The show drew its name, inspiration and original format from the September 2, 1986, CBS News documentary 48 Hours on Crack Street, about the drug crisis plaguing a number of American neighborhoods. The special attracted some 15 million viewers. The Original 48 Hours Intro showed a Video Camera with the CBS News Logo on it. Like the original documentary, the series originally focused on showing events occurring within a 48 hour span of time - hence the name. This format was eventually phased out by the early 1990s One of the contributors to that program, CBS News Correspondent Harold Dow, has been a member of the 48 Hours air staff since its premiere as a regular series. | 
