The first season of the show aired in 2004 and although the show itself does not air anymore, its related shows namely The First 48: Missing Persons and The Killer Speaks continue to this day.

The show basically records the investigation of detectives and police authorities who solve cases of homicides that take place across the major cities of the United States. Ever since the show started it succeeded in getting popular amongst its viewers and has managed to make 22 seasons in total so far.

It got its name The First 48 as the show focuses mostly on the first 48 hours after the authorities receive a call regarding the crime. Till the 12th season, the introductory narration states that the authorities need to be on the go as soon as they receive a call for relevant crimes, mainly homicide.

If the authorities don’t manage to find a lead in the first 48 hours post the crime, then the chances of catching the criminal or solving the murder case are cut in half. This makes the first 48 hours very crucial for solving a crime and furthering the trial of the criminal.

The show features the detectives, authorities involved such as the cops and other mates of the investigation team. It also features the family of the victims and witnesses of certain crimes in order to identify suspects as soon as possible.

The series has been extremely popular in The States and was nominated for a Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award by the International Documentary Association.

The reality show had a few episodes as following episodes with the title After the First 48 which showcased the steps of the trial of the perpetrators of the victims that was filmed in the older episodes.

What is “The First 48”? Is it Based on Real Murder Cases?

The show is based on real murder cases involving the investigation process and the victim’s history or link with the murderer. The show also interviews the cops and the relevant authorities who give the details of how the investigation is proceeding and the data that they have collected so far and whether they have managed to get any leads on the case.

It has been filmed in major cities of the United States and in most cases, the crime scenes do not allow the media within 400 ft from the crime scene and allow only the camera crew of the show.

Because of the raw details of the show, it has garnered a huge fan following and continues to do so for which it has received a good amount of praises as well. For filming the episodes with different cases across the country, A&E Productions of The first 48 needs to have an agreement with different states for which they need to renew the agreement with the network.

The city of Memphis eventually decided to quit the agreement in spite of gaining huge popularity amongst the people of that state and people seemed to be happy with the efforts of the Memphis Police Department. One of the possible reasons for this decision will be discussed further in the article.

The true-crime reality show became one of the highest-rated shows amongst its genre. However, the popularity brought along a chain of acclamation as well as controversies. In November 2009, Taiwan Smart was charged with a criminal offense stating that he had murdered two of his roommates and was arrested for the said crime.

The show aired the episode of this investigating process with the name “inside Job” whereby Smart was said to have been the murderer. It was later revealed that the Miami Police made a mistake by misinterpreting the narration of a key witness of the murder which landed Smart in Jail.

Smart was released in June 2011, almost 2 years later, after a further investigation where Smart was found to be innocent in the case. He sued Miami city and its Police Department for pressing false charges against him.

The show seemed to be complicating the cases, because of which many cities ended up quitting the agreement with A&E for filming the investigations.

A&E extended the show by filming the detectives in the city of Atlanta and its Police Department where they investigate one of the most gruesome killings in the show.

The episode has been named ‘The Fallen Angel’ where a girl was brutally killed and her naked body was found in a park. This episode sparked fear and anticipation amongst its audience and also the people of the city.

The Tulsa Homicide

Unlike the authorities involved in other cases and cities, the Tulsa Homicide case gained a little more popularity because of its dedicated officers. The officers seemed to be more involved in the case and were praised for their engaging nature.

Also, the audience praising the growth and efforts of the authorities who had been in the show for quite a while and hence, were more professional on-screen and off-screen.

One such case that also managed to garner more than average attention was the one in Tulsa where a leader of a gangster group was sentenced to ‘Life Without Parole’ for Alejandro Santoyo Guzman who killed a man named Wilmer Flores after kidnapping him.

The show continues to investigate cases to date and seems to be doing well with the audience with the extended or the related shows of the original version. The reruns of the episodes of the older version of the show are still aired.