Week 13 Schedule

Remember, the reading for the weekend is Jancovich, “The Mainstream, Distinction, and Cult TV,” which is on e-reserve.

Monday
Class Activity:
Science Fiction
Discuss Essay Two
Assignments:
Sharp – “Starbuck as ‘American Amazon’” (e-reserve)

Wednesday
Class Activity:
Screening – Battlestar Galactica
Assignments:
Blog post
McCutcheon – “Downloading Doppelgangers” (e-reserve)

Friday
Class Activity:
Show Critique
Review Essay Two drafts
Assignments:
Harris – “A Sociology of Television Fandom” (e-reserve)
Essay Two due via email by 11:59 p.m.

 

I’ll have some updated blog grades out to you this weekend so you have a better idea where you stand going into Essay Two.

Blog 11: Chicago Hope

Over the past couple weeks, we have discussed police and forensic procedural. We discussed that procedural television shows in general are usually plot driven rather than character driven. Also, procedural dramas tend to focus on episodic close-up rather than the dense arcs one may see in a prime-time serial. After watching an episode of CSI, it was easy to see some of the characteristics that Sue Tait pointed out in her reading. That being said, these characteristics can also apply to the medical procedural. After watching the episode of Chicago Hope entitled “Lamb to Slaughter,” I was able to pick up on some of the patterns that procedural and medical dramas each follow.

This episode of Chicago Hope seemed different than most episodes. Although I have never seen the show before, this episode seemed more like a forensic procedural than a medical procedural. Even though most of the events happened in the hospital, I still got that feeling.

The episode started when an injured gang member showed up at the hospital. We learn that his name is Marcus and he was injured after being thrown out of a moving car. Shortly after his arrival, the doctors exhaust all options to save the boy and must call his time of death. Right when this happens, the crime scene investigators show up and mark the trauma room with caution tape. At this point, the operating room becomes the crime scene. This is just one example of how this episode acts more like a forensic procedural than a medical procedural.

As the episode continues, attorney Charles lamb questions each doctor involved in trying to save Marcus Jessup. As each man is questioned, he flashes back to the events of the evening as he remembers them. Each story is a little different from the next, but nothing is revealed until the chief of staff must recall his night. When the episode ends, we see him coming to the conclusion that Dr. Nyland chose not to clamp Marcus’s aorta, causing him to bleed out. At the closing of the episode, the viewer can see that there are issues that have not been resolved. Although I did not watch the next episode, I can imagine Dr. Nyalnd was question again about Marcus and his death.

I expect medical procedurals to be more similar to the show House. I know they are supposed to have a certain formula. Each episode usually begins with a patient coming in sick and throughout the episode doctors must work to find out what is wrong with said patient. Instead of “Lamb to Slaughter” being like this, the doctors accepted the death of the patient and the entire episode revolved around the law aspect of a patients death. This characteristic reminded me of watching an episode of a forensic drama like CSI or Law and Order. After watching the whole episode, I felt that it must have been different that the usual episode of Chicago Hope.

Blog 11 Post/Week 12 – Procedurals

Blog 11 Post/Week 12 – Procedurals

For the past two weeks we have had the opportunity to learn about the procedural genre. Eventhough we have focused on this genre, at times we may fail to realize that this genre can be subdivided and that is what I will be discussing today. While CSI: Crime Scene Investigation focuses on police and forensic procedures, Chicago Hope focuses strictly on the medical aspect with a heavy emphasis on body images.

Just as we discussed in class, the medical procedural focuses on trauma and the body. As I mentioned before, there is a heavy emphasis on body images on the “Lamb to Slaughter” episode of Chicago Hope. Personally, I was not expecting to see that many body images from the very beginning of the episode. The narrative, or in this instance mystery, begins with an argument in which all we gather is that one of the doctors or physicians is being reprimanded for having a relationship with a patient. A few seconds after, the camera pans on scenes and/or photographs that are actually recollections of an event at an Emergency Room at 10pm. Moments after, we  are introduced to a busy ER where it is hard to understand the happenings due to noise in the background of other conversations.

Right from the get-go we are placed in the Emergency Room, as part of the audience we are confused – the conversations and the noise can be distracting or frustrating in trying to understand what is exactly happening. Essentially, we are being forced to relate with the physicians themselves. The one thing that is different in this medical procedural is that unlike CSI, the death occurs in one location and the evidence remains in that closed space. The questioning also occurs in only one location in which all the physicians interview with the Assistant of the State Attorney’s Office.

