TVSquad

Now here's a show that was before its time.

UNSUB was a show that ran for a few months (eight episodes) on NBC in 1989. It was about an FBI forensics team that investigated murders and other serious crimes. Sound familiar? This was CSI and Criminal Minds before there was a CSI or a Criminal Minds.

Looking back, it had a rather interesting cast. David Soul was the leader (the "Grissom" of the group - his name was even similar, John Westley "Westy" Grayson), and he was helped by a team that included Kent McCord, Richard Kind, and M. Emmet Walsh. It was produced by Stephen J. Cannell and written by people like Randall Wallace (Braveheart) and Stephen Kronish (24). If I can remember correctly (it's been 20 years since I've seen an episode) it wasn't a "great" show, but it was probably just as good as any of the similar shows we have on the air today.

UNSUB is one of those shows that will probably get lost, even in the age of DVDs, iTunes, and 200 channels. It was too short-lived but also barely remembered, not one of those short-lived shows that become a cult classic that people remember. There probably aren't a lot of people writing e-mails to NBC clamoring for the show to be released on DVD. Which is too bad. It would be interesting to see what people think of the show today, when every show like this uses the term "unsub" ("unknown subject") several times a season.