48 Hours
Created by Judy Tygard
On CBS
A long-running investigative newsmagazine that pairs real crime's moral weight with procedural resolution, balancing suspense against the reassurance of journalistic inquiry and occasional justice.
This newsmagazine series investigates intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all aspects of the human experience. Over its long run, the show has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, driven the reopening — and resolution — of cold cases, and changed numerous lives. CBS News correspondents offer an in-depth look into each story, with the emphasis on solving the mystery at its heart.
Clusters
Genres
Where to watch
- StreamNetflix, Paramount+, fuboTV, Philo
- AdsPluto TV, The Roku Channel
- BuyApple TV Store
Questions people ask
Is 48 Hours sad? Yes. More sad than 79% of series.
Is 48 Hours scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 66% of series.
Is 48 Hours easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Does 48 Hours leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Is 48 Hours violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like 48 Hours
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as 48 Hours
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like 48 Hours, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like 48 Hours, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like 48 Hours, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
