Romesh Ranganathan talks paying homage to true crime documentaries

The comedian and presenter explores the remarkable lives and mysterious deaths of Tupac Shakur, Nancy Spungen and Jimi Hendrix…

“If I ever die in mysterious circumstances, I’d love someone to investigate it on BBC Two.” – Romesh Ranganathan

As recently announced, the series produced by Rumpus Media – part of STV Studios – sees Romesh investigating the lives and deaths of some of the world’s most intriguing cultural icons. The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan will see the presenter delve into the stories of entertainment figures who’ve always been a source of fascination for him: Tupac Shakur, Nancy Spungen and Jimi Hendrix.

All of them had a lasting impact on the world of popular culture during their lifetimes whilst also experiencing untimely deaths in their twenties that have long been a topic of suspicion and debate.

“We wanted to find a fun way of doing a celeb biopic while also doing a true crime style show. This series ticked all (both) of the boxes.” – Romesh Ranganathan

Romesh is a man with admittedly no experience of criminal investigations whatsoever. This won’t however stop him trying as he attempts to crack each case once and for all. Ably assisted by criminal psychologist, writer and podcaster Dr Julia Shaw, Romesh talks to experts, eyewitnesses, friends and journalists to learn more about the remarkable lives of each of these stars and try to unravel the enduring mystery behind their tragic deaths.

Part investigation and part biography, The Misinvestigations of Romesh Ranganathan gently pillories the true crime genre whilst providing viewers with a fresh, empathetic insight into three often misunderstood life stories played out in the unforgiving glare of the media spotlight.

In the series, you gently poke fun at true crime documentaries. Are you a fan of the genre?

I’m a huge fan, but we wanted to do a, sort of, take off of the tropes of those types of shows. It’s an homage.

Could this series mark the start of a new career for you? Detective Ranganathan has a nice ring to it…

I think that’s unlikely. People already say I do too much. This might be taking the piss. 

Did you seek inspiration from any famous detectives – real-life or fictional – for the series?

I would love to say Luther but I think comparing myself to Idris [Elba] would lead to a backlash that my wife would spearhead.

Why were you specifically interested in exploring the lives and deaths of Tupac, Nancy and Jimi?

They are all people who moved the cultural needle and also passed away in circumstances that are still being speculated about today – perhaps as a result of the manner in which they were idolised.

Did your investigations teach you anything new about celebrity culture and about how society and the media treated these cultural figures in life and death?

I think that the media has had a huge part to play in the perception of these people, as well as their deaths. Nancy Spungen’s portrayal in the media was particularly distasteful.

What did you learn from Dr Julia Shaw, the criminal psychologist who assisted you with your investigations?

The brilliant Dr Shaw not only displayed an analytical mind that far surpassed anything I could have mustered, but she also taught me to remove any bias in both my analysis of clues and answers, and to recognise the bias in my own questioning.

After talking with experts, eyewitnesses, friends and journalists to try to unravel each mystery, were any preconceived notions you had before filming altered by the end of the series?

I may have carried the notion that [former music executive] Suge Knight had something to do with the death of Tupac Shakur. I both no longer believe that and regret saying it out loud.

For some viewers, this might be their first introduction to Tupac, Sid and Nancy, and Jimi. What do you hope their lasting impression of each of them will be after watching the series?

I believe that, regardless of whether you like the music of these individuals, you will definitely leave the shows with an understanding of how culturally important each of them were.

The series is set to launch on BBC Two and iPlayer at 9pm on Sunday 25 August