Culture Why Crime Dramas Have Taken A Turn For The Better They were once the worst offenders, but crime dramas have taken a positive turn as the strong, female lead rises before our eyes. By Jamila Rizvi Culture They were once the worst offenders, but crime dramas have taken a positive turn as the strong, female lead rises before our eyes. By Jamila Rizvi Previous article We’re Artists, Not Muses Next article Hannah Gadsby: When ‘Good Men’ Draw The Line Between Right And Wrong My nan always “loved a good murder”. Don’t panic. I wasn’t formerly in possession of a gun-toting granny but rather, a prolific reader of gruesome, plot-driven detective novels. Ever the well-behaved girl (never issued with anything more serious than a parking fine) my nan consumed books as if they were boxes of Tim Tams. She preferred to couple her daytime reading with an evening spent watching British (always British) cop dramas; usually sipping on a glass of good scotch to complement her viewing. There are so many reasons that I wish she were still alive today, perhaps the pettiest of which is that she would have loved the golden era of crime television we currently inhabit.I’ve spent the past month or two laid up following major surgery and have been channelling my late nan’s penchant for gory dramas. With the seemingly infinite options presented by Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime, SBS on Demand, ABC iView, Foxtel and more, the challenge isn’t finding something to watch but figuring out what it worth the investment of time. To help you navigate the sea of options, below are the crime dramas that have caught my eye (and breath) recently. This is by no means an exhaustive list, or even a top five, of what’s currently on the market. These television shows do, however, meet one singularly important and overriding common criteria: The unapologetic presence of complex, feminist characters. culturefeminism Best Of Future Women Culture “Never an excuse”: Why Katrina still can’t stand the smell of bourbon By Sally Spicer Culture Janine never thought divorce would mean losing her family and friends By Sally Spicer Culture “Invisible victims”: Why Conor was forced to live in an unsafe home By Sally Spicer Culture Miranda*’s mothers group helped her escape abuse. Then the stalking began By Sally Spicer Culture “We can’t change this on our own” By Melanie Dimmitt Culture “Marching forward means ensuring all our voices are heard” By Melanie Dimmitt Culture Dr Ann O’Neill’s husband committed “the ultimate act of revenge” By Sally Spicer Culture The question victim-survivors like me are tired of being asked By Geraldine Bilston Your inbox just got smarter If you’re not a member, sign up to our newsletter to get the best of Future Women in your inbox.
