'America's Most Wanted' to Re-debut on Lifetime Network
The popular crimes show "America's Most Wanted" will return to television Friday after being canceled by Fox earlier this year.
The Lifetime network picked up the show that will debut Friday at 9 p.m. The program will be shown weekly.
"America's Most Wanted" was on Fox's network for 23 years and led to the seizing of more than 1,100 fugitives in the United States and 30 other countries. It also helped in the rescue of 61 children and missing persons, according to the Associated Press.
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The show's host, John Walsh, said the program's raw, hard-hitting style would not change.
"It will be basically the same show," said Walsh to AP.
The match between "America's Most Wanted" and Lifetime network seems odd; however, Walsh said the match is a perfect fit. Lifetime usually gears its programming toward women.
"I've told Lifetime, `Most of the people we profile are cowards that have hurt women or children.' I think that's why Lifetime got it so much, and picked up the show," Walsh explained.
Walsh also said he was amazed by how many people went on the "America's Most Wanted" website and called its hotline after the show was taken off the air. Kenneth Craig, a child predator who was profiled on the final episode, even turned himself in five days after the episode aired.
"It will still be tough enough for people sitting in their living rooms to say, `My God, that happened to a real person, that's not a scripted drama,'" Walsh added. "And then get off their couch and go to their phone if they recognize the fugitive, and do the right thing."
The show previewed on Fox in 1988 and became the first Fox show to rank No. 1 in ratings in its time slot. During its final season on Fox, the show averaged an audience of 5 million people.
