Pitching Idea

Pitching Ideas for A New Crime Drama

Name:

Criminal Mentality

I think this name represents what the show is about well and is still quite catchy.

Type of Crime Drama:



Lisa Goldstein as Tracy Kellerman



My TV Crime Drama will be an American legal show which also uses some psychological techniques. It will be based on a woman who is a psychiatrist in a prison. She talks to the criminals and tries to figure out why they committed the crimes as she believes that there is always a deeper reason behind the crimes. Her sidekick is her assistant who sometimes comes across as quite clueless however knows a lot about the mind.

Characters:

There will be a duo. The main character will be the female psychiatrist, Tracy Kellerman (played by Lisa Goldstein) and her sidekick Chase Baker. Chase will be played by an up-and-coming actor as I think my show would allow him to break into the industry. Also, I have chosen Lisa Goldstein to play the main role of the psychiatrist as the show she is currently on is coming to an end and I believe that the strong female role of Tracy Kellerman will allow her to show that she can be a serious actress.

Structure of Show

The structure of my show will be a series meaning that each episode is self contained (CSI, Sherlock). However there might sometimes be an episode that follows on from the last, where there will be a Part 1 and Part 2.

I think this is the best structure for my show as this means that people can watch the show without worrying that they have missed previous episodes and that they might not understand the show.

Typical Narrative

My TV Crime Drama will have a restrictive narrative as I think it’s best to keep the audience guessing and intrigued throughout the show.



Criminal Mentality will be about Tracy Kellerman and her assistant Chase Baker going to prisons in London and talking to the criminals about why they have committed the crimes. In some cases, the resolution may be that the criminal has been wrongly convicted, resulting in a shorter sentence or even getting them out of prison.

Setting

It will be set in an office in the prison and may also include scenes in the court rooms or in the prison itself.

Style

My show will be quite gritty as it us based around criminals, however Lisa Goldstein who plays the main character will bring a sense of glamour to the show. The pace won’t be too slow as I feel that would bore audiences, but not so fast that they don’t understand what is happening. There will be a slight sense of humour brought by Chase Baker, but most of the show will be quite sombre.

Scheduling

My show will be broadcasted on ITV (Sky channel 103) as this channel is well known and comes on all TV packages. It will be shown on Friday evenings at 8pm as I feel that would be a good time that the whole family can sit down and enjoy my show at the end of a long week. The show will be 1 hour long and there will be a chance to watch the same episode again on ITV+1 (Sky channel 118) an hour later at 9pm.

Target Audience

My target audience is families with older children over the ages of 14/15 of the social class ABC1 as I think they will enjoy watching my Crime Drama and understand it more than a younger audience would. There won’t be any extreme sec or violence therefore it will be suitable for families but there might be some slightly inappropriate language which won’t be suitable for young children.

Similar Shows: Criminal Mentality is quite unique however there are some shows which resemble it such as Wire in the blood which is also a British crime drama that shows on ITV.

USP:  The USP of Criminal Mentality is the fact that there aren’t many shows that are both investigative and psychological. Also it is set in a prison, office and court. It allows the audience to understand the criminal’s minds as well.