Crimewatch first premiered on 30 November 1986 with the first case featuring a case of unsolved murder of a 19-year-old national serviceman and a public appeal from the victim's parents. Less than two weeks after the episode was broadcast, police were able to identify and arrest the suspects based on information provided by viewers responding to the appeal. The series was met with positive reception and it has since aired on a monthly basis starting on 1993 with six episodes, before extending to ten episodes the following year. The series airs with only the Mandarin dubbing during the start, but it has since been extended to Malay in 1993, followed by Tamil in 1994. Each season of Crimewatch consist of ten episodes, aired on every end of the month between March and December every year, usually on the third or fourth Sundays, or every last Friday of the month, and every first Monday or Thursday of the succeeding month. Each episode featured a reenactment of crimes in Singapore that plays for the entirely of the episode and a short segment on other advisories. The segment ends with the presenter narrating the sentences for each criminals they received for the case, and offered advice to the public for their own protection and safety related to that particular segment. The 2012 season was preceded by a retrospective special titled Crimewatch 25th Anniversary Special airing 19 February 2012 revisiting the series most memorable moments and interviews by the cast. The special was hosted by television actorTay Ping Hui, which he also performed numerous crime television series such as C.L.I.F.. The 2012 season was also the first season to not feature narration which was implemented since the series' start. Episodes in English and Mandarin after 1993 and episodes in Malay and Tamil after 2013 can be found on meWATCH and on the Singapore Police Force's YouTube channel. Production for the 2020 season was postponed for two months on May and June due to the COVID-19 pandemic and no new episodes were aired; reruns of selected episodes took the place of the affected episodes.
Format
Each season of Crimewatch consist of ten episodes, aired on every end of the month between March and December every year, usually on the third or fourth Sundays, or every last Friday of the month, and every first Monday or Thursday of the succeeding month. Each episode featured a reenactment of crimes in Singapore that plays for the entirely of the episode and a short segment on other advisories. The segment ends with the presenter narrating the sentences for each criminals they received for the case, and offered advice to the public for their own protection and safety related to that particular segment.
