{"id":538250,"date":"2026-07-12T21:21:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/538250\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T21:21:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:21:11","slug":"how-itvs-new-serial-killer-show-the-dark-works-to-avoid-a-common-criticism-of-crime-dramas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/538250\/","title":{"rendered":"How ITV’s new serial killer show The Dark works to avoid a common criticism of crime dramas"},"content":{"rendered":"

As crime dramas go, The Dark starts off with some familiar brush strokes. In the atmospheric opening scene you could just about make out the silhouette of a body, later to be discovered in the harsh light of day, with two detectives then put on the case. But ITV’s new six-part series has positioned itself as being “different” to other procedurals, and despite that initial familiarity, there is one distinctive marker of this in these introductory scenes. <\/p>\n

“I’m not interested in seeing any more women being killed or hurt on screen, I don’t want to see that in any dramas I’m working on now,” director of The Dark Gilles Bannier \u2013 whose past credits span Blue Lights, Marcella, and Trigger Point \u2013 said. <\/p>\n

A common and recurring criticism<\/a> of the crime genre has been the way in which it can be propped up by violence perpetrated against women; the camera focused on the battered, bruised and bloodied corpses of its female characters, sometimes the only place reserved for them in the storytelling. <\/p>\n

Over the years, we’ve seen a number of shows come along to change the game. We’ve had some badass leading lady detectives (think Happy Valley, Vera, Get Millie Black, Shetland, Unforgotten, Ellis\u2026), as well as dramas that have swerved the more gratuitous and graphic scenes in favour of something much more sensitively handled<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"laura<\/p>\n

ITV<\/p>\n

Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 \u2013 including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV<\/a><\/p>\n

When it comes to The Dark \u2013 which is, at its core, a serial killer story \u2013 Bannier has described that not only did he not want to depict dead women on screen, but he wanted to side-step other trademarks of the genre too \u2013 not leaning too far into depicting the violence, or repeatedly returning to the scene of the crime, as it were. <\/p>\n

“There are naked male dead bodies in this series, and my approach is that I prefer to have one strong, shocking image in an episode, to experience the horror of that and then not return to it, that’s all I wanted to have,” he explained. “So we avoided the classic grammar of thrillers where we go to the morgue and we see a body, we didn’t want any of that.”<\/p>\n

When asked specifically about how he wanted The Dark to look on screen, Bannier elaborated: “I wanted to be sensitive with my handheld camera, to try to get inside these characters’ heads, without being too graphic. That was my obsession on this show, if there was a dad in despair, I didn’t want to show off with the camera, I wanted to disappear behind the suffering of this man.”<\/p>\n

\"laura<\/p>\n

ITV<\/p>\n

Related: Long-running star of ITV’s hit crime drama Grantchester reacts to beloved show’s final season<\/a><\/p>\n

The cast \u2013 which features Laura Donnelly (Outlander) and Mark Rowley (Karen Pirie) as the drama’s lead investigators \u2013 have spoken extensively about<\/a> how The Dark treads its own path within a popular genre, with this emphasis on its characters superseding other common crime thriller beats. <\/p>\n

The beautiful and moody Scotland setting also adds another dimension to The Dark’s storytelling. Only time will tell how well The Dark manages to stand out from the crowd among viewers, with the six-part series premiering tonight on ITV1. <\/p>\n

The Dark starts on ITV1 at 9pm on Sunday 12 July and will stream on ITVX.<\/p>\n


Visit our Streaming Guide<\/a> now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.<\/p>\n

The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

TV Editor, Digital Spy<\/a> Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. \u00a0Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV<\/a> desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. \u00a0As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).\u00a0<\/p>\n

linkedIn<\/a>
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