Page 53 - A Handbook Genre Studies in Mass Media

CHAPTER 3

reflecting a constant set of questions, issues, and concerns. To illustrate,
the essential structure of courtroom dramas is as follows:
I. Introduction
A. Background–justice system
B. A crime is committed
1. The truthfulness/veracity of the account of the crime is
established
2. The guilty party is identified
3. The innocence of the defendant is established
II. The defendant is apprehended
A. The defendant confesses his/her guilt to his/her lawyers
B. The defendant confesses his/her innocence to his/her lawyers
III. The jury selection process
IV. The development of the defense team’s strategies
V. The defense attorney’s tactics in court
VI. The prosecutor’s tactics in court
VII. The verdict is rendered
A. The jury deliberates behind closed doors
B. The defendant admits his/her guilt under cross-examination

This structure furnishes a complete framework for the genre while
providing for considerable variation within this framework. Every se-
ries that falls within this genre, such as Perry Mason or Law & Order
permits individual embellishments. Moreover, each episode within the
series contains its own specific nuances. For instance, in Law & Order
the criminal and the nature of the crime vary each week.
Beyond any differences in specific detail, a slight manipulation of the
formula can drastically alter the narrative. Some structural elements may
be omitted entirely from a series (or episode), while the order of the other
functions remains the same. For instance, in Law & Order only elements
1 and 2 listed under “A Crime is Committed” (IB) are employed:
I. Introduction
A. Background–justice system
B. A crime is committed
1. The truthfulness/veracity of the account of the crime is
established
2. The guilty party is identified

Element B3, The innocence of the defendant is established, is eliminated.

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