TV: The Amateur/Unconventional Crime Solver

The CBS network is now famous for saturating the market with police procedurals. CSI is still running strong. I had no idea that NCIS does really well. Perhaps most surprising is the success of The Mentalist.

The Mentalist stars hunky Simon Baker from past films like L.A. Confidential and more recently, The Devil Wears Prada. He plays someone skilled in the art of...observation...huh? I'll explain. He has an uncanny ability to “read” people’s gestures and body language and uses this ability to solve crimes in California. The Mentalist is not a traditional police procedural in that solving the case requires unconventional means.

But this is not a new phenomena. Let’s take roll of previous television shows:

Veronica Mars featured an amateur crime solver, Kristen Bell herself. She may have solved crime or mysteries using typical P.I. tactics, but her status as high school senior makes her eligible for such a distinction.

A more recent show is the now late Pushing Daisies starring Lee Pace and his eyebrows. He also teams up with a P.I. to solve crimes. But his ability is different – he can revive the dead with a touch of a finger. However, he must touch them again within 60 seconds or someone else dies.

Now, how viable is such a genre? Veronica Mars and Pushing Daisies are both now defunct despite receiving high critical marks. The Mentalist appears to have solidified its place on network television and perhaps its success can spurn new series with similar narrative tropes.

I ask you fellow jousters, is this trend of the “amateur/unconventional crime solver” something to be on the lookout for? Why has it not worked before? Are there other shows that I overlooked? JOUST!

~Charley