The main elements of the crime drama genre that contribute to audience enjoyment, with detailed references to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-present), The Wire (2002-2008) and Waking the Dead (2000-2011).The crime drama is an extremely popular genre across the world and can be seen across CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-present), The Wire (2002-2008), and Waking the Dead (2000- here). ). The various television genres, like many other cultural forms, notably literature and theatre, have seen many writers, producers and viewers drawn to crime and deviance. There was a lot of backlash against the genre in the 1990s, as few people agreed with the depiction of crime and society on television screens. Crime drama as a genre deals with social issues, which provides space for debates about the justice system, crime, gender, race, and the social and cultural values ​​that people struggle with today. The genre also involves the viewer in the storyline, as that is the main focus of the narrative. Typically, there is one storyline per episode, but when we talk about Waking the Dead, there is one storyline every 2-part episode on Sunday and Monday nights. In this essay, we will present a number of different characteristics of crime dramas which will be discussed with detailed reference to three different series, in order to explore the enduring appeal of the genre. One of the main elements of a crime drama's narrative structure is the mystery involved in the storyline that keeps its viewers guessing. There is a gripping plot in every episode, which is the main reason for such high ratings of these particular crime drama series. The Wire (2002) has the same element throughout, but it is a continuing series...... middle of paper ......ect: Television, crime and governance UK: Rowan and Littlefield PublishersCagney & Lacey (United States) States, 1982)CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (United States, Canada, 2000)Lane, P, J. (2001) “The Existential Condition of Television Crime Drama” Journal of Popular Culture Vol. 34. p 137.The Wire (USA, 2002)Turnbull, S. (2010) “Crime as Entertainment: The Case of TV Crime Drama” Journal of Media and Cultural Studies Vol. 24. (December) p. 819-827.Waking the Dead (UK, 2000)BibliographyCortez, D. (2006) Investigating CSI United States of America: BenBella Books Incwww.imdb.comLavigne, C. (2009) “Death Wore Chiffon: Sex and Gender in CSI » Canadian Journal of American Studies Vol. 39. p 383-398.www.slideshare.nethttp://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199205431/maguire_chap11.pdfwww.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2010/jan/12 /police-drama-on-tv