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 morning B: Accelerate the search C: Search with floodlights What can a partial fingerprint with traces of perspiration on it tell investigators? A: It can tell male from female B: Oils can date the print C: 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 warrant C: 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