America’s Most Wanted

The bad news: John Walsh said goodbye to fans of America’s Most Wanted after the last episode aired Saturday. Fox cancelled the 23 year old show citing “high production costs.” It was one of the very few TV shows ever, that performed a much-needed public service. Nearly 12OO fugitives were caught after being profiled on the series. Back when the show started they had frequent crime “reenactments” with actors playing the fugitives. Several times viewers saw the actors used on the show in person walking around Hollywood and called the cops to have them arrested – assuming THEY were the criminals! After that the show was careful to hide the actors’ faces. The good news: John Walsh says other networks are interested in the show and he MIGHT have an announcement within 2 weeks. (Above, John Walsh and President Obama on the 1000th show celebration last year.)

We, along with John Walsh, are very disappointed that Fox cancelled “America’s Most Wanted” after 23 years of exposing criminals. It’s an institution! Maybe the only reality show that does something really good for the public. Fox claims it’s too expensive to produce – is there really NO way to cut the budget down to manageable proportions? (John Walsh has been demoted to two specials a year.) The show has nabbed 1,151 criminals at large during its run. How ELSE are you going to find out that the man who moved next door to you murdered his wife? AMW is too great a resource for achieving justice– hopefully some other network will see its value.