The best true crime podcast on the air is back—just in time to give The First 48 fans a fix as they’re missing the best true crime show on TV.
While the A&E series is finishing up its fall hiatus, fan-favorite Jason White of Tulsa Homicide has announced that Into the Fire: True Crime Stories is returning from hiatus on Nov. 1. As usual, White will be joined by his longtime partner and someone else beloved by fans, Ronnie Leatherman. The duo were one of the most popular teams in the long history of The First 48, and they’ve now gotten more well-deserved exposure through the podcast.
Per White’s official Facebook page, the guest for Episode 30 will be retired Phoenix police officer Jason Schechterle, who survived a near-fatal incident where his patrol car caught on fire after a traffic collision. Schechterle has since gone on to become a respected public speaker, so this should be a very engaging episode, in addition to being emotionally moving.
In a relatively short amount of time, Into the Fire established itself as a must-listen not only for The First 48 viewers but for anyone looking to learn more about the law enforcement world. White and Leatherman’s guests have included everyone from actively serving detectives, to forensic specialists and former Tulsa Chief of Police Chuck Jordan. The ability that White and Leatherman had to naturally connect with witnesses and suspects has easily translated to the podcast space, and it’s great to see them in a more casual environment, but also still raising the level of discourse.
Jason White has his own place in The First 48 history by being the featured detective in the very first Tulsa episode “Ringside Seat,” and audiences now have another way to look back at decades of episodes. Samsung TV Plus has begun airing ads for an exclusive channel devoted to The First 48, which is frankly overdue considering how much the show repeats. Aside from A&E’s numerous on-air reruns, the show is a staple of the company’s Crime 360 streaming channel that can be found on Pluto TV and Prime Video. Now fans have a separate, specific streaming option to watch episodes for hours at a time… which is particularly effective with The First 48, given that the series evolves with every different city it comes to.
The channel is so far exclusive to Samsung TV Plus, but perhaps it will become an option elsewhere in the future. Its arrival and the return of Into the Fire are welcome alternatives to fans, who are waiting for new episodes of The First 48. The series has been in repeats for some time, although fresh installments of spinoff After the First 48 will return on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Into the Fire: True Crime Stories streams live Fridays at 8:00 p.m. EST on KGRA Digital Broadcasting, returning Nov. 1. Past episodes are available to listen to on their website and Spotify. The First 48 Channel is coming soon to Samsung TV Plus.
