Murder 24/7

The BBC's 'Murder 24/7' is in many ways a straightforward copy of Channel 4's '24 Hours on Police Custody', albeit with even more relience on police bodycam footage and an exclusive focus on the worst of crimes. I find it riveting, and the odd thing is how often I end up sympathetising with the perpetrators, even when they have done the worst of things: what happens to a person to make them into a murderer? It's not exactly feel-good TV, but it is both gripping and (at least for me) thought provoking.

There are so many true-crime series around. for anyone short of time it's tough picking which ones to go with. To any fan reading this, I thoroughly recommend this mini-series. Definitely one of the best I've seen and I've seen a lot. I found it gripping from start to finish. Of the 3 cases featured, the first is the stabbing of a lone male in a flat in Southend. Although suspects are quickly identified, it takes time tracking them all down. Which ones, if any, are guilty of murder? The second case covers only half an episode but is truly shocking in both the simplicity and outcome of the crime. I am not one to exclaim out loud at the TV but on a good couple of occasions I blurted out What?!!!! Nooooo! The third case is another stabbing, this time of a homeless man in Colchester, found dead in a side street. It takes a lot longer to ID a suspect in this case. Another case that had me amazed at the outcome. All angles of an investigation are covered, I personally was not surprised at the amount of tedious legwork and CCTV watching that had to be done, perhaps some people will be. It certainly isn't glamorous like in the movies. I think the biggest thing I took from this is how 'real' it made murder seem. When it isn't on TV or in the papers, when you are seeing the real individuals involved without sad music in the background and endless dramatic narration etc it brings home how 'ordinary' a murder can be, in terms of locations, people involved etc. Even the accused seemed like otherwise normal everyday people, not dark shadowy villains. In this respect, it's all the more frightening. In these sad and scary times, true-crime fans have more time on their hands than they would like in which to catch up with their playlist. I suggest starting here.

Investigation into the murder of courtney valentine. what makes this special is the way they follow the investigation. we are live there. from the call the murder was reported to each step the police takes, the apprehension of suspects, questioning of suspects, the forensic investigation... we are there.

i recommend this to anyone who is interested in crime, crime procedure or who contemplates a career in that field.

Takes you inside real life murder investigations in real time. It's not a recreation. After watching so many ridiculous fictional US police shows this is a mind blowing dose of reality. You follow real detectives as they review CCTV footage and find suspects, dredge drains and find weapons, question witnesses and gather leads. We get insights into the stresses of homicide policing and these people. Well edited and shot with a good balance of focus on the procedure but also the people involved. Must see TV.

A good show, interesting and well put together. The police officer in Episode 4/5 is a bully though (including to his colleagues to whom he was rude and patronising) and he seemed a lot more focussed on a conviction than the truth.