I watch alot of films but I equally watch alot of crime shows. There’s so many greatones on tv these days that it’s sometimes very different to choose favorites. I was once a CSI worshiper (despite it’s unrealistic nature) but I’ve really disliked it in the last few seasons. I’m also not a fan of spin off shows. CSI: Miami or NY never had a place in my heart nor did the short lived Criminal Minds:Suspect Behavior (A Scottish guy in the FBI? It could happen but …. really?) I am specific about my crime dramas. They have to be realistic, have great characters who interact with one another and believable story lines that are not carbon copies of another show. Here are some of my favourite crime shows (if you want to take a break from the film watching)
Criminal Minds
It seems like everytime you blink these days Criminal Minds is loosing charachters or changing up the cast but none the less it’s stil one of the finest crime shows on tv. I adore each the charachter development; each have their own personalities which shine through (no matter how quirky). It’s interesting to see how the show focuses on the crime and moreover the criminal but also allows us brief but informative insights into the characters and the team. I really enjoy Morgan and Garcia’s shameless flirting amid the chaos of serial murders and bloody crime scenes – it’s nice to have some comic relief. I also like how it deals with real life, in particular character’s dealing with family members and their varying problems. My favorite character is Dr Spencer Reid because he’s just too lovable. He’s intelligent and shy and absolutely adorable. We also see a darker side to him which is interesting – his difficult upbringing = his relationship with his mother battling mental illness and his drug addiction (after being kidnapped I may add) I also adore Hotchner for his attitude This is also the show that makes me genuinely terrified of being out at night and any quite places. Favorite guest stars incl James Van Der Beak and Jackson Rathburn
Rookie Blue
This is one of my newest tv loves and when I first discovered it, I binge watched it all in the space of a weekend (it’s that good). I love the concept of showing the Rookies and their stories rather then the common “cop shows”. It’s interesting to see policing from a new perspective. Gail is my favourite character mainly for her sarcasm but she also has some pretty interesting arcs including subplots about her sexuality which are done in a highly un-intrusive manner… and she did get kidnapped too which was an amazing few eposides. Peter Mooney from Camelot is in it too which makes it all the better!
Life
Before Damien Lewis was being difficult as Brody on Homeland, he donned an American accent to star in Life. This is so under-rated as a tv and if I hadn’t been watching the ads on Universal channel, I’d have missed it entirely. Lewis stars as a cop who was framed for murder but then acquitted Life’s a fun cop show. I don’t like how flashback scenes are done in Sepia (I hate Sepia… grrrr) but other then that it’s well worth watching for some of it’s hilarious one-liners and gags (Asking the dog for help solving a murder for example) Plus, Lewis’s wife – Helen Elizabeth McCrory also stars as the mysterious Amanda. Family values and all that. Sadly Life was never picked up for a third season but Lewis has gone on to bigger and better things – Homeland (Which is one of the finest tv shows ever made. Really.)
Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit.
There’s never been a tv show that I’ve been so highly invested in as SVU. I’ll admit there’s been times when this show has brought me to tears. It’s so well made that sometimes you forget what you’re watching is a fragment of some guys in office’s mind. Based around the SVU of NYPD, Law and Order: Svu focuses on the most “heinous” and gruesome of crimes – many involving sexual assaults It’s sometime gritty but that’s what I like about. Mariska Hagerty is one of my all time favorite actresses and she really comes to life as Olivia Benson. The ying to her yang per say – her (now ex) partner was played by Christopher Meloni (not to be confused with the dire singer from X Factor Uk) who is a terrific actor in his own right: starring in the groundbreaking HBO series Oz as a gay prisoner and more recently as Roman – leader of the vampire authority in True Blood. Despite it’s numerous and frequent cast changes, SVU will always be one of the best shows on tv in my opinion. I still will always miss Eliot Stabler.
Some other contenders
- CSI (Doesn’t even warrent a write up because of the last few seasons if you’ll exvuse the pun)
- Cold Case
- Oz (If you’ve never seen it – SHAME. It’s great!)
- 24
- How to Get Away With Murder (I’ve only started this so we’ll see how it goes)
Motion Picture Moments 