CSI: Crime Scene Investigation#Main characters
{{Short description|American forensics/crime TV series (2000–2015)}}
{{About|the 2000–2015 CSI franchise TV show|the TV show franchise|CSI (franchise){{!}}CSI (franchise)|other uses|crime scene investigation (disambiguation)|and|CSI (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|CSI: Las Vegas|the 2021 franchise TV show|CSI: Vegas{{!}}CSI: Vegas}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image = CSI-LV.main.jpg
| image_alt =
| caption =
| genre = {{Plainlist|
}}
| creator = Anthony E. Zuiker
| based_on =
| developer =
| writer =
| director =
| creative_director =
| presenter =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- William Petersen
- Marg Helgenberger
- Gary Dourdan
- George Eads
- Jorja Fox
- Paul Guilfoyle
- Eric Szmanda
- Robert David Hall
- Louise Lombard
- Wallace Langham
- Lauren Lee Smith
- Laurence Fishburne
- Liz Vassey
- David Berman
- Ted Danson
- Elisabeth Harnois
- Elisabeth Shue
- Jon Wellner
}}
| opentheme = {{theme song|"Who Are You"|the Who}}
| endtheme =
| composer = {{Plainlist|
John M. Keane (2000–06)
}}
| country = United States
| num_seasons = 15
| num_episodes = 337
| list_episodes = List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes
| executive_producer = {{unbulleted list|Anthony E. Zuiker|William Petersen|Jerry Bruckheimer|Jonathan Littman|Ann Donahue|Kenneth Fink|Naren Shankar|Danny Cannon}}
| producer =
| editor =
| cinematography =
| camera =
| runtime = 40–64 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Jerry Bruckheimer Films
(2000–2001)
(seasons 1–2) - Jerry Bruckheimer Television
(2001–2015)
(seasons 2–16) - Alliance Atlantis (2000–2008)
(seasons 1–8) - CBS Productions
(2000–2006)
(seasons 1–6) - CBS Television Studios{{efn|Credited as CBS Paramount Television from Seasons 7–9.}}
}}
| network = CBS
| first_aired = {{Start date|2000|10|6}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2015|9|27}}
| related = {{Plainlist|
}}
}}
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, also referred to as CSI and CSI: Las Vegas, is an American procedural drama television series that aired on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. It is the first series in the CSI franchise. The series originally starred William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Jorja Fox, and Paul Guilfoyle. Other cast members included Eric Szmanda, Robert David Hall, Louise Lombard, Wallace Langham, Lauren Lee Smith, Ted Danson, Laurence Fishburne, and Elisabeth Shue. The series concluded with a feature-length finale, Immortality.
During its original broadcast, CSI became one of the biggest phenomena in television history, and was CBS{{'}} most successful series at the time with the highest ratings. It received positive reviews from television critics, and won six Primetime Emmy Awards, although it received criticism from public officials and law enforcement for its depiction of crimes, graphic content, and other mature content.
A follow-up series, CSI: Vegas, premiered in 2021.
Premise
Mixing deduction and character-driven drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows a team of crime scene investigators (CSIs) employed by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVPD for short) as they use physical evidence to solve murders.
The team is originally led by Dr. Gil Grissom (William Petersen), a socially awkward forensic entomologist and career criminalist, who is promoted to CSI supervisor following the death of a trainee investigator. Grissom's second-in-command, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), is a single mother with a cop's instinct. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Catherine was a stripper before being recruited into law enforcement and trained as a blood-spatter specialist.
Following Grissom's departure during the ninth season of the series, Catherine was promoted to supervisor. After overseeing the training of new investigator Raymond Langston (Lawrence Fishburne), Willows is replaced by D.B. Russell (Ted Danson) and recruited to the FBI shortly thereafter. Russell is a family man, a keen forensic botanist, and a veteran of the Seattle Crime Lab.
In the series' 12th season, Russell is reunited with his former partner Julie Finlay (Elisabeth Shue), who like Catherine, is a blood-spatter expert with an extensive knowledge of criminal psychology. With the rest of the team, they work to tackle Las Vegas's growing crime rate and are on the job 24/7, scouring the scene, collecting the evidence, and finding the missing pieces that help solve the mystery.
