48 Hours is a true crime, investigative journalism, and newsmagazine program that has aired on CBS since 1988. The show grew out of a 1986 CBS special, “48 Hours on Crack Street,” which followed events in New York City over 48 hours during the crack cocaine epidemic. It has since won 29 Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards.
The show transitioned into its current format in the mid-2000s, focusing mainly on true crime documentaries. Since then, it has presented one in-depth mystery per episode rather than multiple shorter segments. Episodes today often run as two-hour specials or air as back-to-back hours, depending on the story. In 2013, footage from a 48 Hours episode on the murder of Travis Alexander was used as evidence in the trial of Jodi Arias — the first time the show’s footage played a role in a death penalty case.
The show has gone through several names and hosting eras since its debut. Dan Rather served as the primary host for the show’s first 14 years on air. In 2002, Lesley Stahl took over hosting duties, and the show was renamed 48 Hours Investigates. By 2004, it adopted its single-topic format under the title 48 Hours Mystery, doing away with a single host in favor of narration by the correspondent assigned to each story.
Today, the show is led by veteran CBS News correspondents Peter Van Sant, Anne-Marie Green, Erin Moriarty, and Natalie Morales. Erin Moriarty has been a correspondent since 1990, while Peter Van Sant has also spent decades reporting for the program. With over 1,494 episodes across 38 seasons, 48 Hours remains one of the longest-running primetime programs in American television history.
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