"America's Most Wanted" canceled after 23 years on air

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

Host John Walsh

/ AP Photo, file

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - After 23 years on the air, "America's Most Wanted," the Saturday night show that has profiled criminals on the lam since 1988, has been canned.

Fox announced the cancellation Monday and will be replacing the show on the network's regular schedule with reruns.

Fox said it would do four, two-hour "America's Most Wanted" specials next season, but it will no longer be a regular fixture on the network schedule.

The series, hosted by John Walsh, debuted in April 1988 and has been on Fox's Saturday night schedule since 1994.

"We have not made money on the show for a while," said Kevin Reilly, Fox's entertainment president. "It was economically getting to the place where it was not viable anymore, but we wanted to keep the concept alive."

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by mrpoetry1 October 21, 2011 10:26 PM EDT: how dumb for FOX to cancel this show my wife and I watched this show every saturday we even have it on DVR Fox be prepared to lose a lot of customers . of coarse we already know you don't give a crap anyway. greedy selfish hateful despicable arrogant, did i mention GREEDY so and so; Reply to this comment


by esteladehoyos October 1, 2011 7:43 PM EDT: I can't believe this remarkable show was cancelled!! My family and I watched this show together and we looked forward to it every Saturday!! So sad to say like everything else "it's all about the money" and not what really matters which is helping people in times of need and giving the people a tool (this show) to fight back against crime!! You can't possibly put a price on that. I am VERY disappointed in FOX and totally disgusted with you!! YOU HAVE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE BY TAKING THIS SHOW OFF THE AIR!! DEHOYOS FAMILY; Reply to this comment


by supertrichardson September 24, 2011 10:44 PM EDT: man you all mest up taking a reality show off for the crap they play on my network now!!Im not satisfied at all!I am disgraced wit the cancelation of one of the best shows thats ever been broadcasted on television up to date!!!Please start back airing the one hour segment!!How would we know to be on the look out for or who's wanted without the show?; Reply to this comment

by Swilliams0813 September 12, 2011 1:17 AM EDT

This is outrageous! I have watched this show from the very beginning when I was just a kid! C'mon FOX get it together! This show is soooo important-how could you do this? Bring John Walsh back ASAP! He is a hero who helps get the bad guys off the streets and keeps families safe! How can you put a price on that???

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by google45 September 24, 2011 10:25 PM EDT: THIS SHOW GETs THESE MURDERERS & PEDIFILES OF OF OUR STREETS , WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU TAKE THIS OFF THE AIR ?
$$$$?_?_?_$0$0$ ! you guys have stale monies while "people "
are in need, and u don't care !


by di9473 September 7, 2011 2:08 PM EDT: please dont cancel this show. we love it. its part of my saturday night. and i love john wash. i will be disapointed if it dosent come back. lets do something to bring this show back. i am tried of good shows getting cancel and replace with junk.; Reply to this comment


by katyamiricasmostwantedfan August 29, 2011 9:18 AM EDT: my dad and i wached this show every saterday since like 2002 and its been that way through tuff time he was there too wach when my mom died in 5th grade and it was hard but my dad and I went to the show for comfert i dont care if its not makin money it was an amazin show and somethin to doo on saterdays at 9 like what happens when a guy breaks in to somebodys house and there like i reconize u from americas most wanted a wait noo i dont cuz they toke it off air soo how am i supossed to know who you are!!john walsh helps keep bad guys off the streets and helps people through the tuff time gives people a voice why take him off the air just have a finally for like a couple a weeks and then bring him back and see if u make money off of him!! reruns arent goin too work the show isnt really there for entertanment its there for people who need help or want to speak up like how are u supposed to know or reconize a guy if u dont know hes a criminal!! alot of people love wachin that show u should bring it back!! from his show alone hes caught 1154 criminals bc people see what that person did too somebody and reconizes them and calls!! hes been on for 23 years why take him off it doesnt matter if he isnt makein alot of money i wach him and other people maybe not alot but people care bout him and now my dad and i dont spend saterday nights wachin john walsh it was kinda our bondin night and u toke that a way soo you need too bring him back!!!; Reply to this comment


by SDun319 August 28, 2011 8:42 PM EDT: ONCE AGAIN..............YOU SUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by SDun319 August 28, 2011 8:36 PM EDT: My husband and I have watches America's Most Wanted since it began. We have planned our Saturday nights around this show. We love John Walch and every one involved with the show. This has brought so many fugitives to justice and closed many painful chapters to victum's families lives. How could you do such a thing? I am sure you give to lots of charities, so why would you not contribute to something that changes so many lives? I have to say I HATE YOUR NETWORK AND WILL NOT WATCH ANY OF THE STUPID SHOWS YOU PUT ON TO REPLACE "AMERICA'S MOST WANTED". I don't care about the Kardashians or any other pseudo-celebrity person or family in Hollywood. You have made a terribel mestake. You did it before when you cancelled this show years ago and the public uproar was tremendous. HERE WE GO AGAIN ! Put John Walch back on and do a service to America. Maybe your family will be the next to be helped by his devoted tv watching family. DO THE RIGHT THING !!!!!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by JarrodLowery August 27, 2011 7:23 PM EDT: You replaced Americas most wanted with a damn cartoon? Im deleting your channel from my tv enjoy your cartoons fox; Reply to this comment


by nyla33 August 20, 2011 9:55 AM EDT: i'am very very very!!! upset. this show has changed so many peoples lives. this show is not about money and ratings it's about catching scum and locking them up. it's about hope for family and friends so they may have some type of peace knowing that the person who ruined there life forever will be locked up. this show serves a VERY important purpose. HOW DARE YOU TAKE IT OFF THE AIR :( when you guys decided to shut down the show did you consider what this may do to the public? or was it all about your BOTTOM LINE. covering up a VERY BIG MISTAKE with likes of family guy and the simpsons is a slap in the face. thank you for giving a damn and thinking about me and countless others who depend on this show to keep us safe 24 hrs a day. GOOD JOB FOX. and i'll be sure to enjoy your wonderful reruns you nicely decided to put in place of AMERICAS MOST WANTED. shame on you guys... i will sleep very well knowing that family guy kept me updated on it's pointless episodes of ignorance.; Reply to this comment