Creation
= Concept and development =
During the 1990s, Anthony Zuiker caught producer Jerry Bruckheimer's attention after writing his first movie script. Zuiker was convinced that a series was in the concept; Bruckheimer agreed and began developing the series with Touchstone Television. The studio's head at the time liked the spec script and presented it to ABC, NBC, and Fox executives, who decided to pass.
The head of drama development at CBS saw potential in the script, and CBS had a pay-or-play contract with actor William Petersen, who said he wanted to do the CSI pilot. CBS executives liked the pilot so much, they decided to include it in their 2000 schedule immediately, airing on Fridays after The Fugitive. After CBS picked up the show, the Disney-owned Touchstone Television (which was going to co-produce the series with CBS Productions) decided to pull out of the project, as they did not want to spend so much money producing a show for another network (ABC is also owned by Disney).
With Touchstone Television out of the picture, CBS approached Canadian media giant Alliance Atlantis to step in as a co-producer, saving the show.{{cite book|last1=Stewart|first1=James B.|title=DisneyWar|date=2005|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=9780743283908|pages=[https://archive.org/details/disneywar00jame_0/page/307 307]–310|url=https://archive.org/details/disneywar00jame_0|url-access=registration}} CBS previously had had a number of business relationships with Alliance Atlantis and its predecessor companies before they had merged in 1998, including airing Due South (the first Canadian-produced series to air on an American network in primetime), many of the shows in the pre-1993 CBS Late Night block (including Night Heat), first-run syndicated series distributed by CBS-owned distributor Eyemark such as Psi Factor, and various TV movies and miniseries. Alliance also served as the Canadian subdistributor for CBS's program library.{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=Mike |last2=Adalian |first2=Josef |date=August 9, 2000 |title=Eye's maple leaf alliance |url=https://variety.com/2000/tv/news/eye-s-maple-leaf-alliance-1117784817/ |access-date=October 25, 2024}}
Initially, CSI was thought to benefit from The Fugitive (a remake of the 1960s series), which was expected to be a hit, but by the end of 2000, CSI had a much larger audience.{{cite web |url=http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/csi.htm |title=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation |access-date=May 15, 2008 |author=Spadoni, Mike |date=June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520034821/http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/csi.htm |archive-date=May 20, 2008}} The show began on Friday at 9:00 following The Fugitive, premiering on October 6, 2000, with an impressive 5.4 in the 18-49 demographic and 17 million viewers. The show hovered around that mark for the next 10 episodes. The final Friday episode, "I-15 Murders", aired on January 12, 2001. The show moved to Thursday at 9:00 following Survivor on February 1, 2001, episode "Fahrenheit 932", and remained in that time slot until season 11.
= Production =
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Productions, which became CBS Paramount Television in the fall of 2006 and CBS Television Studios three years later. Formerly a co-production with the now-defunct Alliance Atlantis Communications, that company's interest was later bought by the investment firm GS Capital Partners, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.Through "Entertainment AB Funding LLC" CBS acquired AAC's international distribution rights to the program, though the non-US DVD distribution rights did not change (for example, Momentum Pictures continues to own UK DVD rights). The series is currently in syndication, and reruns are broadcast in the US on Oxygen, Syfy, and the USA Network on cable, with Court TV Mystery holding the broadcast syndication rights. The show has aired in reruns on the USA Network since January 14, 2011.{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/01/11/usa-adds-syndicated-csi/38470/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101042821/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/01/11/usa-adds-syndicated-csi/38470 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 1, 2011 |title=USA Adds Syndicated CSI - Ratings|work=TVbytheNumbers |date=January 11, 2010}} The CSI catalog has been exclusive to the whole NBC Universal portfolio since September 2014, after several years with Viacom Media Networks' Spike and TV Land.
