They even hunted the occasional serial killer. The show, which became a hit and then a cultural phenomenon, functioned as highly effective FBI and federal government propaganda.

Almost seven months earlier, on Sunday, February 28, employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) descended on a small parcel of land north-east of Waco, Texas. They intended to search the Mount Carmel religious center for alleged illegal firearms. Being savvy about the power of public relations, they invited media outlets to cover "Operation Showtime."

The operation went sideways, culminating in a shootout between the ATF and the Branch Davidians who lived at the center. Four ATF employees and six Davidians were killed. The ATF retreated and set a perimeter. Then employees of the FBI were called in.

The ATF's operation received immediate backlash. Questions were raised, from the legitimacy of the warrant to the decision to execute it in a paramilitary fashion, complete with attack helicopters. The FBI employees intended to resolve the situation and restore faith in the nation's federal policing community.