1. What is a Television Crime
Drama?
Defining the genre

2. A television crime drama
• Television Crime Drama is a genre (or type) of
TV programme.
• It always follows certain rules. The rules of a
genre are called the conventions (typical
elements) of a genre (type of programme).
• Watch this trailer:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBSkE6M8Vso&fe
• What tells you it is a television Crime Drama
programme?

3. Is it a television crime drama?
1.Is it on television, or originally made for
TV? (it can’t be a film that came out in
cinemas)
2. Is it mainly about a crime or series of
crimes?
3. Is it a drama (made-up, acted, fictional?)

4. Are these TV crime dramas?
• X-Men
• A documentary about drug smuggling
• CSI: Miami
• Thor
• Reality show about police work
• Dr Who
• Morse
• A story on the news about a murder
• Pirates of the Caribbean
For each example, say why it is or can’t be a TV crime drama. Use the three
questions to help you decide:
• Is it on television, or originally made for TV? (it can’t be a film that came out in
cinemas)
• Is it mainly about a crime?
• Is it a drama (made-up, acted, fictional?)

5. Genres and sub-genres
• Within the main genre
of crime dramas, Crime
there can be lots of Dramas
different types or
sub-genres.
Private
detectives Police
Forensics
e.g. CSI, e.g. Sherlock Holmes, procedural
The Body Farm Poirot, e.g. Prime Suspect,
Miss Marple Law and Order

6. Genres and hybrids
Within TV Crime Drama there can also be
hybrids, where the programme is mixture of
different genres.
• For example Life on Mars takes elements of
Crime Drama and elements of Science Fiction
and mixes these together. This makes Life on
Mars a hybrid genre programme.
• The Bill took elements from TV crime drama
and elements from soap operas, making it a
hybrid genre.

7. Genres, sub-genres and hybrids
• Watch this clip of Life on Mars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhffuKpgVyM
What typical crime drama elements does it
have?
What typical sci-fi elements does it have?

8. Typical characters
Crime dramas usually include three types of character:
• The ones who solve the crimes (detectives, private eyes, police
officers, forensic scientists).
• The ones who commit the crimes (criminals, murderers, thieves).
• The victims (the ones who get murdered, attacked, robbed, beaten
up, mugged, stolen from, burgled).

9. Typical plot / storyline
• The typical plot centres around solving a
crime (the murder, attack, burglary)
• The story usually follows those who solve
the crime (the detectives, police)
• The crime is not usually solved until the
end of the episode or programme.

10. To keep you interested…
One of the pleasures of TV Crime drama is watching the
crime get solved. But if it was solved too quickly or
easily, it wouldn’t be interesting. So Crime Drama plots
usually have:
• A mystery or enigma at the start – a puzzle or mystery –
who killed the dead man? And why?
• Lots of suspense – will they catch the killer in time?
• A red herring – will they arrest the wrong person; do the
clues point to an innocent person?
• Some personal drama – the detective's marriage is
falling apart; the detectives fall out with each other; the
detective loses his promotion.

11. Narratives and closure
• If it is a one-off drama, then the narrative will be
closed (all the loose ends will be tied up at the
end of the programme).
• If it is a series, there may be one storyline that
gets finished in the episode, for example a crime
that is solved, then other storylines that run on
through the whole series. These other storylines
may end on cliff-hangers to keep the audience
coming back for the next episode.

12. Todorov
Todorov suggested that most stories follow five
stages:
• Equilibrium – everything is normal at the start
• Disruption – something happens: a crime, a
mystery
• Recognition – people see something has
happened and react to it
• Attempt to repair – people try to put things right,
solve the crime, catch the criminal
• Resolution - everything is solved, worked out,
fixed, and there is a new equilibrium

13. For example…
It’s an ordinary night and a party is taking place.
A car blows up as a footballer gets into it.
Emergency services are called to the scene.
The police investigate the crime, follow leadsd,
interview witnesses etc.
The criminal is identified and arrested and the world
goes back to how it was except that the footballer is
dead and the murderer is in jail.

14. Typical settings for TV Crime
Drama
• Often in the city (seen as a dangerous place)
• But sometimes in the countryside…consider the
murder rate in Midsomer!
Within this, individual locations often include:
police stations
law courts
science labs
police cars
detectives’ houses
alleyways
nightclubs
victims’ houses….

15. Applying what you’ve learnt so
far…
Whilst watching the episode of Sherlock, complete
the worksheet detailing these genre
conventions:
Sub-genre/hybrid
Narrative – applying Todorov, identifying plot
devices and narrative closure
Character – criminals, crime solvers & victims
Settings

16. Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene refers to what can be seen in a camera shot.
• What are the characters’ positions (facing the camera? Standing
aggressively? Sitting shyly?) What does this tell us about what kind of
person they are?
• What are the characters’ facial expressions? (Glaring at the camera?
Smiling? Laughing? Winking?) What does this tell us about what kind of
person they are?
• What props (things) are there in the shot? (A coffee mug? A new car? A
gun? A pencil?) What does this tell us about the situation?
• What costume does the character have? ( A suit? Jeans? A flowery dress?)
What does this tell us about the person/situation?
• Where is the location or setting? (in a front room? In prison? In an office?)
What does this tell us about the situation?
• Is the lighting bright or dim? Full-on or from the side? What mood does this
give to the image?

17. Mise-en-scene analysis
• Look at these images taken from a selection of crime dramas.
Describe what you can see in each image:
• Characters posture, position, facial expression
• Costumes
• Location
• Props
• Lighting
• Camera shot type and angle
How does each image have a different mood and feel? What similarities do you
notice between them?
What do you think is happening in each scene and do you think the characters
are criminals, victims or crime-solvers?

18. Dexter

19. Midsomer Murders

20. CSI

21. The Mentalist

22. Homework
• Repeat the previous analysis using an
episode of a crime drama of your choice.
• Make notes on the mise-en-scene of the
programme and comment on whether you
think it is typical of crime drama.