PRE-PRODUCTION: Research - Crime/Detective Genre of Drama

Narcos

True Crime and Mystery dramas have gripped the world in the past few years, with few other genres lending themselves so readily to binge watching as crime. The idea that there is a mystery to be solved and therefore a reason to continue watching and stay engrossed until the end, keeps audiences engaged for the entirety of the drama. Netflix dramas in particular have taken centre stage for this genre, often allowing the viewer to binge watch an entire series in one go, rather than waiting for the next weekly episode. I became interested in this genre myself through the likes of Netflix, with these dramas being the most talked about, which is perhaps what interested me in them. I like the element of mystery and find Crime drama engaging as it tends to keep me guessing throughout, encouraging me to continue watching. The genre can also offer rather dark story lines, with a detective to root for and a ‘baddie’ to be revealed at the end. Crime dramas can also offer a substantial amount of action as criminals are either committing crimes or being sought after by police authorities. These scenes can be rather adrenaline inducing which make them addictive and engrossing to watch. I am particularly interested in this genre for this unit as I intend on choosing a genre that interests me. Therefore, I feel more compelled to create a piece of work which should reflect and compete with some of these dramas alike. 


Narcos

A popular Netflix Crime Drama includes ‘Narcos’, which is a thrilling series, documenting the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and the real life story of the notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar between 1970 and 1992. It is told from the perspective of an American DEA agent, Steve Murphy who is working in Colombia at the time and trying to take down Escobar and his associates. He also narrates the series, introducing the audience to new characters and telling us why they are significant.This series builds suspense for the audience as it is very action heavy and depicts the events in an incredibly raw and graphic way, connecting the audience and making them feel as if they are involved. 


Broadchurch

Broadchurch

Broadchurch is another Crime and Mystery Drama series. This is one in particular that I have enjoyed very much and found to be very engaging throughout all the series that have aired so far. So much so that I chose it as the Drama to recreate during the Directions unit in my 1st Year. It is a true Detective series in that we follow 2 Detectives portrayed by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, as they uncover some terrible crimes including murders. The subject matter is again dark and includes a few graphic scenes, however, it is much more about the story and the uncovering of the criminals which carry this series. I also found when watching Broadchurch that I grew to really like the 2 main characters and not only rooted for them but grew to be quite invested in them wanted to know how their own lives would turn out. I think that creating an emotional connection with the audience is also very important even with this genre as it is a great technique in keeping the audience gripped. This series is able to build suspense and keep the audience interested as it follows the lives of all of the towns inhabitants, almost framing each one to keep you guessing, with the final outcomes being very unlikely and unsuspected so that you are shocked by the ending. Not only is this great storytelling but it lends itself to the Crime and Mystery genre so well, captivating audiences and surprising them when it needs to.

Luther

Luther

I have also looked at Luther which aired on BBC1 in the UK, but is also available on the Netflix platform. It is a British Drama Crime series, starring Idris Elba as the title character of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther who works for the Serious Crime Unit. The series creator Neil Cross has said that Luther is influenced by Sherlock Holmes in particular, with his intellect and its application to unveiling crimes is comparable to Holmes. His involvement in cases allow audiences to see a dedicated police officer who often gets caught up in violent and difficult situations, making it almost impossible to watch just one episode. As a series, it is very action heavy with crime just being a theme throughout, however it manages to captivate audiences by putting Luther in dangerous and difficult  situations that make the audience want to see him succeed.  As the hero character, we are able to root for Luther and feel engaged in his story, keeping the audience engrossed as we want to see what will happen to him next. Similarly to Broadchurch, he is a character that we follow throughout the series and someone who the audience should feel invested in.