| America's Most Wanted | |
|---|---|
| Format | News Reality Reenactment Criminal Investigation |
| Presented by | John Walsh |
| Narrated by | Don LaFontaine (1988–2008) Wes Johnson (2008–present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 24 |
| No. of episodes | 1141 (as of December 2, 2011) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | John Walsh |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) | 20th Television |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Fox (1988-2011) Lifetime (2011–present) |
| Original run | February 7, 1988 – Present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
America's Most Wanted is an American television program[1][2] produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode airing on June 18, 2011. The following September, America's Most Wanted's creator and host, John Walsh, announced that the program would resume on the cable network Lifetime later that year.[3]
Presented by Walsh, the show's purpose is to profile and assist law enforcement in the apprehension of fugitives wanted for various crimes, including murder, rape, kidnapping, child molestation, white collar crime, organized crime, armed robbery, gang violence, and terrorism, and also many of whom are currently on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. On May 2, 2008, the program's website announced its 1,000th capture; as of December 19, 2011, 1,165 people have been captured because of AMW. Many of the series' cases have some connection outside the United States or have not taken place in the United States at all. The series' first international capture was in Nova Scotia in 1989.
The show's nature does not allow repeats, except for updates on convicted criminals, and is preempted a maximum of eight times during the year; however, if a fugitive featured on the show is not captured, their profile may be aired again.
The first two-hour quarterly special aired on Saturday, October 29, 2011 on FOX.[4]
Contents |
The concept for America’s Most Wanted originally came from a German show Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst (German language File Number XY... Unsolved) that first aired in 1967, and the British show Crimewatch, first aired in 1984, with the US version conceived by Fox executive Stephen Chao and Executive Producer Michael Linder in the summer of 1987. Even earlier, however, CBS aired a three-month half-hour similar series hosted by Walter McGraw in the 1955-1956 season entitled Wanted.
It premiered on February 7, 1988 on seven Fox-owned stations. Within four days of the first broadcast, FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive David James Roberts was captured as a direct result.[5] He was a convicted killer who had recently escaped from prison by digging his way out with a small axe. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the show's "Watch Television, Catch Criminals" premise to skeptical law enforcement agencies. Ten weeks later, the program premiered nationwide on the Fox network and became the fledgling network's first hit series. Since its debut, it has become the longest-running series on the Fox Network.
America's Most Wanted reinvented the economics of prime time television with its low-budget reenactments of crimes. A typical hour of prime time programming in 1988 cost $1 million to produce. AMW's initial budget was much lower than that. The show's reality-style format and nearly instantaneous captures (some fugitives were captured before the episode's final credits rolled) contributed to its success.
After the program’s pilot aired, a lengthy search was conducted, and John Walsh was selected as the host of the show; other potential candidates included former Marine Corps Commandant General P. X. Kelly and victims' advocate Theresa Saldana. Walsh had gained publicity after his six-year-old son, Adam Walsh, was kidnapped and murdered in 1981. Walsh and others had successfully advocated Congress for the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The show usually ends with John Walsh saying, "...and remember, you can make a difference", or, on occasion, "...and remember, you do make a difference."
The announcer heard on the show for its first two decades was voice-over artist Don LaFontaine, who died on September 1, 2008. The next episode was dedicated to him. He was replaced by voice actor Wes Johnson.[6]
The program was canceled[7] for a month and a half in the fall of 1996, per a decision made the previous spring in the wake of high production costs. In its place, Fox moved Married… with Children (then entering what soon became its final season) to 9/8c, with the new sitcom Love and Marriage following it at 9:30. Cops remained in its hour-long 8/7c block. However, protests from the public, law enforcement, and government officials, including the governors of 37 states, as well as low ratings for the shows replacing AMW encouraged Fox to bring the show back. Love and Marriage was canceled, and Married… with Children was moved back to Sundays. Producers rechristened AMW with an expanded title, America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back. Since this time, the America's Most Wanted/COPS combination has made Saturday evening Fox’s most stable night, along with the longest unchanged primetime schedule on American television currently.
On March 6, 2010, Fox aired the 1000th episode of America's Most Wanted, and Walsh interviewed President Barack Obama at the White House. In the interview, they discussed the Obama Administration's crime-fighting initiatives, as well as the impact the show has had on law enforcement and crime prevention.[8]
The show began profiling missing persons, especially children, in 1991. Some of the most notorious captures include John List, the Texas Seven, as well as Brian D. Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee, the abductors of Elizabeth Smart. On May 2, 2008, the America's Most Wanted website announced their 1,000th capture; a New York City Realtor named Dwight Smith, who was captured more than a week earlier.
