Detective shows

Affable

I admire great detective shows like Cracker and Morse. Yet I can never actually concentrate enough to feel I'm grasping the plot.

Anyone else suffer this?

Peared

Ha, yes.

I like to think I'm a reasonably intellimigent gal but give me any kind of drama/movie with a plot more challenging than The Smurfs and I turn into one of those "Is he yer man that did that thing earlier with the yolk that killed yer woman? No? Ok. Who is he then?" kind of people.

Affable

Peared wrote: »

Ha, yes.

I like to think I'm a reasonably intellimigent gal but give me any kind of drama/movie with a plot more challenging than The Smurfs and I turn into one of those "Is he yer man that did that thing earlier with the yolk that killed yer woman? No? Ok. Who is he then?" kind of people.

Ha ha!! Quite honest of you...;)

Steve

eh no....

Colombo was the best - especially if you missed the first 5 mins.

AlmightyCushion

Moved from After Hours.

Ruu_Old

Murder She Wrote, she even had an Ooooooooooorish episode.

The_Minister

Peared wrote: »

Ha, yes.

I like to think I'm a reasonably intellimigent gal but give me any kind of drama/movie with a plot more challenging than The Smurfs and I turn into one of those "Is he yer man that did that thing earlier with the yolk that killed yer woman? No? Ok. Who is he then?" kind of people.

People like you are my bane:mad:

Toto Wolfcastle

Ruu wrote: »

Murder She Wrote, she even had an Ooooooooooorish episode.

Even with Murder She Wrote, which is a terrible terrible show, I can manage to concentrate on the whole thing. (I like to watch it to see if I can figure out why I loved it as a child.)

Once I start watching something I have to see what the outcome it.

Elmo

I admire great detective shows like Cracker and Morse. Yet I can never actually concentrate enough to feel I'm grasping the plot.

Cracker and Morse aren't in the same league. You can’t put Murder She Wrote in the same sentence as either of them.

Cracker is self explanatory IMO and has depth for storyline and the characters.

This should explain most plots in English Detective shows such as, Ms. Marple, Poriot, Midsummers Muders, Morse etc. (but not prime suspect or cracker).

Morse (etc.) brings in new characters by the 3rd act and suggests that they did it, but they don't explain who they are or where they came from.



They just seem to have a small connection to one of the other characters (probably a long lost relative). This new character is hired to kill the murder victim by the murder victim’s wife or son (close family member). The long lost relative has some unsettle business with the murder victim, so it makes prefect sense to them to frame the person who hired them, kill the murder victim (because they gave them up for adoption or ignored their existence even though they are their son/daughter) and also to get some money for their evil deed.

Meanwhile the quiet family member is being blackmailed by someone else in the family (generally an in-law), this should throw the detective of the trail of the murderer. And confuss the **** out of the audience, which in turn helps to give of the impression that the Detective Drama is a who dunnit? when in reality no one could possible guess who the murderer until they see the new character in the 3rd act.

I find it more interesting to figure out whos going to be killed next rather then who did it, as I will find that out in Act 3. (Espically in Midsummers murders) But this is getting boring as the next person to be kill is generally the current prime suspect in the investigation.

Tagart (a scottish detective series) also uses this template, but when you read it you should say Murder and Murderer in a scottish accent. examples here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxzlF68YqOY&feature=related

Affable

Elmo wrote: »

Cracker and Morse aren't in the same league. You can’t put Murder She Wrote in the same sentence as either of them.

Well true, Cracker is an absolute classic.

odyssey06

Affable wrote: »

I admire great detective shows like Cracker and Morse. Yet I can never actually concentrate enough to feel I'm grasping the plot.
Anyone else suffer this?

Well, it could be specifically related to the fact that those shows are 90-minutes or 2-parters, and tend to have red herrings and sideplots thrown in to distract you. Midsomer Murders, Taggart and Marple are the same.

Try a 45-minute episode of Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett), Jonathan Creek, Poirot (early ITV episodes) or Monk and see if you can concentrate on that for the full whack. They tend to have one murder, or one central problem to be solved.