Institution

Institutions

To fully understand television crime drama, you should understand that undustry behind the programmes. Producing and broadcasting a television crime drama is a highly technical process that requires a vast array of resources and equipment. Programmes have to be written, filmed, edited and involve hundreds of people in the production process.
For this reason, broadcasting has tended to be done by large media corporations who have those resources. Let's look at some of the major television instituations and their contribution to crime drama.

Terrestrial channels

BBC
The Broadcasting Corporation provides public service broadcasting to the United Kingdom. It is the largest broadcaster in the world as is funded by a licence fee that raises about 3 billion pounds a year. Unlike commercial television, it doesn't rely on advertising revenues, but operations under the public broadcasting remit to 'educate, inform and entertain'. In terms of crime drame, the BBC has been responsible for the production of a wide range of successful shows, as well as importing a number of American crime dramas.
Recent BBC productions have included;
New Tricks, Inspector George Gently, Wallander, Waking the Dead, Sherlock, Five Days, Criminal Justice and Luther.

ITV
The ITV channels - in particular ITV1 and ITV3 - show a wide range of crime dramas, including the recently cancelled and long-running The Bill. Classic crime examples include Foyle's War, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Maigret, Miss Marple Inspector Morse and A Touch of Frost.
ITV also has an interest in new crime drama, commissioned from the UK, such as Identity, Whitechapel, DCI Banks: Aftermath, Law and Order: UK, Murderland and also those acquired abroad eg Numb3rs.
ITV also hosts the Crime Thriller Awards on ITV3, which includes the People's Detective, where ITV3 viewers vote for their favourite. In 2010, the winner was Foyle from Foyle's War.

Channel 4 and More 4
Channel 4 shows some crime dramas, few of which attract vast audiences. Some, however, have been critically acclaimed a attract niche audiences eg Without a Trace, Southland and The Closer.

Five and Five USA
Five and its sisiter channel Five USA are well known for their raft of US crime dramas. These channels were taken over by new owner, Richard Desmond is 2010. He has said that his channels will continue to give priority to this genre, although this may change in the moblie media world. Programmes include: True Justice, Justified, the CSI franchise, The Mentalist, Law and Order and Dark Blue.

Enigmas in TV Crime Dramas

Roland BARTHES is a theorist who looked into narratives (storylines) One conclusion he came to was that all narratives have ENIGMAS. These are puzzles / questions which have to be solved. Typically these are questions that are raised which the audience are encouraged to think about.

Kidnap and Ransom Enigma's
1. Who is that man?
2. What/Who is in the sack?
3. Why has he got the sack?
4. Why has he kidnapped the people?
5. Whats it for for?
6. Why are they playing chess?
7. Where are they taking them?
8. What is their relationship?
9. Why has he got 3 phones which are blocked?
10. Whats in the bag?
11. Why has he got a gun?
12. Why is she hiding her identity?
13. Who is she?!
14. Whats the man trying to acheive?
15. Why did she drop the key?
16. Whats the key for?
17. Whats in the hotel room?
18. Who was in the sack which got chucked in the lake?

Venn Diagram

Exam Tips

Here are some useful tips that will be necessary to pass the Media exam in June. They were discussed that the briefing sir attended and the bold parts were the ones which were spoke about the most which would maybe suggest that is what will be included in the exam.

• Take into exam: Coloured pencils, Fine liners and a Ruler
• Will have to pitch a Crime Drama (either characters, settings release) 

                    - DVD Cover
                    - Magazine Cover
                    - Website Design
                    - Storyboard

• You should make sketches and diagrams to help develop your answers where possible.
• Remember to write in role.
• Show passion in answers about Crime Dramas and show that you believe in what you're writing about.
• DON'T GO INTO SURVIVAL MODE WHEN IT COMES TO REVISION!! Relax and be prepared.
• Have depth knowledge of 3 Crime Drama's (Luther, CSI & Sherlock)
• Include independent viewings when answering questions to show you have a wider knowledge of different shows. (variety)
• For A/A* Grades you need to include 2(or more) theories

                    - Uses and Gratification theory:
                      1. Information
                      2. Entertainment
                      3. Personal Identity
                      4. Personal Relationships
                    - Propps (characters) theory
                    - Todorov theory: [structure of Crime Drama's]
                      1. Equilibrium (normality)
                      2. Disruption (problem)
                      3. Resolution
                    - Levi-Straus theory: [narratives]
                      1. Binary Opposites Police vs. Criminals, Good vs. Bad, Turth vs. Lies, Man vs.Woman.
                    - Barthes theory: [enigma]
                      1. ALWAYS a plot/enigma
                      2. Makes audience QUESTION!

