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The Best Episodes of Dateline

Every episode of Dateline ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Dateline!

Binge this in 37d 12h•Peaking at 8.6/10

Dateline NBC, or simply Dateline, is a weekly American television newsmagazine series. It was previously the network's flagship newsmagazine, but now focuses mainly on true crime stories with only occasional editions that focus on other

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Dateline Season 15 Episode 23 - Body of Evidence (a.k.a. Bigamy Murder)
    8.6/10(162 votes)

    #1 - Body of Evidence (a.k.a. Bigamy Murder)

    S15:E23

    A preacher and a husband involved in bigamy says his wife ran away

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Dateline Season 15 Episode 40 - To Catch a Predator - Behind the Scenes
    8.6/10(44 votes)

    #2 - To Catch a Predator - Behind the Scenes

    S15:E40

    Tonight we follow Chris Hansen behind the scenes of this remarkably popular series. Whether you love it or hate it, it's hard to look away. The personal accounts and some very memorable confrontations are equally riveting in this episode.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Dateline Season 26 Episode 54 - The Threat
    8.6/10(51 votes)

    #3 - The Threat

    S26:E54

    A mother is murdered in her home and police suspect her husband is the killer. It takes 14 years before he’s caught and convicted. But it’s feared he could kill again. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Dateline Season 29 Episode 43 - Window of Opportunity
    8.6/10(45 votes)

    #4 - Window of Opportunity

    S29:E43

    A Michigan community is shocked when a local mother is found stabbed to death. After the case goes cold for more than a decade, a bombshell reignites the investigation. Andrea Canning reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Dateline Season 25 Episode 8 - The Man Who Knew Too Much
    8.5/10(29 votes)

    #5 - The Man Who Knew Too Much

    S25:E8

    After seeing a report on the murder of college student Michelle O'Keefe, a son asks his father for help looking into the case. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Dateline Season 25 Episode 24 - The House in The Woods
    8.5/10(36 votes)

    #6 - The House in The Woods

    S25:E24

    Andrea Canning reports on a case about a former hockey player, who finds his wife murdered inside of their home, but although his daughter claims that she saw a robber, the killer's identity turns out be more complicated than expected. Also, Josh Mankiewicz reports on a 23-year-old woman who vanished from an upscale shopping mall in Plano, Texas.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Dateline

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  7. Dateline Season 32 Episode 29 - True Confession
    8.5/10(46 votes)

    #7 - True Confession

    S32:E29

    After more than 20 years, the real killer of Idaho teen Angie Dodge is caught; a chilling twist in the story of Chris Tapp who had been wrongfully convicted in the case. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Dateline Season 20 Episode 17 - FR2018
    8.4/10(9 votes)

    #8 - FR2018

    S20:E17

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Dateline Season 25 Episode 7 - The Good Husband
    8.4/10(20 votes)

    #9 - The Good Husband

    S25:E7

    Police initially suspect natural causes as they investigate a man's death, until they learn about an unconventional love triangle, which points the investigation in a new direction. Andrea Canning reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Dateline Season 15 Episode 41 - Honey, You're on Hidden Camera
    8.3/10(36 votes)

    #10 - Honey, You're on Hidden Camera

    S15:E41

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Dateline Season 23 Episode 27 - Infatuation
    8.3/10(13 votes)

    #11 - Infatuation

    S23:E27

    An art student from Dallas who was murdered in her own bed with no signs of forced entry, which leads the authorities to realize that she likely knew the person who ended up killing her. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Dateline Season 24 Episode 20 - In the Shadow of Justice: A Bronx Tale
    8.3/10(17 votes)

    #12 - In the Shadow of Justice: A Bronx Tale

    S24:E20

    Now exonerated, Eric Glisson discusses the 18 years he spent in prison for a murder he did not commit.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Dateline Season 28 Episode 2 - Haunted
    8.3/10(22 votes)

    #13 - Haunted

    S28:E2

    Nearly 10 years after Utah mother Susan Powell vanished, private journals, home videos and emails shed new light on what happened to her. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Dateline Season 25 Episode 18 - Return to Manitowoc County
    8.2/10(11 votes)

    #14 - Return to Manitowoc County

    S25:E18

    A new hour of Dateline details the latest efforts to free Steven A. Avery and Brendan Dassey, featuring rarely seen video and interviews with key players in the case. Andrea Canning reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Dateline Season 26 Episode 24 - No Way Out
    8.2/10(11 votes)

    #15 - No Way Out

    S26:E24

    The idyllic town of Montecito was threatened by the worst wildfire in California history, then inundated by catastrophic mudslides. Keith Morrison reports on four families who barely escaped alive, and the rescuers who risked their own lives to help

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Dateline Season 26 Episode 52 - The Feud
    8.2/10(10 votes)

    #16 - The Feud

    S26:E52

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Dateline Season 28 Episode 13 - In a Lonely Place
    8.2/10(33 votes)

    #17 - In a Lonely Place

    S28:E13

    A California entrepreneur abruptly leaves his business to travel the world, and his family is shocked to find out he was murdered. The convicted killer speaks out. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Dateline Season 28 Episode 20 - The Black Candle Confession
    8.2/10(26 votes)

    #18 - The Black Candle Confession

    S28:E20

    A glimpse of a sobbing woman lighting black candles is seared into a 9-year-old girl’s memory. Decades later that girl reveals what she saw, heating up a long-cold case. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Dateline Season 29 Episode 16 - Point Blank
    8.2/10(44 votes)

    #19 - Point Blank

    S29:E16

    After Todd Chance is murdered, police follow a trial video evidence as they work to track down the killer;

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Dateline Season 29 Episode 41 - The Necklace
    8.2/10(29 votes)

    #20 - The Necklace

    S29:E41

    When a private investigator and former police officer vanishes, detectives think there may be more to the story when strange text messages start to appear... Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Dateline Season 30 Episode 4 - The Ascension of Mother God
    8.2/10(26 votes)

    #21 - The Ascension of Mother God

    S30:E4

    Family members and investigators speak out for the first time on network television since the death of “Love Has Won” spiritual leader Amy Carlson, known to her followers as “Mother God.” The case gained worldwide attention after deputies found her mummified body covered with Christmas lights in a Colorado house where members of the group stayed.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Dateline Season 30 Episode 15 - Echoes in the Canyon
    8.2/10(46 votes)

    #22 - Echoes in the Canyon

    S30:E15

    Insiders close to the case of missing Colorado mother Suzanne Morphew speak out for the first time.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Dateline Season 24 Episode 27 - A Place on the Sand
    8.1/10(27 votes)

    #23 - A Place on the Sand

    S24:E27

    The mystery of a Florida hotel owner's disappearance confounds family, friends and the detectives investigating the case.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Dateline Season 25 Episode 12 - The House on the Lake
    8.1/10(31 votes)

    #24 - The House on the Lake

    S25:E12

    Keith Morrison on the final chapter of Cal Harris' journey through the courts in upstate New York. Dennis Murphy interviews Dalia Dippolito whose second trial took a stunning twist in Florida.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Dateline Season 26 Episode 19 - Unspeakable
    8.1/10(42 votes)

    #25 - Unspeakable

    S26:E19

    A couple's anniversary celebration ends in murder during what appears to have been a home invasion, but investigators believe the suspect might be connected to the victim.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Body of Evidence (a.k.a. Bigamy Murder)" is the best rated episode of "Dateline". It scored 8.6/10 based on 162 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 1/9/2007. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "To Catch a Predator - Behind the Scenes".