Since CSI: Crime Scene Investigation lit up TV screens across the world more than two decades ago, countless numbers of people have become fascinated with forensic science.
However, what you see on TV is quite far from the day-to-day life of forensic scientists.
But a Dundee University academic is still delighted her profession is set to once again grip television viewers in the return of gritty drama Traces.
Professor Niamh Nic Daeid is the forensic science consultant for the programme, starring Line of Duty actor Martin Compston and partly filmed in Dundee.
It is returning for a second series and Professor McDaeid hopes fans will again be enthralled by what happens in the laboratory.
But she says viewers should realise that while the work of the fictional Scottish Institute of Forensic Science may be true to life, TV programme-making demands some concessions.
“The biggest misconception is the speed in which things are done,” she said.
She continued: “In shows, analysis happens really quickly and you get the results fast.
“That’s not usually how it works.
“It takes a considerable amount of time to prepare samples, extract them, analyse it and prepare the results.
“So the pace in which things are done isn’t realistic.”
Niamh has been involved with Traces right from its conception.
“The idea for the series came from a conversation that I had with Val McDermid,” she explained.
“We were teaching a massive open online course (MOOK) about forensic anthropology and a couple other forensic topics.
“So we had asked Val if she would help us a little bit, in terms of creating the narrative that went with the MOOK.
“As a consequence, Val had the idea that centring a crime drama series around that concept of us building this MOOK might be a good hook.”
All about the forensic science
The show focuses heavily on portraying how real forensic evidence is used for criminal investigations.
“We wanted to portray the science accurately as could be,” Niamh said.
“A lot of TV shows like this don’t have that accuracy around the scientific aspect.
“What we wanted to do with Traces is make it about the science as well.
“We wanted to portray that the science isn’t always absolute – there are shades of grey.”
What to expect from Traces season two
Traces season two will pick up from where season one left off.
Lab Assistant Emma Hedges (Molly Windsor) is now training to be a forensic chemist and is on the cusp of seeing her mother’s murder case finally resolved in the eyes of the law.
Meanwhile, construction company director Daniel (Martin Compston) is to give evidence against his father in the High Court.
Martin said that filming season two in Dundee was a very different experience from season one.
“Obviously things are quite different now with Covid and the regulations,” he said.
“The whole country was in lockdown while we were filming, which made things quite different, as the first series was such a social job.
“We had such a laugh, and it was one of the friendliest jobs that I’ve ever been on. So, it’s been a bit different.”
Molly said that she had positive feedback from season one of the show.
“Audiences got hold of this crazy world of SIFA (Scottish Institute for Forensic Science and Anatomy) and professors,” she said.
“Then this mad relationship between Emma and Daniel, and on top of that finding out all these things about her mum’s murder.
“It was a bit of a wild ride, so it was nice that audiences went on it with us.”
You can watch season two of Traces at 9pm tonight on Alibi.
