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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation intertitle
Created byAnthony E. Zuiker
StarringWilliam Petersen
Marg Helgenberger
George Eads
Eric Szmanda
Robert David Hall
Wallace Langham
Lauren Lee Smith
and Paul Guilfoyle
Opening themeThe Who: "Who Are You"
No. of seasons9
No. of episodes191 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time40–45 Minutes
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseOctober 6, 2000 –
present
Related
CSI: Miami
CSI: NY

Template:Infobox TV ratings

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series that trails the investigations of a team of Las Vegas forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and other crimes. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and is filmed primarily at Universal Studios in Universal City, California. The pilot episode was first broadcast on October 6, 2000, and eight seasons have been aired. CSI currently airs on Thursdays, at 9:00 p.m. on CBS.

CSI is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Productions, which became CBS Paramount Television in the fall of 2006. Formerly a co-production with the now-defunct Alliance Atlantis Communications, that company's interest in the series is now owned by investment firm GS Capital Partners, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.[1] CBS Paramount acquired AAC's international distribution rights to the program.

The show has been heavily criticized—almost since its debut—by police and district attorneys, who feel CSI portrays an inaccurate image of how police solve crimes, and by the Parents Television Council, who note the level and gratuitousness of graphic violence, images and sexual content seen on the show. Nevertheless, CSI became the most-watched show on American television by 2002. The success of the show encouraged CBS to produce a franchise, starting in May 2002 with the spin-off CSI: Miami and then again in 2004 with CSI: NY.

The show is now in syndication and reruns are currently broadcast in the US on the Spike and TV Land cable networks.

CBS renewed the show for a ninth season, which began airing on October 9, 2008. With the departures of William Petersen and Gary Dourdan, the ninth season stars new characters played by Lauren Lee Smith and Laurence Fishburne. Lady Heather returned in episode 905 and The Miniature Killer returned in episode 907.[2]

As of the fall of 2008, CSI commands an average cost of $262,600 for a 30-second commercial, according to an Advertising Age survey of media-buying firms.[3]

CSI Season Nine will air in the United Kingdom on Tuesday 13th January 2009.

Production

Conception and development

During the 1990s, Anthony Zuiker caught producer Jerry Bruckheimer's attention after writing his first movie script. Bruckheimer wanted an idea for a television series. Zuiker didn't have one, but his wife told him about a Discovery Channel show she liked about forensic detectives who used DNA and other evidence to solve cold cases (The New Detectives).[4] Zuiker started spending time with real-life LVMPD crime investigators and was convinced that there was a series in the concept. Bruckheimer agreed and arranged a meeting with the head of Touchstone Pictures. The studio's head at the time liked the script and presented it to ABC network executives, who decided to pass. The head of drama development at CBS saw potential in the script, and the network had a pay or play contract with actor William Petersen who said he wanted to do the CSI pilot. The network's executives liked the pilot so much that they decided to include it in their 2000 schedule immediately, airing on Fridays after The Fugitive. Initially it was thought that CSI would benefit from The Fugitive, which was expected to be a hit, but by the end of the year 2000 CSI had a much larger audience.[5]

Filming

CSI was initially shot at Rye Canyon, a corporate campus owned by Lockheed Corporations situated in the Valencia area of Santa Clarita, California. Other shows such as The Unit and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have also been shot there.[6]

After the eleventh episode, filming shifted to the Santa Clarita Studios and only second unit photography, such as the shots of the Las Vegas streets are done on location in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Occasionally, when required, the cast will also shoot on location in Las Vegas, although more often the locations will be substituted by California locations. Santa Clarita was originally chosen for its similarity to the outskirts of Las Vegas.[7] Some of the California locations include the Verdugo Hills High School, UCLA's Royce Hall, the Pasadena City Hall and, as of October 2007, the California State University, shooting has moved away from Santa Clarita, the city and the surroundings have proven so versatile that CSI still shoots some of its outdoor scenes there.[8][9]

Style

Stylistically, the show has drawn favorable comparisons to Quincy and The X-Files.[10] The show's gadgets and occasional usage of yet-to-be-invented technology have moved the show nominally into the genre of science fiction and garnered it a 2004 Saturn Award nomination for best network television series. The series also occasionally lapses into the realm of fantasy, such as a 2006 episode, "Toe Tags" which is told from the point of view of several corpses in the CSI lab who reanimate and discuss their deaths with each other.