The show expanded its focus to also cover criminals in the War on Terrorism when, on October 12, 2001 an episode aired featuring 22 most wanted al-Qaeda operatives. The show was put together due to a request by President George W. Bush, who had presented the same list of men to the nation two days earlier. However, the first show that focused mainly on terrorism aired after the September 11 attacks and was two hours long.[9]
On May 16, 2011, Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly announced that after 23 years, America's Most Wanted, in its weekly format, would be canceled.[10] The final weekly episode aired on June 18, 2011, though Reilly said four two-hour specials would air on Fox in the fall 2011 television season. However, Walsh said he was looking to other networks to keep the show going, saying he had "many, many offers" from other networks.[10] Fox News Channel confirmed that its chairman Roger Ailes has had preliminary discussions with Walsh about bringing the show to Fox News, but said "nothing has been decided."[10] On the final Fox episode, Walsh promised to continue the show elsewhere, and told the Associated Press: "I want to catch bad guys and find missing children — and we’re not done."[10]
During the 2010–2011 season, the show averaged an audience of five million.[10] Within hours of Fox's announcement of the show's cancellation, campaigns to save the show were started by fans through Facebook and Twitter.[11]
In September 2011, it was announced that Lifetime has picked up America's Most Wanted from Fox beginning on December 2, 2011.[12]
| Station | Ch | City | Name | Airs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFDX | 3 | Wichita Falls, Texas | "Crimestoppers" | Weekly re-enactment during the 6pm news | |
| KTVI | 2 | St. Louis, Missouri | "St. Louis' Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 9:00 pm newscast | |
| WJBK | 2 | Detroit, Michigan | "Michigan's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| KHON-TV | 2 | Honolulu, Hawaii | "Hawaii's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WAGA-TV | 5 | Atlanta, Georgia | "Georgia's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | Georgia's Most Wanted segments were hosted by Angeline Hartmann prior to joining America's Most Wanted as a correspondent. |
| WNYW | 5 | New York, New York | "New York's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WTTG | 5 | Washington, D.C. | "D.C.'s Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WBRC | 6 | Birmingham/Tuscaloosa/Anniston/Gadsden, Alabama | "Alabama's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast. | |
| WITI | 6 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | "Wisconsin's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 9:00 pm newscast | This segment is produced similarly to a single story from AMW, and normally lasts 5 to 10 minutes. |
| WGHP | 8 | High Point, North Carolina | "Piedmont's Most Wanted" | Periodically, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| KECY-TV | 9 | Yuma, Arizona-El Centro, California | During commercial breaks throughout the day | Ads feature John Walsh mentioning the region's police, and an announcer mentions someone wanted in the area. Another ad by Walsh directs viewers to the station's website for more wanted criminals. Unlike other Fox stations, who usually air similar spots either after the news or AMW, they air throughout the day, as the station has no newscast. | |
| KTTV | 11 | Los Angeles, California | "L.A.'s Most Wanted" | Periodically, during 10:00 pm newscast | Presented by Tony Valdez. |
| KFFX-TV/ KCYU-LD |
11/ 41 |
Pendleton, Oregon Yakima, Washington |
"Washington's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, at 10:00 p.m. | Produced by KCPQ |
| KCPQ | 13 | Seattle, Washington | "Washington's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, after 10:00 pm newscast | Hosted by KCPQ news anchor David Rose. The show premiered on November 14, 2008, and also airs on Friday nights at 9:30pm after the newscast on sister MyNetworkTV station KZJO, channel 25 (virtual 22). |
| KSTU | 13 | Salt Lake City, Utah | "Utah's Most Wanted" | Periodically, during 9:00 pm newscast | |
| KCIT | 14 | Amarillo, Texas | "Amarillo Crimestoppers Fugitive of the Week" | Every Saturday night, during 9:00 pm newscast | |
| KDSM-TV | 17 | Des Moines, Iowa | "Metro's Most Wanted" | Periodically, during commercial breaks | Each spot lasts about 25–40 seconds, and features one locally wanted fugitive. |
| WXMI | 17 | Grand Rapids, Michigan | "West Michigan's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WXXA-TV | 23 | Albany, New York | "Capital Region's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WFXT | 25 | Boston, Massachusetts | "Massachusetts' Most Wanted" | Periodically, during 10:00 pm Saturday night newscast | |
| KOKH-TV | 25 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | "Oklahoma's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 9:00 pm newscast | |
| KMPH-TV | 26 | Fresno, California | "Central Valley's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| KAYU-TV | 28 | Spokane, Washington | "Washington's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, after The local News airing at 10:30 | Produced by KCPQ. |
| WTGS | 28 | Savannah, Georgia | "Savannah's Most Wanted" | Airs once a month; Full 30 minute show on FOX | Hosted by Crime Reporter Nikki Gaskins and FOX Anchor Jesse Blanco; John Walsh is featured in the show open & tosses to anchors on set; shows can be viewed on-line at: www.thecoastalsource.com; Keyword: Most Wanted |
| WTXF-TV | 29 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | "Philadelphia's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| KDVR | 31 | Denver, Colorado | "Colorado's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 9:00 pm newscast | |
