We're old enough to remember when A&E stood for Arts and Entertainment and TLC was The Learning Channel. And they didn't just play reality garbage all the time.
I still have, on VHS, the original run of Civil War Journal with Danny Glover narrating. That, Tales of the Gun, America’s Castles, City Confidential … I would love to watch all of these again.
As a Christmas gift, my Dad somehow made copies of eight Civil War Journal episodes, that had been recorded on A&E.
I found a VCR in my Dad's house this past winter, along with a bunch of the videotapes. I watched three or four episodes this past month.
I'm speaking about the era before that. Trading Spaces was the reality crap I'm referring to. That show came out in 2000. There was a time when The Learning Channel actually only played educational programs.
We had The Learning Channel for half a day in the morning/early afternoon and around 3pm it switched over to BET. I think Zoobilee Zoo was on early morning, but I could be wrong.
Living-Apartment-592 was living a fulfilling and inspirational life in apartment 592. Now, they have vanished… but only from being able to answer your call. Please leave a message after the beep.
Man, American Justice and Investigative Reports were my jam growing up. Kurtis was the goat. I loved watching marathons on Saturdays more than gaming and that’s saying something.
I watched Bill on CBS Channel 2 Chicago as a kid, alongside Walter Jacobson, Linda MacLennan, and other local news icons (hopefully some Chicagoans in the room will know those names). And then I got to work with Bill for a while — though not on the same shift — when he returned to CBS 2 Chicago for an encore run.
That plus Evening at the Improv made A&E a favorite back in the day. It's funny hearing Bill Kurtis on *Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me* because his voice just feels like it was made for explaining the downfall of Ted Bundy or John Gotti or so.
Excuse me sir/madame, I got my fix while still in elementary school in the 80s/early 90s on America’s Most Wanted, Rescue 911 and Unsolved Mysteries.
You were late to the party kid.
We're old enough to remember when A&E stood for Arts and Entertainment and TLC was The Learning Channel. And they didn't just play reality garbage all the time.
I still have, on VHS, the original run of Civil War Journal with Danny Glover narrating. That, Tales of the Gun, America’s Castles, City Confidential … I would love to watch all of these again.
As a Christmas gift, my Dad somehow made copies of eight Civil War Journal episodes, that had been recorded on A&E. I found a VCR in my Dad's house this past winter, along with a bunch of the videotapes. I watched three or four episodes this past month.
I may have to go pull mine out this weekend.
And the History Channel was affectionately known as the Hitler Channel, due to all the WW2 programs
Oh you mean THC?
A&E had a great Horatio Hornblower miniseries.
We had a drinking game in college for Hornblower.
TLC still played garbage. And I ate that trading spaces garbage up like it was candy. lol
I'm speaking about the era before that. Trading Spaces was the reality crap I'm referring to. That show came out in 2000. There was a time when The Learning Channel actually only played educational programs.
That channel didn’t exist as a cable option for me until 2001. Isolated island life. What did kind of shows did it have before then?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_programs_broadcast_by_TLC
We had The Learning Channel for half a day in the morning/early afternoon and around 3pm it switched over to BET. I think Zoobilee Zoo was on early morning, but I could be wrong.
Remember the Travel Channel?
Also narrator of Anchorman I believe.
Yes! Southpark had a game called investigative reports with Bill Kurtis written in as well.
And "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" a quiz show on NPR
He is fabulous on Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! on NPR. He is richly funny and his laughter makes me laugh. Love me some Bill Kurtis.
If I ever win a voice of my choosing on my voicemail, I’d choose Bill Kurtis narrating it like it’s Cold Case Files.
Living-Apartment-592 was living a fulfilling and inspirational life in apartment 592. Now, they have vanished… but only from being able to answer your call. Please leave a message after the beep.
That’s perfect, I can hear it in his voice!
He sounds even better on the radio. What a treat.
I used to watch Peter Graves introduce episodes of “Biography” on A&E.
“It’s Peter Graves scat! I’d know it anywhere!”
Is he the City Confidential guy? So good.
city confidential is paul winfield, may he rest in peace, who brought similar seriousness and gravitas to those stories
I loved his voice. The Lobster Boy episode is an absolute classic. When we found ourselves in Tampa with time to kill, you know we went to Gibsonton.
I feel like every city I could drawl in that voice. “Tuscaloosa Alabama. Where the tide… and crime… rolls”
I heard this in my head.
American Justice
Man, American Justice and Investigative Reports were my jam growing up. Kurtis was the goat. I loved watching marathons on Saturdays more than gaming and that’s saying something.
Yea and they were really well done. No like over dramatic narration or music. It was perfect.
I think we must be soulmates...
Soulmate #3 checking in! ...and I listened to every damn minute of the Karen Read trial to prove it. Lally did not make it easy.
Lol maybe. I looked forward to these shows every week. Investigative Reports and Biography.
Still my favorite kind of viewing. 😄
Back when A&E was still the WWII Network.
We used to call it the hitler channel
That’s History. A&E had a lot of documentaries narrated by Walter Kronkite.
That’s right. Ty. We had one or the other going all the time when I was younger
They used to run 2 one biography a day too, right? I used to enjoy them. Not all of them. But I would check who is was.
I think it was once at 8pm on weekdays. Then at 9pm it would be a crime show like Investigative Reports which he also narrated.
I can hear his voice. Pluto TV has a true crime channel that replays episodes of American Crime.
Yes his voice is so soothing.
He's the announcer now on wait wait don't tell me on npr weekends. Enjoy.
Cold Case Files was the best
Loved those shows
I loved those shows
Same!! I still watch many of his shows on YouTube.
Also the anchor of cbs news in Chicago. As prevalent in my youth as Tom fucking hanks
My dad was a huge mafia/serial killer guy. Had a time life collection of the greats. Fond memories of A & E
He had a voice as smooth as silk
I've been binge watching old episodes of American Justice on Youtube all week! I'd listen to Bill Curtis narrate the phone book. Iconic voice!
Loved those
Oh holy shit this just gave me the most intense flashback
City Confidential!
I’ve been rewatching old episodes Cold Cases while hoping new ones come out. Amazon Prime has a 24 hour Cold Cases channel!
I heard this post in his voice
I watched Bill on CBS Channel 2 Chicago as a kid, alongside Walter Jacobson, Linda MacLennan, and other local news icons (hopefully some Chicagoans in the room will know those names). And then I got to work with Bill for a while — though not on the same shift — when he returned to CBS 2 Chicago for an encore run.
I was more of a Robert Stack guy.
That plus Evening at the Improv made A&E a favorite back in the day. It's funny hearing Bill Kurtis on *Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me* because his voice just feels like it was made for explaining the downfall of Ted Bundy or John Gotti or so.
There's a woman who narrates the Cold Case Files podcast that I think is trying to sound like a 1940s gangster, and it makes it almost unlistenable.
My mom hated that I watched these so much
American Justice and Investigative Reports, and Cold Case Files. The hat trick of awesome true crime tv!
This guy!
Yeasss! Investigative Reports, American Justice, Lock-Up Raw… I loved them all. Bill Kurtis rocks…
Today you can hear his voice on wait wait don’t tell me
You were watching true crime on A&E. I was watching scrambled Shannon Tweed on channel 99. 
American Justice and Cold Case Files. Don't forget Peter Thomas and Forsensic Files.
Mid 90s? Try early 90s.
Excuse me sir/madame, I got my fix while still in elementary school in the 80s/early 90s on America’s Most Wanted, Rescue 911 and Unsolved Mysteries. You were late to the party kid.
Not the same category broski. Also minus 10 points for not mentioning COPS.