It’s the end of an era for the longest-running TV series on FOX. After 24 seasons, the network has cancelled America’s Most Wanted. It’ll continue as a series of occasional FOX specials but, as you might expect, the show’s no-nonsense host isn’t taking the demotion lying down.
Debuting back in February 1988 on seven Fox-owned stations, America’s Most Wanted found immediate success. Within four days of its first broadcast, one of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted was captured as a direct result. This made it clear to skeptics that the show could be a very effective tool for law enforcement agencies. A couple months later, the series debuted on the new FOX network and became its first hit.
The series was briefly cancelled in 1996 when the network opted to air sitcom repeats instead. Viewers and law enforcement officials voiced their upset and FOX reinstated the show. It didn’t hurt that the reruns weren’t performing particularly well.
Last March, the 1,000th installment of America’s Most Wanted aired live from the White House and Walsh and President Obama discussed the impact of the show and some of the administration’s crime-fighting initiatives. To date, more than 1,150 episodes have been produced. The official website touts that as many felons have been caught in part because of the show’s profiles.
The series has been one of the best-rated shows on Saturday nights for quite some time. Unfortunately, FOX entertainment president Kevin Reilly said today that the ratings weren’t enough to justify the cost. He said, “It has been an important show for us historically but it’s no secret to John, we have not made money on the show in a quite awhile. It wasn’t particularly viable.”
FOX has been the only network to schedule original programming on Saturday nights and Reilly feels that it makes more sense to air repeats of its drama series in the 9pm timeslot.
Reilly noted that America’s Most Wanted will continue on the network however, as a series of quarterly two-hour specials.
The show is produced by 20th Century Fox Television and STF Productions. Reilly also said that Walsh is in talks with other divisions of News Corp (which owns FOX) about the possibility of continuing the weekly series on another outlet. MyNetworkTV seems like a possible choice. Reilly added, “I would not be at all surprised to see the show pop up somewhere else.”
What do you think? Are you disappointed that the series won’t be on FOX every week? Has the show made a difference?
Wondering where the rest of your shows stand? Check our FOX cancel/renew page.
Image courtesy FOX.
America’s Most Wanted is one of the best shows on TV!! I always make it a point to watch, except for last night – my husband rented a movie. Today I was going to watch on the internet and am finding out that Fox is cancelling it??? More fugitives need to be caught!!
Are you guys crazy? This has been our saturday night destination for years. It has been a very useful tool. We always said if you do something wrong and they put you on AMW you will be caught no matter where you live. Many people had these criminals working with them or renting from them and this may save lives because they are turned in. PLEASE put it back on the air. To many scripted fictional shows. We need this real information.
This is absolutely RIDICULOUS. If crime didn’t pay why all the FICTION shows about crime (CSI, Law & Order, NYPD, etc) It’s like “why have law enforcement officers, certainly not because we pay them too much.” It can’t alway be about making money,;as human beings we need to have compassion and care about what happens to others . AMERICA’S MOST WANTED IS ABOUT TRUE CRIME, we don’t need fiction stories.
John Walsh , helped Law enforcement solve cases , I mean Fox TV has always been one of my main channels to watch , I looked for so many Saturday nights and it never came back on , well I was really very disappointed , because I watched
AMERICA’S MOST WANTED every Saturday night
SERIOUSLY??? Like General Hospital at 3, Oprah at 4 daily, everyone in my family knows 9 pm on Saturday nights I’m watching AMW. HUGE mistake! they helped capture the uncapturable! This 2 hour special every 3 months is BS! This show actually MAKES a difference in our nation! Hell it goes global even! I won’t sit by quietly.
