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Crime-Time TV: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
The equal and opposite of the [[Cop Show]] and [[Police Procedural]], Crime Time TV focuses on people who are on the ''wrong'' side of the law. Generally they are split into four types, each focusing on a different type of criminal:
'''[[Con Man|Con Men]] and [[Gentleman Thief|Gentlemen Thieves]]''' are the most popular, since it's easy to make them sympathetic to the audience by making [[The Mark|their victims]] rich and greedy. They are also usually charismatic and attractive. Their shows are usually light in tone and there will almost certainly be one episode where they actually help the police to take down a violent (and therefore "bad") criminal. There may be a recurring police officer who tries (and fails) to capture the protagonists, or who coerces them into helping him out with his investigations.
* See also: [[The Caper]], [[The Con]].
* Examples: ''[[Hustle]]'', ''[[It Takes a Thief (2005 TV series)|It Takes a Thief]]'', ''[[Lupin III]]'', ''[[
'''Outsiders/Hangers On''' are the next rung down on the popularity ladder. Generally petty crooks, fencers, forgers, dealers of soft drugs and other people who are on the wrong side of the law but not sufficiently nasty to put off the viewing audience. Expect the really nasty criminals to pop up more regularly, usually as a plot device if the protagonists owe them money/drugs/something else. The outsiders are usually cowardly or otherwise non-violent. These guys typically star in dark comedies.
* See also: [[The Aggressive Drug Dealer]] (antithesis)
* Examples: ''[[Weeds]]'', ''[[
'''Hardcore/Organised Criminals''' are the least popular protagonists for Crime Time TV, largely because they have to be shown to be despicable people in order to come across as being remotely realistic. It's also difficult to play down the crimes that they commit: murder, extortion, dealing in highly dangerous drugs, etc. As a result, such series tend to be very adult in tone and morally complex, and therefore not attractive to advertisers. Where there is humour, it tends to be pitch black.
* Examples: ''[[The Sopranos]]'', ''[[The Wire]]'', ''[[
'''Convicts''' do not fit comfortably into the popularity ladder. This is because, since they have been taken off the street and are - in theory - paying for their crimes, they don't necessarily have to be shown committing criminal acts. Or, when they do commit such acts, they are usually against fellow inmates - which can be seen as justified to some viewers. As a result, series set in [[Prison]] can have wildly different tones, from harrowing to comedic.
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== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[To Catch a Thief]]'' had Cary Grant as a suave jewel thief who supposedly had retired, until thefts in his style started happening again...
* ''[[Catch That Kid]]
* ''[[Fitzwilly]]'' stars [[Dick Van Dyke]] as a devoted butler who leads an entire household staff in various cons and scams in order to finance, and thus preserve, their elderly (and bankrupt) employer's belief that she is still wealthy.
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* ''[[The Sopranos]]'' is probably the best known example: a high-profile, critically acclaimed show following the exploits of Tony Soprano, mafia boss, and the various members of his two families.
* ''[[Hustle]]'' is a British TV series about a group of con artists, heavily inspired by the remake of the movie ''[[
* ''[[The Wire]]'' tends to be evenly split between the lives of the criminals and the lives of the cops that are stalking them. Later seasons broadened this to politicians, journalists, and children who are getting into a life of crime.
* ''[[Leverage]]'': A formulaic but truly fun show where a band of [[True Companions]] conmen/thieves/hitters/hackers/etc. take down the rich and greedy.
* ''[[
* ''[[Weeds]]'' is a comedy/drama about a bereaved housewife who starts selling marijuana to pay the bills.
* ''[[Ideal]]'' is a sitcom about a small-time drug dealer.
* ''[[Porridge]]'' is a [[Britcom]] set in a small prison.
* ''[[Oz]]'' is an infamously violent show set in a US prison with a multitude of rapes, castrations, murders and more rapes.
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* ''It Takes a Thief'' with Robert Wagner was probably the first television program to do this.
* ''[[Intelligence]]'' is partly about an organized crime group engaged in the marijuana trade.
* ''[[
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* ''[[Last
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