=Filming locations=
File:HP 6890 Gas chromatogram-mass spectrometer used on CSI.jpg formerly used as a prop in the show]]
CSI was originally shot at Rye Canyon, a corporate campus owned by Lockheed Martin situated in the Valencia area of Santa Clarita, California,{{cite web|url=http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA6082 |title=Rye Canyon Office Park |access-date=May 15, 2008 |publisher=The Center For Land Use Interpretation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922161410/http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA6082 |archive-date=September 22, 2009 |url-status=dead}} due to the Santa Clarita Valley's strong similarity to the outskirts of Las Vegas; after episode 11 "The 1-15 Murders", filming shifted to the nearby Santa Clarita Studios. Occasionally, the cast still shot on location in Las Vegas during 2000 and 2001's season one{{citation |url=https://archive.org/details/ASG-Danny-Cannon-and-Billy-Petersen-CSI-October-2000-III|title=Danny Cannon and Billy Petersen, CSI - October 2000|publisher=Internet Archive|date=24 November 2024|access-date=24 December 2024}} (the season-four DVD set revealed that the episode "Suckers" was mostly shot during December 2003 in Las Vegas, where they filmed a Gothic club scene on location for rent, and in January 2004, some scenes were filmed at Caesars Palace), although Las Vegas was primarily used for second unit photography such as exterior shots of streets.{{cite web|url=http://members.aol.com/JRD203/csi-locations.htm|title=Filming/Locations |access-date=May 15, 2008 |publisher=Elyse'sCSI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706065808/http://members.aol.com/JRD203/csi-locations.htm |archive-date=July 6, 2008}} Other California locations include Verdugo Hills High School, UCLA's Royce Hall, Pasadena City Hall, and California State University, Los Angeles. After season five, CSI episodes were primarily filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California, but since Santa Clarita's surroundings had proven so versatile, CSI continued to shoot some outdoor scenes there.{{cite web|url=http://www.csifiles.com/news/120805_01.shtml |title='The Unit' Takes Over CSI's Old Studio |access-date=May 15, 2008 |publisher=CSI Files.com/LA Daily News}}
=Music=
CSI
Throughout the series, music played an important role; artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, The Wallflowers, John Mayer, and Akon (with Obie Trice) performed onscreen in the episodes "Skin in the Game", "The Accused Is Entitled", "Built to Kill, Part 1", and "Poppin' Tags", respectively. Mogwai was often heard during scenes showing forensic tests in progress, as were Radiohead and Cocteau Twins. Other artists lent their music to CSI, including Rammstein and Linkin Park—used heavily in Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke)'s story arc. Sigur Rós can be heard playing in the background in the episode "Slaves of Las Vegas", The Turtles in "Grave Danger", and Marilyn Manson in "Suckers". A cover of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World", arranged by Michael Andrews and featuring vocals by Gary Jules, was used in the pilot episode and during three episodes of season six ("Room Service", "Killer", and "Way to Go"). Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails was also featured multiple times throughout the various CSI franchise series. One episode started with The Velvet Underground's excited rendition of "Sweet Jane" and ended with the downbeat version of Cowboy Junkies' revision of the song. Character David Hodges (Wallace Langham)'s good luck has, on occasion, been accompanied by Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky". This song was first used in the season-seven episode "Lab Rats" and last used during season-ten's "Field Mice".
Several songs by band New Order were used in separate seasons of the show. Their hit "Crystal" even appears as the third track on the official CSI: The Soundtrack, promoted in the special features DVD of season one. "Someone Like You", which appears on the same album, Get Ready, as "Crystal", appears in a season-eight episode. Several songs from Home Video appeared in the show, as well. "Blimp Mason", "We", and "Melon" all appeared in various episodes.
