Netflix series Criminal to examine interrogation procedures
By Wade Wainio
Netflix is set to create a new series called Criminal, a multi-country European drama about police interrogation methods.
It’s often refreshing to see shows with an international focus and scope. The upcoming Netflix series Criminal promises just that, as it puts a unique spin on the crime drama. Rather than focusing on all aspects of a criminal investigation, Criminal promises to look at the interrogation room, according to Deadline. While there isn’t much information on when the series will launch or who will star, we do know it’s part of Netflix’s expanded European production efforts.
Who are the showrunners? Those would be Killing Eve writer George Kay and Wrong Mans producer Jim Field Smith (through their production company, Idiotlamp Productions). We also know it will consist of 12 episodes, and that they will all be filmed at Ciudad de la Tele in Madrid. However, it’s more international than that. The 12 segments will be divided between France, Spain, Germany, and the UK, which means each country gets three 45 minute episodes each.
Each story will be written and directed by local talent, as opposed to just having one director or main writer at the helm. This, of course, allows for a diverse talent pool and potentially different angles for each story. On top of that, each tale will be produced in the director’s native language (though subtitles will certainly be available, as they are for every other international Netflix show or film).
Here’s who’s involved in writing each Criminal tale:
The Spain segment will be written by Mariano Barroso Alejandro Hernández and Manuel Martín.
The German segment is to be written by Oliver Hirschbiegel, Bernd Lange and Sebastian Heeg.
The French story will involve Frederic Mermoud, Antonin Martin-Hilbert, and Mathieu Missoffe.
The UK version will be masterminded by George Kay and Field Smith.
Obviously, each story will focus on the questioning procedures between officer and suspect. While this may sound limiting at first, there’s a lot that can potentially be done with the idea. Criminal may be “stripped down,” but police interviews can be interesting and thought-provoking in their own right.
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If the showrunners weren’t confident of this, they wouldn’t bother creating three 45 minute segments, would they? Being that the show is freshly announced, it’s not known if it will have additional seasons. Still, there are more than four countries in existence, and obviously more than four police stations. If the show is successful, it could definitely expand outside of the four initial countries.
What are your thoughts on Criminal? Let us know in the comments!