Bizarre Murders

As IMDB reviewer elektroad so aptly said in in their review title, "Fake? Real? Who cares? Steve Moore makes this better than other 'crime' shows." My philosophy exactly! There are a ton of serious, play-it-straight crime shows to choose from on basic cable, the internet, streaming video services, etc. What makes Bizarre Murders stand out is the combination of satirical re-enactments and narrations complemented by host Steve Moore's commentary. His real life professional credentials from 25 years in the FBI give the show authenticity while at the same time mirroring its tongue in cheek comedic slant with his own dry sense of humor. Yes, it's intentionally whimsical, but you still learn stuff about criminal behavior and investigations. Go Steve!!

For those of you who enjoy the show and want to share your enjoyment with other fans, check out my Bizarre Murders fan page on Facebook.

Good show, but I don't know why they have to change information when the crimes actually did happen. All the other true crime shows I watch provide real names of victims/perps and the exact places where the crimes occurred. What's the purpose of tweaking the facts? That being said, I kind of like doing a Google search using the clues provided by the show to find out what the REAL details of the crimes are.

Mind you, when I say it's entertaining enough, I mean it's good enough to have running on your TV when you're just about to fall asleep but too lazy to roll over and click the clicker. Ok, maybe I even enjoy it a bit. Obviously the producers have taken creative license with the storylines, and the narration reminds me of that old "Ripley's Believe it or Not" show, but some (honestly not that) intrepid digging around the web will find that the stories do have basis in fact. You can't research cases by name, obviously, but searching using some basic thematic info like "mistaken identity murders in Houston" will net you inspiration for Season 1, Episode 1's tale, for instance. Overall, it's a cute show not to be taken too seriously (even if it does cover real murders) and it serves its purpose as mindless brain fodder for when my Ambien kicks in.

This rather amateurishly acted variety of less than usual murder stories could have made a really good series, if it had been written a bit better and shot with a more competent cast. Its episodes are presumedly based on actual crimes, but the factual details were purposely and I believe unnecessarily obscured for unknown reasons. The somewhat snarky comments - by the 'host' - add nothing positive to the proceedings and would be best dispensed with. However, after all is said and done, I enjoy learning about many of the cases themselves...

Most people who have rated this series a one-star based on their belief that none of the episodes are based on real crimes do not know their true crimes at all. I avidly watch true crime shows and read the novels published and could easily recognize infamous real crimes that we're committed. People just don't want to do their research anymore. It clearly states that names, locations and some details have been altered, what did people expect? A bio at the end of the episodes detailing the unadulterated facts? Enjoy the show or don't buy to say these are made up crimes is ridiculous.