The Crime Drama Genre

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Joseph Straubhaar (2009) stated that television genres continue to develop over time in response to changes in audience tastes and original creative ideas. Indeed, television genres will keep on developing to meet the expectations and satisfaction of the audience. Crime drama series have become one of the most popular television genres within our society. It attracts the audience by dealing with themes and issues relating to the news and current affairs that the viewers are aware of. Crime fiction has various sub-genres including detective fiction such as Monk (2002-2009) where a detective investigates and solves a crime. Furthermore, Law & Order (1990-2010) represents the legal thriller and courtroom drama sub-genres as these crime dramas focus more on the struggles of the law and deal with many criminals such as rapists, murderers etc...and the strain of defending the innocent people.

However in this essay, I am going to analyse what is the enduring appeal of crime drama for a television audience through a close analysis of crime theory, the narrative as well as the gender of the crime drama genre. I will illustrate my analysis with three detailed examples of Oz (1997-2003), 24 (2001-2010) and The Bill (1983-2010).

Television has seen plenty of producers, writers and viewers attracted to crime and deviance. The crime drama series is not an unchanging structure but develops in an intricate relationship with audiences, media institutions, social contexts and other genres. Crime drama series’ structure often begins with some strains to the social order by criminal forces. Historically police officers or “cops” are good and the criminals are bad. However today we can notice “bent” cops and sometimes sympathetic villains.

F...

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...t London: Routledge.

Edmunds, M. (2002) “Europe Books Native Copshows” Variety Vol. 387, Issue 8, p. 17.

Gauntlett, D. Hill, A. BFI (1999) TV Living: Television, Culture, and Everyday Life, p. 263 London: Routledge.

Fontana, T. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118421/trivia

Julie Lescaut, TF1; (9 January 1992)

Law & Order, NBC; (13 September 1990)

Monk, USA Network; (12 July 2002)

Oz, HBO; (12 July 1997)

Straubhaar, J. Larose, R. Davenport, L (2009) Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology Wadsworth: Cengage Learning

The Bill, ITV; (16 August 1983)

Van den Bulck, J. (2004) “Research note” the Relationship between Television Fiction and Fear of Crime” An Empirical Comparison of Three Casual Explanations” European Journal of Communication Vol. 19, Issue 2, p.239-248.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/26/the-bill-itv

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