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Crime Scene shows for a budding forensics type


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My youngest son, Alvin, has become intrigued with forensic science. He got some books from the library and would like to watch some shows. I am a huge NCIS and sometimes CSI fan, but I would never want my 8 yo to watch those. There is way too s3xual innuendo and blatant s3xual activity, so those are out. This may be totally crazy, but are there any older, more innocent mystery/forensic type shows out there? Are there any shows that are perhaps geared toward kids?

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Adding... He would also be interested in mystery type books. He just asked for some "Whodunit" books.

 

He reads very well for his age, but I would like to keep it to age appropriate themes. What's even out there these days?

 

Simon has some Encyclopedia Brown and a couple Concord Cunningham books he could borrow. Any other recommendations?

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May want to see if he can tour a local department's CSI lab or talk to a real detective. The stuff on those shows is interesting but leads to very unrealistic expectations of police investigative capabilities. If this is something your son is interested in long-term, he may want to know "the real story" more than the Hollywood version.

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For books, try Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys? Those might fit along his reading level. Boxcar children could fit, at least a few of them. The Westing Game. Cam Jensen series.

TV shows, Perry Mason is a good choice. You could also try Matlock, it's sort of fitting and is in a court room setting like Perry Mason is, In The Heat of the Night (if he likes cops), Dragnet (cops), Adam-12 (cops). The cops have a sort of 'who done it' type feel as they're focused on finding the person that matches the details a lot of the time.

 

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May want to see if he can tour a local department's CSI lab or talk to a real detective. The stuff on those shows is interesting but leads to very unrealistic expectations of police investigative capabilities. If this is something your son is interested in long-term, he may want to know "the real story" more than the Hollywood version.

Since he hasn't seen any of the Hollywood versions before ( I only watch them after the kids are in bed and I watch on the ipad with headphones) I don't think he has any unrealistic expectations. I do like your suggestion, however. One of our old neighbors in the city works in a forensic lab, so I may have an 'in' on that one. At the very least she could talk to him about what he would do on a daily basis and what type of things he would need to learn beforehand. Ram Man knows a detective, so we could probably arrange a conversation with him, as well.

 

Alvin has always been my odd-ball. He taught himself how to make a lasso after watching Popular Mechanics for Kids and is now walking around the house, lassoing everything with a piece of yarn. :D. He has requested a piece of proper rope for his birthday.

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For books, try Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys? Those might fit along his reading level. Boxcar children could fit, at least a few of them. The Westing Game. Cam Jensen series.

TV shows, Perry Mason is a good choice. You could also try Matlock, it's sort of fitting and is in a court room setting like Perry Mason is, In The Heat of the Night (if he likes cops), Dragnet (cops), Adam-12 (cops). The cops have a sort of 'who done it' type feel as they're focused on finding the person that matches the details a lot of the time.

 

I was contemplating the Hardy Boys for him. I'm not sure if he's quite ready for them. He has read several Boxcar Children books. He also just informed me that he has read his brother's Concord Cunningham and Encyclopedia Brown books. How did I miss that?

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Pre watch, but the first season of Num3rs wasn't too graphic and was interesting.

 

The earlier seasons of csi were less graphic as well,

You know, I just recently watched Numb3rs and was impressed with how clean and family friendly the first season was. It did get more adult in content in the later season, but I enjoyed the first one. That's a definite possibility. Thanks for the recommendation!

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Ellery Queen the TV series is good.  And you are given the chance to solve the mystery before everything is revealed.  Only lasted one season, though.

 

Murder, She Wrote might work.  McCloud or Heart to Heart or McMillan and Wife, maybe.  I'd say Quincy since he actually dealt with the forensics side but I seem to recall there were episodes that my folks didn't let me watch.  Maybe if you could screen them first....A bit vague on the memories, though.  Its been a while.  :)

 

Maybe some of these resources might work:

 

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/forensicscience.html

http://www.pbs.org/topics/science-nature/forensics-investigations/

http://www.nclark.net/Forensics

 

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Oh and check out some British mystery shows, they are sometimes less graphic as well!

Old Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie based shows are one thing, but avoid Prime Suspect. It's scary as can be. It freaked me out and I couldn't watch it after the first few episodes. Ditto Trial & Retribution.

 

Some Murdoch Mysteries are not too gory/scary, but you might want to pre-watch to see what you think.

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Oh, and I absolutely loved the Ellery Queen Magazine.  And the Alfred Hitchcock youth books.  In fact, there was one big hardback one with multiple short stories where you solve the mystery yourself (but you can look at the end of the book to find how the author would have ended it).  Can't remember the titles anymore.  Its been years.  I loved them though.

 

Then there is this:

http://www.openculture.com/2011/10/alfred_hitchcock_presents_ghost_stories.html

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Old Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie based shows are one thing, but avoid Prime Suspect. It's scary as can be. It freaked me out and I couldn't watch it after the first few episodes. Ditto Trial & Retribution.

 

Some Murdoch Mysteries are not too gory/scary, but you might want to pre-watch to see what you think.

I agree Prime Suspect is out!

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Dick van dyke was in a show called diagnosis murder I believe. If I remember correctly he was a medical examiner/pathologist. He solved murders in that profession. I loved that showed. It made me want to be a pathologist, but I couldn't handle the dead bodies. :)

 

I also second psych.

I forgot about Diagnosis Murder.   I agree, that might work well.

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I have fond memories watching Columbo, Perry Mason, Matlock, Diagnosis Murder, Quincy M.E., and Murder She Wrote with my mom when I was a kid. We both love crime shows.

 

I agree with a PP to make sure he understands that these shows don't represent reality. :tongue_smilie:

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May want to see if he can tour a local department's CSI lab or talk to a real detective. The stuff on those shows is interesting but leads to very unrealistic expectations of police investigative capabilities. If this is something your son is interested in long-term, he may want to know "the real story" more than the Hollywood version.

In real life you have people who collect evidence and people in labs who process it. Any lab testing involves repetitive, exacting and not very interesting activities. You don't get to have exciting discoveries, you spend all day prepping the sample then forward the report to someone else.

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In real life you have people who collect evidence and people in labs who process it.

Not necessarily, but definitely it's not like TV shows. I know people who collect, analyze, and testify in court about the same evidence, as was discussed in the OJ Simpson trial.

 

The trouble with trying to get a kid involved is, the evidence by definition involves a suspected crime and usually involves bodily fluids and/or guns. That's not very child-friendly.

 

Most of the old TV shows deemphasize evidence and emphasize characters and motivation. Miss Marple was entirely about character. Although I did see a Columbo where the marks from the typewriter were the key.

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How about Quincy?  It was a long time ago, so I don't remember exactly the content, but it was about an Medical Examiner played by Jack Klugman

 

I love Numb3rs, which was recommended up-thread, but I don't think I'd let an 8-yo watch it.  It does have s3x scenes, although not in every show.  Lots of shoot-outs, though.  I think I let my youngest watch it when she was around 11yo. 

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There is a new show on TNT called Cold Justice.   Solves very old cold cases (murders).   Content might be too mature for 8yr old on some shows but it's not dramatized or

glorified.   It's very respectful of the deceased.   Definitely pre-screen.

 

How about finding DVDs/books where the solve historical cases, like the Ice Man or the how King Tut died, etc...?   Should be plenty of material.

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