The new incarnation of the show is solid, but far too different from the original.
By: Jacob Politte, Online Editor
The original “Forensic Files” was a television institution. Orignally airing under the title of “Medical Detectives,” the show became a household favorite by recapping the process of solving a different crime (usually a murder) with each episode. 406 episodes of the show aired on 4 different networks over the course of 14 seasons, before it stopped production in 2011. Reruns continue to air on various networks to this very day. The simple fact of the matter is that the majority of America has morbid fascination with almost anything in the true crime genre, and especially with the topic murder. Anyone who says that they have not seen at least a few episodes is probably lying.
It makes sense then, in this age of television reboots and revivals, that “Forensic Files” would be brought back. New episodes, under the name “Forensic Files II” began airing on HLN on Feb. 23; 6 half-hour episodes have aired thus far. Many fans are happy to have to show back.
At this point, I’m not sure I can count myself among them.
I think that if this show were called anything other than “Forensic Files” it might work for me. But while the show maintains the same format and general feel as it’s predecessor, there are too many differences with the original to ignore.
Some of the differences are unavoidable. The biggest difference is the show’s new narrator. Former narrator and legendary voiceover artist Peter Thomas died in 2016. Peter Thomas’ style of narration was an integral part of the original version of the show; at one point after his death, the show’s creator Paul Dowling refused to entertain the idea of reviving the show because of what Thomas’ contributions meant to the show’s success.
The new narrator, actor Bill Camp, is not bad, but still comes off as trying too hard to make absolutely everything dramatic. His voice is not soothing like Thomas’ was whatsoever, but hopefully he’ll grow into the role.
While the show looks amazing in high definition, the production quality is definitely not up to par when compared with the original show. The music in the background is almost too heavy at points, and makes the show seem like an action thriller more than a science-based show.
That’s not to say that it’s a badly made show, because it’s not. There is a solid argument to be made that having any new episodes “Forensic Files” is better than having none at all.
But the new “Forensic Files” is not what I was expecting. I’ve preached in past pieces for The Montage that “you can’t go home again” and about the dangers of nostalgia. This is the one piece of entertainment that defies my preaching. Some things, no matter how lucrative of an idea that it may seem to be, should not be resurrected.