The series is known for its unusual camera angles, percussive editing techniques, hi-tech gadgets, detailed technical discussion, and graphic portrayal of bullet trajectories, blood spray patterns, organ damage, methods of evidence recovery (e.g. fingerprints from the inside of latex gloves), and crime reconstructions. This technique of shooting extreme close-ups, normally with explanatory commentary from one of the characters is referred to in the media as the "CSI shot."[11] Many episodes feature lengthy scenes in which experiments, tests, or other technical work is portrayed in detail, usually with minimal sounds effects and accompanying music – a technique reminiscent of Mission: Impossible. Often the lighting, composition, and mise-en-scene elements are heavily influenced by avant-garde film[11]

Music

CSI's theme song is Who Are You, written by Pete Townshend with vocals by Roger Daltrey both of The Who,[12] as the title track of their 1978 album. The show's spinoffs also use The Who songs as their theme songs: Won't Get Fooled Again for CSI: Miami and Baba O'Riley for CSI: NY, both recorded by The Who in 1971 for their album Who's Next. This was parodied in an episode of Two and a Half Men, where a CSI parody used Squeeze Box as its theme. The Who's Roger Daltrey made a special appearance in a season seven episode, Living Legend, which also contained many musical references such as the words "Who's Next" on a dry erase board in the episode's opening sequence.

Throughout the series music plays an important role; artists like The Wallflowers, John Mayer, Method Man and Akon (with Obie Trice) have performed onscreen in the episodes The Accused is Entitled, Built To Kill, Part 1 and Poppin' Tags respectively. The Wallflowers' Everybody out of the Water can be found on the CSI soundtrack CD. Mogwai is often heard during scenes showing forensic tests in progress (see Style, above) as are Radiohead and Cocteau Twins, but several other artists have lent their music to CSI including Rammstein - used heavily in Lady Heather's story arc. Sigur Rós can be heard playing in the background in Season 2 episode- Slaves of Las Vegas - The Turtles (Grave Danger) and Marilyn Manson (Suckers).

Plot

The show follows the cases of the Crime Scene Investigation division of the Las Vegas Police Department, usually referred to by officers as the "Las Vegas Crime Lab." Anthony E. Zuiker chose to set the series in Las Vegas because—as mentioned in the pilot—that city's crime lab is the second most active in the United States, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation lab in Quantico, Virginia.[13] The division solves crimes almost entirely through forensics evidence, which may or may not come to conclusion of a murder or accidental death. The bizarre conclusions of these cases often force one to question morals, beliefs and human nature in general.

