Fascinating Facts About The Groundbreaking TV Show America’s Most Wanted

The Program Was Cancelled But Put Back On Air Six Weeks Later Following A Public Uproar

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In fall 1996, executives canceled America’s Most Wanted, citing high production costs. In its Saturday 9/8c times slot, they put Married…With Children and the new comedy Love and Marriage. Cops stayed put in its 8/7c slot. The cancellation did not sit well with fans, law enforcement, and other officials, including 37 state governors.

Ratings for the shows that replaced America’s Most Wanted didn’t fare well, so the program was resurrected as America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back. It stayed on the air for several more years. The program, combined with Cops, was the network’s most stable combination of programming.