True Life Crime UK is a true-crime Reality TV series directed by Heather Atkins and hosted by MTV correspondent Linda Adey. The series consists of four episodes, each 45 minutes long.
The series description on Voot for the series reads: “True Life Crime UK investigates the most harrowing mysteries shocking the news and social feeds. The victims were young, their deaths were shocking and haunting questions remain. MTV correspondent Linda Adey investigates four chilling cases. Her search for the truth leads to some shocking discoveries.”
True Life Crime UK is like every other true crime show out there. Comprising of four episodes, each about 45 minutes long, MTV correspondent Linda Adey makes it seem like these are cases that no one has been able to solve before. To be honest, it’s a bit annoying.
In the first episode, titled Gone without a trace and about the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson, Adey makes it seem like she is the one out to finally solve the disappearance. Mind you, this is a 2013 case. However, if you don’t know about it, it’s still a harrowing case. This True Life Crime UK review won’t contain spoilers, however, the way in which all of these cases happened is truly heartbreaking and gives off a warning to everyone.
Another thing that I found very annoying about the series is how dramatic it is. And I am not talking about the re-enactments and all of that. From the transitions to the way they introduce family members and even how Adey presents the cases – it just all feels too much. True crime can be such a great genre to stream and for me, less is more. You don’t need to be so dramatic to present a murder – the act itself is enough to bring out gasps. But I digress.
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True Life Crime UK, however, does a good job at giving a lot of background to the stories – into the lives of the victims and how everything came to be. Although sometimes it may feel a bit much, it’s all-important to understand how and why things came to be. The series also brings into the picture specialists from different fields to put some perspective into why some people do what they do. This is a major plus for the show since it provides some context if you’re confused about why the human mind is so weird!
For a 45-minute long series, True Life Crime UK provides context and in-depth discussions with the people related to the cases and presents it in a shiny package. If you’re new to the genre, then you might just enjoy it. It’s arresting and demands your attention because of how baffling some of the cases are.
That being said, True Life Crime UK mostly feels gimmicky. If you’re a hardcore true crime fan like me, you’d be surprised at how diluted and “naïve” the stories become as it moves forward. The show is primarily meant for younger audiences, it seems, and thus there’s hardly any blood, guts or disturbing imagery. Whether that’s a win or not is absolutely up to the individuals watching it. MTV knows how to pull in their target audience very well and that might define why the series is so flashy and in-your-face.
Summing up: True Life Crime UK
As true crime shows go, True Life Crime UK falls short for me. I think the series tries its level best to create some mystery and intrigue among the audiences, which kind of falls short and leaves you unfulfilled. There are loads of great true crime documentaries and podcasts out there that might work more in your favour if true crime is something that intrigues you. This show isn’t the worst, but there are just so many better ones out there.
True Life Crime UK is streaming on Voot.
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