One of the more credible "reality TV" series, "The First 48" (which refers to the first 48 hours of a crime investigation) shows real detectives investigating real crimes. All POIs are real. There are no actors, no script.Each episode lasts about 45 minutes, and begins as the crime investigation begins. The episode then ends with the identity of the perpetrator. In between, cops query neighbors, talk strategy among themselves, search databases, make phone calls, and analyze forensics. It's gritty work. Most of the time, cases are solved, but not always. Usually, the criminal leaves obvious clues, as he or she is not very smart.Color cinematography is fine. Images are clear and sharp. Given the docudrama approach, editing is important. All the episodes I watched had fine editing. In voice-over, a narrator describes what's going on and why, to help guide viewers.My only complaint is that some episodes are sewn together in one long sequence. You get the setup for "Loved To Death" (for example), only to be interrupted by the setup for "Unmasked" (a different episode). Then during "Unmasked", the program switches back to "Loved To Death". This back-and-forth presentation of two episodes is annoying. It kills each story's continuity.I'm not fond of the "reality-TV" genre. But here, the action is not contrived. And there are no Hollywood "stars", mercifully! Overall, "The First 48" is a fine series that at least tries to introduce some reality into a film genre that historically has been way too glamorized.

The First 48 is police work as it is, without the high production values (light filters, Massive Attack tunes, and clean crime labs) and professional writing staffs. The documentary style brings the viewer right into the investigations and presents the Job better than Dennis Leary ever could.Each episode, as far as I can tell, is divided into two separate story lines that follows the course of two cases in different cities. Dallas, Phoenix, Kansas City, Detroit, Memphis and Miami tend to dominate the series. It would do the show well to expand to other cities, yet to be CSIed like Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Buffalo, Houston, New Haven, and Montreal even. These cases are not always resolved in the critical first two days of an investigation, and this lets the public audience in on the life of Homicide detectives.The life entails long shifts without sleep, spent following leads and witnesses that often times don't have anything to offer the investigation. When the cases are brought to trial, the evidence and the story tends to present itself serendipitously and when the cases go nowhere the show remains resolved. Homicide Detectives invest their lives into those of the Dead, and it becomes clear how important their work truly is for safety and protection of the rest of us.The better fictional police shows on Network Television, Cable and HBO, like CSI, the Closer, the Wire and the Helen Mirren PrimeSuspect series follow the precepts of the First 48. Bad things can happen and cases become cold and forgotten, buried underneath new homicides. Despite this, the First 48 is refreshing because it shows the Police as human beings, subject to the imperfections that most Television shows fail to recognize or portray as more than caricatures, artificial dialogue devices and empty.The series is well-edited and paced. It has pleasant time-lapse photography of cityscapes to serve as transitions to contain the 'action' within an hour-long show, and the separate cases breaks up the monotony. If you are looking for non-stop action, thrilling car cases, and low-cut sweaters; this show is not for you.Its real. Its boring, but its Real. A&E has another terrific show to compliment its catalogue and its a lot less preachy than Dog: The Bounty Hunter.

I believe this is the 2nd or 3rd season and I am hooked completely. No CSI Miami here this is the real deal. Very intriguing from start to finish and it shows how the homicide units of different police department across the USA, really work. Highly recommended if you are a reality/true crime buff. I only wish they would come out with more episodes as I have seen everyone, some 2 or 3 times as A and E shows them throughout the week. My favorite season was the first and some of the real life characters are on other documentaries on A and E. The show takes you from the moment the call comes in until the solving of the cases and all the internal work that goes into gathering evidence and following leads. Also the interrogation of suspects is spotlighted in each episode. Once you watch one episode it will be on your DVR list for sure.

This show is really a great show in My opinion. It shows the real thing. Its on the A&E channel every week. The cases are good and can be violent because these things are really happening and are not made up. I would not recommend a young child to watch this program without the guidance of a parent. The show gives the viewer the knowledge of how the detectives do their work that is not as easy as you would think. The show is an excellent program to watch for people who love to see real crimes getting solved and killers getting jailed. If you like to see real crimes getting solved then I strongly recommend that you check out the A&E channel and watch this show today!