Fascinating Facts About The Groundbreaking TV Show America’s Most Wanted

Several People, Including Rudy Giuliani, Were Tapped To Host The Program

Photo credit: Yvonne Hemsey/ Contributor, Getty Images

Fox network executive Stephen Chao initially wanted former police officer and author Joseph Wambaug to host the series, but Wambaugh declined. Chao also tapped future New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani to join the show. He and Fox’s vice president of corporate and legal affairs Tom Herwitz eventually picked John Walsh.

Walsh noted in his autobiography Tears of Rage: “They considered the author Joseph Wambaugh, and a whole raft of actors—Treat Williams, Ed Marinaro, Brian Dennehy, Brian Keith, and Theresa Saldana, who had played herself in a TV movie about how she was nearly stabbed to death by some psychotic attacker. Then, during one of their marathon conference calls, Herwitz suggested me.”

How did law enforcement officers initially feel about America’s Most Wanted? We’ll find out soon.