Genre Research - Research of Crime in other mediums

Crime in British TV typically consists of idyllic countryside setting, before a change in the tone with an unexpected murder. A typical plot can include brutal murders through decapitations, stabbings and burning, this kind of violence is unexpected to the audience initially when they are unfamiliar with the show, and has clearly continued to be enjoyed by audience. Period drama crime shows are also popular, such as Heartbeat which is set in the 1960's and 1970's, this is again set in a remote location in Yorkshire, like Midsomer Murders with the two recurring main characters, Heartbeat has a cast which is led by police officers. They act with authority above the other characters and are seen as bringing peace at the end of every episode, usually as in Midsomer Murders and shown in film with Hot Fuzz, the main characters do not originate from where the series is set, showing a contrast of character within setting. The main characters holding higher ranked jobs also show the lack of competence in the other characters, and potentially an increase in intelligence.

Crime books such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo address more serious themes such as violence against women and bankruptcy and Nazism. The origin of the book comes from a real life circumstance of the author witnessing a rape, this shows how extensively hard hitting the content is, alarming the audience to a greater extent than some crime TV. Due to a book not being visual, the author can get away with more serious topics and incidents as the audience doesn't have to actually see it, the image is less harsh when the reader them-self is creating it. Some of the most famous crime novels are written by Agatha Christie, an example of this is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The publication of the novel in 1926 opened the audience up to new kind of plot with the shocking twist ending, paving the way for future crime authors. Similar to TV shows such as Midsomer Murders and Heartbeat, Christie's novel is set in a fictional countryside village, making a contrast to typical crime in real life. Unlike The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the book contains much less graphic material, addressing how much more modern day books can get away with in terms of violence.