Prime Suspect: ‘America’s Most Wanted’ Headed to Lifetime Network

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Peter Kramer / AP

John Walsh has said that "America's Most Wanted" is resuming its decades-long run on a new network, Lifetime

Memo to Fox: You think you can just end one of the longest-running shows on television and be done with it?

The creator-host of America’s Most Wanted, John Walsh, in a joint announcement with Lifetime, confirmed on Tuesday that shortly after being dropped, his weekly criminal roundup (which since 1988 has brought the best part of 1,200 fugitives to justice) now has a new home.

America’s Most Wanted is a seminal program that provides a very valuable service to both viewers and law enforcement agencies,” said Lifetime president Nancy Dubuc. “For more than two decades John Walsh has been leading the fight against crime and it’s an honor to partner with him on bringing back this important show.”

(LIST: Top 10 America’s Most Wanted Captures)

As for the main man himself, Walsh said that, “We’ve often been called the court of last resort. Now we are back in the game and ready to saddle up for another season to get justice for victims and put dangerous criminals behind bars.”

And that game is about to enter its 25th season, which is an arresting statistic of its own. In fact, you have to go as far back as 1981 for the actual origins of the project, which began in the aftermath of the abduction and murder of Walsh’s 6-year-old son, Adam. Since then, Walsh has advocated more stringent laws against sex offenders, increased cooperation between law enforcement agencies, and encouraging members of the public to help root out the bad guys.

In May, Fox confirmed that it was axing America’s Most Wanted, noting its expensive production costs. The final edition of the weekly show aired in June though the network said it would have four quarterly specials, beginning in October.

It’s turning into a memorable week for Walsh, as he’s also set to become the recipient of a special Emmy Award this Saturday.  At the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony in Los Angeles, he will receive the Governors Award, which recognizes a person or organization that has made a significant impact or demonstrated an extraordinary use of television. Before too long, Lifetime viewers are going to find out why he’s considered worthy of such an accolade. (via A.V. Club)

MORE: The End of America’s Most Wanted: Good News for Criminals, Bad News for the FBI

Glen Levy is an Executive Producer at TIME. Find him on Twitter at @glenjl. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.