The longest running TV show in the entire history of FOX television network is America’s Most Wanted. The show is also the eighth-longest running prime time network show in history.  Many people credit this series as bringing reality television to the mainstream audience and launching the tidal wave of popular reality programs that have followed.

The focal point of one of the three episodes that aired on September, 19, 2009, occurred back in 2007 in Apple Valley Minnesota. The wanted individual targeted a particular bank branch officer as his means of robbing the bank.  He first made an elaborate call asking for the woman by name.  He then told her he had a bomb on the roof of the building and to do what he said.  Because of a bad connection the lady was able to get off the phone and get everyone out of the bank safely.

It turned out there was no bomb.

A week later this guy goes to the woman’s home and kidnaps her mother and son forcing the woman to take $25,000 from the bank for him. This second ploy works and he gets the money and officially becomes a fugitive of the law and finds himself on America’s Most Wanted.

I can’t honestly think of a more nerve-racking scenario than someone knowing your name, where you work and your position, then tracking you down and violating your home by putting the two most important people in your life in danger.  In this case, it was a mother and young child. The mental drama that was likely inflicted on this family was possibly a more terrible crime than stealing money from a bank.

America’s Most Wanted continues to rank high marks by the shows ability to recreate crime scenes and the drama as it actually happened. I see nothing keeping this long running show from continuing to produce episodes to help get fugitives off the streets.