America's Most Wanted

"AMERICA'S MOST WANTED," in my opinion, is a good news magazine show which has helped capture many dangerous criminals. I enjoy seeing John Walsh as the host. There are many reasons why I said that. Also, I had no idea that John Walsh lost his own son to violence until maybe a few years ago. If you ask me, it seems that many criminals seem to get set free on technicalities due to a lack of evidence or some other hole in a case. Still, I enjoy hearing about dangerous fugitives getting what they deserve. The only thing I don't like hearing about are when someone has been murdered or gone missing. Now, in conclusion, I hope this show never ends.

In the summer of 1981 in Hollywood, Florida when Adam Walsh was abducted and murdered it sent off a panic and fear all over the United States. The father of Adam that being John Walsh lobbied Congress to pass the Missing Children's Bill to facilitate the police in such cases all around the country and a national center for missing children was even created. Then in 1988 John Walsh with his special interest had a nationwide show "America's Most Wanted" which was seen as a criminal search. By 1995 350 profiled criminals had been captured with the help of viewer tips. This series is so popular that it still currently shows on FOX and has made host John Walsh so well known that he is considered a celebrity to many people. The most terrible crimes such as murder and rape and serial killings are profiled so this is serious stuff. John Walsh may have lost a son to crime but he fights for not only Adam but many other victims to show the rights of a victim must be noticed and most important of all the goal is to catch a criminal.

With garbage like so-called reality shows, Survivor, etc. which have absolutely no basis in reality, this is one show that truly deserves the title of a reality show, John Walsh has probably helped to solve more heinous crimes than any police detective in history. I don't watch AMW that often, mostly cuz where I live very little serious crime happens (I live in the boondocks), but I admire what Mr. Walsh is trying to accomplish, I think John Walsh deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his show, but I get the feeling that if he were to ever win such an honour he would donate the money to a charity that specializes in helping victims families cope with crimes that were thrust upon them by sick criminals.

I tuned into this show weekly for a number of years. As many have already stated, this show felt like an important one. It literally helped get criminals off the street! I think many of us felt like it was our duty to tune in; you never knew when you, yourself, might have information which could lead to a suspect's capture!

America's Most Wanted began as a mid-season replacement in early 1988, and now, twenty-one years later, it shows no sign of slowing down. To date, more than one thousand fugitives profiled on the show have been caught (or, in some cases, found deceased).

It is interesting to note that John Walsh wasn't the only person who was approached about hosting AMW. A number of actors were also considered, including: Treat Williams and Theresa Saldana. True crime author/former detective Joseph Wambaugh was another candidate for the job. However, the studio wanted John Walsh, apparently because he had the credibility they were looking for; the 1981 abduction and murder of his son Adam turned him into an activist, which resulted in the passage of laws that required law enforcement agencies to become more involved in the search for missing persons.

Walsh was reluctant at first, but the case of a fugitive named David James Roberts finalized his decision to host the show. A few days after the AMW pilot aired in February 1988, Roberts, who murdered four people (including two small children) became the show's first capture. Walsh was admittedly nervous during the taping of the pilot, and it was evident.

I still remember the day in 1996 when Fox announced its decision to cancel America's Most Wanted. This surprise announcement prompted viewers (including myself), law enforcement agencies, politicians, and government officials to protest the decision. The public outcry resulted in the show returning to the air in November 1996, after being off the air for six weeks. The day AMW was reinstated was a great day.

The show airs on Saturday nights. Although we have reached the era where Saturday is generally one of the least watched nights for prime-time television, America's Most Wanted continues to be a durable and consistently watched television program.