Insightful Programs

Eight years ago, I had a bout with pneumonia and had to stay in bed for a month. At the time, I watched every episode of Call the Midwife and found it to be a compelling show, tackling some of life's challenges. As new seasons emerged, I spent a weekend binging. And now it has concluded so it was time to find a new show to watch.

My new addiction is Silent Witness, also a British series that began in 1996 and is still going strong. Thirty years strong. That's 30 seasons with ten episodes each, which means there are 300 episodes. I've watched twelve seasons so far, seen my favorite actors leave and get replaced with new favorites. I just happened on it several months ago which was something of a lark. I do love a good crime drama, so I think that's what got my attention at first. For years I watched Law and Order, so I thought this would be similar. Not so.

What makes this program so appealing is the story is told from the pathologist's perspective and we see the developments in DNA and forensic science as they evolve. We're way beyond fingerprints now. The information is fed to us in small amounts that are scientifically accurate. In the late 1990's, a skeletal face could be moulded from clay to identify the person. Ten years later, the computer is given the particulars and recreates the face in minutes instead of days. I think that is what is so compelling for me.  Learning so much about the growth in forensics in such a simplified way. Clearly there are many on the other side of the pond who feel the same commitment to supporting this program.

However, there is some gore involved, not easy to watch for the faint of heart. I just close my eyes when a body is about to be opened up and listen to the dialogue to hear what they find. The topics range from murder to domestic abuse, airplane crash to bodies floating in the river - anything and everything that's ever happened. They seem to touch life in every corner, from mental illness to birth defects. And the characters private lives add to the storyline.

I suppose my interest is beyond education and entertainment. By examining the structure of the information divulged, merging characters professional and personal lives, I hope to gain some introspection into my own writing. 

If you have a favorite program, please share it with me in the comments section.