Genre Crime Drama

• Crime dramas have a recognisable set of conventions which will evolve and may be specific to a sub-genre however all share similarities
• It will contain a narrative based on a crime that needs to be investigated and solved. This may conform to Todorov’s theory where the structure is linear from the original disruption to a resolution or non-linear.
• Binary oppositions are included that function as a narrative element that includes good vs evil and hero vs villain
• There is a set of character types that are recognisable to an audience such as a hierarchy with a boss, detective, and sidekick as well as other characters such as a victim, a range of suspects, the perpetrator of the crime and witnesses.
• Settings and locations establish realism such as the crime scene and police station. They can also give us an insight into specific characters.
• Iconography related to the genre or character is always conveyed such as various props and specific items relating to characters.
• Audio codes including non-diegetic mood music to evoke tension, dialogue incorporating lexis (vocab/terms) specific to the genre and sound effects to advance the narrative.

• Crime dramas have a repertoire of elements that place them within the genre, these are recognisable to an audience and fulfil their expectations. They may repeat common conventions but also vary and introduce different elements (Neale)
• Genres are dynamic and evolve to reflect social and cultural change. For example, Luther addresses the changing roles of women and cultural diversity. It has become less easy to categorise programmes as they borrow from other genres and hybridise (Neale)
• Genres also use intertextuality to engage with audiences. Luther incorporated elements of the American police procedural and film noir through cinematography and the character of Alice as the femme fatale