Morality and Social Order in Television Crime Drama
by John Sumser
Category: Performing Arts

In 45 minutes, prime-time television can present viewers with a crime (often a murder), introduce all the suspects and their motives, and then solve the mystery. Through moral boundaries that have become stereotypical over the years, the show's hero is able to tie up all the loose ends and ensure that justice is served. This study explores how these morally-charged stereotypes are used in place of either logical reasoning or common sense in television crime dramas from the late 1960s to the present. Also examined is the role these shows have played in the creation and reinforcement of social stereotypes in society as a whole.