Viewers are finding comfort in true-crime TV during the coronavirus pandemic

The Daily Beast

Viewers are increasingly flocking to true-crime programming to ease their nerves. Why is that? “If you take the wide shot about what true crime stories are, there’s this epic battle between good and evil,” explains 48 Hours executive producer Judy Tygard. “Right now, we’re facing this big monster out there that nobody can see, we don’t know when it’s going to strike, it’s just out there lurking. So true crime, I think, eases that anxiety. Our monsters have faces, they have names.” Investigation Discovery's Kevin Bennett thinks the fact that true-crime shows have closure brings viewers a little bit of hope. “What’s going on right now is really about the extremism of human nature,” he says. “You’re seeing so many good stories about heroes on the frontline, and the squabbles in politics and things like that. It’s both sides of human nature. That’s what true crime is, as well.”

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