Unnecessarily Medium Specific, Old Trope but Underused (alt-title crowner): Crime Time TV

This trope is unnecessarily medium specific in both its name and its description. The basic concept behind the trope should be universal to all mediums: Stories that focus on and are told from the perspective of criminals.

This trope dates back to the very early days of TV Tropes when it was still very focused on just TV. The problem with the trope was brought up on an early discussion. however it was never fixed. According the the apparent creator in that discussion, he was following the example of Cop Show, another early trope from our "TV Only" days. That trope could use work too, but never mind that for now.

This thread and other have raised the issue of too many tropes being unnecessarily treated as medium specific.

The trope has only 27 wicks and two inbounds. That doesn't seem like a lot for something this basic and common. I can also think of a ton of examples, especially from outside of TV, that should probably be listed. On the plus side, none of those wicks are incorrect. On the down side, the only non-Live-Action TV example I see is a single anime example.

At a bare minimum, this trope should have its description be expanded to be non-medium specific, and sent to YKTTW to collect more examples.

If people think there is a pressing reason to keep this medium specific, I'd like permission to create a super-trope for non-TV purposes.

We may also want to consider tweaking the name.

edited 12th Feb '12 6:14:31 PM by Catbert

No one else has any thoughts on this? Have I at least demonstrated enough of a concern for this to be a valid TRS thread?

You have a very well thought out OP. Nice work. I do agree, it's both a bad name and horribly underused for a very broad supertrope.

Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick

That sounds like a reasonable plan to me. The only real reasons I can think of for keeping this trope so medium specific are to have a counterpart to Cop Show and/or to keep the name.

The first justification makes some sense to me, but I am not sure it is that persuasive unless someone can point to what makes a criminal-focused TV show distinct from say a comic book, film, or book about the same subject.

"irhgT nm0w tehre might b ea lotof th1nmgs i dont udarstannd, ubt oim ujst goinjg to keepfollowing this pazth i belieove iN !!!!!1 d

If we rename, any good ideas for an alternate title?

Crime Time Story? Or another catch-all word for it?

Oh, and there's absolutely no need to have it medium-specific.

edited 13th Feb '12 8:15:08 PM by Feather7603

The Internet misuses, abuses, and overuses everything.

Throwing out name ideas:

Crime Time Fiction

Crime Time Story

Criminal Protaganist Story

Criminal Protaganist Fiction

I'm attaching a rename crowner here.

edited 15th Feb '12 11:45:50 AM by Catbert

Hooked.

Bumping for more votes.

Bumping for more votes and also requesting that people contribute ideas for a better name, just in case the rename option wins.

Oh wow, the name is non-indicative too. I didn't think it was any different from the Cop Show. Is it a pre-existing term?

Criminal Intent? (I am so sorry.) From Criminal Eyes?

edited 29th Feb '12 10:52:02 PM by MorganWick

I quick Google search on the term ends up with a small TV Guide page which appears to use the term to describe both criminal perspective and law enforcement perspective shows.

This page also uses it for a Detective Drama.

The Other Wiki has Crimetime after Primetime as "the umbrella title for a group of late-night crime-investigation shows that debuted at various times on CBS during 1991 and 1992"

edited 1st Mar '12 4:17:33 AM by Catbert

Bumping for votes and name idea.

Yeah, to the extent that "Crime Time" is used out in the wider world, it's generally for "shows about crime", and more likely those focusing on the good guys.

Would Criminal Procedural work?

edited 24th Mar '12 10:09:51 PM by suedenim

Jet-a-Reeno!

Calling the crowner, 18 yeas in favour of renaming and sending back to YKTTW.

edited 1st Apr '12 10:15:31 AM by BobbyG

Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text-Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The Staff

Alternate Titles Crowner here.

Feel free to add any more name ideas if you have any.

edited 2nd Apr '12 1:49:41 PM by Catbert

I attempt to attach crowner to thread. *rolls 2d6* Success!

Needs votes! And if anyone has a better name idea, please list.

Bumping for votes.

Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.

Third time this gets a bump for votes. Why is it so unloved?

edited 28th May '12 8:35:46 AM by lu127

"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer

Given the inbounds, I'd say "nobody cares"

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Calling crowner in favor of the winning title. Make it so.

ReName done with all the details (discussion, wicks, other greens in crowner turned into redirects).

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Thanks for the help everyone. At some future time I plan on expanding the examples and possibly putting up a draft in YKTTW for collecting more examples purpose, but right now I'm tied up with other projects, and I don't want to tie up a TRS slot until I get around to that. I think we can go ahead and close this thread.

Nice work.

"If you aren't him, then you apparently got your brain from the same discount retailer, so..." - Fighteer