• Detailed knowledge of characters.
• Discuss 'vices'.
• Necessary to have a detailed knowledge of settings. (CSI Las Vegas, Miami, New York)
• Set pieces and iconography needs to be well-known about. (see previous blog posts)
• Jargon - words associated with Crime Dramas (see glossary tab)

                     - MO: how a criminal works eg. Serial Killer stabs victims 5 times every time.

• Think logically and put yourself in examiners minds.
• Makes things realistic and possible.
• The pitch must include persuasive, exotic language.
• Rationale: Reasons for things (EXPLAIN)
• Backup all your points with reasons.
• Annotate ALL drawings/storyboards.
• If you were asked to do a TV Mag make sure the sell lines and stories included are relevant to the target audience and genre.
• Write in bullet points and refer to the pre-released material at all times.

Luther Series 1 Episode 5

The episode began with a couple talking about going away and just packing their apartment. It was Jame and Jessica Carrodus, they stole diamonds and Daniele Sugarman who originally committed a robbery to get them, is on to them and wants his diamonds back. He suddenly bursts into the apartment and demand for the diamonds, which Jessica had swallowed. He offers James a chance to go and get the diamonds otherwise he would kill his wife. She was held kidnapped and Daniel cut her tongue out and gave it to James as confirmation that he would kill her if he didn't return with the diamonds. James goes straight to the police and Luther is on the case and suggests that he give James some diamonds from the evidence cupboard from a different case. This displays his anti-hero behaviour as these diamonds could be a vital piece of evidence to that case and he has just taken them and covered them in his and James' DNA. It then gets revealed that one of Luther's colleagues Ian Reed was in on the original robbery and tries to resolve what had been caused, he finds out that one of the men in on the kidnapping is his a fellow mates nephew, Tom. Ian persuades Tom to go and save Jessica and tells him that she has the diamonds inside of her. Tom agrees and goes to where Jessica is being kept, he manages to get her in the car but then Daniel returns and kills them both, taking the diamonds out of Jessica. Ian and Luther arrive at the scene and find the two bodies, Ian feels massively guilty as he could have stopped this. Meanwhile, Mark tells Zoe to choose between him and Luther and she picks him. He tells her that she should never speak to Luther again, she rings Luther and tells her that they need to meet. Luther is suspicious about Ian and his suspicions are answered when Luther turns up at Daniel's hotel room to arrest him, Ian turns up with a gun pointing at him, Luther tells Ian not to shoot but Daniel winds him up so Ian shoots Daniel and steals the diamonds. Luther is shocked (SO WAS I) and not sure what to think. Now Ian has gone a bit crazy and thinks Luther is against him, when he isn't. Luther runs after Ian but Ian turns up at Zoe's house and tells her to ring Luther and tell him to come round but not mention that he was there. Zoe refuses so Ian holds her at gun point until she does and when on the phone she shouts to Luther that Ian Reed was there with a gun. Ian shoots Zoe and Luther heard it all. Luther informed DC Teller immediately and goes straight to the house where he finds that Ian had smashed it up as if it had been a burglary. Luther cradles Zoe in his arms covered in her blood and he picks he gun up that Ian had dropped on the floor, which now had Luther's fingerprints all over it. He hears police sirens and realises that Ian had made it look as if Luther had done it. Luther kisses Zoe and leaves the house straight away. He was now blamed for the death of his wife due to his mental state so is on the run to get away from the police..
I think this episode was great and showed lots of parts when several police detectives turned against the law to achieve something they wanted. Although Luther usually does it for good turn outs it should be done in the correct way and legally. Ian Reed was an unexpected criminal and killer so surprised the viewers a lot! It included the usual crime drama conventions of Flashbacks, Interrogation Scene, Montages and Crime Scenes. I can't wait to watch the next episode!!

TV Mag Cover: Exam Practice

Settings

Settings play a massive part in Crime Dramas as different settings suggest different things to the audience about what the show may be about and they might feel towards the programme. In the various different Crime Dramas that I have seen I have noticed that each different one applies it's narrative to its setting. They appear very stereotypical as shows like Luther are set in more rough area's of London and include more council estates and dark alleyways which makes the audience think that it will be more gruesome and scary. Shows like Sherlock which is set in a much nicer and wealthier part of London comfort the audience more as they feel its too much of a nice to area to be horrible and gruesome.
Luther:
Luther is a London Crime Drama and many of it's episodes occur in rough parts like Council Estates and in tall, worn down buildings.