Structurally if we are to recall some of our readings, there are three types of shots: 1) present 2) Flashback and 3) the CSI shot. In Chicago Hope, we only encounter the first two shots. And at times, the flashback is combined with a dreamy stage of the interviewee where he is talking in the present but in a past location. In terms to patterns related to the criminal procedural, we are essentially narrowing down the evidence and the criminal [CSI] but in Chicago Hope we are essentially entering in blocks of information in which there are multiple recollections of the same event by 4 different people. There is no narrowing down of evidence to the solution of the mystery. The narrowing down only occurs right at the end when the Chief of Staff, played by Hector Elizondo, remembers the true story – mentally. The truth never fully comes out verbally in which it can be used to formally accuse someone.

Although structural differences occur, there is no emotion towards the body. Just as in CSI, the body is seen as part of the procedure. In Chicago Hope, the body of Marcus is shown multiple times to the point of creating a trauma due to the medical work that has to be done to save him. This relates physical reassurance in the terms that the body holds a center level of evidence. Here, we learn that it was critical that the aorta were clamped to help Marcus survive we only learn that this medical procedure did not occur do to an oversight and this caused the deathly toll of the patient. Marcus’ body is imaged in a clinical way yet it produced trauma as we see the body worked on with tools and we see the effect [bloody images]. The body is such a critical aspect on the procedural genre that we learn to detach emotionally and see the body clinically but the trauma is heightened in the medical procedure due to the severity of a body before, during, and after being treated.

—-

“Lamb to Slaughter.” Chicago Hope. 5 May 1997. Television.

“The List.” CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. 10 Mar. 2011. Television.

Chicago Hope

Procedural based television shows can take on many different forms. They can be a forensic drama such as CSI or CSI Miami, or they can be police procedurals, which we see in many other programs. One other extremely popular type of procedural is the medical procedurals. After watching Chicago Hope I noticed that it quickly fell into a procedural show. Never having watched a single episode, nor have I ever even heard about the show, I was able to not only enjoy watching the episode, but also was able to soundly follow along. This shows that Chicago Hope is without question episodic. Although yes there were a few character sub plots that I was not able to completely understand, the main plot was started and ended in the single episode.

As I have not watched any other episodes I am not entirely sure if “Lamb to Slaughter” was different then the rest, but I felt as if it was. I say this because there were a few, what I thought to be, weird narratives done by the doctors in their flashbacks during their interviews. Nonetheless, the show did follow a formulaic pattern that one would expect to be present in all the episodes of Chicago Hope and other medical procedurals. It begun with a patient who was just rushed into the emergency room, then the surgeons were operating on him. We see the typical start to any medical show. From there, interestingly enough a police procedural plot takes over for the middle of the episode. All though different, it does not detract from it being a medical procedural. At the end, one of the doctors sees what the mistake was. Again, typical of a medical procedural where the case is solved, but the outcome is not always a happy one. In the case of this episode the case was solved with the chief of staff realizing the aorta vain was not clamped, however it was sad as the patient did pass away.

One feature of episodic television programs is there is a focus on just one or two plot lines. While watching the episode, there were only two plots that I believe were present. The first plot was about whether the doctors intentionally let the 17-year-old patient die. The mother of the patient was pressing charges because she claimed to hear one of the doctors say, “Just let him die.” For the duration of the episode the states attorney’s office was issuing an investigation against the doctors. For that reason we saw each of the doctors being interviewed by the prosecutor with each of them having to recall the night of the incident.  The second sub plot was surrounded between Dr. Keith Wilkes and Dr. Daniel Nyland. Dr. Wilkes recently was hired into Dr. Nylands passed job of Chief of the ER. We learn the Dr. Nylands was in fact demoted from his position and thus had many negative attitudes towards Dr. Wilkes.

“Procedurals”

The procedurals between shows CSI and Chicago Hope are similar in many ways because they both deal with crimes being committed involving a victim being hurt or even dead. Both shows also present and investigation. However, each show focuses on different aspect of for example a homicide.

In a typical show of CSI they receive a phone call and the investigators go out and try to piece the puzzle together the crime the just took place. They gather up the clues and evidence and take it back to the lab to be tested for starters. They also, look for witnesses or anything that could trace back to the criminal. This is where the science of CSI falls into play. How the typically solve a crime is very untypical of how you would solve a crime in reality but you would get the idea of what a Crime Scene Investigator. CSI focuses more on the crime itself and how the victim died at the scene. As we stated in class dead bodies don’t seem to be anything new in either show it’s just a part of the show. There isn’t really any emotional remorse for the body unless the victim was known throughout the show but, besides that if it’s just your regular john doe the show moves on.

