If I were ever murdered, I would NOT want this SHOW, to broadcast my murder. You will have someone murdered cruelly and yet the narration is full of jokes and silly puns which seem totally out of place. It contains trivial information on the Police Officers on what they do in their spare time which has nothing to do with the case, only just so they can add another silly pun. This takes all the seriousness out of the actual murder. There is just no respect for the victim or victims of the murder and the narration is full of cheesy one-liners. On one episode about the murder of a mother while her 3 year old child was present and survived. The 3 year old mentions a name of the suspect and the narrator jokingly adds "Out of the mouth of a babe". It beggars belief how it finds murder so funny and the narration is way too upbeat with its jovial jests. Avoid this show, as it trivializes all the facts and people involved in it.
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AB-Crawford28 February 2016This is the most bizarre show. The overall production is done well enough until music and narration are added. It's really like watching America's Funniest Home Videos narration desperately trying to find the most pathetic jokes while a hideous crime and the subsequent investigation is detailed. The music does match at all either. It is often some upbeat or flighty song playing while the crime scene and murder is shown. What in the world? Discovery does so many good things. How could this horrible production get past them? I really hate it because the stories themselves are very interesting and while you're developing an emotional connection to the victim's family this ridiculous narration and music is playing. It's extremely disrespectful.
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If I were a family member or other loved one of a victim discussed in this show, I'd be very angry & offended by the smarmy narrator with the salacious tone in his voice. If ever a show demanded a SERIOUS narration style, it would be this one. This narrator's style might be appropriate for a show like CHEATERS, but here it just trivializes the gravity of the murder of completely innocent victims (this show's specialty).
The flashy "music video" style in which they make the detectives mug and pose for the camera when first introduced adds further insult to injury. It's a shame because the facts of the cases are very interesting - and SAD, which gets almost completely brushed aside by this show's obnoxiously inappropriate style (even the music is completely wrong much of the time).
Nice going, Investigation Discovery - you blew it with this one! -
mattgann30 September 2015I'm not sure why the writers think it is okay to use so many lame puns and alliteration at an ATTEMPT to make the narration funny when they're telling stories of raped and killed children! The writers should consider writing children's books instead of true crime. The episode in particular showed the detective baking pizza in his kitchen. I was so confused as to why this was even in the show. Then he made a statement about having all the ingredients for a recipe (like solving a crime). Then the narrator followed with a terrible pun, "Without the right ingredients, this case may end up half-baked!" This episode was about a little girl who was raped and murdered in the woods. It was full of puns, alliteration, and sarcasm which comes off as completely insensitive and tactless.
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april_falast-128 June 2016I can't believe this show is even on the air. I just watched one episode about the investigation surrounding the sexual assault and murder of a little girl. The narrator makes horrible puns and jokes throughout the episode. I'm really confused as to why this format was approved for something with such serious subject matter. The episodes are very disjointed. They will be in the middle of talking about the investigation, and then randomly add in personal facts about the investigators. For example, two or three minutes were dedicated to talking about how the investigator was really good at making homemade pizza. It's a very odd mishmash of a show.
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The narrator is apparently know for his work on "The Natural History of The Chicken". It's like someone else wrote, this is not Americas Funniest Home Videos. When there was a pun made while investigating the death of a child I was astonished. I have watched a ton of true crime and this is just so disrespectful of the families, the victims, and the law enforcement agencies that handle the cases. This show has potential but I just can't deal with the narrator. I feel very badly for the families involved who had to watch this played out with the disrespect that was shown.
I really hope that the reviews on here are effective and help the families know that the viewers take their pain and sadness seriously. Many people do not think this is a joke and don't want to watch horrible events trivialized with bad puns and incredible disrespect. -
creative_choices6 December 2013I have been watching a lot of ID lately. I enjoy the crime stories over all. In general they are similar with a few twists. Tonight was the first time I had watched an episode of "Nightmare Next Door" & I have to say I'm not sure I will watch it again. Not because the storyline was bad & uninteresting. On the contrary the storyline was quite similar to most of the other crime stories on ID. The basic outline & setup was basically the same with a background story & interviews with those involved in the case.
