Simpler Times: Smithsonian’s “Murderous History”

摘要

Ever thought about how murder investigations were solved before modern forensics? Smithsonian Channel takes true crime enthusiasts and history fans alike on a journey uniting the genres with “Murderous History,” which premiered Sunday at 9pm ET. “We wanted to see if we could mix in some true crime into some historical storytelling, and I think the goal always was, even as we’re doing historical things, to really stay current and relevant to our modern audiences,” said ep John Cavanagh. Every episode in the sixpart series is centered around an infamous murder case and examines the city and time in which it took place. The crime is viewed not as a standalone case, but a product and reflection of the time. Current city locals play the role of narrators, and archived footage and dramatic recreations create a narrative that is deeply rooted in the period and the historic details that contribute to the cases. “We had to really work hard to try to ensure that we’re telling a true story of crime and history and we’re working that together and it meant that we were juggling two different narratives at the same time, trying to make sure they’re both as compelling as possible, which was a challenge,” Cavanagh said. The series is primarily focused on cases in the last 200 years. While the team found good headlines from further back in history, it became more difficult to find specifics about the investigations, press coverage and forensic evidence from the time. However, they were able to find diversity in the areas where the cases they covered occurred. Their global net includes cities like London, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and more. “We wanted people to feel like this is a big series, which it is and we liked that we could go to these other cities and engage with some history that people might not be as familiar with,” Cavanagh said.