As for the Chicago Hope the focus in more on the medical aspect there really are not any Crime Scene Investigators at the crime scene piecing together evidence from the scene itself. Chicago Hope seems like the clock starts in the hospital when the victim is rolled into the hospital and it begins from there. The investigators come to the doctors to get additional evidence for whatever the body could tell the doctor. This from gunshot wounds to stab wounds to broken bones. Yet, in this show the doctors and nurses are the criminals as well because they have a certain duty to uphold by saving the lives of a dying human and if a life couldn’t be saved it all’s falls back onto the doctors. This presents a little remorse for the dead bodies within the shows only because it’s somebody’s mother, father, son, or daughter. Many of the doctors and nurses are being sued because families felt that their loved was mistreated and was not given everything and then more to be given a chance to survive. One family in this particular episode stated that they heard the doctors say let him die which creates the controversy throughout the show because no one knows exactly how each patient are treated and don’t really know if they are given the maximum opportunity to live. But in Chicago Hope the medical staffs are the targets as the criminals for the lives that die at the hospital

Each show is different in their own way but the procedurals I think are similar but the focus is aimed towards street criminals in CSI. As for Chicago Hope the medical are the ones caught up in the criminal system.

Blog 12: Chicago Hope

Procedurals, in general, can be described in many aspects. Shows under this genre, often times, have a small recurring cast, consisting of characters who are the main experts in their field. Each episode also focuses on what is known as the “case of the week”. This case begins with an incident, followed by an investigation, and finally, a conclusion. Due to this set formula, plots within such shows are very limited to the case. They are also highly involved in lighting and camera work; this ensures that the audience can differentiate between the present time and a person’s memories, which is quite crucial to the investigation at hand.

The Chicago Hope episode of “Lamb to Slaughter” exhibits several of the aforementioned characteristics. In this episode, the “case of the week” is a mix of both medical and law as the death of a boy named Marcus is investigated. The investigation is led by a state attorney, who then begins to interview the main cast of doctors, who might have been responsible for the boy’s death. As each doctor recaps his own experiences at the time of the incident, the episode follows the same formula as any other procedural and focuses mainly on the case.

Considering that this particular episode of Chicago Hope crosses into the field of law, it bears some similarities to the likes of Law and Order. In her article, Lee provides insight into how Law and Order presents its lawyers; she says that they provide psychological reassurance by remaining caring and empathetic even in the midst of trauma and the doctors of Chicago Hope Hospital does this as well (82). In “Lamb to Slaughter”, the doctors defend themselves by saying that their job is to save lives, not to kill people. They also claim that by saving such lives, it can make them feel like God but when they lose a life, it makes them feel pain; nevertheless, they do it every day and take on the responsibility because it’s their job. Thus, they maintain their composure despite the negative atmosphere around them.

Tait’s concept of realism/hyper-realism is also touched upon in the episode (53-54). Realism comes into play as the characters recap their experiences during the interview but there is no difference in the lighting or camera work as one would normally see in CSI. There are no grainy, dim shots to differentiate flashbacks from the present time; instead, the doctors’ memories were shot in a very “unreal-like” manner, where their own present dialogue is fused into the flashback itself. Therefore, the lack of realism is replaced by hyper-realism, merging the past and the present, which is obviously impossible in real life (“Lamb to Slaughter”).

Still, however, a difference can be made when comparing Chicago Hope to CSI. Tait mentions in her paper the idea of romancing the corpse, which views the human body in a clinical perspective, devoid of emotions (46). But, in Chicago Hope, this is not so; because the show is set in a hospital where families are able to watch as a patient is treated, displaying emotions is an inevitable sight. In “Lamb to Slaughter”, time and time again, Marcus’s mother and brother are shown crying in desperation and this is very different compared to the professional setting seen in “The List”. Here, the body is connected to something more than just scientific evidence, transcending the clinical aspect of CSI and gearing towards sympathizing with humanity as a whole.

Procedurals often share the same key characteristics but depending on the subgenre it takes on, certain qualities may or may not exist. In this episode of Chicago Hope, the similarities more than outweigh the differences. Therefore, the issues within the span of procedural shows link Chicago Hope to the likes of CSI and Law and Order when looked upon more in detail.

Works Cited:

“Lamb to Slaughter”. Chicago Hope. 20^th Century Fox Television. 1994. Web. 23 Mar 2011.

