Finally, The Definitive Ranking Of True-Crime Newsmagazine Hosts You've Been Clamoring For!

[Primetimer]

Stephanie Green ranks the five most intriguing Dateline NBC and 48 Hours correspondents and anchors, based on how endearing she finds their respective tics!

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[justaliza]

This is SO close to a perfect list.. except Keith Morrison should have been number ONE. The man is pure, hokey, poetry and no one can turn a ridiculous sentence into lilting music like he can!

Also- no Josh Mankiewicz? He's firmly in the middle for me (and rising) while Chris Hansen is notably the WORST.

Yeah, so I guess what I'm saying is I'm relieved to see I'm not the only person who thinks about this stuff!

[lefawn]

Keith Morrison is definitely my number one. He's got a voice that can go from folksy and charming to creepy in just one sentence. I can't watch his reporting if I'm alone in the house with the lights off -- his voice always makes me think the killer's right there with me.

[Boofish]

I would put Keith Morrison at number one if nothing else for his resemblance to hard hitting Seasame Street anchor/favorite game show host Guy Smiley

[EDeck24]

I co-sign ALL of your Maureen Maher observations, ESPECIALLY the Mr. Burns-style finger tenting. And the green screen on Blue's Clues never looked as shitty as Maureen's green screened warehouse.

[BookeWorme]

I love this list - you definitely do need to add Josh Mankiewicz. I feel he's underrated in this genre, asking the most damning questions in a slightly quizzical, help-me-out-here-fella kind of way. But Keith Morrison MUST be number one. His pauses, his emphasis, his reference to odd, inanimate objects and the constant sense of "but wait, there's more" that he gives you is pure gold. I fully admit I'm not as familiar with the Maher oeuvre, but the subset of leather jacket-clad biker journalists to which she belongs would definitely propel her into the top five...just not number one. That is reserved forever for silver fox Morrison. (Although, Lester Holt...pardon me, Hester Lolt...sigh.)

[eteffi]

The thing about Mankiewicz is that while he's a good reporter and seemingly likable guy, he is low on the tic scale, and I tried to limit my list to correspondents/anchors who have noticeable tics or weirdnesses that I find charming/fascinating. Hester Lolt, of course, is not weird at all, except for his unwavering formality and inimitable, snazzy style. 

 

Also, all you people who are telling me KeMo should have been number one: I get it. I do. But if you watch enough Maher-lingering-in-a-warehouse-with-Mr.-Burns-fingers, you start to have some questions. She's just so strange! I want to interview her and feel her hair! (Is it a wig??!) Maybe we can agree that Maureen and Keith are tied for first? 

 

[biakbiak]

Keith being Matthew Perry's stepdad and reciting How the Grinch Stole Christmas will lays make him number 1 in my heart.

[zxy556575]

I'm totally on board with Maher and her bombed out warehouse. I could only agree with Keith as number one if the list was "intriguing tics that make me want to kick him in the shins." Maybe one day he'll murderize someone and fully achieve his desire to be the center of the story.

 

As his son-in-law might say, could he BE any more egotistical?

[Soobs]

Keith Morrison's creepy/corny corpse vibe is definitely my #1 even though it has been hard not to giggle when he's on as I'm reminded of Bill Hader's impression of him. It's so hilariously dead on.

[SoSueMe]

Keith Morrison has got to be #1 in my book. Maher is like a female Keith, a close second. Susan Spencer deserves an honorable mention. Heck, I like them all.....

[starri]

My person pick for #1 is Erin Moriarty. She is as tough as nails as an interviewer, and she tends to cover stories were there's a evidence that people were railroaded and she pulls no punches with shady prosecutors. Her coverage of the West Memphis Three (for which I believe she won an Emmy) was as good as Paradise Lost.

I would sub Susan Spencer for Troy Roberts. Troy seems a little dim to me, and Susan is just so delightfully snarky. You can hear her eyes rolling in her voiceovers.

[ButterQueen]

Keith Morrison is definitely number ONE. TLC has him now doing the openings for their Dateline reruns.

Maureen wouldn't make my list at all. Josh Mankiewicz is much better than she is.

Troy Roberts is a dud.

[Stealth]

Best: Keith Morrison or Erin Moriarty

Worst: Josh Mankiewicz and Lester Holt 

 

I know some people like Mankiewicz, but I find his narration completely insufferable. His smug never-changing face, whiney nasal voice... sometimes I can't watch an episode that looks interesting because I can't listen to him. 

[ari333]

Im  a pushover. Im ok with any of  them

[Rustybones]

Have to admit I have a crush on Keith.  And since Lester Holt took Brian's job, Keith has been promoted to introducing the segments as well.  Happy for him.

I don't like Maureen at all.  How many leather jackets does that woman own?

After watching Snapped for some time, I kept wondering what the female moderator looked like.  They recently showedher on one of the shows, I don't remember her name.  She has a very interesting voice and speech pattern.

[FanOfTheFans]

I like Keith and Erin best. 

I cannot deal with the voice on Snapped. It is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I too saw her in person moderating some show and she is an attractive lady physically, just can't stand her voice.  She wasn't quite as bad in person which makes me think she really exaggerates her voice for Snapped. 

[FanOfTheFans]

I almost forgot and shame on me for not mentioning my all time fave Lt. Kenda. That guy has dry wit in spades and always tells the story without any ego getting in the way. Even though he is also the investigator of the crime, he is very fair minded and he has survived his job with his compassion intact. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Do any of you watch this show on Oxygen?  The hosts for the show is NBC Craig Melvin.  I'm trying to figure out why.  His voice is really not suited for this kind of job.  I'm not sure why it annoys me so much.  

[cooksdelight]

Craig hosts when I watch reruns on USA network. The fact they shoot him not looking at the camera drives me nuts. And yes, his voice is almost yelling to get your attention.