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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 43d 11h•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)

    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)

    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)

    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 - The Fight for America's Soul
    8.6/10(45 votes)

    S29:E43

    America is on its knees thanks to the global pandemic, and a year marred by division and uncertainty. Dateline investigates why so many are now turning to religion and seeking solace in the spiritual world.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Dateline Season 23 Episode 27 - Infatuation
    8.5/10(14 votes)

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

    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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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Dateline

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

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

    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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  9. Dateline Season 20 Episode 17 - Secrets in a Small Town
    8.4/10(9 votes)

    S20:E17

    Investigators find an unlikely suspect in a woman's death.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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

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

    S15:E41

    No description available

    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)

    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)

    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)

    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)

    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 42 - Swept Away
    8.2/10(38 votes)

    S26:E42

    Two young people from opposite sides of the world find themselves falling in love on the eve of one of the biggest natural disasters in recent memory. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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

    S26:E52

    No description available

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Dateline Season 28 Episode 13 - The Devil Was Watching
    8.2/10(33 votes)

    S28:E13

    A Colorado woman vanishes. No crime scene. No evidence. No body. Would a dark secret about her marriage lead to clues that solve the mystery of her disappearance? Dennis Murphy reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Dateline Season 28 Episode 20 - Where Are The Children?
    8.2/10(26 votes)

    S28:E20

    An investigation into the case of two missing Idaho children making national headlines. The trail leads Keith Morrison to Hawaii in search of their mother and her new husband.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Dateline Season 29 Episode 16 - Race for a Vaccine
    8.2/10(44 votes)

    S29:E16

    Top executives at Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson talk about plans for COVID-19 vaccine distribution and efforts to overcome public mistrust; interviews with key advisors from President Donald Trump and President-Elect Joe Biden's COVID-19 task forces;

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Dateline Season 29 Episode 41 - Killer Role
    8.2/10(29 votes)

    S29:E41

    After filming wraps on an indie horror film, the cast and crew learn their killer star isn’t who she says she is. It’s a plot twist that reveals a real-life killer. Keith Morrison reports.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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

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

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

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

    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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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".