The part I had difficulty with was the Narrator & Narrative. I don't mind when a show (even like these) add a bit of humor here & there; like "Elder Skelter" where you have a cute lead in & out with the older women. However the way this show uses puns & humor throughout feels almost disrespectful to the storyline itself. Honestly I'm not sure if it is the puns/humor or if it is just the fact that the Narrator sounds like he is narrating a 10 ten best of show or some cheesy drama reenactment with humorous intended undertones. Either way it really takes away from the content of the show.
As I said this was my first time watching & this happened to be a rerun from 2012 "Prescription for Murder" so I may it a second try but if it is anything like the first one I will have to skip this series. -
drpattid30 July 2017Let me start by saying I love Investigation Discovery. I'm constantly looking for shows on ID that I haven't seen and I just recently located Nightmare Next Door. After watching, I deliberately came here looking for reviews to see if anyone else felt as I did about the narration and, lo and behold, almost everyone did.
I like the stories. But ID missed the boat on the narration here by trying to make it lighthearted and humorous. Not only are the puns/jokes/metaphors ridiculous, they are completely inappropriate in this setting. The show is talking about murder and the producers of this show think that is something to joke about? The victims and families deserve more respect than this. Narration should be serious and fact-based. Period. Shame on you, ID. You have disappointed me. -
sabradley21 January 2019I enjoy true crime shows and I wanted to like this one. I stopped watching because the narration is so awful. Jokes about the murder are unnecessary and disrespectful. There are better true crime shows out there. I would watch again if the narration script was changed. Not recommended.
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shutupandcolour9 March 2019I agree with the other reviews. The cases are tragic and interesting; but, the narration seems like it's advertising a low budget 90s rom com. All you need is upbeat music, bright color block lettering displaying the name of each episode, and a forced laugh track. I consider myself pretty desensitized to a lot of situations, even callous at times, but this is just garbage and I think these families deserve better than to have a failed college humor writer attempt bad puns and jokes just to be able to claim on his resume he has experience in crime narration and comedy narration.
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awilhelm-6850710 August 2019Fire your writers and hire a new narrator. The sad attempts at humor are inappropriate at most times and are on par with dad jokes.
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I absolutely HATE this show! Aside from Paula Zahn's annoying narrating, this show and its narrator are completely disrespectful to the victims' families. The music it plays while describing the crime itself, and the stupid meant-to-be-lighthearted "wit"--if that's what you want to call it--is absolutely inappropriate and I am highly offended. I will not be watching this show again, furthermore, like the first review said; if I were murdered, please do NOT broadcast my death on this joke of a show. And to think--the reviews on here are from 2013, in 2019 you'd think they'd make some changes taking into consideration our reviews that all say the same exact thing. Awful show.
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nickylay23 April 2020Fantastic content BUT narrative makes it out to be a joke. TOTALLY DISRESPECTFUL TO THE CASES.
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melissajo-27 September 2019Yuck. As others have said, the narration is terrible, essentially making light of the crimes with dumb puns and word associations. I love true crime shows and was trying to find another series to start but this is not it.
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jb95620 February 2015I RARELY write reviews on anything BUT upon seeing others felt the same way about this show and its narrator/narration, I had to chime in and agree.
First off, I have been watching the ID channel religiously since it started. For the most part, I love the programming despite the poor, amateur dramatizations portrayed in many shows. But if there is any show that is nearly UNWATCHABLE, it is "Nightmare Next Door". And as noted above, this is a result of the narrator and his corny/insensitive way of telling the story...BS metaphor after metaphor that completely belittle the horror these people and their families have experienced. In my opinion, ID needs to do something about this. It honestly makes me want to vomit whenever I hear this guy's voice. I'd be outraged if I was the family of these victims! -
ucdana30 December 2015The narrator of this show sounds like he couldn't get hired for funniest home videos so he took his act to a murder investigation show.