Cast and characters
{{Main|List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters}}
- {{anchor|Gil Grissom}}William Petersen as Gil Grissom, the graveyard shift CSI supervisor (regular: seasons 1–9 (until episode 10, "One to Go"); guest star: seasons 9, 11, 13, "Immortality")
Grissom is a highly respected forensic entomologist with a doctoral degree in biology from the University of California. When testifying in court he is often addressed as "Doctor Grissom". He became a CSI around 1985 and departed the Las Vegas Crime Lab in 2009. After a short stint as a researcher, Grissom becomes a sea-life advocate and reunites with his ex-wife Sara. The series ends with the two sailing off together from the Port of San Diego. - {{anchor|Catherine Willows}}Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, the graveyard shift CSI assistant supervisor (regular: seasons 1–12 (until episode 12, "Willows in the Wind"); guest star: season 14, "Immortality")
Catherine is a blood-spatter analyst who joined the CSI team as a lab technician and worked her way up to assistant supervisor, later succeeding Grissom. After a stint as the graveyard shift CSI supervisor, Catherine is demoted following a departmental scandal, and later leaves Las Vegas to join the FBI as a special agent. During the series finale, a recently returned Willows is granted the directorship of the crime lab when Sidle leaves Las Vegas. - {{anchor|Warrick Brown}}Gary Dourdan as Warrick Brown, a CSI level III (regular: seasons 1–9 (until episode 1, "For Warrick"))
Warrick is an audio-video analyst and a native of Las Vegas with a major in chemistry from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. A recovering gambling addict, Warrick is nonetheless skilled at his job. After being falsely accused, and acquitted, of murder, Brown is assassinated in his car by a corrupt high ranking policeman, Undersheriff Jeffrey McKeen. He dies in Grissom's arms. - {{anchor|Nick Stokes}}George Eads as Nick Stokes, a CSI level III (regular: seasons 1–15)
Stokes graduated from Texas A&M and joined the Dallas Police prior to moving to Las Vegas. He was promoted to CSI level III in the pilot episode of the series and later became assistant night supervisor under Catherine Willows. Stokes was later demoted, and after remaining in Las Vegas a CSI III, he transfers to San Diego when he is granted the directorship of the SDPD Crime Lab. - {{anchor|Sara Sidle}}Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle, a CSI level III (regular: seasons 1 (from episode 2 "Cool Change")–8 (until episode 7, "Goodbye & Good Luck"), 11–15, "Immortality"; recurring: seasons 9 (occasionally), 10 (regularly as Special Guest Star))
Sara is a materials and element analyst who majored in physics at Harvard University. Sara transferred from San Francisco at the behest of Grissom, whom she later marries. After a turbulent relationship and a divorce, Sara is promoted to director of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, though she relinquishes this position to reunite with her ex-husband, Grissom. Catherine then succeeds her as lab director. - {{anchor|Greg Sanders}}Eric Szmanda as Greg Sanders, a CSI level III (regular: seasons 3–15, "Immortality"; recurring: seasons 1–2)
Greg is a DNA specialist who was educated in a private school for gifted students. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford, Sanders joined the LVPD after a short stint with the SFPD. He later wrote a book about the history of Las Vegas. Greg believes in psychic powers, and is willing to sacrifice himself for what is right. Over the course of the series, Greg has several love interests. He expressed a romantic interest in fellow CSI Morgan Brody after meeting her in season 12. - {{anchor|Al Robbins}}Robert David Hall as Dr. Al Robbins, the chief medical examiner (regular: seasons 3–15, "Immortality"; recurring: seasons 1–2)
Robbins is the head county coroner of the LVPD. He is married with three children and has prosthetic legs, having lost his own legs after being hit by a drunk driver as a teenager. Al rarely leaves the crime lab, instead performing autopsies and referring specimens for forensic analysis. He forms strong bonds with both Gil Grissom and Raymond Langston. - {{anchor|Jim Brass}}Paul Guilfoyle as LVPD Captain Jim Brass, homicide detective captain (regular: seasons 1–14, "Immortality")
Brass was initially the CSI team's supervisor until losing the position after Holly Gribbs, a rookie CSI under his command, is murdered on her first day on the job. He is then given a position as a homicide detective; from then on, Brass serves as the legal muscle for the CSI team and the one who does most of the arresting and interrogating of suspects. Brass later retires from the force to focus on his daughter, and takes a job at Catherine's casino, The Eclipse, as head of security, as seen in "Immortality". - {{anchor|Sofia Curtis}}Louise Lombard as Sofia Curtis, the LVPD's deputy chief (regular: season 7; recurring: seasons 5–6; guest star: seasons 8, 11)
Sofia was a CSI who became assistant supervisor on graveyard, following a demotion from supervisor at the behest of Conrad Ecklie. She later makes a career switch to detective, working alongside Brass, and, rapidly rises through the ranks and becomes the LVPD's deputy chief. She develops a strong friendship with Grissom, much to the chagrin of Sara. - {{anchor|David Hodges}}Wallace Langham as David Hodges, a trace technician (regular: seasons 8–15, "Immortality"; recurring: seasons 3–7)