Characters

Main Cast

Main article: List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters
File:CSI season 1 cast.jpg
Third season cast of CSI. Starring Paul Guilfoyle as Captain Jim Brass, Robert David Hall as Dr. Al Robbins, Gary Dourdan as CSI Level 2 Warrick Brown, William Petersen as CSI Level 3 Gil Grissom, Jorja Fox as CSI Level 3 Sara Sidle, Marg Helgenberger as CSI Level 3 Catherine Willows, George Eads as CSI Level 3 Nick Stokes, Eric Szmanda as DNA Tech. Greg Sanders
  • CSI Level 3 Nightshift Supervisor: Doctor Gilbert "Gil" Grissom (William Petersen) is the night shift team supervisor for the Las Vegas CSI unit, and a forensic entomologist with a degree in biology from UCLA. He is known for being a very thorough and methodical scientist, as well as a bit of a quirky introvert. Grissom is proficient in sign language and used to have otosclerosis (inherited from his mother), but he underwent corrective surgery.[14] He was raised Catholic and is now lapsed.[15] It was revealed to the viewers on the sixth season finale "Way To Go" that he has been in a relationship with Sara Sidle. He successfully proposed marriage to her in the eighth season. This character is loosely based on real life criminalist Daniel Holstein.[16]
    William Petersen was originally reported to have renewed his contract for the show's ninth season, but the Associated Press reported on July 15, 2008, that Petersen was leaving the show as a regular following Season 9's tenth episode in order to pursue more stage acting opportunities. He will return for guest spots during the show's run, as needed.[17] He will remain an Executive Producer of the show.[17]
  • CSI Level 3 Nightshift Assistant Supervisor: Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) is second-in-command of the night shift, taking charge when Grissom was out of town or otherwise on leave, and has often quarreled with Grissom and Ecklie when she feels that her authority is compromised. An early subplot involved Catherine constantly requesting promotions or ways to spend more time with her daughter Lindsey. Catherine expressed romantic interest for fellow CSI Warrick Brown when she stated the "joy of fantasies is the fact that they might come true" after learning that Warrick was married in season six. Catherine's ex-husband Eddie and her father Sam Braun were both murdered on episodes of the program. She supported herself through college by working as an exotic dancer. This character is loosely based on real life CSI Yolanda McCleary.[16]
  • CSI Level 3: Nick Stokes (George Eads) is an easygoing and friendly former college baseball player and fraternity member from Dallas, Texas, with a degree in criminal justice from Texas A&M University. Because of being molested at a young age, his character is portrayed as more empathetic than his co-workers, which has drawn several rebukes from others, and tends to get more emotional about cases. In the episode Grave Danger, Nick was buried alive. He survived but it has changed him a lot. This was very noticeable in Gum Drops when he got very emotional searching for the missing little girl who was thought to be dead. He was also stalked in "Stalker" when a repairman named Nigel Crane thought that Nick was his best friend. He helped a prostitute with whom he later had a relationship. She was murdered, making him a suspect in Boom. He speaks fluent Spanish.
  • CSI Level 3: Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) (Season 3–; Recurring Season 1–2) was formerly the lab's DNA technician. Greg entered field training and in the season five episode "Who Shot Sherlock?" became a full-fledged CSI. Despite an encyclopedic knowledge of DNA and trace analysis, he is still inexperienced in the field and often assists the senior CSIs. He has hinted at a romantic interest in numerous women both in and out of the lab, including his one-time mentor and best friend Sara Sidle. In the season 7 episode "Fannysmackin'", Greg is brutally beaten by a gang of youths while rescuing a victim. Greg is an Eagle Scout. He also wrote a book about the history of Las Vegas, and often becomes intrigued with cases that date back to "old Las Vegas" when it was run by the mob. Greg is promoted to CSI level 3 in the episode "19 Down".
  • Chief Medical Examiner: Doctor Albert "Al" Robbins (Robert David Hall) (Season 3–; Recurring Season 1–2) is the head county coroner. He is married with three children, and is close friends with Grissom. He is often the only one who understands Grissom, and vice versa. He has two prosthetic legs, and it has been implied that he lost them in an accident while trying to dig up a floor at a crime scene; this disability is drawn from actor David Hall himself, who lost his legs in a road traffic accident.
  • Trace Technician: David Hodges (Wallace Langham) (Season 8–; Recurring Season 3–7) is a lab technician who transferred to the Las Vegas crime lab from the Los Angeles crime lab. Hodges' appearances provide some comic relief, though most of the team finds him obnoxious and irritating. He always tries to ingratiate himself to Grissom, who occasionally does acknowledge Hodges' expertise. Hodges' first appearance was in the third season episode "Recipe for Murder", and he became billed as a regular cast member starting with the season 8 episode "Dead Doll". He has had a crush on fellow lab technicians Mia Dickerson and Wendy Simms, and once got all the other lab workers to collaborate (behind Grissom's back) and try to solve The Miniature Killer case, discovering a key clue. It is also noted that Hodges has an uncanny sense of smell, and is able to identify key chemical compounds by their scent alone.
  • CSI Level 1: Riley Adams (Lauren Lee Smith) (Season 9–) is a former St. Louis police officer who became a crime scene investigator. She comes in as a second-level CSI to the understaffed Las Vegas unit, which is still shaken by the shooting of Warrick Brown. On May 15, 2008, a press release was issued by CBS confirming that Lauren Lee Smith will join the cast of CSI in the ninth season as Riley Adams, a role expected to fill the void left by the departure of Sara Sidle in the previous season. According to the press release, Adams will be a non-conformist who joined law enforcement to rebel against her father, who is a psychiatrist.[18]
  • LVPD Homicide Detective: Captain James "Jim" Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) was the head of the CSI unit in Las Vegas until he was moved back to the police homicide division in the second episode. He is originally from New Jersey. He continues to work with CSI's despite problems in season two with his daughter, Ellie, who is a drug addict and a prostitute in Los Angeles. It was discovered in the season 2 episode "Ellie" that he is not Ellie's biological father. From the second episode onwards, Brass remains a captain in the homicide division and works closely with the graveyard shift CSI team. He is a close friend of Gil Grissom, whom he granted with power of attorney, and has an almost paternal relationship to Sara Sidle. He very often conducts witness and suspect interviews. In the season 6 episode "Bang Bang", Brass was shot twice by William Cutler after convincing him to release his hostage.

