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The mystery is one of the genres that has been around for a long time -- in literature, films, radio and now television.  Again, we're relying on Horace Newcomb's work in Television, the Most Popular Art and personal observation and study for the material presented here.

Format:

The format of the mystery is always focused around a specific question:  "Who done it?" The audience takes pleasure in trying to figure the question out and is excited by the peril and suspense involved in the process.   The mystery is usually set in a contemporary setting, but that is not always the case.   For example, the Sherlock Holmes series is not contemporary, but it is certainly a mystery. 

Crime is at the center of the format:

• The crime is at the center of all plot elements 

• It precipitates all other events

  • usually murder

  • must be unraveled

• The crime is a cultural metaphor

  • Meaning is in contemporary entertainment

  • There is social meaning

  • There is an interruption of a well-order universe

    • crime is solved by a rational mind

    • world is returned to normal

    • basis for older forms of the genre (Murder She Wrote, Columbo)

  • Newer forms actually use more technological processes  (CSI, The District) 

• Organization of the Plot

  • The crime is expected

  • All of the characters are affected by the crime in some way

  • The setting:

    • usually located in bars or other high-crime area

    • in this place we don't expect people to be pure or good

    • people are frequently motivated by greed, jealousy, etc. 
      

• Characters: A defective central character

  • Usually a detective, police officer or private eye -- someone who represents authority and is usually licensed in some way

  • Often the central character is violent or capable of violence when necessary; in rarer cases, the person is gentle (The Commish; Murder She Wrote) 

  • Frequently the hero is an ex-cop, one who may be disenchanted with the system, the restrictions and the red tape

  • Usually some kind of a rebel

  • According to Newcomb, the American mystery is defined by the character of the detective

• Characters: Criminal

  • The bad guys are usually not all bad, though in the more violent action genres, they may indeed appear that way

  • Usually display traits of rugged individualism and rebellion

  • May be a tragic hero; someone who is destined to fail

  • When the focus turns to the character of the criminal, the story breaks out of the normal mystery genre

The mystery is contrasted with the western in several ways:

• The mystery assumes the crime will continue; the western assumes it will be contained and eliminated

• Detectives believe the world is evil; western heroes believe evil can be eradicated

• The detective has limited liabilities; the western hero is mythic  (as in Gus killing all of Blue Duck's men in a matter of seconds)

• Violence and action are a part of both genres

Key Mystery Formats 

Documentary format:  (Dragnet; The FBI)

• basically just the facts

• authentic cases

• the crime is viewed as an affront to society

• we don't really care what caused the bad guy to do what he did; he did it and that's sufficient

Police format:

• main characters are law enforcement officers

• these are people who are committed to law enforcement by the book

• they may not like the rules, but they play by them

• while the story may focus on the crime, the relationships of the main characters become very important in the development of the plot, particularly in the longer story arcs in shows like Law and Order or CHIPS

Private Eye format: (Magnum, P.I.; Rockford Files)

• independent of other people and authorities

• an expert at the job

• somewhat of a rebel; likes to do things his /her way

• believes that evil will always continue; just do what you can

• both the PI and the criminals are neither all good nor all bad; they are mix of both

• the PI may even be a lawyer, as in Perry Mason 

Hybrid format:  (McCloud, McMillan and Wife; Columbo, Homicide; NYPD Blue; Matlock; Diagnosis Murder)

• Combines the appeal of the rebellious, anti-authority figure with the official, authority figure

• Family is developed around the central figure

  • strong ties

  • social relationships are important as the crime is solved

  • human (often family) conflicts mirror social concern which may be part of the crime

• As with the comedy and the western, social issues are brought into focus by bringing them into smaller, more personal scales

• In the last two decades, we have seen the development of this format with ensemble casts and lengthy story arcs, probably best illustrated by Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue

Because of the success of the hybrid format and its inclusion of serious social and cultural problems, it has been a primary vehicle for dealing with sensitive issues and actually pushing the limits of what had been considered appropriate on television.  So we see NYPD Blue  introducing language and nudity in ways it never been used before. CSI has provided shocking visuals of deceased individuals and crime scenes.  In 2002, The Shield, has shattered barriers of propriety as it explored the real issues faced by police officers.  The question producers must ask is, "How much reality" is appropriate for television.   Never-the-less, the melodramatic nature of the mystery plots provide a perfect "cover" under which to push the envelop in the areas of violence, sex, nudity and language.

ASSIGNMENT:

Find examples of each of these mystery formats and outline an episode, reflected all of the elements in the outline above.  Can you find a "documentary" format on commercial television today?

 Copyright, 2002 Janet McMullen

Email Dr. Mc: jmcmulle@unanov.una.edu 

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