Hodges is a lab technician with a BA from Williams College; he previously worked in the LAPD crime lab, where his superiors felt he had an attitude problem. Hodges has an uncanny sense of smell, and is able to identify many key chemical compounds by their scent alone. Although shown to be a loner throughout the series, he forms a close bond with Morgan Brody. - {{anchor|Riley Adams}}Lauren Lee Smith as Riley Adams, a CSI level II (regular: season 9 (from episode 3, "Art Imitates Life"))
Adams is a former St. Louis police officer and a nonconformist who joined law enforcement to rebel against her parents, who are psychiatrists. She fits in well with the team initially, though this seems to stop following Grissom's departure. Unhappy with the new leadership of Willows, she departs Las Vegas, leaving a damning exit interview criticizing Catherine's leadership skills. - {{anchor|Raymond Langston}}Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Raymond "Ray" Langston, a CSI level II (regular: seasons 9 (from episode 11, "The Grave Shift")–11; guest star: season 9)
Langston comes into contact with the CSI team in the course of a murder investigation and joins the Las Vegas Crime Lab as a level I CSI. Working under the leadership of Willows, Langston worries about his genetic makeup and natural predisposition to crime. Langston murders serial killer Nate Haskell during a brutal fight, while rescuing his ex-wife Gloria Parkes, who had been kidnapped, tortured, and raped by Haskell. Captain Brass is the first police officer at the crime scene. After seeing Gloria's condition, he ensures that Haskell's death is ruled as a justifiable homicide by self defense. Langston resigns to care for the traumatized Gloria, leaving a devastated crime lab in his wake. - {{anchor|Wendy Simms}}Liz Vassey as Wendy Simms, a DNA technician (regular: season 10; recurring: seasons 6–9; guest star: season 11)
Simms worked in San Francisco before moving to Las Vegas to take the DNA tech position left vacant by Sanders. Hodges complains that she thinks she's "too cool" for the lab, as like Sanders, she expresses a desire to work in the field. She later becomes a crime-scene investigator in Portland to be closer to her sister. Simms had a brief relationship with Hodges. - {{anchor|David Phillips}}David Berman as David Phillips, the assistant medical examiner (regular: seasons 10–15, "Immortality"; recurring: seasons 1–9)
David, known as "Super Dave", is the assistant coroner to Chief Medical Examiner Al Robbins. He received his self-styled nickname after saving the life of a victim during an autopsy. Though early in the series, his co-workers tease him about his supposed lack of social experience, he later marries a woman named Amy and has a child named Joshua. He is very close friends with his mentor, Robbins. - {{anchor|D.B. Russell}}Ted Danson as D.B. Russell, the graveyard shift CSI Supervisor and director of the Las Vegas Crime Lab (regular: seasons 12–15, "Immortality")
Russell is a skilled botanist and veteran crime scene investigator. Previously a crime lab director in Washington, Russell is hired to "clean house" in the wake of the Langston scandal. Russell becomes director of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, a position he holds until his departure following the events of "Immortality". He is married to Barbara and has four children and a granddaughter, Kaitlyn. Catherine Willows returns and succeeds him as director. - {{anchor|Morgan Brody}}Elisabeth Harnois as Morgan Brody, a CSI level III (regular: seasons 12–15, "Immortality"; guest star: season 11)
Brody is a former member of LAPD SID and joins the Las Vegas PD CSI unit in the wake of the Nate Haskell scandal. She is the estranged daughter of Sheriff Conrad Ecklie, with whom she has a turbulent relationship. Brody is often seen partnered with Sanders, and she forms a strong friendship with Hodges, describing him as her "best friend". She is a skilled investigator. - {{anchor|Julie Finlay}}Elisabeth Shue as Julie Finlay, the graveyard shift CSI assistant supervisor (regular: seasons 12 (from episode 14, "Seeing Red")–15)
Finlay, known as "Finn" or "Jules", is a blood-spatter specialist who worked for Russell in Seattle; Russell asks her to leave Seattle to join the Las Vegas CSI crew. Finlay is hired following the departure of Willows and acts as a foil to D.B.'s laid-back management style. She is later attacked by Jared Briscoe, the Gig Harbor killer and left in a car trunk. After a short time in a coma, she succumbs to her injuries. Russell states that she will remain with him wherever he goes. - {{anchor|Henry Andrews}}Jon Wellner as Henry Andrews, a DNA and toxicology technician (regular: seasons 13–15, "Immortality"; recurring: seasons 5–12)
Henry is the toxicology specialist of the Las Vegas Forensics Laboratory, who mainly deals with identifying toxic substances that have undergone human consumption. He later cross-trains as a DNA specialist, replacing Simms. Andrews has a strong bond with all the lab rats, though particularly Hodges, with whom he has had a love–hate relationship. However, the two were seen having a much better relationship in later seasons.