Future main character

  • CSI Level 1: Doctor Raymond Langston (Laurence Fishburne) (Season 9 910–): On the characterization of Langston, CBS previously explained, "His focus is on understanding criminal behavior, how and why people commit acts of violence - tendencies he disturbingly sees within himself. In the course of a murder investigation, he comes into contact with the CSI team and ultimately joins the Las Vegas Crime Lab as a Level-1 CSI." [citation needed]

Former main characters

  • CSI Level 3: Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) (Season 1–8 807; Recurring Season 9): was a materials and element analyst. Sidle was a physics major at Harvard University, and previously worked for the San Francisco coroner and crime lab. She replaced Holly Gribbs after helping investigate her death. She is completely devoted to her job and will go to almost any lengths to make sure that justice is served, for both victims and criminals. She is often very cold in her tone and demeanor. Sara's alcoholic father used to beat her and her mother Laura, until one day Laura snapped and stabbed him to death; as a result, Sara has emotional difficulties when dealing with abuse cases against women and children in her job. She was placed into foster care following her father's death and her mother's subsequent institutionalization. Sidle accepted a marriage proposal from co-worker Gil Grissom in the season 8 episode "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp". A few episodes later, in "Goodbye and Good Luck", Sara leaves the team following a difficult case. She did not say good bye to her fellow CSIs or Grissom, for whom she only left a note stating that she had to go face the ghosts of her past, something that she couldn't do in Las Vegas. She returned for a guest appearance in the season 9 premiere for Warrick's death. She is also appearing in 902, 905 and 910[19]
  • LVPD Homicide Detective: Sofia Curtis (Louise Lombard) (Season 7; Recurring Season 5–6, 8): was a CSI who became part of Grissom's team after the mid–season five split, decided by the Assistant Director of the crime lab, Conrad Ecklie. She soon considered resignation, upset at the fact that she had been demoted from acting day shift supervisor. In season six, Curtis makes a career shift from CSI to detective. Sofia was a recurring character in season five, and became a regular character in season seven, and Louise Lombard was billed in the opening credits. Sofia appeared in the season eight premiere, "Dead Doll", where Louise Lombard was billed as a "Special Guest Appearance". She has never been seen since "Dead Doll."
  • CSI Level 3: Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) (Season 1–9 901): was an Audio-video analyst. Brown was a Las Vegas native and a chemistry major from UNLV. He worked as an audio/visual analyst. A major facet of Warrick's character portrayed in the show is that he was a recovering gambling addict, his recovery hindered by the fact that he worked in Las Vegas. New CSI Holly Gribbs was killed at a scene in CSI's first episode, while Warrick was out laying a bet. He almost lost his job for not being with her at the time. Grissom's friendship and support has helped him a great deal in overcoming his addiction, but his compulsion is one of the reasons used by Conrad Ecklie to investigate and then split up the night shift team in season five. Warrick had a deep affection for his hometown and used his experience as a former gambler and casino runner in his investigations. Warrick was married in season six, but divorced by season eight. It was revealed in the Season 9 premiere that he had a child. Warrick Brown's character will not return in Season 9, since actor Gary Dourdan and CBS could not come to terms on a contract. As a result, in the Season 8 finale, the corrupted undersheriff shoots Warrick in the neck and chest while he is sitting in his car, and then leaves him to die from his wounds. He dies in the opening moments with Gil Grissom holding him in the Season 9 premiere.

Recurring characters

See also: Minor characters in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: has utilized an extensive cast of recurring characters on the show. Recurring characters can be found as technicians in the crime lab, as homicide detectives, as family members of main characters, and as villains, among others.

Guest stars

Main article: List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters

Episodes

Main article: List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes

There were twenty-three episodes in the first season, including the two part pilot episode written by Anthony Zuiker, the series' creator. There were twenty-three episodes each of the three following (Seasons two to four). There were twenty-five episodes in Season five and twenty-four in Seasons six and seven. There were only 17 episodes in Season 8, due to the WGA strike. The total number of aired episodes to date is 182. There have also been crossover episodes with its CSI sister shows, CSI: Miami and CSI: New York.

