[disc.] procedural dramas.

[delga]

The allure of the procedural drama is in its formula, the comfort from knowing the division of acts, and from knowing that there are only a set number of outcomes. The excitement of the procedural dramas come from what is done with that formula, how the rules are bent and broken. The draw of any one over the other is two-fold: the success of the formula, and the success of the ensemble.

                      

The cast of Raines, with Jeff Goldblum as the lead

Procedural dramas are easy on the attention span, they're easy to watch and re-watch. But not every one that hits the screen makes it. Take, for example, the recently deceased Raines (NBC). Raines was a detective series: the crime happened/was discovered in the teaser, and was resolved by the end credits. The pitch was two-fold. One, Raines (played by Jeff Goldblum who was surprisingly suited to the role) has PTSD, and thus suffers hallucinations which he uses to solve the crime o'the week. Two, Raines' characterisation is deadpan, film noir, someone in pain and someone hiding that pain. In balancing the two, what you finally got was an amusing show with feel-good vibes and some good gags. The small ensemble was used mostly to buffer Goldblum, but it was early days yet. It got cut after seven episodes.

As someone who has seen a lot of procedural dramas and has dropped a couple of the more popular ones (see: Without a Trace, CSI: Miami), let me tell you: I was sorely disappointed by the decision.

Let's compare this to NBC 2005 mid-season hit Medium. Patricia Arquette is Allison Dubois, a psychic who helps the District Attorney solve crimes. On the one hand she has spent a lifetime plagued by nightmares and ghost, and now has a way of using these special skills. On the other hand, she's a wife and mother-of-three with all the obligations that entails. Every episode starts with a nightmare which becomes pivotal to the plot in some way. The ensemble is, again, small and focused on Arquette, though it also plays with Allison's husband Jeff and, on occasion, her first two daughters.

 

                      

Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber (as Allison and Joe Dubois)

The success of the show comes, I believe, from its ability to manipulate it's formula, and from the added personal dimension of Allison's domestic environs. Whilst she may be dealing with a murder during the day, at home she is negotiating her marriage and her role as a mother to her daughters who may also be developing skills of their own. In fact, many of the episodes don't deal with crimes as much as the justice system as a whole - jury selection, interviews, crime scene inspections, witnesses. The show has range, which Raines, admittedly, lacked, and the supporting cast are a delight. Jake Weber lends empathy and humour to the character Joe Dubois, whilst the two older daughters have endearing quirks of their own.

There are other things to consider, naturally - day and time aired, publicity received and so on - but if you want to put out a procedural drama, it's got to have staying power. It's got to have something beyond the usual detective spiel. Personally, what I liked about Raines was how traditional it felt, how self-contained, but what I like about Medium is how fresh every episode is. There's something to be said for innovation, apparently.

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It's re-run season, so I'm watching new things. I've been through Deadwood, I'm watching new episodes of Big Love, Weeds, Army Wives and (soon!) Dexter. I've just started The Wire. None of these are procedurals. But come Autumn, the best of the rest will be back: NCIS, CSI, Numb3rs, the Law and Order franchise, Bones, Criminal Minds and CSI:NY. And I guess this Vox is as good a place as any other to expound on my many and varied reasons for loving these shows. These shows which should feel the same, and yet manage to mix it up enough for me to give a damn.

Up next: The Wire, 1x01, 1x02, 1x03.