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The First 48 (2004)

16 30 seasons 610 episodes 45 min Crime, Documentary and Drama

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7.9

Synopsis

The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.

About the series

The First 48 is an American documentary news magazine television series on A&E filmed in various cities in the United States, offering an insider's look at the real-life world of homicide investigators. While the series often follows the investigations to their end, it usually focuses on their first 48 hours, hence the title.

Each episode picks one or more homicides in different cities, covering each alternately, showing how detectives use forensic evidence, look outs, witness interviews, and other advanced investigative techniques to identify suspects. While most cases are solved within the first 48 hours, some go on days, weeks, months or even years after the first 48.

The series was nominated for a Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award in the Continuing Series category by the International Documentary Association. By season 6, The First 48 had become the highest-rated non-fiction justice series on television and had gained critical acclaim along with controversy. The season 8 episode "Gone", which aired on January 1, 2009, garnered a domestic audience of 2.3 million viewers, becoming the series' most-watched episode at the time. In Season 4, the series began producing and airing episodes in high definition.

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The First 48 is an American documentary news magazine television series on A&E filmed in various cities in the United States, offering an insider's look at the real-life world of homicide investigators. While the series often follows the investigations to their end, it usually focuses on their first 48 hours, hence the title.

Each episode picks one or more homicides in different cities, covering each alternately, showing how detectives use forensic evidence, look outs, witness interviews, and other advanced investigative techniques to identify suspects. While most cases are solved within the first 48 hours, some go on days, weeks, months or even years after the first 48.

The series was nominated for a Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award in the Continuing Series category by the International Documentary Association. By season 6, The First 48 had become the highest-rated non-fiction justice series on television and had gained critical acclaim along with controversy. The season 8 episode "Gone", which aired on January 1, 2009, garnered a domestic audience of 2.3 million viewers, becoming the series' most-watched episode at the time. In Season 4, the series began producing and airing episodes in high definition.

Title sequence

Until the first episode of the 12th season, the opening title sequence featured the conceptual statement "For homicide detectives, the clock starts ticking the moment they are called. Their chance of solving a murder is cut in half if they don't get a lead within the first 48 hours." The original soundtrack, opening title theme and dark ambient sound design for the overall program was composed by Chuck Hammer (2004–2006). Later composers included Brian and Justin Deming (2006–2008) and Paul Brill (2008–2018), who continued with a combination of dark ambient music integrated with sound design.

Episodes

Spin-offs

The series has several follow-up episodes entitled "After the First 48"—detailing the trials of those accused in previous episodes—and the aftermath of victims' survivors. The First 48: Missing Persons follows the same story format as the original series. "The Killer Speaks" depicts convicted felons as they describe their crimes through their first-hand accounts. "The First 48 Presents Critical Minutes" looks back at some of the most unforgettable moments in the series’ history. Hosted by former First 48 detectives, each episode presents different cases previously featured on the show, all with a common theme such as “The Case That Haunts Me,” “Heat of the Moment,” “Shocking Confessions,” “Rookie Detectives,” “Women of Homicide,” and “Caught on Camera.”

"Critical Minutes" is also a spin off from The First 48 Hours.

Reception

The First 48 has received generally positive reviews from television critics. Linda Stasi of the New York Post called it, "Riveting." Ken Tucker of Yahoo News wrote, "Addictive."

Controversy

On November 18, 2009, 21-year-old Taiwan Smart of Miami was charged with two counts of second-degree murder of his two roommates in Little Haiti. His story aired later as an episode titled "Inside Job." Evidence later established that police made important mistakes in their investigation. Additionally, The First 48 misrepresented a key witness' statement on the program. Smart was released in June 2011 and has since sued the city of Miami for false imprisonment. The episode, which originally aired on July 15, 2010, continues to air without correction. In 2014, the city of Miami announced that it would not be renewing its contract with A&E, ending the filming of any future episodes of The First 48 there.

On May 16, 2010, 7-year-old Aiyana Jones of Detroit was shot and killed during a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) raid that was recorded by The First 48 cameras. Detroit SWAT units raided the duplex while searching for a homicide suspect. On October 5, 2011, prosecutors charged the Detroit police officer with the involuntary manslaughter of Jones. Allison Howard, an A&E Television Network camera operator filming that night, was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice after lying under oath. She pleaded no contest to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to two years of probation.

On December 16, 2015, Shawn Peterson pled guilty to manslaughter for the triple murder of his ex-girlfriend, Christine George, her son, Leonard and her daughter, Trisa in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans. Peterson's defense attorneys argued that producers from The First 48 withheld video evidence that could have exonerated their client. A judge rejected the motion but conceded that the show did complicate the case. In 2016, the city of New Orleans announced that it would be ending its contract with A&E, ending any future productions of The First 48 or Nightwatch, another A&E show set in New Orleans. On November 6, 2020, it was announced that filming for Nightwatch would resume in New Orleans after a three-year hiatus, but no such announcement was made for The First 48.

References

External links

Official website

The First 48 at IMDb

Text from The First 48 on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_48

Seasons

Cast

Production

Tags

Questions about the series The First 48

What is The First 48 about?

The First 48: The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.

How many seasons does The First 48 have?

The First 48 has 30 seasons, with 610 episodes in total.

Is The First 48 still running?

The First 48 is still running, with new episodes expected.

How long is each episode of The First 48?

Each episode of The First 48 runs about 45 minutes.

Who stars in The First 48?

The cast of The First 48 includes Dion Graham.

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Page updated on 09/13/2026.