Episodes
{{Main|List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes}}
{{:List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes}}
Spin-offs
=Franchise=
{{Main|CSI (franchise)}}
From CSI, CBS produced a franchise starting in 2002 with a spin-off entitled CSI: Miami. Set in Miami, Florida, and starring David Caruso and Emily Procter, Miami later launched CSI: NY in 2004. Starring Gary Sinise, Sela Ward, and Melina Kanakaredes, NY was set in New York City and was based upon the idea that "everything is connected." In 2015, a fourth CSI series, CSI: Cyber, starring Patricia Arquette and Ted Danson, was created. It focuses on the FBI's Cyber Crime Division. The CSI series exists within the same fictional "universe" as fellow CBS police dramas Without a Trace and Cold Case. A number of comic books, video games, and novels based on the series have been made.
=CSI: The Experience=
{{Main|CSI: The Experience}}
In 2006, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History developed a traveling museum exhibit, CSI: The Experience. On May 25, 2007, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry was the first museum to host the exhibit, and the exhibit's opening featured stars from the TV series.{{cite web |url=http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Tv-Guide-News/Csi-Stars-Spend/800015799 |title=CSI Stars Spend a Night at the Museum |work=TV Guide |access-date=May 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070526054233/http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Tv-Guide-News/Csi-Stars-Spend/800015799 |archive-date=May 26, 2007|url-status=dead}} Also a supporting website designed for the benefit of people who cannot visit the exhibit was developed,{{cite web |url=http://forensics.rice.edu/ |title=CSI: The Experience Web Adventure |work=forensics.rice.edu |access-date=August 1, 2013}} designed by Rice University's Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning and Left Brain Media.{{cite web |url=http://www.csitheexperience.org/organizers.html |title=Organizers & Sponsors |work=csitheexperience.org |access-date=September 10, 2012}} CSI: The Experience also has an interactive attraction at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in Las Vegas, and the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota.{{cite web |url=http://www.mallofamerica.com/attractions/view/csi-the-experience |title=CSI: The Experience |publisher=mallofamerica.com |access-date=July 12, 2015 |archive-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810164704/http://www.mallofamerica.com/attractions/view/csi-the-experience |url-status=dead }}
=''CSI: Vegas''=
{{main|CSI: Vegas}}
On February 10, 2020, CBS announced that a limited series revival of CSI was in the works at CBS.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/csi-limited-series-revival-works-at-cbs-1278325|title='CSI' Limited Series Revival in the Works at CBS |first=Lesley |last=Goldberg |date=February 10, 2020 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=June 1, 2020}} Filming was said to possibly begin in late 2020, with William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprising their roles.{{Cite web |last=Atad |first=Corey |date=August 10, 2020 |title=William Petersen And Jorja Fox In Talks To Return For 'CSI' Event Series Revival |url=https://etcanada.com/news/678043/william-petersen-and-jorja-fox-in-talks-to-return-for-csi-event-series-revival/ |access-date=August 14, 2020 |website=ET Canada |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406141420/https://etcanada.com/news/678043/william-petersen-and-jorja-fox-in-talks-to-return-for-csi-event-series-revival/ |url-status=dead }} In February 2021, it was announced that Matt Lauria, Paula Newsome and Mel Rodriguez had joined the cast and the event series was near a series order.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/cbs-csi-revival-nears-series-order-1234907162/ |title='CSI' Revival Nears Series Order at CBS, Adds Three to Cast |last=Low |first=Elaine |date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=February 14, 2021 |work=Variety}} On March 31, 2021, it was announced that Mandeep Dhillon had joined the cast, and also Wallace Langham would be reprising his role, along with a series order.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/csi-vegas-mandeep-dhillon-cast-cbs-sequel-1234725468/|title='CSI: Vegas': Mandeep Dhillon Joins CBS Sequel|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 31, 2021|access-date=March 31, 2021|work=Deadline Hollywood}}{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/csi-vegas-picked-up-series-cbs-order-william-petersen-jorja-fox-1234725364/|title='CSI: Vegas' Officially Picked Up To Series By CBS With William Petersen, Jorja Fox & Wallace Langham Returning|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 31, 2021|access-date=March 31, 2021|website=Deadline Hollywood}} In May 2021, it was announced that Jamie McShane had joined the cast in a recurring role, and also Paul Guilfoyle would be reprising his role.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/csi-vegas-jamie-mcshane-recur-paul-guilfoyle-reprise-jim-brass-role-1234749069/|title='CSI: Vegas' Jamie McShane To Recur In CBS Sequel, Paul Guilfoyle To Reprise Jim Brass Role|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=May 3, 2021|website=Deadline Hollywood}}