Lee, Susanna. “These are Our Stories: Trauma, Form, and the Screen Phenomenon of Law and Order”. Discourse 25.1&2 (2004): 81-97. Print.

“The List”. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. CBS Paramount Network Television. 2000. Web. 23 Mar 2011.

Tait, Sue. “Autoptic Vision and the Necrophilic Imaginary in CSI”. International Journal of Cultural Studies 9.1 (2006): 45-62. Print.

Blog 12-Procedural Dramas

Procedural dramas explore the procedures that characters go through, and are known to be plot driven with a main focus on episodic closure. These types of dramas are infamous for implementing fictional science, romance of the corpse using clinical vs. emotional proponents, as well as executing certain types of visual “qualities” to arise real vs. hyper-real questions.  In the two episodes we watched in class, one being the police and forensic procedural and the other being the medical procedural, I was able to pick out numerous similarities that the two shared. Although the CSI episode incorporated more than one story line, whereas the Chicago Hope episode focused on one story line throughout the entire show, the two both incorporated many of the same procedural characteristics.  The unique aspect of the “Chicago Hope” and “CSI” episodes, were that they were both investigating the staff rather than questioning members of society or conducting medical procedures; things that are usually common themes on the shows.

Both the “CSI” episode, as well as the “Chicago Hope” episode, used the image of the corpse to represent a clinical aspect rather than an embodiment of trauma and association of grief. Depictions of the dead bodies on these shows stimulate a sense of visual pleasure for the viewer rather than a sense of terror about why they are deceased. According to Tate, “CSI allows us to look at novel imagery of violence but elides the social and cultural contexts which may produce it.” In the “Chicago Hope” episode the dead body of the young boy is shown numerous times laying on the operating table with a remarkable amount of medical tools still left inside of his body. Whereas this image, as well as the autopsy of the corpses in “CSI”, should usually create a sense of disturbance in the viewer, the show uses the victim’s body to function as a scientific model. The shows strip away the victim’s human characteristics and individuality, and replaces them as scientific objects that are to be studied from a distance.

The procedural dramas also arise the debate of procedural realism. The characters of the “CSI” episode as well as those from “Chicago Hope”, are notoriously guilty for miss portraying the real life roles of medical and CSI employees. The crime scene investigators are “inaccurately depicted control- ling and solving cases, analyzing the evidence they collect, questioning suspects and making arrests.”  (Tate 48) In real life scenarios, the roles of these people are primarily to collect evidence, not to serve as detectives and police personnel. The characters in “Chicago Hope” were inaccurately portrayed in a different respect. Although some doctors aren’t as deeply involved in emotions about their patients care, this episode made it seem like all doctors are in a way detached and de-sensitized to their patients and the traumas that they deal with.  As explained in the Lee article in more psychological terms, the “steadiness of the characters, their psychic distance, couched as it is in a frame of realism, responds to a public desire to suppose that if it were faced with actual violence” , one would think they would be able to respond with trained composure. (Lee 87) Unlike the characters viewed on the shows.

After analyzing the Works of Lee and Tate, combined with the viewing of the two procedural dramas, I think it is apparent that the issues do in fact apply equally to this branch of professional genre.

Work Cited

Lee, Susanna. “These Are Our Stories’: Trauma, Form, and the Screen Phenomenon of Law and Order” 25.1-2 (2004): 81-97. Print.

Tait, Sue. “Autoptic Vision and the Necrophilic Imaginary in CSI.” International Journal of Cultural Studies 9.1 (2006): 45-62. Print.

Blog 12: Chicago Hope

In Chicago Hope, the medical show partakes in a procedural format, which displays some similarities to the crime/investigative show of CSI. Although the episode,“Lamb to Slaughter,” heavily revolved around specific characters (probably the central characters anyways) I felt as though the show had an ensemble cast. Procedural episodes tend to be more plot driven than character and are formulaic, which would focus more on episodic closure. However, with this episode we are still unresolved with the issue of who is going to be charged. Moreover, at the beginning of each episode there are short clips from previous episodes, and throughout the show there are repeats of people’s names who are not shown on the episode–thus it’s serial as well. Not only that, but the show seems to embark in one or two plots. We see one, central plot to the development of the show which was whether the boy’s death was intentionally. Furthermore, guest appearances are a typical attribute of procedural PTS. In this episode, Steve Harris, who plays Charlie Lamb, was the guest.

