The FBI Files


The FBI Files is an American television docudrama series that originally ran from 1998 to 2006 on the Discovery Channel and produced by New Dominion Pictures. The show was cancelled in 2006. However, Escape, Discovery and its sister network, Investigation Discovery, aired re-runs until October 2012. Investigation Discovery only showed episodes from seasons 5,6, and 7. As of October 2012, the network now airs episodes from the earlier seasons, with updated information about the cases at the end of most episodes. Up to late September 2012, WE tv showed episodes from seasons 1-4, but the network had removed the episode introductions by Jim Kallstrom. In the UK on Channel 5, The FBI Files airs most Saturday nights before QuizCall. It has also been shown on TV Denmark, Discovery Australia and Netflix in Canada. All seven seasons have been released on DVD.

Synopsis

The show described actual FBI cases, with dramatic reenactments and interviews with agents and forensic scientists who worked in the investigations. The show premiered on October 20, 1998, and 120 episodes were produced by Discovery Channel Producer Tom Golden before the final original episode shown on March 24, 2006. The series covered the kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas, the investigation and conviction of John Gotti, the Unabomber case, the World Trade Center Bombing, the Sara Tokars murder case, the several prison escapes by Christopher Jeburk, John Birges's biggest bomb in history, and many other well-known and less well-known true crime stories. Unlike The New Detectives, a somewhat similar true crime show, The FBI Files centers on murders, narcotics, bank robberies, kidnappings, etc., where the FBI is called in to assist police departments.

Hosts and narrators

, a former head of the FBI's New York City office, hosted the show. Among other high-profile cases, he investigated the crash of TWA Flight 800. Allison Erkelens was head writer for the series' production company, New Dominion Pictures, from 2000 to 2005.
Anthony Call, an actor known for roles on the daytime soap operas The Guiding Light and One Life to Live, co-hosted/narrates all the United States episodes and some international ones. Susan Rae and Stephen Kemble were the narrators on several international versions of the show.
Lucy Longhurst narrated the international version of the episodes "Murdering Cowboy" that was about the convicted felon Claude Dallas and "Deadly Paradise" about the "Sea Wind Murders" on Palmyra Atoll.
Peter Dickson narrated the international version of the episodes "A Model Killer" that was about the slain serial killer Christopher Wilder and "Cat and Mouse" about the 1985 search for South Carolina's convicted serial killer Larry Gene Bell.
Among those Susan Rae did was "Dishonoured" about the 1989 disappearance of USMC Capt. Shirley Russell, and the joint FBI – NIS investigation of her husband, former USMC Capt. Robert Russell and "When Seconds Count" about when a 12-year-old girl was abducted from her home in Lodi, California.
Among those Stephen Kemble did was "The Price of Greed" about the 1997 Los Angeles Dunbar Armored robbery.
Among those international versions Call did was "Omega 7" about the Omega 7 group and "Dangerous Cause" about the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña group.
Ben Ando also did some voice overs in the UK.

Episodes

DVD releases

has released all seven seasons of The FBI Files on DVD in Region 1.