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Media, Culture & Society, Vol. 27, No. 5, 635-651 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0163443705055720

The people’s detective: true crime in Dutch folklore and popular television

Stijn Reijnders

University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, s.l.reijnders{at}uva.nl

Peter R. de Vries is a Dutch true crime television programme in the tradition of America’s Most Wanted. Critics say it is a threat to the moral order and the paradigm of an over-commercialized, degenerate television culture. This article argues differently: programmes such as Peter R. de Vries follow an existing tradition and morality in the history of popular culture. The 19th century saw various forms of entertainment that revolved around true crime. A comparison between these forms and the Peter R. de Vries episodes revealed striking similarities. Nevertheless, Peter R. de Vries is not a straightforward translation of folklore to television codes. The programme also incorporates features of more recent genres. Peter R. de Vries takes up a position in the vacuum between the official system of justice and the popular sense of justice, fulfilling a traditional need using new media.

Key Words: history • justice • morality • offence • popular culture • television entertainment


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