Medical Detectives - Geheimnisse der gerichtsmedizin

I always laugh when I see people say "Forensic Files" is "the latest entry into forensic TV" or "jumping on the forensics bandwagon" or such. The show started on TLC/Discovery Networks as "Medical Detectives" back in 1996. When it switched over to CourtTV, Discovery was still running some episodes so they changed the name. (Now all those episodes are re-labeled "Forensic Files" and are seen on Court TV.) In fact, the show still airs as "Medical Detectives" in many countries overseas. (It is also known, I believe, as "Crime Seen")

The show is in it's eleventh season of production. The show didn't jump on the bandwagon - it got it rolling in the first place!

If you watch "C.S.I.", many of the techniques (such as using alternate video treatments to show recreations, and showing different recreations of how the crime MIGHT have happened as the evidence changes), you can see that they watched "Forensic Files" while developing their show. They also used to get plenty of story ideas from this and other true-crime shows.

This show tells true crime stories of how the use of forensic evidence, from the identification of fingerprints to examining hair, and from tracking barcodes to tracking phone records, can lead to the location and capture of suspects. Each half-hour episodes start off with a mystery of an unsolved crime - intriguing and suspenseful. It then leads to a thrilling hunt of the criminal and the forensic attempts at tying the evidence to a suspect.

Peter Thomas does a great job in narrating each episode, making each story foreboding. It's sad to see the evil acts a person inflicts on another, but with forensic evidence, it comes to show that there is no perfect crime and certainly these criminals can't get away with murder.

Grade A

This was at one point probably my single most watched show.. The important difference between this show and most other forensic-y shows out there is that this one is based completely on actual cases. In the same vein as A&E's "American Justice" or Discovery's "Cold Case Files", but the running time of just 30 minutes (as opposed to an hour) makes this the perfect single serving show. The shows premise is true murder cases which were solved thru forensics, but I'm not a big forensics nerd so that part of the show, while interesting, doesn't necessarily intrigue me. What I do find fascinating is the little slice of life (death?) that is each episode. It chronicles what surely is the biggest event in most of the involved peoples lives. All of episodes (with very few exceptions) took place in America within the last decade or two, so for most of us these are events which may have occurred around us, relatively recently. As others have mentioned the pacing, narration, actual footage, photos, and interviews with those involved are well done and relevant. Each case is like a little mystery, and whats great is that of course you always find out who actually perpetrated the crime. My main critique is that occasionally certain facets or details of a case which I would like a little more clarification on are overlooked.

This is my favorite true crime show. It doesnt go overboard with the reenactments, and I always learn something new each time. After a few episodes you get to know the formula, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. This is probably my favorite way to relax after a long day, which sounds strange, but the narrator's calming/ slightly cheesy voice and the super 90s background music help me tune out the world and relax. There are like 400 episodes, but I will keep rewatching them forever because no other true crime show gets me like this one.

This is undeniably one of the best crime shows on TV. It's approach on suspense is top-notch and the wonderful narration is haunting. These are real life cases, with some reenactments, and it shows you how the crimes get solved with reliable forensics.

It's structure is simple. We open up to a place where it gives us back-story on the victim. Then, there's a killer on the loose and the police turn to science for help. Usually, it ends on a good note, it's predictable yet hypnotic. Justice is served, so it ends with closure for the family & friends of the victim(s) and satisfaction for law enforcement. An excellent message to its target audience!

UPDATE: the show is not on YouTube, watch it when you get a chance! I recommend viewing it at night time in the dark, it makes the show so interesting.