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Crime drama genre
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.
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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
top of a police hat. This can be seen as one of the obvious symbols of
5 Feb 2014. Fiske, John. The. Television Culture. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1987: Ch. 78.
During the course of our class we have encountered plenty of important topics and vital information that is essential to the field of the Criminal Justice system. Such as; Crime and justice including laws, Victimization and Criminal behavior, Laws, Police officers and Law enforcement and the criminal justice system in itself. These topics are daily situations yet individuals are oblivious to what's going on and that in it can be a major problem to the community. On that note this paper will express the ignorance and selfish values of twelve individuals by fully explaining the movie "Twelve Angry Men"
The idea of a detective catching an elusive convict or solving an improbable crime has been prevalent in all corners of the world, spread throughout many cultures and societies. The detective genre is held as the idea that an individual has to solve a crime. This detective usually has nothing to gain from solving the crime, but they see it more as an obstacle. The detective doesn’t always take every case, as human beings, we are too often curious of the impossible; our natural instinct is to question why and how things work in this world. People crave mystery, to taste a bit of improbable, to see what the detectives see, to see what is overlooked by many. The idea of an intelligent witty, sharp “sleuth” with an obedient sidekick has been prevalent
In an article ' The Plug-In Drug ' the author Marie Winn discusses the bad influence of television on today's society. Television is a ' drug ' that interfere with family ritual, destroys human relationships and undermines the family.
Throughout the physical research of this study I have found out a lot more about this show than could have ever crossed minds before, one example being that this show has be premiered and marketed so well to the point that the viewer have almost no resistance to not believe what the show is trying to instill into our minds. These shows also categorize the characters, some are “good” guys and others are bad guys, but who is actually decided these labels? Are the categories fair? Many would say yes based off the plot line of the show, but some wonder if the bad guys have an equal amount of air time to defend themselves. These factors bring up a conflict of narration weather or not every character is portrayed in a way that they could be like-able which not the case in The Blacklist is. This “good” guy, bad guy routine is commonly used in crime shows and movies, but is not a true example of real life that these shows depict to do. In a sense these real-life shows are the complete opposite not giving the audience a real conclusion o...
The two movies, Gun Crazy and Bonnie and Clyde, hinge around the notion of violence. The major themes that these movies address are violence, and general crime. Each movie indicates some elements of order and elements of chaos. This explains why the classical narratives and Hollywood genres address the issue of chaos and order as they prevail in society. Comparing the two elements, it is evident that Bonnie and Clyde draw much from Gun Crazy in many aspects. There is mass shooting in both the movies, which is an indication of violence that exists in their respective societies. The characters become entangled in criminal activities with different motivations. There are various factors which trigger the pairs in both the movies to carry out crime in the society. This study seeks to prove that classical narratives and Hollywood genres are structured along the lines of conflict between order and chaos through their inherent themes within their social and ideological contexts.
The birth of classic detective fiction was originated just in the mid nineteenth century, and was producing its own genre. Classical detective fiction follows a set of rules called the ‘Ten commandments of detective fiction’. The genre is so popular it can bee seen by the number of sales in any good book stores. Many of these books have been created a long time ago and there is still a demand for these types of books. The popularity is still ongoing because it provides constant entertainment, and also the reader can also have a role of detective trying to solve the crime/case committed. Classical detective fiction has a formula, the detective story starts with a seemingly irresolvable mystery, typically a murder, features the astute, often unconventional detective, a wrongly accused suspect to whom the circumstantial evidence points, and concludes with a startling or unexpected solution to the mystery, during which the detective explains how he or she solved the mystery. Formula that includes certain elements such as, a closed location to keep the number of suspects down, red hearings spread around the stories to keep the reader entertained yet interacted.
The shift in casting more female leads in crimes dramas has overall been a positive thing in the television industry for younger viewers. However, their roles and how they are portrayed must be taken with a grain of salt. They are portrayed unrealistically for an interesting storyline. It gives young viewers a false impression of women and how they manage a career, motherhood, and relationships.
To conclude, the perception of crime is greatly impacted by how media portrays victims of crime, criminals and law enforcement officials are viewed. Often media organisations over-dramatize crime problems to gain consumer attention.
White, R., and Perrone, S. (2009) Crime, Criminality and Criminal Justice. Melbourne: Oxford University [Chapter 2 ‘Crime and the Media’]
One might turn on any evening news broadcast these days and be bombarded with images of war, violence and stories of unsuspecting citizens victimized in their own communities. Is crime on the increase or is it just media hype? There are countless television shows with plots dedicated to the depiction of criminal activities fouled by law enforcement agencies with the helping hand of the law. Newspaper headlines scream out daily in bold print and action photos of the latest tragedies. Should the public be fearful of what the television conveys to us, be cautious of whatever new crime wave is presented on the media? These questions may lead one to wonder if the depiction of crime in the mass media affects the public’s perception of safety and danger in society.
When discussing violence in television and how it relates to society, there may be no better show than Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad is notorious for its violence, whether mental or physical, and several other instances of illegal crime. Our group decided it would be necessary to analyze the show and find out how it could affecting society with its mischief and violence. We chose the first four episodes of the entire show to showcase how quickly viewers of all ages are thrown into the violence of Breaking Bad. With this approach, the viewer is able to get a grasp on just how violent this show may become, and one may also get a glimpse on the nature of the show itself. The first four episodes are important to a show because it sets the tone for the rest of the series. Breaking Bad is one of the most popular shows in American
Vande Berg, L.R., Wenner, L.A., & Gronbeck, B. E. (1998). Critical Approaches to Television. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Throughout society there are both individuals and groups of people with a wide range of perceptions about crime and justice. These perceptions are influenced by the media and what the media presents. Media presents crime stories in ways that selectively distort and manipulate public perception, thus creating a false picture of crime. Therefore the media provides us with perceptions and social constructions about our world. Firstly I will be discussing the role of the media in constructing knowledge about crime. I will begin by explaining why the media is important, and go further to explain that media representations construct knowledge of crime and since knowledge about crime is constructed it does not necessarily capture reality in fact crime stories are often sensationalised. I will then link this to my central argument that the media shapes people’s perceptions of crime and how this is important as it can lead to changes in the law. I will then explain what it is that the public or society needs to be aware of when reading and watching media reports about crime. We need to be aware of bias and moral panics that are created by the media and how the media shapes or influence’s public perception through this, it is important for us to be aware of misleading or false crime stories so that we are not swayed by the media in believing what they want us to believe.