly knew me is gone, and life as I knew it has ended. I feel your pain, acutely, and am ever so sorry for your loss(es).

Yes, I knew he was a creep but this show really emphasized just how creepy his is!

[auntjess]

I don't mind Paula Zahn, but I couldn't watch that Harrisburg, Pa undertaker, who was the elected coroner.
I felt for the Harrisburg cops, to see him strutting through the show, as if he solved it.
He wasn't even a medical doctor.

[funky-rat]

32 minutes ago, auntjess said:

I don't mind Paula Zahn, but I couldn't watch that Harrisburg, Pa undertaker, who was the elected coroner.
I felt for the Harrisburg cops, to see him strutting through the show, as if he solved it.
He wasn't even a medical doctor.

Which case was that one?  

[Annber03]

Adding to the condolences for you, @Jaded. I don't blame you one bit for wanting to ease up on some of this stuff-watching a lot of these kinds of stories can definitely mess with your head and emotions after a while. We're here if you need to vent/talk and whatnot. 

4 hours ago, geekgirl921 said:

Did anyone watch Unbreakable last night? The whole thing was horrifying but there was a bit of dark humor. The killer actually called his boss to tell him that he wouldn't be in to work the next day because he had just killed a few people! Dude, you just murdered two people and almost killed a third, I think missing work is way down on the list of things to worry about!

I could not believe that! He may be a murderer, but he'll be damned if he just skimps out on work without an explanation!

I just kept thinking about his boss during that whole segment-the guy left that message at like, 4 something in the morning, so I kept imagining his boss getting up and getting ready for work, or going into work, and seeing they've got this call...and then they hear THAT. Wouldn't need any coffee after getting a message like that, I'd imagine!

That poor woman, though. Thank goodness she and her baby survived. 

3 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Did anyone catch The Disappearance of Susan Cox Powell?  I had seen this crime done to death, or so I thought, but the extraneous time just served to show what a sick fucking fucker that FIL was.  The videos they were able to show were horrendous ...

Those videos made my stomach churn. Dear god, just when you think you've heard it all about how creepy he was... It was terrifying to see just how deeply he'd brainwashed and manipulated his family, and how destructive his behavior was, on so many levels. I'm glad at least one of his kids, Jennifer, managed to break away from that madness and saw him for what he really was. 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Annber03

[walnutqueen]

8 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Adding to the condolences for you, @Jaded. I don't blame you one bit for wanting to ease up on some of this stuff-watching a lot of these kinds of stories can definitely mess with your head and emotions after a while. We're here if you need to vent/talk and whatnot. 

I could not believe that! He may be a murderer, but he'll be damned if he just skimps out on work without an explanation!

I just kept thinking about his boss during that whole segment-the guy left that message at like, 4 something in the morning, so I kept imagining his boss getting up and getting ready for work, or going into work, and seeing they've got this call...and then they hear THAT. Wouldn't need any coffee after getting a message like that, I'd imagine!

That poor woman, though. Thank goodness she and her baby survived. 

Those videos made my stomach churn. Dear god, just when you think you've heard it all about how creepy he was... It was terrifying to see just how deeply he'd brainwashed and manipulated his family, and how destructive his behavior was, on so many levels. I'm glad at least one of his kids, Jennifer, managed to break away from that madness and saw him for what he really was. 

If I have night terrors, I am certain his creepy as fuck video voice will be narrating.

[atlantaloves]

Jaded: I am so sorry you lost your Mom, it is not something you will get over with because you aren't suppose to. And that's okay! I have a group of gal pals that are my age in their 70's, and we go out every year for Mother's Day and eat eat eat and drink drink drink and we toast our wonderful Mom's that we dearly miss. I think about my wonderful mother every single day, and she's been gone 19 years.  Celebrate her life Sunday. Kissy.  💋

[hoosiermom]

I started a forum for The disappearance of Susan Cox Powell if you want to read the comments there. I needed to vent after watching it!

[Jordan61]

5 hours ago, auntjess said:

I don't mind Paula Zahn, but I couldn't watch that Harrisburg, Pa undertaker, who was the elected coroner.
I felt for the Harrisburg cops, to see him strutting through the show, as if he solved it.
He wasn't even a medical doctor.

Are you talking about the show The Coroner on ID? I never really watched that one but I had no idea he wasn't an MD! I didn't even know you could BE a coroner without being an MD.

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, Jordan61 said:

Are you talking about the show The Coroner on ID? I never really watched that one but I had no idea he wasn't an MD! I didn't even know you could BE a coroner without being an MD.

He is not exactly beloved around these parts.

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, hoosiermom said:

I started a forum for The disappearance of Susan Cox Powell if you want to read the comments there. I needed to vent after watching it!