Reception
=Critical and commercial reception=
During its 15 years in production, CSI secured an estimated world audience of over 73.8 million viewers (in 2009), commanded, as of the fall of 2008, an average cost of $262,600 for a 30-second commercial,{{cite web|url=http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=131471 |title='Sunday Night Football' Beats 'Grey's Anatomy' |date=October 6, 2008 |work=Advertising Age |access-date=December 4, 2008}} and reached milestone episodes including the 100th ("Ch-Ch-Changes"), the 200th ("Mascara") and the 300th ("Frame by Frame"). CSI spawned three spin-off series, a book series, several video games, and an exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. At the time of its cancellation, CSI was the seventh-longest-running scripted US primetime TV series overall and had been recognized as the most popular dramatic series internationally by the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo, which awarded the series the International Television Audience Award (Best Television Drama Series) seven times.{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/11/csi-crime-scene-investigation-is-the-most-watched-show-in-the-world/53833 |title=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Is The Most Watched Show In The World! – TV Ratings, Nielsen Ratings, Television Show Ratings |last=CBS Studios International |date=June 11, 2010 |publisher=TV by the Numbers |access-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117072530/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2010/06/11/csi-crime-scene-investigation-is-the-most-watched-show-in-the-world/53833/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tvfestival.com/content/2010-Awards-listing/2010_awards_listingUK.php |title=TV Festival 2010: 2010 Awards listing |publisher=Monte Carlo Television Festival |access-date=June 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717115537/http://www.tvfestival.com/content/2010-Awards-listing/2010_awards_listingUK.php |archive-date=July 17, 2011}} CSI became the second-most watched show on American television by 2002,{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/04/26/we-look-back-at-the-top-tv-shows-of-2002/3513/ |title=Nielsen Ratings |publisher=Zap2it |date=December 15, 2014 |access-date=December 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213021446/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2008/04/26/we-look-back-at-the-top-tv-shows-of-2002/3513/ |archive-date=December 13, 2014}} finally taking the top position for the 2002–2003 season. It was later named the most watched show in the world for the sixth time in 2016, making it the most watched show for more years than any other show.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/06/csi-big-bang-theory-better-call-saul-monte-carlo-tv-festival-awards-1201774233/|title='CSI' Lives On, Wins Most Watched Drama Series Award At Monte Carlo TV Festival|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=June 16, 2016}}
Critical reception to the show has been positive. Early reviews of the opening season were mixed. The Hollywood Reporter noted of the pilot "...the charismatic William Petersen and the exquisite Marg Helgenberger, lend credibility to the portrayals that might be indistinct in lesser hands. There's also a compelling, pulsating edge at the outset of CSI that commands instant attention, thanks in part to dynamic work from director Danny Cannon."{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/csi-crime-scene-investigation-read-737885 |title='CSI: Crime Scene Investigation': Read THR's 2000 Review |date=October 6, 2014 |work=The Hollywood Reporter}} Entertainment Weekly gave the opening two seasons "B+" and "A−" ratings, respectively, noting: "The reason for CSI
