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In 1949, CBS started broadcasting a show calledMan Against Crime.
Whats striking today aboutMan Against Crimeis not just its fantastically simplistic title, or Bellamys hard-boiled, shoulders-and-jawline-centric performance.
Why is TV overwhelmed with detectives and murderers?
What is it about crime thats made it a quintessential TV story from the very beginning?
At that point, the show would pause and invite viewers to call in with their guesses.
They let us play out hypotheticals.What if I murdered my boss?
What if I robbed a bank?
Breakfast is boring, and you already know what breakfast looks like.
Murder is not boring, and TV can show you something you havent seen in your own life.
The other answer is simpler: We like crime stories because crime stories are questions.Who did it?
Why did they do it?
How did they do it?
Its ideal for serialization, too: horror, but contained.
Telling stories with predictable ends is comforting.
Telling stories thatflout those predictable endsis even better.
On TV, that experience is controllable.
If you stand by and wait, a crime will appear at a predictable time.
Turning crime on and off feels powerful and soothing.
It is a way to see the darkest parts of humanity while also being assured of your own safety.
Youre at home, on your sofa, sitting in front of your television.
