Institute of Pharmacology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hanover, Germany.
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2022 Nov;395(11):1419-1440. doi: 10.1007/s00210-022-02281-9. Epub 2022 Aug 16.
Poisoning occurs frequently in TV crime series but, to the best of our knowledge, has not yet been analyzed scientifically. This study examines the plausibility of poisoning cases in Germany's most popular crime series, Tatort (crime scene), from 1974 to 2022. In the TV series, the increasing rate of poisoning in Germany as well as the increasing variety of substances leading to poisoning over the years are depicted. Largely in line with reality, similar substance categories and routes of administration are presented. However, poisoning outcomes in Tatort differ from reality: over 50% of the victims die in Tatort, whereas in reality, more than 80% survive. In > 95% of the episodes, the mechanism of action of a poison is not explained, omitting an important opportunity for raising public awareness. The TV series also deviates from reality in terms of the etiology of poisonings: External poison delivery is largely overrepresented, while the high rate of accidental poisonings in real life is underrepresented. Almost no accidental poisonings occur in Tatort, although this is the most frequent type of poisoning in real life. In Tatort, men are overrepresented as offenders and victims of poisoning compared to reality. Thus, the crime series does not convey the message that anyone can be a potential victim of poisoning and that particularly vulnerable groups need proper education and the best possible protection. This paper discusses the conflict between detailed, plausible episodes with cases of poisoning and the potential for imitation that they may cause.
电视剧中经常出现中毒情节，但据我们所知，这些情节尚未经过科学分析。本研究考察了 1974 年至 2022 年德国最受欢迎的犯罪系列剧《犯罪现场》（Tatort）中毒案件的合理性。在该电视剧中，描绘了德国中毒案件发生率的上升以及导致中毒的物质种类的增加。与现实基本一致，呈现了类似的物质类别和给药途径。然而，《犯罪现场》中毒情节与现实存在差异：超过 50%的受害者在电视剧中死亡，而现实中，超过 80%的人幸存。在超过 95%的剧集中，没有解释毒物的作用机制，这忽略了提高公众意识的重要机会。电视剧在中毒的病因方面也与现实不符：外部毒物输送被极大地夸大，而现实生活中高比例的意外中毒则被低估。在《犯罪现场》中几乎没有意外中毒事件，尽管这是现实生活中最常见的中毒类型。与现实相比，电视剧中男性作为中毒的犯罪者和受害者的比例过高。因此，该剧并没有传达出任何人都可能成为中毒受害者的信息，也没有传达出特别脆弱群体需要接受适当教育和尽可能最好保护的信息。本文讨论了详细、合理的中毒情节与可能引发的模仿之间的冲突。
