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 gui...