Crime Drama - Themes and Issue

             Crime drama has become one of the most popular television genres within our society, taking up almost 20% of prime time. They appeal to their audience by dealing with themes and issues the viewers are aware of through their engagement with news and current affairs. Just as important as the themes and issues it deals with are the values and attitudes presented and the view of the world it offers. The ideologies presented usually reflect those of their target audience. The target audience for crime drama is usually teenagers to adults. Sexual abuse and SARS are current themes and issues in both Australia and America. These are explored in Blue Heelers and Law and Order. When these texts are examined it is clear that the representation of characters and setting, constructed through the use of film language, play an integral role in engaging the audience with the themes and issues.
             Characters in all television dramas are constructed to reflect different values and attitudes, which are held by different people within society, towards certain issues. This can be seen in Blue Heelers, through the protagonist Jo Parish, who represents the values held by a contemporary female police officer, and the values held by most members of society. This can be seen when she is in the police station and makes reference to churches and other institutions involving the sexual abuse of minors. From this, the audience can draw that Parish feels strongly against people taking advantage of their position of authority regarding sexual abuse. In Law and Order, the common values and attitudes held by viewers are also represented through the protagonist. For example, the detectives try to convince the perpetrators wife to tell the truth about her husband's whereabouts on the night in question. What this signifies is that they are on the victim's side. We, as an audience, are positioned to believe that the husband is guilty. This can be seen when he is caught out ...

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