the forensic-detection, true-crime docu-drama

Real-life crime-and-punishment shows on Court TV, A&E, and The Discovery Channel demonstrate the futility of murder and other mayhem. In these shows — such as Forensic Files, The System, American Justice, Body of Evidence, North Mission Road, City Confidential, and Cold Case Files — dogged detectives and forensic scientists always get their man (or woman).

PLAYERS

Narrator (voice-over)

Show host (present in some shows but not all)

Talking heads:prosecutor, defense attorney, medical and/or

forensic experts, criminal profiler, judges, jurors

Perpetrator (usually shown in really bad mug shots)

Victim

Distraught family and friends

Dismayed neighbors

SETTING

“Within every city lurks a scandalous tale, a tale surrounded by quirky characters, dirty family secrets, and lurid motives. Tucked away in cities that hide the truth and house the depraved, you’ll find tales that can only be told in City Confidential.”

Idyllic, cloistered communities

Dark, seedy, frightening cities

Small towns in the middle of nowhere

Everywhere

LANGUAGE / DISCOURSES

Crime and punishment

Lawyer-speak

Forensics-speak

The “tough parent”

What’s the problem?

sexual depravity, which almost always leads to murder

financial trouble, which almost always leads to murder

marital discord, which almost always leads to murder

( Do you see a pattern emerging? )

Who solves the problem?

detectives / criminal profilers

forensic scientists of all varieties

law enforcement officials

prosecutors

STORYLINE

And with what means?

determined police work

clues and tips from friends, neighbors, and interested citizens

forensic science (and its wonderful gadgets:

STORYLINE

fingerprints/palm prints

ballistics

shoe prints

forensic odontology

fiber: hair, carpet, clothes, dust

entomology

DNA: blood, semen, saliva, hair, skin

blood spatter, the very presence of blood (luminol)

psychological profiling

THEMES

You can’t get away with murder. [ You may get away with it for a time, but, eventually, you will be caught and locked up or executed. ]

No one is above the law. [ Even the rich and famous will get their comeuppance. ]

Blood and guts are cool. [ We are fascinated by gore and depravity. ]

Science is sexy. [ Science is no longer only the realm of the “geeks.” ]

There is a dark side to each of us. [ We never know when we might be pushed to commit murder. ]

Scientific advancements are good for society. [ Forensic science can keep the “criminal element” in check. ]

You are safe nowhere. [ There is no place you can run or hide to escape the horrors of what man can do to man. ]

As night falls, how would you proceed with a search for evidence?

A: Wait until morningB: Accelerate the searchC: Search with floodlights

What can a partial fingerprint with traces of perspiration on it tell investigators?

A: It can tell male from femaleB: Oils can date the printC: The perspiration provides DNA in skin cells

You want to search a prime suspect’s car. What do you do?

A: Search now (you have probable cause) B: Wait for a search warrantC: Wait for formal charges to be filed

You CAN’T get away with

MURDER!

OR

mayhem + madness + murder =recrimination + retribution + revenge

the final equation:

Your saliva, semen, blood, hair, skin, fingerprints, bite pattern, shoe prints, and the crud beneath your victim’s fingernails will tell on you!

the (dead) end