For the jargon-impaired, procedurals are crime shows in which each episode follows a crime, and its solution. Sometimes the solution is the end of the episode. Sometimes the episode follows the criminal as he or she moves through the justice system.
Such shows are heavy on plot, light and character and almost devoid of humor, except for the occasional bad-taste one-liner (for instance, the assertion that a decapitated murder victim “lost his head.� Hardy-har-har.)
The grand-daddy of this genre is the unstoppable “Law & Order,� now in its 16th season, with two spin-offs “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit� and “Law &Order: Criminal Intent.� The new blood of this group (so to speak) is the “CSI� franchise, consisting of the original “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,� “CSI: Miami,� and “CSI: New York.�
These shows are all pretty hugely popular, but this season their ratings are slipping.
“Law & Order,� for instance, has seen a 16 percent slide in young viewers from last year. “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,� “CSI,� and the two “CSI� spinoffs are also down from last year.
To which I offer but two words: Woo. Hoo.
Now I must admit something: I am one of, like, eight people on earth who have NEVER liked the “Law & Order� shows. Not a one. I know America has historically loved them, but I find them dry and uninvolving.
I like some of the actors in them (including Sam Waterson, Christopher Meloni, Vincent D’Onofrio and the late, wonderful Jerry Orbach), but I have never warmed to the series.
I sort of like the funnier, kinkier “CSI� – particularly the central performance by William Petersen – but haven’t watched any of its sequels. I just can’t get into them.
Now, I admit the shows have appeal. For instance, you can miss one episode without skipping a beat. But I like shows that you have to follow and watch carefully for clues and character nuance.
I like television that makes you work a little. That includes shows like “Lost,� “Veronica Mars,� and “24.� I like to be engaged with characters and stories. Maybe other viewers are starting to feel that way, too.
This year’s schedule is loaded with new shows that combine character drama with their action plots, like “Invasion� and “Prison Break.� So does that mean the procedural has reached the end of its reign?
Well, it’s probably too soon to say. “Law & Order: SVU� is still going strong, so we’ll see. But perhaps this turn of events will inspire TV execs to break away from the mindset of procedural-as-safety-net and offer us some more intriguing stuff.