The document discusses the author's enjoyment of watching crime documentaries on streaming services. It summarizes that these true crime documentaries depict real police investigations and use of forensic science more accurately than fictional crime dramas. One favorite documentary of the author's is "Forensic Files", which featured dramatizations and reconstructions of real murder cases and the science used to solve them. The author believes these documentaries can serve as a good learning tool for crime writers and those interested in forensic science careers.

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Friday, May 4, 2018
True Crime Drama: The Appeal Of Crime Documentaries
Getting Netflix was probably one of the best ideas I’ve had in a long time. For the past few
months, I’ve spent my downtime binge-watching old crime documentaries from the ‘90s. Back
at the peak of my career, I’d consider myself lucky if I caught them when they were on, but
today, I could just waste an entire lazy afternoon watching episodes of “New Detectives” or
“Medical Detectives” (later titled “Forensic Files”).
I appreciate a good police procedural and courtroom drama, and many of these documentaries
deliver, and then some. One advantage these docs have over their fictitious counterparts is by
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Adam Smith
Hello! I’m Adam Smith,
fulfilling the retirement
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2. Posted by Adam Smith at 5:23 AM
Labels: crime, documentaries, drama
being documentaries, they showcase real cases and use actual forensic procedures in the
proper context. They tended to depict police investigations accurately.
“Forensic Files” is a perennial favorite. Narrated by the late Peter Thomas (who was already 72
when the program began), it featured dramatizations and then cutting-edge reconstructions of
many high-profile murders, along with the science used to identify them. Each of the bad guys
caught (and each falsely accused person later exonerated) were real. Of course, there were
episodes where no criminal was caught because there weren’t any criminals at all; famous from
what I can remember from the show’s original title “Medical Detectives” is their episode
investigating a mysterious illness now known as Legionnaire's disease.
The fact that many of these programs showed real timetables (cases take years to solve in
some instances) and real science can make these shows a great learning tool for writers who
want to create detective fiction. They may even be a good gateway to forensics for people who
want to become detectives themselves.
I’m Adam Smith, a retired banker, traveler, and avid fan of crime and courtroom dramas from
Martha’s Vineyard. Follow me on Twitter for more on my thoughts on crime fiction.
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