Crimewatcher

CRIMEWATCH UK was violence and wickedness of real- ' wondered about that because broadcast for the first time in June life. But it is clearly providing a in your book about the 1984 and has built and retained an window that helps us to empathise / programme there was this enormous popular appeal. The with the plight of a variety of concern that it really shouldn 't be critical attention paid to it has victims of crime and possibly to do as entertaining as perhaps it's been based on allegations that the something about it - to speed up turning out to be. Are you worried programme's core of real crime the detection process. In a wide- that people enjoy watching it - is there the edge of a worry there? reconstructions panders to ranging interview, Nick Ross, the sensationalism and possibly programme's presenter since that engenders an unnecessary fear of first live broadcast over 13 years I'm really not. As for whether it's crime amongst the most vulnerable ago, gives us an opportunity to a good thing that people enjoy viewers. That debate goes on, but consider this genre of programme Crimewatch - yes I think it is. I'm there is no doubting the and some of the claims that it not at all ashamed that we make programme's strengths. It makes supports, and others that it may popular television. I would be possibly undermine, criminal ashamed if we made populist justice. Or perhaps we just agree television. In other words if we had with him that it represents "... a to degrade standards in order to jolly good watch ". improve the audience. I thinks it's Crimewatcher condescending, it's patronising to rimewatch UK has become believe that going down market - a teenager - 13 years old actually abandoning morality - is C last June. What do you what drives you into bigger Nick Ross talks to David Kidd- think is the basis of its popular audiences. I don't think it does. appeal? I think there was an awful lot Hewitt. of misunderstanding at the Crimewatch is interactive. On the beginning by some of the critics whole, there is nothing much you of Crimewatch, particularly those can do about the television that is who didn't see it and certainly beamed at you, except froth and didn't analyse it, who felt that we foam or sit there like a couch would be driven to get a bigger potato and take it in or maybe audience by being more and more switch channels. But with violent. They just didn't Crimewatch there's always a understand that actually that's not chance - and it's actually a right. When people go to bed reasonable chance - that there is immediately after a programme something you might recognise, which they know is factual, the last even if it is only a part of the thing they want to see is a lot of countryside that you know. But it's violence on the screen. They won't quite possible you know somebody go to sleep. who's rung the programme, and there is always that little frisson to In fact there were far fewer it that maybe you'll be able to conflicts than we first imagined in participate. that respect. Our interests and the audience's interests are very I think it gives a genuine sense closely aligned. Our prime aim is of being on the side of the angels, to be faithful and honest to the of being able to do good. To many victims that our producers and people the world is made up of directors go out and meet and to goodies and baddies, although of make sure that the people who course we are all a mix of goodies have hurt them don't re-offend. It's and baddies. Everybody, whatever honestly the biggest issue in the their own behaviour and however office. much they are despised by others, has their own standards. If you are 'n the early days your producer, a safebreaker, you don't Peter Chafer, made a clear possible a unique interactive necessarily put up with / distinction between what he relationship between the viewer, paedophiles attacking children. called a documentary re- the broadcast media and the police And if you attack young children construction and a drama in aiding the identification of the you don't necessarily put up with documentary. He was very keen to perpetrators of crime, particularly bank robbers for instance. So emphasise that Crimewatch was serious and violent crime. Can this almost everybody has a sense of not engaged in drama. Is this still form of media presentation being able to do something about the case? therefore, help the criminal justice what they perceive as justice. process or perhaps act in some As a second issue, I think it's I think this was the nomenclature small way as an antidote to the just a jolly good watch. The idea of the time. What I would say is undermining of justice elsewhere? that there is a difference between that we are not involved in fiction, There remains an uneasy tension information programmes and and whenever we get something for some between Crimewatch's entertainment programmes is trite. wrong we always try to point it out. mission to entertain whilst If the information isn't Sometimes it's laughable. For bringing before the viewer, the entertaining, nobody will watch. instance, one particular bank raid Cjm no. 29 Autumn 1997 21 happened in June but when we Once you've got issues with - that is not how a general public that? I am a journalist as well as reconstructed it, it was snowing. which the public can help, then you appeal programme works. But if presenting Crimewatch. If I felt We couldn't wait for three or four have to ask: does it warrant a you really thought that a public there was something underhand reconstruction? In other words is days until the snow stopped. So we appeal would help solve one of going on, that I was being asked, there a story there, in which we can these multi-zillion pound frauds in say, to protect the police from just had to say in the introduction show things which will jog charges of corruption, that would 'that's wrong'. Or if we get the people's memories? one of the great financial institu- be a different matter. That's never colours of cars wrong it's very, Reconstructions can do two tions of the City - great! Bring it arisen nor have we come within a very important. Firstly for the things I suppose. They can stir to us. thousand miles of it. appeal, secondly we don't want to people's emotions to ring in when We will often argue with them prejudice the trial by having they wouldn't otherwise have done m i ver since they began, news but only when we honestly think something wrong, and thirdly just so, or they can jog people's rj papers have wanted to get it is in their own interests. There memories about things they had is a true symbiosis here. If they for the integrity of the thing. * -J what they confront the po- not otherwise connected with a lice about any kind of murder or don't catch their people through People trust the BBC and they will crime. It's quite rare that you get the programme, then the pro- dramatic event. You have this only trust us if we continue to tell that combination. We can go gramme has failed. And if the pro- the truth and we continue to be through 30 or 40 or 50 cases and lovely phrase in the Crimewatch gramme failed it wouldn't con- meticulous about getting it right. you think, there's nothing much to UK book about persuading police tinue. Incidentally, when we come show. officers to "unlock all their se- back and report what's happening Take offences which are very crets ". Do you think you are suc- it seems rather a dramatic and how well things have gone, we grave, where people have been ceeding ? conclusion. You could have injured or sexually assaulted: how always say to the officers, 'if the stimulated people to be do you get a relative who has had Actually it's not strictly true, cer- response is bad, if you are getting a fleeting thought - 'Oh God, could more aware of situations so that tainly not as far as the broadcast other people might find it more dif- nothing, say so' because people that have been Jerry?' - to the point media are concerned, that journal- won't believe us if we say the where they become so emotionally ists have always attempted to get ficult to commit that type of crime. response is good unless we also involved that they are prepared to the police to tell them everything. sometimes say it's bad. contact the police? Radio and television have always I don't think people learn much Then there are the ethical had a rather hands off approach to about how to avoid crimes through issues about intrusion. Take the Crimewatch. Whereas people may 't was originally suggested that the police unlike the crime corre- one we've just done with the spondents of newspapers. When underestimate the chances of be- you might get witnesses to Russell family. Josie Russell had Crimewatch started, the police ing involved in a road accident - / believe they had seen got sick of media attention, for were rather sneered at by televi- actually the likeliest way of dying something that they didn't really heaven's sake, and her father sion and radio.

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