Similar to CSI, Chicago Hope is centralized around the career and not so much as the personal lives of the characters. As viewers, we observe how chaotic the ER must be and the technical skills these careers possess when they utilize medical terminology and their tools to operate. On another note, CSI has their own “effect” of the show, as they use the point of view of a bullet to penetrate into a person’s body. One of the most prominent characteristics of this show is that they employ confessionals (almost as Malcolm in the Middle meets ER), flashbacks, and specific shots of the characters. The shots I’m referring to are inside the flashbacks as they’re talking to the camera, but as they’re talking it seems that the character is moving on a platform and the camera circles around them to get the full view of the room and chaos. Unlike CSI, the flashbacks are not as atmospheric or concerned with lighting, it just appears busier and crowded in order to misconstrue fuzzy memories.

In reference to the works that we’ve read, I observed both CSI and Chicago Hope displaying examples of the what Tait and Lee emphasized. Lee states, “Most of us get most of our information about ‘real’ situations not from real life but from television, movies, and books.” This is true since these shows are so involved with the techniques and skills that these professions possess. We get an understanding of what the job entail and what it feels like to be in the characters shoes since we are exposed to it in every episode. Lee also said that in procedural shows, such as Law and Order, there are disturbing events which would have strong reactions in real life, yet the characters have an impassive regard. Although there were more emotions on Chicago Hope than CSI, the Chief of Staff explained that doctors need to be indifferent in their jobs to maintain their composure and to be successful in their duties. These shows encompass so many deaths that its hard not to grow an indifferent side. Tait affirms that these show illustrate hyper-reality, which is also true. They have real values and techniques of the job, yet how many detectives can also be forensic analysts or how many ‘real’ cases have twisted, complexed back stories. It’s overly dramatic but that’s what makes the shows interesting.

Works Cited:

“Lamb to Slaughter.” Chicago Hope. CBS. 5 May, 1997. Television.

Lee, Susanna. “Trauma, Form and the Screen Phenomenon of Law & Order.” Project Muse. Discourse 25, 1 & 2. (2004): 81-97. Print.

Tait, Sue. “Autoptic vision and the Necrophilic Imaginary in CSI.” International Journal of Cultural Studies. Volume 9 (1). (2006). 45-62. Print.

Blog 12- Chicago Hope

Some common characteristics of a procedural show, as we discussed in class, are recurring characters with character arcs, small ensemble casts rather than one “star”, episodic “case of the week” structure, having only one or two plots per episode, and showing the technical aspects of a profession.  Procedurals are also usually plot-driven as opposed to character-driven.  We also discussed the romance of the corpse in procedurals, and the contrast between the clinical and emotional aspects of the body.

There are several similarities and differences between CSI and Chicago Hope.  Both are procedurals—however, CSI is strictly a crime procedural, focusing on the scientific analysis of the evidence found at the crime scene.  Chicago Hope is a medical procedural, but it also has many elements of a primetime serial.

For example, CSI and Chicago Hope both have recurring characters with character arcs.  Both shows are mainly plot-driven, but Chicago Hope places much more emphasis on the characters and their lives and inner thoughts.  As the doctors are being interviewed, they talk about their feelings about being a doctor.  We learn of Wilkes’ issues with missing out on his son growing up because of all his time spent at the hospital, as well as McNeil’s gambling problem and his fantasy about being a TV repairman rather than a doctor.  The plot delves into the doctors’ personal lives and the relationships among them much  more than in CSI or any other similar procedurals I have seen on TV.

A major difference between CSI and Chicago Hope lies in the structure of the show.  While CSI has a very episodic, “case of the week” structure, Chicago Hope has more serial elements.  In order to understand what was going on in Chicago Hope, you had to have some prior knowledge of the case they were discussing, which was introduced in earlier episodes.  It also may have helped to know the characters and their relationships before jumping into the episode.  Chicago Hope also did not end with closure of the case like CSI did—instead, it ended with a cliffhanger.  The viewer has to tune in to the next episode(s) to find out whether Dr. Nyland will be prosecuted for his mistakes in treating Marcus Jessop.

Both CSI and Chicago Hope show the technical aspects of a profession, but there are differences in the way they do this.  CSI shows the procedure and explains the science behind the labwork they do, as well as the legal and investigative procedures by taking us into the field, into the lab, and even into the bodies.  Chicago Hope takes a more discursive approach.  At one point, Watters describes the medical procedures that were carried out when Marcus came into the ER, but we are exposed to much more of the emotional aspects of being a doctor than the technical ones—like how hard it is to be responsible for the lives of others, how doctors are fallible human beings just like their patients, and the issue of whether they should be responsible for making errors.

