Bill Kurtis

Born: 1940-09-21

Bill Kurtis (born William Horton Kuretich; September 21, 1940) is an American television journalist, television producer, narrator, and news anchor. He has been noted for his sonorous voice throughout his career. He is most known for narrating A&E's true crime series Cold Case Files as well as American Justice. Kurtis was studying to become a lawyer in the 1960s, when he was asked to fill in on a temporary news assignment at a television station in Topeka, Kansas. His reporting on a devastating tornado outbreak, led to an on air news reporter and later a very successful news anchor position in Chicago. In 1982, Kurtis joined Diane Sawyer on The CBS Morning News, the network broadcast from New York City. The two were also on the CBS Early Morning News, which aired an hour earlier on most CBS stations. He also anchored three CBS Reports: The Plane That Fell from the Sky, The Golden Leaf, and The Gift of Life. He became especially interested in investigative in-depth reports and documentaries. When he returned to Chicago and for a time resumed his anchor duties, he also founded a production company, Kurtis Productions. Kurtis hosted or produced a number of crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files. Kurtis is the scorekeeper/announcer for National Public Radio (NPR)'s news comedy/quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, and served as the host of Through the Decades, a documentary-style news magazine seen on Decades. Kurtis narrated nearly 1,000 documentaries, and Kurtis Productions produced nearly 500 documentaries for series like The New Explorers on PBS; Investigative Reports and Cold Case Files for the A&E; and Investigating History for the History Channel. He also hosted American Justice, produced by Towers Productions. For CNBC, the company has produced nearly 100 episodes of American Greed. Kurtis has received two Peabody Awards, numerous Emmy Awards, awards from the Overseas Press Club, a DuPont Award, and has been inducted into the Illinois and Kansas Halls of Fame. In 1998, he was awarded the University of Kansas William Allen White citation. Kurtis has also authored three books: On Assignment (1984), Death Penalty on Trial (2004), and Prairie Table Cookbook (2008). In the animated series South Park, Eric Cartman owns a board game called "Investigative Reports with Bill Kurtis", featuring a talking Bill Kurtis bust. The boys can be seen playing the game in South Park's season four episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (2000) and season eight episode "Up the Down Steroid" (2004). The game can also be seen on the shelf of a hobby store in the episode "Cock Magic" (2014). A 1972 report by Bill Kurtis, while a correspondent for CBS News in Los Angeles, was used as the introduction to Dr. Dre's album Compton. Kurtis also contributed a spoken-word introduction to The Dandy Warhols' 2005 album Odditorium or Warlords of Mars.


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as Bill Lawson
Released: 2004-06-28

It's the 1970s and San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy is the top dog in local TV, but that's all...

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Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

as Narrator (voice)
Released: 2013-12-18

With the 70s behind him, San Diego's top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to take New York's...

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Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie

as Bill Lawson
Released: 2004-12-28

While Ron Burgundy's rivalry with Veronica Corningstone escalates quickly, a group of...

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'85: The Greatest Team in Football History

as Self
Released: 2016-10-01

Through never-been-seen-before footage and fascinating interviews with key members of the 1985...

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The New Explorers: The Science of Star Trek

as Self - Host
Released: 1995-01-18

How real is the 'science' in Star Trek?

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Live at Mister Kelly's

as Self - Narrator (voice)
Released: 2021-09-17

The iconic Mister Kelly’s bedazzled the country by launching superstars like Barbra Streisand,...

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William Allen White: What's the Matter with Kansas

as narrator
Released: 2018-04-25

Narrated by Bill Kurtis, this documentary that explores the life an accomplishments of William...

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Discovering Deerpath

as uncredited
Released: 2009-12-01

Discovering Deerpath is a historical documentary about the town of Lake Forest, Illinois....

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The Atlanta Child Murders

as Himself
Released: 2001-01-01

The Atlanta murders of 1979–1981, sometimes called the Atlanta child murders, were a series of...

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U-505: Extend The Experience

as Narrator
Released: 2006-10-01

This video invites you inside the U-505 submarine, the actual craft that stalked the waters of...

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Will Rogers and American Politics

as uncredited
Released: 2010-11-30

In the 1930s, with the United States mired in the Great Depression and teetering on the brink of...

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The Sopranos

as Bill Kurtis
First aired: 1999-01-10

The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he...

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Saturday Night Live

as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
First aired: 1975-10-11

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The...

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Cold Case Files

as Narrator (voice)
First aired: 1999-01-01

Explore compelling cases that have gone cold for years, chronicling the journeys of the...

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Cold Case Files

as Narrator (voice)
First aired: 2017-02-27

There are over 100,000 cold cases in America, and only about 1% are ever solved. With recent...

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Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks

as Narrator (voice)
First aired: 2023-08-17

Bill Kurtis examines cold cases that are solved through advancements in DNA, along with help...

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The American Revolution

as Himself/Host
First aired: 1994-11-27

Thorough documentary of how the American Colonies rebelled against England and the personalities...

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American Justice

as Host
First aired: 1992-10-07

Hosted by Bill Kurtis, American Justice looks at groundbreaking criminal cases, presenting...

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Investigative Reports

as Self - Host
First aired: 1991-09-27

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The Unexplained

as Narrator
First aired: 1996-01-02

The Unexplained is an American paranormal television series that originally aired from January...

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The Mafia: Empire of Crime

as Host
First aired: 1993-03-19

Dive deep into the dark heart of the mob with this definitive 4-disc set from HISTORY. A...

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Investigating History

as Self - Host
First aired: 2004-04-19

Using the latest techniques of forensic science, investigators re-explore some of the legendary...

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American Justice: Who Is the LIpstick Killer?

as Bill Kurtis
First aired:

The case of Willaim Heirens is examined by American Justice. Heirens was arrested in 1946 for...

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