TV makes for good entertainment, whether your preference is drama, comedy, crime, medical, historical or something else. As you may have guessed, TV does get some things wrong, whether accidentally or on purpose. Sometimes, these errors do not matter in the grand scheme. If the period dress in a historical drama is 50 years too early or 50 years too late, it probably will not affect anyone’s life today.
On the other hand, mistaken impressions from crime dramas can absolutely lead to serious repercussions in real life. Here is a look at a few common things crime shows get wrong.
Investigations happen quickly with neat conclusions
Cold case dramas aside, shows give the impression that most crimes are solved within days, that evidence comes back speedily and that all side threads are tied up. The field of suspects is a small and manageable number, and witnesses always seem to be around, even if they are a bit surly at first.
In real life, detectives and police officers must often juggle multiple cases, such as drug crimes and white collar crimes. Plus, these cases can take a long time to resolve, if they ever do get wrapped up. The potential pool of suspects can be huge, and a suspect’s apparent motive may never be known.
The right people are caught
On TV, the people who did the crime are the ones who end up paying for it, although there may be some missteps and false arrests along the way. In the end, innocent people do get to go on with their lives, and viewers do not see how the unfair police treatment they received may have badly affected their lives.
Suspects cannot stop confessing
Confessions are crazily common on TV. In real life, it is rare for a suspect to tell detectives, “Yes! I did it,” and to proceed to explain the whys and wherefores.
Lawyers wait patiently through interrogations
How many times have you seen police questioning suspects with their lawyers sitting by their side? The lawyer may interject often, “Do not answer that,” or “We are done. Time to go,” but the lawyer is there and the police questioning can go on and on.
In real life, lawyers talk with their clients before a police interview and often do not allow authorities to question their clients.
