True Crime Expert Explains The Allure Of Disturbing Documentary Series
An eminent criminologist has provided exclusive insight into the reality behind the booming popularity of true crime documentaries, as he returns to television screens with a chilling new series.
Professor David Wilson has launched a brand new season of Murder UK, plunging audiences into what he describes as the "dark and disturbing world of homicide." The series delves deeply into some of Britain's most horrific criminal cases, aiming to provide understanding rather than just sensationalism.
Younger Audience Demographics Surprise Many
When questioned about the genre's remarkable surge in viewership, Professor Wilson revealed a significant demographic shift that contradicts common assumptions. "I think true crime has always been popular," he stated. "I'm speaking to public audiences all the time and the first thing I would say is the audience is much younger than people imagine."
He elaborated further, noting: "People all think true crime must be something that older people, middle age people, boomers like myself, they think true crime is something the boomer generation likes. Whereas in fact, the audience consuming true crime whether it be on my tour or through the True Crime channel or true crime podcasts, are actually 18-26 year olds."
The professor suggested this demographic shift might be connected to modern digital platforms. "True crime is very popular amongst young people and I think that might have something to do with TikTok, social media," he observed.
Educational Purpose Behind The Entertainment
Through Murder UK, Professor Wilson aims to highlight real-life crimes that "tell us something about murder and the circumstances in which murder is likely to occur." He explained the educational intent behind the series: "What we're trying to do with the series is draw audiences attention to things they might not have previously thought about because crime drama creates an impression about what murder is like, which is quite far removed from the reality."
The criminologist described the approach as "holding a mirror up and saying to people why did these murders occur in these circumstances and what might we have been able to do to prevent murders like this happening again?"
Curiosity Drives Viewer Engagement
Professor Wilson characterized the true crime audience as "a very curious audience" who seek answers to fundamental questions. "They want answers and the particular curiosity they've got is 'Why?'. Why did that happen, and that's really what I try to do," he explained.
This curiosity, he suggested, helps explain the genre's appeal to younger viewers specifically. "I think that also explains why young people are interested in this, they're curious, they want to know why, they're making sense of the world," the professor noted.
Spanning ten episodes, the series seeks to understand what compels individuals to commit the ultimate crime while exploring potential preventative measures. Professor Wilson draws from his extensive experience, having first immersed himself in the study of violent crime during his university years following a personal incident that could have ended differently.
Availability And Broadcast Details
The new series of Murder UK is available to watch for free on the TRUE CRIME channel, accessible through Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview, Freesat, Freely, and WATCH FREE UK platforms. The program airs Mondays at 10pm on the TRUE CRIME channel, with previous episodes available for streaming on WATCH FREE UK.
Professor Wilson emphasized his selection criteria for cases featured in the series: "I want to use stories that can point to rubbing points, tensions in society that with a bit of thought, and acquisition we could do something about and therefore make our society safer. So that's really what drives me to the story, what can I bring to this story that can do that."
Despite examining numerous disturbing cases throughout his career, the professor noted that little truly shocks him anymore. "It takes quite a lot to shock me," he admitted, "but what I try to do is choose murders that we can help the audience understand why, so often good true crime is about explaining to people why, why does that happen - whatever that might be."