His narrating is bout as creepy as a disheveled clown who reeks of booze, passing out candy at a trailer park birthday party. I can't watch anymore episodes. One was too much.
Since I have to add more to this review to get it posted, I would like to add that my son hated it also. It was very odd that the narrator switched from investigating a little girls murder to joking around about the investigating officer being a mommas boy in the kitchen who cooks pizza to get away from work stress. The way he narrated it sounded like he was talking about a cast member of dancing with the stars. Not really appropriate in context of a little childs murder investigation. -
Kre4107 April 2015OK. I thought I was the only one who noticed what bad taste this show is.
Horrible unfunny jokes and puns (lowest form of humor)
As an avid ID addict, let me say that Susan Lucci and that cheesy excuse for a show should go too. They make every woman look like a model, use gratuitous sex scenes, and my gosh they even have a chick giving us details about how "good" their sex was. How does she know?????????? Furthermore.....who cares?
Ugh. Good shows are Forensic files, unusual suspects, cold blood, and homicide hunter.
I can only see Paula Zahn shake her head at the nonsense killing of a "beautiful cheerleader with Her entire life ahead of her who lights up a room, blonde and young...so many times.
The media bias about who get attention when they are murdered is so obvious...but that's another rant for another day. -
mariemined19 November 2014WTF in the world is wrong with this program??? The music and narration are both completely inappropriate. Like its some ironic post modern dark comedy or something? F@$%ing weird..... what a piece of sh@@ program.The narrator sounds like Joe Swanson off the family guy, and music and video "tricks" are lifted from one of those sh#$$y Paris Hilton reality shows from early 2000 or something? Garbage.
How could this be so awful?
Who was involved in the production of this trash?
Worst thing I have ever experienced in my life!
Buy it only to destroy it. -
laurawalters-2750022 August 2020This is the most cringiest true crime tv show I have EVER seen. Just read everyone else's reviews, they describe what is wrong with this show very well. Whoever write the scripts for the show and approved it need to be fired.
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edwardcolon-6289613 January 2019These are serious and horrible crimes; and yet the narrator is making jokes throughout the episode. Additionally, the show tends to add none appropriate music.
Totally disrespectful to the victim and family members. -
rebecca-gzym27 June 2023The only reason I watched one episode all the way through is because I wanted to know who murdered a young girl. Narrating things like the killer "didn't get what he wanted" or something to that effect, is so revolting and disrespectful. How did this show make it past one season? The narrator should be on Nickelodeon not on a show as heavy as this. I feel so bad for the family members who saw this...on top of losing a beloved family members, having these morons desecrate their memory. There is no way this show scores a 7....there are so many people involved in making a show like this and not one person said "this seems disrespectful"????
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joysbabygirl2 August 2020As others have stated, serious subject matter treated like an episode of your favorite, funny, late-night talk show.
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shaelynjbauer2 August 2020I had to check out the reviews on this 5 minutes in. The guy speaks like he's reading a children's book! It's disgusting how little care is taken in retelling the horrible things that happened to these innocent people. I can think of several true crime youtubers who would be waaaay better for this job. Please fire that guy and give his job to Danelle Hallen or Stephanie Harlow.
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mediamoversnews20 February 2013OMG. Confession time: I love this series! I think it's the best crime show on TV. It's my guilty pleasure. I watch episodes back to back. The stories are intense, but the fun tone of the writing and the narrator keep it from getting too heavy. Sometime I just like to listen to it while I'm cooking in the other room -- I don't even need the pictures to enjoy it. The reason I say it's a guilty pleasure: they are real-life murder stories, and I often feel terrible for the victims and their families. But I'm always amazed by the tenacity of the cops. Wow. Hat's off to Investigation Discovery for paying tribute to these guys. So, I'm hooked on this series. A word of caution: don't start watching unless you're prepared to get addicted yourself!!
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Just what other reviewers have said about the narrative content and style.
Completely unnecessary stupid sound effects.
Low rent. Thank goodness the style hasn't been adopted for UK true crimes where the victims and their families are shown the respect they deserve.
Grow up America's tv.