Fictional Crime Stories Move Faster and Have More Action

¶ … Fiction Watching "First 48," the real crime show, is not nearly as entertaining as watching a fictional show like CSI or NCIS. Although of course it is factual and real, and shows the viewing audience how things really work during interrogations and investigations, it doesn't have the characters' sometimes edgy dialogue, and it doesn't have the energy and tension of fictional programs. This paper reviews examples of both real crime shows and fictional crime shows.

The shortcomings of real crime stories from an entertainment aspect There are impressive moments in "The First 48" shows when the camera zooms in on faces of people who have lost loved ones, or who have been emotionally devastated by an untimely event. In the "Betrayal of a life-long friend" episode of "The First 48" (the killer is "Yellowman") the woman who cared for an accused killer recounts bringing him home from the hospital and taking care of him. The woman's face is etched in pain and confusion.

"He gonna do this [kill her nephew] for what?" she said. "He never got into trouble," Charlette said. Toward the end of the segment of this story, Charlette says, "I forgive him," talking about the murderer. She has her pain to deal with, and it is clear she is hurting. But as her head leans slightly to the right as she repeats, "I forgive him," with a totally sincere, very earthy expression of hurt on her face.

For example, in "A Mother's Struggle in Trying to Move On," Shani's daughter is missing and she is revealing the feelings of this terrible drama. Shani's daughter is found shot in the head. This is truly a tragedy for a family and the factual coverage of the emotions that are part of a homicide come through loud and clear. There are pictures that tell a thousand words when camera zoom into the faces of the victims, and this is a valuable part of the true crime stories.

The stories move slower, they don't have the action and the energy of fictional crime stories, but they have power in their own right. The power of fictional crime shows -- contrasting investigative strategies The NCIS shows are powerfully produced with tension, drama, and violence that bring bloodshed and tears. Perhaps some of these fictional shows are an exaggeration of what solving crime is like; certainly there are some unrealistic scenes and some remarkable solutions to criminal mysteries.

But though the audience has been told that certain shows are "based on real events," the audience knows and is fully aware that the scenes are fiction. Things move faster in fictional shows, of course, because it is all being acted out. In real life productions, no cameraman is there to record a felon being chased by police, or to take video of a hideously cruel man lighting a young girl on fire.

These kinds of scenes have powerful impacts on the audience and hence are more entertaining from a viewership perspective. The fictional crime shows almost always end in a courtroom, where actors playing the judge, the prosecutor, the defense attorney, witnesses and the accused are trained to put on the most realistic performance possible.

And even though these actors are playing dramatic, sometimes riveting and unforgettable roles, which can lead to a huge Neilson rating -- and as a result the television network can make money on the commercials -- it doesn't really matter to many viewers that it is fictional because it entertains. The stunts that the actors.