#Best dateline episodes podcast series

One of its only restraints is its lack of two-hour episodes. As should be the case, it has too much to share.įinal Verdict: CBS has an ambitious, informative series. In a substantial differential, “48 Hours” does not repeat itself either.

#Best dateline episodes podcast series

The CBS series also takes a look at lesser-known cases, and the steely, competent voice of Erin Moriarty has been an enormous asset to it. In another differential, CBS’ signature news magazine occasionally takes a dive outside of murder mysteries into mysteries, period. “48 Hours” has recently focused more on breaking cases without resolution in a possible bid to beat competitors to the story. Lately, “48 Hours” has focused on cases that have not gotten entirely resolved, abiding by less of a formula. Unlike its counterparts, the series tends to focus on the investigation and the courtroom showdown that follows. When you want to know the facts, “48 Hours” is there for you. Must-See Episode: “Murder and Scandal in Chicagoland” and “The Affair” While there are usually not as many interviews with victims’ families, “20/20” consistently offers a two-hour take on a case, which allows for a rather thorough investigation.įinal Verdict: “20/20” earns the bronze with its slick storytelling. There are often answers to the probing questions it begs with the various talking heads providing info.

In a world where it is difficult to provide new details, “20/20” dares to do that. It often revisits “old” cases and offers a wide range of commentators. To its credit, though, “20/20” tends to cover crime stories its competitors would not. For those who prefer to know about the aftermath of the lives involved in the cases, “20/20” provides insight, as seen in the recent “ Gone Girl” episode. Overall, the makeover has worked to smooth out the edges of “20/20” and its style. The confessional style approach still shows select excerpts from the interviews, allowing viewers to see how the question got asked. Instead, “20/20” journalists talk to the camera about the facts of the case. Gone is a reporter’s one-on-one interview with relevant subjects. You will find a tremendous ability to streamline often complicated human interest pieces to convey a coherent narrative that tells the story of who and why without an adaptation’s “artistic license.” Here is who does it the best.ĪBC’s stalwart news magazine has upped its game in recent years by taking a more documentation approach to its rendering. You will not find Errol Morris’s reenactments or Netflix’s cinematic take on any of the network news magazines. This, leading one to ask, which one of the three does it the best? Sometimes, it takes three shows to learn the truth, or at least gather the whole picture. Inevitably, one show shares a detail the other left out of its coverage. Each show does so in its unique style, with some having a more appealing take than others.īecause of that, when “Dateline,” “20/20,” and “48 Hours” cover the same crime story, it is not a massive eye roll. NBC (“Dateline”), CBS (“48 Hours”), and ABC (“20/20”) have had their competing news magazines on the ground working to report on the shocking crimes that unfold across the country, mainly murders. What is the best true crime show on network TV? Long before true crime became the booming genre behind podcasting, network television was on the frontier.