E! Mysteries & Scandals

The hand movements are the clue - half persuading, half threatening. This is Benza all over. Good, terse reporting, each sentence admirably short and taut, never a word wasted, clear and sharp to the end. And all touched with a little hint of his native Brooklyn.

It only ran for three seasons, yet those 150 episodes keep coming back and back. The familiar figure stepping out from a grimy townscape in dark, mean gangster clothes that give nothing away. And introducing tonight's topic, invariably the wreck of a Hollywood dream. "But behind the glitter and glamour lay a heartless and cynical network..." Yes, we know. And we're not switching off.

At only 25 minutes, it is not clear why we need periodic mentions of 'the story so far'. Presumably the original episodes had commercial breaks, but these top-and-tail sections should have been edited-out of the recycled versions. Still, the disembodied hand cutting up the letters from 'Mysteries and Scandals' each time, in the style of a kidnap demand, does provide a repeated hint of the sinister and the unknown.

This show, like the E! True Hollywood Story (both shows appear on E!) is a biography, but what sets this show apart from the THS is that it is much shorter (usually is 30 minutes long) and focuses mainly on celebrities that were alive during Hollywood's golden era. Some are well-known (such as Marilyn Monroe, Howard Hughes, and I Love Lucy's Desi Arnaz) others were alive during the early part of the 20th century (Fatty Arbuckle, Mabel Normand and silent movie director William Desmond Taylor--all part of the silent movie era). Also, this show is much darker and focuses on what events lead to tragedy for whoever is the main focus of the show. A.J. Benza, the show's host, does a fantastic job. He gives a brief bio of the star that is being discussed, and introduces the segments that involve people that once knew or wrote about whoever is being talked about.

Another thing that sets this show apart from the THS is that there is never a happy ending (if it did ever have one, I don't think it would be called Mysteries and Scandals). It only has death, tragedy and misfortune.

What makes the show interesting is the fact that it doesn't deal with just movie stars. Gossip columnists (Hedda Hopper), movie directors (William Desmond Taylor), and millionaires (Howard Hughes) have also been discussed. I think that this is one of the more entertaining shows that E! has to offer because of the subject. Also, it has some intense renenactments of some key moments in the show. I think that if this show wasn't on, those of us who watch it wouldn't know about the silent movie stars, directors, etc. that existed during that time. I think that there was a show similar to this on the same network in the early 90s, but it was so badly acted that I can't seem to remember what it was called. This show, I think, is one of the best shows that E! has to offer.

E! Mysteries & Scandals is a moody, stylish dive into the darker corners of celebrity lore - a tabloid noir for the small screen that feels as iconic as the stories it tells. With its haunting narration and shadowy reenactments, the series doesn't just report the facts - it immerses you in the atmosphere of fame gone wrong.

Narrated with pulpy flair, each episode uncovers the rise and unraveling of a star or moment in pop culture history. It walks the line between camp and sincerity, and somehow that balance works. You don't just watch for information - you watch for the theatrical ride.

Beyond the vintage E! Aesthetic, the show taps into something deeper: the price of visibility, the myth of celebrity, and the fragility behind the glamour. It's more than gossip - it's a time capsule of fame's most tragic chapters.

Whether you're nostalgic for retro Hollywood drama or fascinated by the mechanics of scandal, this series delivers a punchy, addictive viewing experience.

I don't know why I'm not listed as a "regular guest." I did seven of the things! Mysteries and Scandals was a great idea on the part of E! - because they dealt with celebrities who were already dead, the series can be revived at any time, no updates needed. Whenever it is recycled, my parents get calls from Canada, Florida, you name it - people they haven't heard from in years.

M&S was the tough guy version of A&E's Biography and a step up from a dreadful, albeit similar series hosted by Tony Curtis a little earlier. The name escapes me. Truth to tell, some of the dramatizations look like the dramatizations that were on this previous show, which covered a few of the same subjects.

I like the show because E! has a young demographic who were fans of the show, and it introduced them to celebrities with whom they had no familiarity - such as Nazimova! Narrated by A.J. Benza, who stood, nearly engulfed in dry ice, on a wet sidewalk in the dark, the show had a real noir feeling. It covered not only film and TV stars, but famous murder cases and famous scandals, such as the shooting on Hearst's yacht. Watch for this show to be trotted out again.

This show is a wonderful experience for anyone who is interested in the scandalous lives and often mysterious deaths of celebrities. I wish they would air some more original episodes of this exceptional series. It packs a lot of punch for a 30-minute segment and is absolutely addictive.