A two-part crossover episode with "Without a Trace" aired on November 8, 2007. The first hour was on CSI and the second hour was on Without a Trace.[20]!

On May 8, 2008 the episode "Two And a Half Deaths", written by Two and a Half Men writers Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn, was aired. The episode focused on the death of a sitcom star of a show based on Cybill, which Lorre wrote some of the episodes. A number of writers of CSI will write an episode for Two and a Half Men, where Charlie's house is being investigated for a hidden dead body. George Eads (Nick Stokes) will be the only actor to appear on both CSI and Two and a Half Men, but portraying different characters. The stars of Two and a Half Men also appear in part of the new CSI episode. They are seen outside of the dressing trailer, dressed in the tuxedos (possibly the ones seen in the opening credits of Two and a Half Men)—all three appear to be smoking, but they do not talk.

The last episode of the eighth season aired in the U.S. on May 15, 2008. Gary Dourdan's character, Warrick Brown, was shot and left to die; it was confirmed in the season 9 premiere that Dourdan's character was killed by the gun shot.[21]

Reception

For the 2001 season CBS decided to move CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, along with the hit franchise Survivor, to Thursday night, ending NBC's long dominance of these television hours, because even though they had a long-standing and popular Must See TV lineup (such as Friends and Will & Grace) they could not compete with CSI's numbers per week. CBS became the most-watched network on American television, with CSI being the most-watched program on television for the 2002–2003 TV season,[22] and the most-watched scripted show for five consecutive seasons, from the 2002–2003 season through the 2006–2007 season. Since 2003, it is also the top-rated drama series in America and in 2007 remains among the top five programs every season (usually behind American Idol).[5]

The 2004–2005 season finale, directed by Quentin Tarantino and entitled "Grave Danger", was watched by over 35 million viewers on May 19, 2005, twice that of the nearest competition.[23]

It the fall of 2006 ABC began airing the third season of Grey's Anatomy at the same time as CSI, prompting a TV ratings battle between the two popular shows. Grey had over 3 million more viewers than CSI in that season's premiere. Since then it has been a constant fight between the two shows, because even when CSI beats Grey in the ratings, CSI always had lower ratings among the younger viewers, the category most wanted by advertisers.[24] Some critics have said that CSI is now taking the characters into more romantic paths so as to compete with Grey, although this has been denied by Carol Mendelsohn.[25][26] Also, the fact that for the first time ever CSI ended a season with a cliffhanger (Sara Sidle trapped under a car) has been compared to Grey's Anatomy, that has ended every season with cliffhangers.[27] The cliffhanger resolution gave CBS its fruits since season eight premiered with over 4 million viewers more than Grey, also winning in the young people category.[28]

According to TV.com, "Living Doll" from the seventh season and "Grave Danger" from the fifth season are the highest rated episodes, which are rated in 9.6. "Monster in the Box" from Season 7 and "For Gedda" from Season 8 are rated 9.5. "Goodbye and Good Luck" from the eighth season, and also Jorja Fox's last episode is rated 9.4, together with "Rashomama" from the sixth season, "Law of Gravity" from the seventh season, "Gum Drops" from the sixth season, "Bloodlines" from the fourth season, "Play With Fire" from the third season and "Stalker" from the second season.

Public reaction

CSI's popularity has led to the creation of websites, online discussion forums and a large amount of fan-made art — it is ranked second in the amount of fan fiction (of a TV show) with FanFiction.Net, having over 19 thousand stories, Buffy the Vampire Slayer being the first, with over 30 thousand. On September 27, 2007, after CSI's season eight premiered, a miniature model of character Gil Grissom's office (which he was seen building during season seven) was put up on eBay. The auction ended October 7, with the prop being sold for $15,600; CBS donated the proceeds to the National CASA Association.[29]