| KRCW-TV | 32 | Portland, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington | "Washington's Most Wanted" | Every Monday morning, at midnight; repeated every Saturday afternoon, at 4:00 p.m. | Produced by KCPQ. |
| WFLD | 32 | Chicago, Illinois | "Chicago's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 9:00 pm newscast | |
| KMSS-TV | 33 | Shreveport, Louisiana | "ArkLaTex's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night during commercial breaks | Each spot lasts about 25–40 seconds, and features one locally wanted fugitive. |
| WUPW-TV | 36 | Toledo, Ohio | "Toledo's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night at 10:00 pm | |
| KTXL-TV | 40 | Sacramento, California | "Fox 40 Crime Alert" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WGGB | 40 | Springfield, Massachusetts | "Crime Files" | Every Tuesday night, at 10:00 & 11:00 p.m. | Even though WGGB is an ABC affiliate, WGGB does carry Fox on 40.2. |
| WDRB/ WMYO |
41/ 58 |
Louisville, Kentucky | "Louisville's Most Wanted" | During commercial breaks and newscasts | |
| KCYU-LD | 41 | Yakima, Washington | "Washington's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, at 10:00 p.m. | Produced by KCPQ. (KCYU-LD is a satellite of KFFX-TV in Pendleton, Oregon.) |
| WRAZ | 50 | Durham, North Carolina | "NC Wanted" | Daily at 10:35 pm | |
| WPGH-TV | 53 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | "Pittsburgh's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WXIN | 59 | Indianapolis, Indiana | "Indiana's Most Wanted" | Every Saturday night, during 10:00 pm newscast | |
| WALB | 10 | Albany, Georgia | "WALB's Most Wanted" | Every Tuesday evening, during 5:00 pm newscast |
Although not a Fox affiliate, Government-access television (GATV) cable TV channel KCSB-TV 3, San Bernardino, California, produces a program called "Inland Empire's Most Wanted". It profiles wanted fugitives from San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. It is produced in co-operation with the San Bernardino Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The program was originally called "San Bernardino's Most Wanted" and focused on fugitives wanted by the San Bernardino Police Department and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, but later expanded its focus to include all of the Inland Empire area (i.e. San Bernardino and Riverside counties). Thus, the name was changed to "Inland Empire's Most Wanted". The program is distributed to other local access channels in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
When America's Most Wanted debuted, the show's original toll-free hotline number was 1-800-CRIME-88 (1-800-274-6388). The last 2 digits of the hotline number changed each year (1-800-CRIME-89, 1-800-CRIME-90, and so on) until 1995, when it was permanently changed to its current number, which is 1-800-CRIME-TV (1-800-274-6388), which, coincidentally, was what the number had originally been in 1988.
About half of the phone operators seen during the show are actors.[13]
The AMW Dirty Dozen is John Walsh's list of notorious fugitives who have been profiled on the show that are currently at large. It is similar in function, though not identical with, the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list; three of the Dirty Dozen are on the FBI's list.
These are the current Dirty Dozen, as of October 21, 2011. They are in order as presented on the AMW website; the list is not ranked.
"15 Seconds of Shame" is a segment (approximately one minute in length) where the show features four fugitives that are currently on the run, each in their own 15-second briefing. The segment was introduced in December 2004. The run-up shows the charges against the fugitives, and where they might be. Aliases, tattoos and character quirks are also mentioned in the profiles. It was discontinued in June 2010.
"BOLO" stands for Be On the Look Out. It is a segment similar to the 15 Seconds of Shame, except it profiles one fugitive and has no time limit. There are usually multiple segments in one episode. They profile either known fugitives or unknown fugitives that have a composite sketch. It was introduced in late 2010 and used as a subtle replacement for the 15 Seconds of Shame.
"All Points Bulletin" is a segment that airs multiple fugitives one right after the other. It describes the crime, shows evidence, basic information, and a picture of the fugitive. It can be abbreviated as APB. It has been used occasionally throughout the show.
The "Break Four Tease" is an additional case usually aired during the fourth commercial break on Fox episodes. Lasting eight seconds long, it gives a brief spotlight to a current case. It gives the hotline number, pictures, crime type, and location. Missing persons and known fugitives have been been profiled in this segment. It was introduced around 2000, but does not air on the Lifetime episodes. [1]
"In the Line of Duty" showcased a police officer who got killed while on duty, whether during a shootout, a car chase, or anything else related to trying to catch a criminal. The segment was introduced in November 2004, and airs in most episodes. Usually shown near the end of the program.
The website for America's Most Wanted has a very active community page. Members from all over the continent give the latest updates on cases and it provides a forum to talk with other fans. It takes two days to become a member and some very basic information (username, password, email address.) Members must be at least 13 years old to join. A "Community" link to the forums can be found at the bottom of the homepage.
A digest version of America's Most Wanted is distributed to radio stations Monday – Saturday through Cumulus Media Networks at 15 minutes past the hour from 5 am to 2 pm (Eastern Time). It keeps listeners up to date on the latest fugitive and missing persons/children cases nationwide.