Critical Focus | Forensic Science: Peering Down a Blind Alley
THE MICROSCOPE
2015, Volume 63:2, pp. 77–88
DOI
https://doi.org/10.59082/PEUP2114
AUTHOR
Brian J. Ford
EXCERPT
Guess: Which character in fiction is the most widely portrayed on the screen? Names flood the mind, from Abraham Lincoln to Zeus, but it is actually Sherlock Holmes. Not a celebrity or a mighty ruler, not even a real person; it is that doyen of forensic investigators who is the most frequently portrayed character across the world of film and television. There is a similar surprise when we look at the kind of television most people watch. Is it humor? Reality shows? It is actually forensic science. The annual survey by the Eurodata TV Worldwide organization in 2012 said that “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” was the most-watched show in the world. At the 52nd Monte Carlo Television Festival in June 2012, Ted Danson came to collect the award. He would have had a terrific time: One of my television documentaries was once nominated for a minor award, and even that provided an unforgettable day. No, of course our trivial production didn’t win anything, but I soon discovered that winning wasn’t crucial — being nominated was enough for the producers. Everywhere you look, you see films that were “nominated” for an award that they didn’t win. You just enjoy the occasion and the French hospitality while savoring the fabulous food.