On August 2007, upon rumors of Jorja Fox leaving the show, a grassroots campaign started.[30] Organized by the online forum Your Tax Dollars At Work, many of its nineteen thousand members donated to the cause, collecting over $8,000 for gifts and stunts targeted at CBS executives and CSI's producers and writers. Some of the stunts included a wedding cake delivery to Carol Mendelsohn, 192 chocolate-covered insects with the message "CSI Without Sara Bugs Us." to Naren Shankar and a plane flying several times over the Universal Studios of Los Angeles with a "Follow the evidence keep Jorja Fox on CSI" banner.[31][32] Other protests included mailing the show's producers a dollar, so as to save Fox's contract "one dollar at a time". By October 16, 2007 according to the site's tally, more than 20,000 letters with money or flyers had been mailed to the Universal Studios and to CBS headquarters in New York from forty-nine different countries since the campaign started on September 29, 2007.[33][34][35] Fox and Mendelsohn chose to donate the money to CASA, a national association that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children.[36]

Criticism for violent and sexual themes

CSI has often been criticized for the level and gratuitousness of graphic violence, images, and sexual content. The CSI series and its spin-off shows have pushed the boundary of what is considered acceptable viewing for primetime network television.[37] The series had numerous episodes on sexual fetishism and other forms of sexual pleasure (see especially the recurring character of Lady Heather, a professional dominatrix). CSI has been ranked as among the worst prime-time shows for family viewing by the Parents Television Council nearly every season since its second,[38][39][40][41] being ranked the worst show for family prime-time viewing after the 2002–2003[42] and 2005–2006[43] seasons. The PTC has also targeted certain CSI episodes for its weekly "Worst TV Show of the Week" feature.[44][45][46][47][48][49] In addition, the episode "King Baby" aired in February 2005, which the PTC named the most offensive TV show of the week,[49] also led the PTC to start a campaign to file complaints with the FCC with the episode;[50] to date, nearly 13,000 PTC members complained to the Federal Communications Commission about the episode.[51] The PTC has also asked Clorox to pull their advertisements from CSI and CSI: Miami because of the graphically violent content on those programs.[52][dead link]

Law enforcement reaction

Another criticism of the show is the depiction of police procedure, which some consider to be decidedly lacking in realism.[53] For instance, the show's characters not only investigate crime scenes (as their real-world counterparts would), but they also conduct raids, engage in suspect pursuit and arrest, interrogate suspects, and solve cases, which falls under the responsibility of uniformed officers and detectives, not CSI personnel. However, some detectives are also registered CSIs, although this is exceedingly rare in actual life. It is considered an inappropriate and improbable practice to let CSI personnel to be involved in detective work as it would compromise the impartiality of scientific evidence. CSI shares this characteristic with its UK forerunner, Silent Witness.

The Las Vegas Metro Police Department describes the duties and position of Crime Scene Analysts here [54] on their employment website. The cities of North Las Vegas and Henderson, and other surrounding townships and counties, will not allow Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department or companies contracted for work under them to come into their jurisdictions, unless the crime occurred on a border of the cities and/or townships. Furthermore, CSIs contracted to LVMPD don't travel to other counties, such as Nye County, or Pahrump, or any other places in Nevada, due to each county having different laws in regards to what is considered law enforcement within that particular county.

Some police and district attorneys have criticized the show for giving members of the public an inaccurate perception of how police solve crimes. Victims and their families are coming to expect instant answers from showcased techniques such as DNA analysis and fingerprinting, when in real life processing such evidence can take days or even weeks. District attorneys state that the conviction rate in cases with little physical evidence has decreased, largely due to the influence of CSI on jury members[55]

However, not all law-enforcement agencies have been as critical - in fact, many CSIs have responded positively to the show's influence and enjoy their new reputation. In the UK, Scene Of Crime Officers (SOCO) now commonly refer to themselves as CSIs. Some constabularies, such as Norfolk, have even gone so far as to change the name of the unit to Crime Scene Investigation.[56] Also, recruitment and training programs have seen a massive increase in applicants, with a far wider range of people now interested in something previously regarded as a scientific backwater.[57]

Further information: CSI Effect

.

