Media representations of police and crime: shaping television drama

Police series are prime time viewing. They are important in shaping public perceptions and preferences about the role and the nature of policing in society. But how are these stories created? How important is authenticity to the makers? And what is the appeal for audiences in watching these dramas? Written by a former police drama scriptwriter, this book is the first criminological study of its kind to explore the impact of production processes in shaping fictional representations of police and crime in television drama. Drawing on media and criminological theory, it analyses how commercial imperatives, working processes and artistic constraints shape storytelling on ten key British and European police dramas from the last twenty-five years including The Bill, Between the Lines, Broadchurch and popular French drama Spiral. Providing a revealing insight into the television industry and the factors which play a part in determining how and why representations of the police have changed over time, this book will appeal to scholars in Criminology, Media Studies and Sociology.