Here's a linky thingy to that forum/thread/whatever they are calling it these days   https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/93315-the-disappearance-of-susan-cox-powell/

[callie lee 29]

Paula Zahn doesn't bug me either. Granted I don't watch her show, but the ads are fine. Kenda on the other hand.... Just hearing him in commercials makes me want to drive a fucking knife in my ear. Or him.

Very Scary People is a good one. I fixed about HLN as well. 

@Jaded, I feel ya and my sympathies for this weekend. My mom and dad died a few years back and while mother's day itself is fine all the stuff leading up to it gets to me. 

[Fable]

Unbreakable, oh man!  This show breaks my heart every single time. 

[Minivanessa]

@Jaded, @walnutqueen, and @andromeda331, I'm sorry about your moms. It's the hardest thing. 

[SunnyBeBe]

14 hours ago, Jordan61 said:

Are you talking about the show The Coroner on ID? I never really watched that one but I had no idea he wasn't an MD! I didn't even know you could BE a coroner without being an MD.

This is so bizarre.  I was recently going through a bunch of old family papers and found a newspaper article announcing that my great uncle was coroner for his county.  I did't understand how, because he was not a medical doctor......hmmmm....interesting. It must have been a thing back in the day. 

[Minivanessa]

15 hours ago, Jordan61 said:

Are you talking about the show The Coroner on ID? I never really watched that one but I had no idea he wasn't an MD! I didn't even know you could BE a coroner without being an MD.

38 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

This is so bizarre.  I was recently going through a bunch of old family papers and found a newspaper article announcing that my great uncle was coroner for his county.  I did't understand how, because he was not a medical doctor......hmmmm....interesting. It must have been a thing back in the day. 

Oh yeah. In many states, the county coroner is an elected official. Who does not have to be an MD. 

Of course, non-MD coroners can't conduct autopsies, but they run the coroner's office. I'm no expert, but I believe that much of the coroner's work is administrative and not all deaths require autopsies. Actually, I think the majority of deaths don't require autopsies. If the county coroner is not a medical examiner (a doctor who performs autopsies) s/he will of course arrange for a medical examiner to perform the autopsy. I assume that in counties with large populations the coroner's office will have some standing contract with medical examiners or even have one or more medical examiners on staff. Less populous counties would, I assume, contract the work as needed.

I found this NPR article about the US coroner/medical examiner system, from 2011. I assume things haven't changed much since there. 

Also, I think we - and the crime show scripts - tend to use the word "coroner" as a synonym for "medical examiner" or "pathologist," but as noted above, it has other meanings.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Jeeves

[auntjess]

On 5/7/2019 at 3:08 PM, funky-rat said:

Which case was that one?  

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5705192/

I Speak for the Dead.

[funky-rat]

9 hours ago, auntjess said:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5705192/

I Speak for the Dead.

Thanks. I don't think I've caught this show.

[Tdoc72]

I hope this doesn’t make me an awful person but this week’s Never Say Goodbye was about the Katrina Smith case (wife killed by estranged husband).

This is the 3rd show I’ve seen about this case, which is an interesting case, but all I could think was I hope her super hot brother shows up again. He did. 

Oh, they also played the ridiculous tape of her husband trying to cry while talking to reporters. Big faker! 

[One Tough Cookie]

I'm somewhat disabled and can't actually can't type much, but I love this forum and all your insights.

[Jordan61]

I'm probably alone in this, but I freaking love Deadly Women. It's so cheesy and doesn't try to be anything else.

[Annber03]

23 minutes ago, Jordan61 said:

I'm probably alone in this, but I freaking love Deadly Women. It's so cheesy and doesn't try to be anything else.

I like the show, too. I don't really have an opinion on the reenactments one way or another, I'm just here for the stories. 

Plus, that opening music sets a good, creepy tone for the show. 

[Minivanessa]

37 minutes ago, Jordan61 said:

I'm probably alone in this, but I freaking love Deadly Women. It's so cheesy and doesn't try to be anything else.

12 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I like the show, too. I don't really have an opinion on the reenactments one way or another, I'm just here for the stories. 

Plus, that opening music sets a good, creepy tone for the show. 

Me three. Okay, maybe I don't love the show, but it's def one of my secret TV indulgences. Except, I can't with any stories about children being abused or murdered. There have been some episodes of that sort that I've refused to watch. OTOH it's always interesting to see what Candace's hair and makeup will look like from episode to episode, or season to season. 

Of course, you may disavow the show, or at least having anything in common with me. Because one of my other secret TV indulgences is My 600 Pound Life. You can count on me to lower the tone of any event I'm invited to. Just saying.

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

Except, I can't with any stories about children being abused or murdered. There have been some episodes of that sort that I've refused to watch. 

