Stream It Or Skip It: ‘America’s Most Wanted’ On Fox, A Rebooted Version Of The Series That Helped Capture Over 1,000 Fugitives

For the first time in 9 years, when the show was canceled after one year on Lifetime and 23 years on Fox, America’s Most Wantedis back on primetime. Replacing John Walsh as host is former ABC News correspondent Elizabeth Vargas, and she’s joined by two experts: Former prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney Yodit Tewolde and Paul Holes, the former cold-case investigator for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s office (he was instrumental in bringing in the Golden State Killer). Has anything else changed?

AMERICA’S MOST WANTED: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: As we see scenes of police searching a house and someone getting arrested, a voiceover says, “America’s Most Wanted is the most successful show in American history at catching America’s most dangerous fugitives.”

The Gist: The format is largely the same as when Walsh hosted the show. They profile 3 major cases, usually involving murders that have either escaped prison or have evaded capture. Two of the stories are told through dramatic reenactments along with expert interviews, and the third is usually told through news clips and interviews. In between those segments, smaller stories, perhaps some that made national and local news, are highlighted.

AMW, as it’s being referred to now, still has their tips line for people to call if they happen to see anyone that they feature, whether it’s a profiled fugitive, or two missing kids, like we saw in one of the shorter segments. They also utilize social media and some new technology. For instance, not only do they age up photos of the fugitives using advanced software, they put those faces on full-body “avatars” that pop up in the studio next to Vargas; they show things like height, style of dress, and even things like a deformity on one of the fugitives’ thumbs.

The fugitives featured in the first episode include Glen Godwin, who was featured in AMW‘s first season and is still at large after escaping Folsom prison in 1988, then being helped out of a Mexican prison in 1991 after doing an inside-job contract killing for a powerful cartel. The other reenactment was Eugene Palmer, who shot and killed his daughter-in-law in 2012 after she dropped her kids off at the bus stop; he’s still on the run, even though he’s now 81 years old. And the third fugitive, Jennifer Settle, abducted her daughter McKenna Butcher after full custody of was awarded to McKenna’s father, Michael Butcher.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Despite updated graphics and a new host, the new AMW throws off the same ’80s/’90s tabloid TV vibes the original did.

Our Take: Objectively, if we were to look at the functionality of AMW in the 2020s, we’d have to say that it likely has outlived its usefulness. The swirling graphics, the extras in the background that look like they’re fielding tips and tracking down leads, the reenactments and all of the other bells and whistles feel like a relic from the ’90s instead of a modern take. And social media — including places like NextDoor, which feels like it’s the headquarters for showing people on doorbell cameras — has done a lot of the heavy lifting with regards to citizens being able to report seeing crimes, reported fugitives or missing kids.

But there’s something comforting about having AMW back on network TV, despite its inherent cheesiness. They have made no effort, for instance, to clean up its storytelling and make more artful reenactments, like Unsolved Mysteries did. The reenactments are still poorly acted and look like they were made on a budget smaller than a local cable commercial. The tone from Vargas, while not as gung-ho as Walsh’s, is still pretty aggressive, mentioning over and over how many people the show has helped capture.

Cheesy or not, though, it’s a show that is utterly familiar, and one that puts its viewers in a position to be active instead of passive. Holes and Tewolde are good additions, giving their expert opinions on where the fugitives might be and how they have been able to hide for so long. And it tries to incorporate social media by showing tweets and Facebook posts at the bottom of the screen, despite the fact that the show isn’t airing live. It feels like a very good antidote to all the “important” shows that are on streaming or cable now, especially because it has a track record of putting dangerous people back in prison where they belong.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: Scenes from next week’s show, where we see a reenactment of a woman carrying out garbage bags filled with body parts after she dismembered her boyfriend.

Sleeper Star: We really, really want to know what those extras behind Vargas are really doing? Are they scrolling for brisket recipes? Trying to make COVID vaccination appointments?

Most Pilot-y Line: We haven’t talked about the “AWM Avatars” because we were waiting for this section. While they’re useful to show how a person might look from head to toe, they are creepy as all hell; we were surprised they didn’t haunt our dreams after seeing them.

Our Call: STREAM IT. If you’ve watched America’s Most Wanted over the past 33 years, you’ll know what to expect from its reboot. It’s odd to call a show about murderous fugitives comfort food, but it certainly is, both then and now.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.

Stream America's Most Wanted On Hulu