LGBT issues

The LGBT community has criticized the show for its negative representation of LGBT characters.[58] However, as the majority of the non-regular characters in the show are—by the show's very nature—criminals, suspects or victims, it is only natural that all of the aforementioned guest characters are portrayed in a less than positive light.[citation needed] Despite the general overall displeasure, the fifth season episode "Ch-Ch-Changes" was received positively by the transgender community in particular.[59] Furthermore, the season 5 episode "Iced" featured one of very few openly gay characters on the show who were not victims or criminals, as the victim's neighbor.[59]

Franchise

Main article: CSI franchise

Like NBC's Law & Order franchise, CBS went on to produce their own franchise starting in September 2002 with the spin-off CSI: Miami, set in Miami, Florida. Another spin-off debuted September 2004 with CSI: NY, set in New York City. Also, a number of comic books, video games and novels based on the series have been made. The series was found to be in the same "universe" as fellow CBS police-drama Without a Trace during a crossover episodes airing in early November 2007. It is also within the same universe with Cold Case because of the series' crossover with CSI: NY.

CSI Effect

Main article: CSI Effect

The "CSI Effect" (sometimes referred to as the "CSI syndrome") is a reference to the phenomenon of popular television shows such as the CSI franchise, Law & Order, Silent Witness, Crossing Jordan and Waking the Dead raising crime victims' and jury members' real-world expectations of forensic science, especially crime scene investigation and DNA testing.[60] This is said to have changed the way many trials are presented today, in that prosecutors are pressured to deliver more forensic evidence in court.[61]

CSI: The Experience

Main article: CSI: The Experience

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry opened an exhibit in CSI's honor on May 25, 2007 called: "CSI: The Experience".[62] There is also a supporting Web site designed for the benefit of people who cannot visit the exhibit at CSI: The Experience Web Adventure, designed by Rice University's Center for Technology in Teaching & Learning.

Vehicles

In a high profile product placement deal,[63] General Motors donated two GMC Yukon XL Denalis to the Los Angeles and Las Vegas police departments. The same model vehicles were modified and used on the show as the "Mobile Analysis Unit", or MAU, in the same episode directed by Tarantino, the season five finale "Grave Danger". The vehicles were given a six-inch height difference from stock models, allowing the trunk lid to be used by the characters as a rain shield, and the rear bay and third-row area as a mobile lab, complete with notebook computers, equipment drawers and storage. In 8x12, Warrick is seen driving a black hybrid Yukon XL/Denali.[64][65]

U.S. television ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS.

Note: U.S. network television seasons generally start in late September and end in late May, which coincides with the completion of the May sweeps.

Season Timeslot (EDT) Season Premiere Season Finale TV Season Rank Viewers
(in millions)
1 Friday 9:00pm/8c (from October 6, 2000–January 12, 2001)
Thursday 9:00pm/8c
(from February 1, 2001) 		October 6, 2000 May 17, 2001 2000–2001 #10 17.80[66]
2 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 27, 2001 May 16, 2002 2001–2002 #2 23.69[67]
3 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 26, 2002 May 15, 2003 2002–2003 #1 26.20[68]
4 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 25, 2003 May 20, 2004 2003–2004 #2 25.27[69]
5 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 23, 2004 May 19, 2005 2004–2005 #2 26.26[70]
6 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 22, 2005 May 18, 2006 2005–2006 #3 24.86[71]
7 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 21, 2006 May 17, 2007 2006–2007 #5 20.00[72]
8 Thursday 9:00pm/8c September 27, 2007 May 15, 2008 2007–2008 #5 18.06[73]
9 Thursday 9:00pm/8c October 9, 2008 May 14, 2009 2008–2009 #1 19.48 (to date)'[74]

Awards and nominations

Awards

ASCAP Award:

  • Top TV Series - 2006

ASC Award:

  • Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Episodic TV Series - 2006
  • Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Episodic TV Series - 2005

Emmy:

  • Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series - 2007
  • Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-camera Series - 2006
  • Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series - 2003
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Non-Prosthetic) - 2002

Saturn Award

  • Best Network Television Series - 2004

Screen Actors Guild Award

  • Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series - 2004

Nominations

Emmy:

  • Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) - 2007
  • Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries Or Special - 2007
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (non-prosthetic) - 2007
  • Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series - 2007
  • Outstanding Single-camera Sound Mixing For A Series - 2006
  • Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series - 2006
  • Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series - 2005: Quentin Tarantino
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (non-prosthetic) - 2005
  • Outstanding Single-camera Sound Mixing For A Series - 2005
  • Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series - 2005
  • Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series - 2004
  • Outstanding Drama Series - 2004
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Non-Prosthetic) - 2004
  • Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing For A Series - 2004
  • Outstanding Drama Series - 2003
  • Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series - 2003: Marg Helgenberger
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Non-Prosthetic) - 2003
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Prosthetic) - 2003
  • Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing For A Series - 2003
  • Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series - 2002
  • Outstanding Drama Series - 2002
  • Outstanding Makeup For A Series (Prosthetic) - 2002
  • Outstanding Single-Camera Sound Mixing For A Series - 2002
  • Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series - 2002
  • Outstanding Art Direction For A Single-Camera Series - 2001
  • Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series - 2001
  • Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Series - 2001
  • Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series - 2001

