Thursday, 12 February 2015

A Most Wanter Alter Ego

There have been a, for the want of a better word, a rash of TV shows and films where great detectives have either featured or taken center stage. I've always been a murder mystery enthusiast, whether it is a classic Poirot episode or Marlowe case, or a Sherlock adventure or a cosey Marple tale, I'm watching, sometimes reading. Of course I also love the more recent detectives, Agent Cooper and Doc Sportello. The representations in TV land, Bored to Death's Jonathan Ames was a favourite before the show was cancelled and Mary Shephard, who worked in witness protection, still had to solve cases and of course my new favourite unlikely detective, Puck Bure from Crimes of Passion. So, yes. I do love a good crime story.

From top left to right: Poirot, Mary Shepard, Jonathan Ames, Doc Sportello, Marlowe, Alex Price, Holmes & Watson, Puck Pure, Miss Marple and The Dude

I left Agent Cooper in my collage. That was a mistake. Including him, I'd like to be a combination of all of the above but I know that is impossible.

I wish I could have been a P.I, despite having seen Cold Case and seen all the faff that Jackson Brody ends up in, I'm not put off.

It has been said and proven that most shows are made about doctors, lawyers and detectives. I've not really been a fan of hospital or clinic based dramas, apart from Green Wing which was actually a comedy and had barely anything to do with medical issues. I did watch a couple of series of ER but otherwise I dropped it. Lawyers are similar to murder mysteries or crimes in general, just at a different stage. I love The Good Wife and Silk so can't knock the whole 'lawyer' show entirely. But Detectives have my heart. Hell, I even named a film 'Space Detective', can't get away from this.

I think the draw is solving a puzzle. Mysteries, something for you yourself to work out and be surprised or not by the end. The characters for this type of sub genre are endless and can be amazing no matter how small a part, an impression can be made.

There also seems to a trend in television at the moment, where two people are teamed, one a traditional detective or police officer and their 'side kick' or partner is slightly odd, has a tick or  has nothing to do with the police, for example like Grantchester or every Miss Marple episode. This seems to be a trait mostly in period drama murder mysteries.

If I cannot be a P.I myself, I'll invent a character who is, that's the next step as I don't think I'd get away with solving crimes. Even trying to moonlight as a P.I would prove difficult. I can solve everyday issues related to my day/survival job but I'd need a little more formal training to do anything more. So don't expect my business card to say anything out of the ordinary just yet. Just look for a story. A murder mystery story.

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