Forensic Files

I like many other television viewers have grown very tired of the decades old late night choices of TV talk show hosts and/or reality TV series. I am so grateful for HLN to have made the wise decision to run on almost a daily basis several episodes back to back of Forensic Files episodes. Using my PVR I pre-record them and then tend to watch them binging until I have exhausted the pre-recorded episodes.

Each 30 minute episode provides the summary details of an unsolved crime which may be a murder, sexual assault, missing person(s), or blue collar crime. Each crime story line is narrated and we receive background information on the victim(s), and then methodically the investigation process is explained that results in an arrest of the suspect(s), which sometimes follows details of the actaul trial and subsequent conviction, or in some cases a prior convicted felon's crime is exonerated as new forensic science and/or forensic techniques (such as the future use of DNA) comes in to the crime science laboratories.

These are all true crime episodes, and many of the actual crimes are detailed including video images of the real arrests and/or court trials of the perpertrator(s) that provide a conviction and usually a long term or life sentence.

Anyone who is a crime buff will enjoy this documentary series that stayed on the air for so many seasons. I hope they resurrect this excellent true crime series sometime in the near future.

I give this crime/drama/documentary series an excellent 9 out of 10 rating

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 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.

"Forensic Files" is one of the more recent entries to the list of forensics programs out there on the TV landscape, but by no means is it weak from it. In fact, the program is the best thing that Court TV offers during its prime-time lineup of factual programming and reruns of dramas such as "NYPD Blue".

Let's look at the advantages "Forensic Files" has to its predecessors and to every other forensics program out there. First of all, it has the most excellent Peter Thomas as its narrator. You know the voice -- he's been the soothing grandfatherly voice behind numerous commercials for years, including some of the recent Visine ads. His calm and patient delivery allows everyone, from those just starting out with forensics programs to full-on fanatics of the genre, to get an easy grasp of the procedure the team of forensics experts used to solve the crime being highlighted in the show. This brings me to another one of the reasons this program succeeds -- it takes its time in presenting every step in the investigation so the viewer won't have any nagging, unanswered questions after the program is over. The recreations and footage used are yet another plus. In other forensics programs, you get the feeling that the people behind the program are taking some liberties with their recreations -- for example, even the dimmest of armchair detectives can tell that forensics experts gathering evidence at the scene of the crime probably don't put their evidence in bulky paper bags, which is what another popular forensics program shows in its recreations. The footage, when presented, is absolutely wonderful to see as it actually lets the viewer see a little of what was on the local news in regards to the crime at hand. One final advantage is the interview process. Investigators, family members, victims, and criminals all are interviewed and the choicest of bits are incorporated in the program. In one episode, a mother who was falsely accused of arson and premeditated murder with regards to her baby son is shown weeping openly in front of the old house that had caught on fire, and then the program ends. This leaves the viewer with the feeling that the woman is to be pitied and you feel genuine sadness at her predicament, but at the same time she was vindicated with the help of some astute forensic investigators so you feel glad because of that.

Not all of what the program is about is great, though. Sometimes, the narration can go through a story in such a plodding pace that a youngun such as myself is tempted to yell at the TV for the pace to quicken up. This usually happens in my case, though, when I'm watching an episode I've already watched about twice before. Then there's the case of the Canadian expatriate con artist who murdered a Canadian business acquaintance of his so he (the con artist) could continue living under the businessman's name in England with his daughter serving as his wife. When the program about this case brought up the fact that the daughter had two children, I wanted to know more about this aspect of the case, but the program never tied up that particular loose end. I suspect, though, that this was purely because of time constraints and so I sincerely hope there's a book out there on the market on this case.

At any length, if you're interested in forensics, this is a great program to watch. I don't watch it as much as I used to because of lack of free time,

but when I do I genuinely enjoy it. I think the key to the program really is Peter Thomas, though. He can do no wrong.

Episode after episode, year after year, this program has been entertaining. It almost never fails. There is a reason it has been on the air for 15 years.

After watching a few episodes, I became hooked....and, yes, this is an addicting show. I found myself watching over a hundred shows (my DVR had a workout) in two months. I'm sure many others have found themselves doing the same.

Why is this show good? First, it is true crime, not some fictional story; second, it runs only a half hour. Crime shows that are an hour long often repeat stuff over and over. A half hour is perfect. Third, the cases are always interesting. They leave you shaking your head in disbelief that people actually do some of these things reported in here. Fourth, Peter Thomas is excellent as the narrator. His is a voice which never offends, or gets old.

Currently, it can be seen regularly on the HNN cable network.