Another interesting contrast is the romance of the corpse.  In CSI, the body is mainly a piece of evidence used to solve the case, and is treated in a clinical manner.  In Chicago Hope, the body is used similarly as evidence in the case at hand, and is also treated clinically rather than emotionally when it is cut, spread, and clamped while the doctors are trying to save the boy’s life.  However, we also see an emotional aspect to the body- we see the boy’s mother screaming and crying as her son dies in the ER, and we later see her and her remaining son standing over Marcus’ body at his funeral.

There are also some similarities.  Both CSI and Chicago Hope have small ensemble casts—for CSI, it is the team of crime scene investigators, and for Chicago Hope it is the team of doctors.  Both episodes we watched also only had one or two plots per episode; CSI had the two cases they were working on, and Chicago Hope just had one plot—the investigation into the death of Marcus Jessop.

Chicago Hope Procedural

“Lamb to Slaughter” is an episode of Chicago Hope that depicts two procedurals- medical and law. Chicago Hope is a medical series but this particular episode dealt with the investigation into a young boy dying in the ER room and a frantic mother claiming to hear one of the ER surgeons say, “Just let him die” (“Lamb to Slaughter). As discussed by Lee and Tait, the procedurals in television have certain formats that are followed in criminal shows such as Law and Order and CSI. This episode of Chicago Hope also follows aspects of a procedural (just a medical one) such as having people who ‘respond,’ using the body and trauma in a way that does not scare people away and focusing on episodic close-ups.

In Law and Order it is the detectives, in other shows it may be the scientists, and in Chicago Hope and other medical procedurals, it is the doctors. There are always people in procedurals whom the audience looks for to save the day. Lee calls these people the ones who “respond to the scene” (83). Chicago Hope is filled with doctors, such as WIlks, Nyland, and McNeil. They are the main characters of the show, but the show is not driven by their outside lives, it is driven by their ability to be the ones who “respond to the scene” and save lives.

Their ability to respond to a traumatic scene and usually fix the problem is what draws viewers in. As we discussed in class, and in Tait’s CSI article, the body is used a vehicle” for the show to succeed, There is something about traumatic events that go through an ER that while captivating, also make people afraid in real life. Because the plots and situations of the patients are so real and believable, the only way to make viewers ok with the content is if they are assured there will someone who viewers can count on to save the day. As Tait said CSI “generates interest by showcasing its performance as glamorous and imperative” and Chicago Hope does the same thing (59).  In this interview toward the end of the episode, Dr. Watters alluded to the importance of the doctors in making this job of saving people’s lives look perfect. He mentioned how important doctors were, but they are still human and can make mistakes. Including this important detail about the imperfections of doctors allows for viewers to understand why this child died in the ER and still be able to trust doctors to save lives the majority of the time. In the end Chicago Hope does captivate viewers by exploiting the body like CSI,

One aspect of procedurals that we discussed in class was that they are plot driven. This is true to an extent for Chicago Hope. Episodes center around patients coming into the ER, and the doctors trying to keep them alive. All of this usually occurs within one episode. However, as we saw in “Lamb to Slaughter,” the doctor’s relationships with each other have an affect on their work and therefore the show. The tension between Nyland and Wilkes affects their work relationship. In a criminal series, the relationship between detectives for example is not usually critical to the saving of someone’s life. In a medical drama it is. The relationships of doctors can affect their focus in a particular setting. The characters of medical procedurals usually develop over the course of the series, making a medical procedural a show you have to keep up with in order to really understand all the working parts.

I was surprised to watch an episode that was both medical and criminal procedural wrapped up into one, but I think this just made the similarities between the two more apparent. Medical procedurals follow the same sequence of a problem, trying to solve the problem, and the wrap-up which all happens in one episode (usually). The only difference I saw was that the character arcs of a medical procedural seem to be a bit more in-depth than that of its criminal counterparts.

Works Cited

“Lamb to Slaughter.” Chicago Hope. CBS. 5 May 1997. Television. 24 March 2011 http://www.fancast.com

Lee, Susan. “’These are our stories’: Trauma, Form, and the Screen Phenomenon of Law and Order.” Discourse. Winter & Spring 2003. 81-97. Print.

Tait, Sue. “Autoptic vision and the necrophilic imaginary in CSI.” International Journal of Cultural Studies. 2006. 44-60. Print.