Crimewatch (formerly Crimewatch UK) is a British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes in order to gain information from the public which may assist in solving the case. The programme was originally broadcast once a month on BBC One, although in the final years before cancellation it was usually broadcast roughly once every two months.

Crimewatch was first broadcast on 7 June 1984, and is based on the German TV show Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst (which translates as File Reference XY … Unsolved). Nick Ross and Sue Cook presented the show for the first eleven years, until Cook's departure in June 1995. Cook was replaced by Jill Dando. After Dando was murdered in April 1999, Ross hosted Crimewatch alone until January 2000, when Fiona Bruce joined the show.^[1]

Kirsty Young and Matthew Amroliwala replaced Ross and Bruce following their departures in 2007. The BBC announced on 15 October 2008 that they would move production of shows such as Crimewatch to studios in Cardiff.^[2] Young and Amroliwala remained as the lead presenters until 2015. Following a brief period with guest presenter Sophie Raworth in 2016, it was announced that the show would relaunch in September 2016 with a new weekly format. The new presenters were announced as Jeremy Vine and Tina Daheley.^[3] The new series began on 5 September 2016, with the final episode broadcast on 20 March 2017.

In October 2017, the BBC announced that the main Crimewatch series had been cancelled, citing declining viewership.^[4] The daytime spin-off series Crimewatch Roadshow (now Crimewatch Live) would continue to air, but will also air more episodes per year.^[5] Crime NI, a similar live monthly programme in partnership with Crimestoppers UK, was aired from 3 September 2021 to 11 April 2022 on BBC One Northern Ireland and presented by Wendy Austin and Dearbhail McDonald.^[6]

The idea for the show came from the UK programme Police 5 and the German Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst (File Reference XY … Unsolved).^[7] Producers viewed the shows and rejected the overt reconstructions with music to build suspense in America's Most Wanted, and were also against the idea of filming the reconstruction from the perspective of the offender as in Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst (particularly for sexual assaults).^[8] However, they favoured the idea of audience participation in the show.^[8]

Originally, Crimewatch UK (as it was then known) was due to run for only three programmes.^[9] It was regarded as an experiment when it was first shown due to doubts that the police would take part and^[9] scepticism as to whether witnesses and victims would welcome the idea. There was also concern that it could be considered to prejudice a jury. In over 25 years, 57 murderers, 53 rapists and sex offenders, 18 paedophiles, and others were captured as a direct result of Crimewatch appeals.^{[citation needed]}

The original theme music was "Rescue Helicopter" (1980) by John Cameron (Bruton Music).^[10]

Several police officers have appeared on the programme from the studio, including David Hatcher, Helen Phelps, Jeremy Paine, Jacqui Hames, Jonathan Morrison, Jane Corrigan, and Rav Wilding.^[13] For many years the programme also included antiques experts John Bly, Eric Knowles and Paul Hayes to help with 'treasure trove' details of recovered goods believed to have been stolen.^[12]

Despite initial police concerns about involvement^[9] (only three forces out of more than 40 agreed to participate initially), Crimewatch developed a special status with police and was credited with an expertise of its own, notably through Nick Ross' long experience with public appeals. Unlike the American equivalent, America's Most Wanted, Crimewatch itself usually appeals for unsolved cases inviting viewers to be armchair detectives. According to the producers, about a third of its cases are solved, half of those as a direct result of viewers' calls. Its successes have included some of Britain's most notorious crimes, including the kidnap of Stephanie Slater and murder of Julie Dart, the M25 rapist, the road-rage killing by Kenneth Noye, and the capture of two boys for the abduction and murder of James Bulger.

Over the years, Crimewatch has featured appeals from all 43 police forces in the country. 1 in 3 appeals leads to an arrest and 1 in 5 lead to a conviction. 4 or 5 requests to air appeals are received from police forces every day.^{[citation needed]}

At its peak, Crimewatch was seen by 14 million viewers per week. However, by 2017, credited to competition from other programmes, it had fallen to an average of 3 million.^[5] At the time of the programme's 150th episode in January 1999, it was reported that the average viewing figures were 8 million.^[14]

A study by the Broadcasting Standards Council found that Crimewatch increased the fear of crime in over half of its respondents, and a third said it made them feel "afraid".^[15] However, according to John Sears, senior English lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University,^[16][17] it provides a beneficial role, performing "a social function by helping to solve crime, and drawing on the collective responsibilities, experiences and knowledge of the viewing audience in order to do so."^[18]

Notes

A New Zealand version of Crimewatch was broadcast on TVNZ from 1987 until 1996 and was replaced by NZI Crimescene which was aired in 1997 and 1998. It was shown once a month on TV One.

In its first year, Crimewatch was shown on fourth Mondays at 8pm before moving to fourth Tuesdays at 8pm in 1988 and 8.30pm from 1989 (with a Crimewatch Update aired at around 11pm) until mid-1996. The programme moved to TV2 on 1 August 1996 and aired at 8.30pm on a fourth Thursday until it ended later that year.

Ian Johnstone presented the New Zealand version throughout its entire run, and was joined by Natalie Brunt (1987–88), Carol Hirschfeld (1989–93), Tiana Tofilau (1994) and Mairanga White (1995–96) as successive co-presenters. Calls to the show's special phoneline helped police solve approximately 1,400 cases.^[84]