Is the Nielsen ratings system, truly understand and welcoming the convenience and its popularity of DVR’S events? With the importance of improving Nielsen ratings system are they considering DVR events of an individual. Wouldn’t it prove to be ,more accurate of its calculation then the Nielsen ratings system ? Do you think Nielsen ratings system calculates, in all the ways people view programs, like DVD’S,internet and even on cell phone? Is the Internet and DVD’S hurting, networks and causing rating, at its all time, lowest ratings ever? If so, why can’t they set up where advertizement cant be fast forward… Read more »
I NEVER watch a reality show…..and NEVER plan to watch. However, I do watch America’s Most Wanted. The criminals will LOVE you FOX. You and the criminals have something in common: Many of them are all about MONEY and you are all about MONEY. Can’t you do something just for the sake of making our world a better place by keeping America’s Most Wanted on each week?
I just learned America’s Most Wanted has been canceled. It’s amazing how programming that actually does some good gets canceled. It was not surprising to read that Kevin Reilly, Fox’s entertainment president said, “We have not made money on the show for a while.” My question is how much money? And do the networks have to make a lot money on every program they air. What happened to the concept of public service? I would have to guess that none of the Fox programming management has had a missing or exploited child, or had any type of serious crime hit… Read more »
AMW is the only show on Fox that I ever watched. They are crazy to cancel it, but I believe another network will pick it up. Keep up the good work, AMW.
With whats being called TV entertainment these days it’s sad to see the one piece of programming that actually makes a difference on the street get cancelled. Fox pull your heads out we don’t need another worthless reality show but watching Walsh and his crew track down another bad guy is powerful.
I cannot believe that you would cancel America’s Most Wanted after 24 years. It speaks for itself that the show has great following since it’s beginning in 1988. John Walsh has done a spectacular job in working with the authorities and being responsible for the capture of over 1150 criminals who the authorities were unable to comprehend. This is a travesty that you have cancelled such a worthwhile television show that has done so much good for so many. I truly believe that you should rethink your decision and recind AMW immediately. There are certainly numerous other shows that could… Read more »
That is so pathetic to hear from Fox that they are cancelling the show. How can you do that if the dam show is so popular and helped so many victims around the world to put those bad offenders behind bars. I really don’t appreciate your move because all you care is about money and not the victims that needs this show to find justice. I think you should leave the show and go find something else to do instead of just cutting down shows that people loves to watch. Go feed your dog or something, take your wife on… Read more »
The closure this show has been proven to bring to families and friends of crime victims over the last 24 years and will continue to do so? Priceless! I don’t care about what the costs are, you can’t put a price on a show that goes to such great lengths to do this! Don’t cancel it!
I have been a fan of America’s Most Wanted since it aired in 1988, because of John Walsh and a few other reasons, I have gone back to school to earn my BA in Social and Criminal Justice with a Specialty in Forensics so that I can do exactly what Mr. Walsh is doing, that is finding the criminals of these murders and put them behind bars and help the victim’s families to get justice for the death of their loved one(s) and to have the perp sent away to prison for life without the chance of parole. If FOX… Read more »
I really enjoyed the following: Brothers and Sisters, Chicago Code, Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior, Law and Order Criminal Intent, Lie to Me, Medium, and Off the Map. Can’t believe the networks don’t give some of these more of a chance. Maybe they were just in the wrong time slot or not promoted enough. I will especially miss Brothers and Sisters, Chicago Code, Lie to Me and Medium.
Are u guys NUTS ???????? Taking off.. America’s Most Wanted.. it is one of the best tv show’s you have on the air. Why is it.. they always take the Good shows off.. and leave the stupid one’s on.. LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE, and leave AMW on the air.. America’s Most Wanted didn’t make it for 24 year’s on the air.. if people didn’t like the show.. WAKE UP!!!!! FOX NETWORK…. and.. Thank you.. John Walsh and all your hard work..I LOVE YOUR SHOW!!!
It is absolutely WRONG TO CANCEL AMERICAS MOST WANTED from Fox. We watch John Walsh every Saturday hoping that we could assist the show with finding these criminals. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE REALLY NEED THE SHOW. TERRORISTS AND THEIR PLOTS TO GET REVENGE AGAINST AMERICA WARRANT THAT WE KEEP AMW ON TV.
WHY DOESN’T Fox LOOK AT ALL THE GOOD JOHN WALSH HAS DONE FOR US IN KEEPING OUR STREETS SAFE???????????????????