Crime Scene (Korean: 크라임씬) is a murder mystery variety show produced by JTBC. Real crime scenes from Korea and abroad are recreated, and cast members are trapped in that same space. These cast members then choose their "roles" and become suspects in these fictional murder cases, with the goal of identifying the modus operandi, finding the real killer among themselves, and solving the case by uncovering the truth of the crime through interrogations and collating evidences. The show is popular also for letting the audience participate in the game through real-time online voting. The show ran for three seasons from 2014 to 2017.
The game plays out as this: first, cast members are given a case briefing, which is a summary of events that occurred before the murder and a list of the possible suspects they can play for the reenactment of the case. Each player is then given ten minutes to investigate the crime scene for evidence, bringing a camera that can take up to ten pictures. The cast collates their evidence during the free briefing segment, and after this, each player secretly votes for who they currently think is the criminal. Should the cast have missed any evidence pointing to the killer, hints or additional on-site investigation is given. During the latter, each player heads to the interrogation room and calls another player in order to have a one on one discussion with them. After all of the players have had their one on one interrogation, each player then secretly votes for who they think is the final criminal, and the result of these votes determine the outcome of the game. The player who receives the most votes is "arrested" and locked in a makeshift prison. If the arrested player is the criminal, everyone who voted for that player receives a bag of gold coins. However, if the arrested player is not the criminal, the actual criminal wins all of the gold coins that the other players would have won.
Season 2 changes the game a bit by adding the role of the "detective", a role that is always innocent and therefore can be the only one that can request a one on one interrogation. Season 3 adds a "detective's assistant", who serves as the detective's Number Two and consultant.
Mango TV purchased the rights for a Chinese adaptation of the show, titled Who's The Murderer, which premiered in 2016.
TVING has picked up
the show for official continuation titled "Crime Scene Returns" to air in 2024.
Cast Members
- Park Jiyoon (born March 23, 1979) - Broadcaster
- Hong Jinho (born October 31, 1982) - Broadcaster, former professional Starcraft player
- Jun Hyunmoo (born November 7, 1977) - Broadcaster
- NS Yoon-G / Kim Yoonji (born September 6, 1988) - Singer, actress
- Lim Banggeulnote (born 1979) - Lawyer
- Kang Yongsuknote (born December 3, 1969) - Lawyer, broadcaster
- Henry Lau - Singer, actor, member of Super Junior
- Kang Minhyuk - Singer, actor, member of CN Blue
- Lim Moongyu - Police detective
- Park Jiyoon (born March 23, 1979) - Broadcaster
- Jang Jin (born February 24, 1971) - Director
- Kim Jihoon (born May 9, 1981) - Actor
- Yang Sehyung (born August 18, 1985) - Comedian, entertainer
- Jung Eunji (August 18, 1993) - Singer, actress, member of A Pink
- Song Jaerim - Actor
- Jang Dongmin - Broadcaster, comedian, former fixed cast member
- Hong Jinho - Broadcaster, former professional Starcraft player, former fixed cast member
- Sojin - Singer, member of Girl's Day
- Park Jiyoon (born March 23, 1979) - Broadcaster
- Jang Jin (born February 24, 1971) - Director
- Jang Dongmin (born July 20, 1979) - Broadcaster, comedian
New Cast Members
Crime Scene provides examples of the following:
- Accidental Pervert: Whenever the searches involve going through underwear.
- And There Was Much Rejoicing: When the correct criminal is arrested.
- As Himself: in season 2 and 3 finales one of the writing staff gets killed and the show itself becomes a Crime Scene, so the cast play fictionalised versions of themselves.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Some murder cases.
- Audience Participation: Viewers get to guess who the criminal is via real time online voting, and those who can guess correctly may win a prize.
- Back to School: The second case of the first season featured the cast as high school students. Episode 3 of the third season is set in a Police Academy, while episode 8 is set in a science high school.
- Backup Twin: Shin Gyoju victim of Season 4's Cult Leader Murder Case, faked his death with a twin to become main suspect of the case for season finale
- Bad Liar: The murderer should not be one, as the point of the game for the killer is to be able to fool everyone into thinking that he is innocent.
- Brick Joke: Many cases are connected to each other via this.
- Easily-Overheard Conversation: Due to the reenactment being set in a studio where the "rooms" are open.
- Everyone Is a Suspect: Everyone except the player with the role of "detective" and "detective's assistant".
- Genre Savvy: Some cases need a certain amount of being Genre Savvy with regards to how the murders were played out.
- Gratuitous English: When characters play a "foreigner".
- Internal Reveal: Averted; the audience only knows about the evidences and stories that the cast members themselves reveal.
- Multi-Part Episode: done several times as cliffhanger in season 2 where the case was prolonged and had to be re-investigated with new evidence/suspects in mind.
- additionally, season 3 episode 8 (Science High School Murders Case) serves as distant prequel for episode 7 (Campsite Murder Case), with the same cast of suspects.
- Running Joke: Jazz Park's singing.
- Older Than They Look & Younger Than They Look: The cast's ages are different from the ages that their characters have, which of course, confuses the viewers and the cast themselves as these characters' ages sometimes have direct relation to the plot.
- Story Arc: All 5 cases of Crime Scene Returns are connected to Fungmu Group, with the murder case of Fungmu president tying up all cases
- Twist Ending: Whenever the cast guesses the criminal wrongly.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Jiyoon plays a man's role as Business Park and Beauty Park.
