The document discusses common codes, conventions, stereotypes, and mise-en-scene elements of crime TV dramas. It notes that crime dramas typically involve elements like danger, breaking the law, weaponry, conspiracy, heroes and villains chasing each other. It describes common stereotypes for characters like gang members, detectives, solicitors, police, and villains. It also discusses the use of stock characters and how settings in crime dramas usually involve urban areas at night and locations like police stations and courts. The document stresses that believability, or verisimilitude, is important to make the audience feel involved in the realistic timelines and action.

1. Crime.

2. Codes and conventions of crime:
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Danger
Breaking the law
Weaponry
Conspiracy
Villain (protagonist)
Hero (protagonist)
A chase scene
Gangs
Betrayal
Often showed after 9pm due to the violence and language which can be
included.
Set in the city
Binary Opposites:
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Heroes and villains
Police and criminals
Police and law/legal time
Good vs Evil
Guilt and innocence
Sometimes in crime dramas the binary opposites can change. For example the hero
may turn out to be the villain as the story unfolds. Is can make the story line more
interesting and lead to conspiracy.

3. Stereotypes and Archetypes:
Gangs – big, scary men, drug takers, previous offenders, mid 20s, different ethnicities.
Detective – 30/40s, small, glasses, long coat, clever, opinionated, mess up a case at least
once in the storyline, upperclass.
• Solicitor – female, mid 20/30s, argumentative, opinionated, wears suits, upper class.
• Police – males, strong, tall, fierce, opinionated.
• Villain – male, tall, deep voice, previous offender, injury from past offence, lower class,
black clothing, uses a gun.
• Victim – vulnerable/female, old
Stock Characters:
Stock characters are typical characters which you would find in a particular TV drama. They
can be based on common literary or social stereotypes.
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The characters shown above are stock characters of crime dramas but may not always fit the
sterotypes. For example the Solicitor may be a female role who has the appearance of a
“blonde bimbo.”
In legal tv dramas there may be a difference in stock characters. For example there may be
more people included who are employed in law/courts. There may be less of a focus on the
villain and gangs and more on the legal side and the conspiracy and myths created around the
crime committed.

5. Versimilitude – the believability of the narrative.
The verisimilitude is achieve by the on going real time establishes as it
creates greater sense of reality to the audience as the time is realistic and
understandable. It makes the audience feel more involved in the action
which is taking place.
Mise En Scene of Crime TV Drama:
• Urban area
• Offices
• Suits
• Dark lighting
• Police stations
• Law courts
• Night time
Themes which are created:
•Conspiracy
•Danger
•Mistrust
Mood/atmopshere:
• Dark
•Threatening
• Dramatic
•Thrilling.