Settings

Most crime dramas attract audiences that can relate to settings e.g. if they live there, somewhere similar, or have experienced similar happenings in or around their hometown. For example, Luther is set in the suburbs of working class London, in estates - a location which the average viewer may relate to, as there is no glitz and glamour within this setting. This setting gives Luther a more gritty effect, maybe gripping the audience with its realistic feel. CSI: Miami, on the other hand, uses Miami to glamourise the crime and make it seem more like a fantasy, with upper class citizens committing or being victims of crime, making it more shocking than perhaps realistic. We associate Miami with wealth, immaculate beaches, sunshine - a holiday destination rather than somewhere you would fear. This allows them to play on the paradise look of Miami and contradict our view of Miami with the gory crimes involved. Also, in Luther, we are able to see crimes happen which we also see on the news - things like gang crime amongst estates, with teenagers.