A Crime to Remember

So much TV is crap. So much "made for cable" TV is formulaic crap. This show is a cut above. While it doesn't entirely step out of TV "world 'o' crap", it largely sidesteps it with a real flair for brilliant hindsight in the retelling of some really interesting crimes from the 50's and 60's.

In the end it doesn't matter if it is the final word in honesty because it brings up so many unanswered questions pertinent to crimes that are, sadly, now forgotten. But do not take this lightly because these are major crimes and deserve, even at this late date, your introspection. I can't tell how important this series actually is so just watch because if you get it...you'll get it.

Maybe the shows aren't all that accurate, and maybe the producers didn't do all the research they should have, and maybe they get facts wrong, but if you put aside all that, what you get is a mildly fact-based, totally riveting docu-drama that is surprisingly well acted by little-known players, written in a punchy and fun style, and always intriguing. With wonderful period costumes and solid direction, this show is one of the most under-rated on television and absolutely worth an engrossing, enjoyable binge.

I can't tell you how many times I've strapped in for a nice bit of true crime & turned off after five minutes because the music sounded like a construction site over a Yamaha DX7, the editing was manic, the dramatizations were inaccurate & terribly produced and the narrator had a voice like Batman on Quaaludes. Add to that the number of shows featuring self-promoting presenters & semi-literate 'experts' and I walk away feeling like no-one knows how to make a decent crime doc series anymore.

So, it's more than a little refreshing to have discovered 'A Crime to Remember', a show that avoids every element of crappiness that pervades today's 'real crime' programs. It's shot beautifully, the incidental 'noirish' music fits each historical crime, the narration is uniquely rendered as a story told by someone on the periphery of the story, the interviewees are relevant and best of all, the casting, acting & direction of the dramatizations are near flawless. Some of the actors' resemblance to the actual subjects is uncanny. This is easily the best TV crime doc series to come out of the US in a long time.

I like those slow paced documentaries. No flashy fast cuts like other shows.

Each story takes its time to develop, great production designs in recreating the time period. Reenactments are not top-notch for some episodes but OK. I have seen worst in indie movies.

Plus interviews of the people (law enforcement, witnesses,...).

So worth watching.

Murder back when it was shocking. Grade A production values in the recreations. Interesting stories from the past.

It is still available for streaming. I'm sad they aren't making any more new episodes. This was top notch.

The comments whining about cigarette smoking crack me up. Yes, it is a bad habit but it hasn't wreaked as much havoc, pain and killings like alcohol and drug abuse. Some people are just ...