DVD releases

Region 1 DVD releases

DVD Name Release Date
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 1 March 25, 2003
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 2 September 2, 2003
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 3 March 30, 2004
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 4 October 12, 2004
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 5 November 29, 2005
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 6 November 14, 2006
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 7 November 20, 2007
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 8 October 14, 2008
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 9 Fall 2009

The US box sets are distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, while the Canadian box sets are distributed by Alliance Atlantis. The first season DVD release differs from all subsequent seasons in that it is available only in 1.33:1 or 4:3 full frame, rather than the subsequent aspect ratio of 1.78:1 or 16:9 widescreen, which is the HDTV standard aspect ratio. As the program began in 2000 it is possible it was shot in that manner and later seasons were the first to shoot in wide.

The first season is also the only DVD release of the series not to feature Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio, instead offering stereo sound.

Region 2/4 DVD releases

Region 2 and 4 DVD releases have followed a pattern whereby each season is progressively released in two parts (each of 11 or 12 episodes, with special features split up) before finally being sold as a single box set. After having been almost 12 months behind region 2 releases after the first four series, region 4 releases are speeding up, with distributors simply releasing season five as a complete box set.

Region 2

DVD Name Release dates
Full season Part 1 Part 2
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 1 December 8, 2003 July 1, 2002 October 7, 2002
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 2 March 15, 2004 July 28, 2003 October 6, 2003
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 3 July 26, 2004 April 5, 2004 July 5, 2004
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Seasons 1–3 August 23, 2004
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 4 November 21, 2005 May 9, 2005 July 11, 2005
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Seasons 1–4 December 12, 2005
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 5 June 26, 2006 April 24, 2006 June 14, 2006
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Seasons 1–5 October 2, 2006
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Grave Danger - Tarantino Episodes October 10, 2005
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 6 June 4, 2007 February 26, 2007 June 4, 2007
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 7 February 25, 2008 September 3, 2007 February 25, 2008
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 8 TBA September 22, 2008 February 2009

Region 4

DVD Name Release dates
Full season Part 1 Part 2
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 1 November 27, 2003 October 21, 2002 April 9, 2003
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 2 October 28, 2004 October 27, 2003 March 30, 2004
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 3 October 4, 2005 March 18, 2005 September 13, 2005
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 4 November 8, 2006 May 12, 2006 August 17, 2006
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 5 January 24, 2007 Not released Not released
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Grave Danger - Tarantino Episodes June 6, 2007
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 6 December 5, 2007 Not released Not released
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Season 7 December 3, 2008 Not released Not released

Other Releases

The CSI franchise has also been released as a series of mobile games. In Fall 2007, CBS teamed up with game developer Gameloft to bring CSI to mobile phones. The first of the series to be published was CSI: Miami. The game features actual cast members such as Horatio Caine, Alexx Woods and Calleigh Duquesne who are trying to solve a murder in South Beach with the player's assistance.[75] The game is also available for download on various iPod devices[76]

In spring 2008, Gameloft and CBS released "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Mobile Game" which is based off the original series in Las Vegas, NV. This game introduces the unique ability to receive calls during the game to provide tips and clues about crime scenes and evidence. As for the storyline, the game developers collaborated with Anthony E. Zuiker (the series creator) to ensure that the plot and dialogue were aligned with the show's style.[77]

Online sales

Country Store Available Season
Philippines Philippines iTunes Store 6, 7, 8 and 9 (after episode airs on TV)
United States United States Amazon Unbox 6, 7 and 8
United States United States Xbox Live 6 and 7 (approximately one week after airing)
United Kingdom United Kingdom Five Download 6, 7 and 8 (immediately after airing)
Czech Republic Czech RTL now 6 and 7

Parody

The show was parodied in the 2009 Chick-fil-A calendar "The Bovines in Blue" where the show in November was referred to as B.S.I.: Bovine Special Investigators.

See also

References

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