Ergh, yeah, they've had some truly horrifying stories of that sort on that show over the years :/. 

[auntjess]

Yes, there are themes and types I avoid.
No cults, no satanism, no kids killed by "friends."
I like whodunits, and See No Evil or anything with lots of video.
I believe that Walmart should program their registers, so if large plastic bags, lots of bleach, and especially chain saws are purchased together, the video goes to the police.
I love Walmart video.

[MissAlmond]

23 hours ago, Jordan61 said:

I'm probably alone in this, but I freaking love Deadly Women. It's so cheesy and doesn't try to be anything else.

You're not alone.  I even love the crazy "tags" they come up with.  These Deadly Women were . . .

Edited May 11, 2019 by MissAlmond

[smittykins]

On 5/10/2019 at 7:04 PM, One Tough Cookie said:

I'm somewhat disabled and can't actually can't type much, but I love this forum and all your insights.

Glad to have you with us, @One Tough Cookie.

I see OWN has dropped its 6 am showing of Dateline for yet.another.Dr.Phil.  Grrrr!

[MissAlmond]

Is A Crime to Remember gone forever?  I wonder if it became too expensive to produce.  Prime time shows set in the 40's/50's have been cancelled due to cost factors.  Keeping the "look" of a period can also become too difficult.  By the time The Waltons ended, Mary Ellen's hair and makeup had long moved beyond World War II and into the 70's.  Too bad if it's gone, it's one of my favorite crime shows.

Edited May 12, 2019 by MissAlmond

[Annber03]

I hope not. I love that show. I know sometimes the gaps between new seasons of shows can take a while, though, so maybe that's the case here? 

[MissAlmond]

46 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

I hope not. I love that show. I know sometimes the gaps between new seasons of shows can take a while, though, so maybe that's the case here? 

Let's hope so.  But in all honestly, I started to get worried when they started doing crimes set in the 60's/70's.  

[One Tough Cookie]

Ok-Darlie Routier--guilty or not?  I honestly can't decide.  I lean towards guilty, but the up her ass special has me thinking...

[Jordan61]

3 hours ago, MissAlmond said:

Is A Crime to Remember gone forever?  I wonder if it became too expensive to produce.  Prime time shows set in the 40's/50's have been cancelled due to cost factors.  Keeping the "look" of a period can also become too difficult.  By the time The Waltons ended, Mary Ellen's hair and makeup had long moved beyond World War II and into the 70's.  Too bad if it's gone, it's one of my favorite crime shows.

Considering it's the only (I think) Emmy-nominated ID show, you would think they'd fork over the bucks and keep it around.

[partofme]

I fully believe she's innocent.    I think her lawyer was arrogant and completely messed up her case.    She should never have been convicted there's way too much reasonable doubt.    She almost died, I don't believe she would ever have cut her own neck like that.    There's the sock down the road with the kids blood on it which is strong evidence of an intruder.   All of the prosecutions claims can easily be disputed.   Darin was shady and could be guilty but I think this might be the rare case where there actually was an intruder   

Edited May 13, 2019 by partofme
I had quoted One Tough Cookie but it didn't show up

[renatae]

Just watched Unbreakable: Live to Tell about Heather Reid's family. It was hard to believe that her father went so nuts about her nephew not eating vegetables and would start fights four or five times a week with her half sister and her mother about not fixing vegetables.

It was so ironic that on the night he killed them, her mother was cleaning beets, carrots, cucumbers and green peppers from their garden when he shot her! I don't think I'll ever understand why they weren't having vegetables when they were growing their own!

Not to blame the victims, but I don't think I would have avoided serving vegetables when it could have prevented so much conflict on such a regular basis. The guy was a real control freak. I felt bad for Heather having to take on what was left of her family at such a young age.

[Minivanessa]

On 5/12/2019 at 7:52 AM, MissAlmond said:

Is A Crime to Remember gone forever?  I wonder if it became too expensive to produce.  Prime time shows set in the 40's/50's have been cancelled due to cost factors.  Keeping the "look" of a period can also become too difficult.  By the time The Waltons ended, Mary Ellen's hair and makeup had long moved beyond World War II and into the 70's.  Too bad if it's gone, it's one of my favorite crime shows.

I can see that ACTR would be expensive to produce. I think I commented on an episode in the first season, where in the background of an office scene you could see mini-blinds at a window. Out of focus but still obviously mini-blinds, and that wasn't a thing in the 1950's when that crime occurred. It just killed that scene for me. Which is too bad because they got everything else right for the period - clothes, desk, phone, chairs.

Also, I think it's hard to find good cases for the show. There are some "classics" like the 1950's airliner bombing and the Kitty Genovese murder that are excellent subjects for this kind of treatment. But I thought that the show focused on some cases that left me thinking, well, why did they bother with that one.