According to TV media critic Liv Hausken, crime drama TV shows like CSI normalize surveillance. "The absence of any critical distance to technology on CSI involves a lack of reflection on the security of information (that is, the constant risk of losing sensitive data) and the potential use and misuse of information. This can be contrasted with a whole range of crime series that may rely heavily on surveillance technologies but nevertheless allow critical reflection as part of the plot as such (showing misinterpretation of data or misuse of surveillance techniques)...This trust in technologies on CSI is important for understanding the status of surveillance in this fictional universe. It is also an indicator of the show's presentation of power, a third component for consideration in this discussion about how CSI lends a certain normalization of surveillance to everyday life...The series ignores the fact that everyone is a cultural being, that each person sees something as something, that they understand things from particular perspectives in everyday life as well as in science."{{Cite journal|last=Liv Hausken|date=2014|title=Forensic Fiction and the Normalization of Surveillance|journal=Nordicom Review 35|pages=3–16}}
= Nielsen ratings =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Ratings for CSI by US broadcast season |
| scope="col"| Season {{abbr|no.|number}}
!scope="col"| TV season years !scope="col"| Episodes !scope="col"| Timeslot (ET) !scope="col"| First aired !scope="col"| US viewers (in millions) !scope="col"| Last aired !scope="col"| US viewers (in millions) !scope="col"| Rank !scope="col"| Average ratings (millions) |
|---|
| scope="row"| 1
| 23 |Friday at 9pm |October 6, 2000 |17.3 |May 17, 2001 |18.9 |10 |20.0 |
| scope="row"| 2
| 23 | rowspan="10" |Thursday at 9pm |September 27, 2001 |22.3 |May 23, 2002 |27.0 |2 |23.7 |
| scope="row"| 3
| 23 |September 26, 2002 |30.7 |May 15, 2003 |23.8 |1 |26.1 |
| scope="row"| 4
| 23 |September 25, 2003 |26.9 |May 20, 2004 |25.4 | 2 |25.2 |
| scope="row"| 5
|25 |September 23, 2004 |30.5 |May 19, 2005 |30.7 | 2 |26.2 |
| scope="row"| 6
| 24 |September 22, 2005 |29.0 |May 18, 2006 |25.4 |3 |24.8 |
| scope="row"| 7
| 24 |September 21, 2006 |22.5 |May 17, 2007 |20.4 |4 |20.3 |
| scope="row"| 8
|17 |September 27, 2008 |25.2 |May 15, 2009 |18.0 |9 |16.6 |
| scope="row"| 9
|24 |October 9, 2008 |23.4 |May 14, 2009 |14.8 |4 |14.9 |
| scope="row"| 10
|23 |September 21, 2009 |16.0 |May 20, 2010 |14.3 | 12 |14.9 |
| scope="row"| 11
| 22 |September 23, 2010 |14.6 |May 12, 2011 |11.7 | 12 |13.5 |
| scope="row"| 12
| 22 | rowspan="3" |Wednesday at 10pm |September 21, 2011 |12.7 |May 9, 2012 |10.7 |21 |12.4 |
| scope="row"| 13
| 22 |September 26, 2012 |10.7 |May 15, 2013 |9.5 |23 |11.6 |
| scope="row"| 14
| 22 |September 25, 2013 |9.1 |May 7, 2014 |10.0 |18 |11.8 |
| scope="row"| 15
| 18 |Sunday at 10:30pm |September 28, 2014 |9.3 |February 15, 2015 |7.1 |34 |11.1 |
=Public reaction=
CSI was often criticized for its level and explicitness of graphic violence, images, and sexual content. The CSI series and its spin-off shows have been accused of pushing the boundary of what is considered acceptable viewing for primetime network television. The series had numerous episodes centered on sexual fetishism and other forms of sexual pleasure (notably the recurring character of Lady Heather, a professional dominatrix). CSI was ranked among the worst primetime shows by the Parents Television Council from its second through sixth seasons,{{cite web |url=http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2002/main.asp |title=Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2001–2002 |publisher=Parents Television Council |access-date=June 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609011639/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2002/main.asp |archive-date=June 9, 2007}}{{cite web|url=http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2004/main.asp |title=Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2003–2004 |publisher=Parents Television Council |access-date=June 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527194146/http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2004/main.asp |archive-date=May 27, 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2005/main.asp |title=Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2004–2005 |publisher=Parents Television Council |access-date=June 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523142544/http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2005/main.asp |archive-date=May 23, 2007}}{{cite web|title=What Are Your Children Watching? |publisher=Parents Television Council |date=October 29, 2007 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2007/WAYCW2007.pdf |access-date=November 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202100512/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2007/WAYCW2007.pdf |archive-date=December 2, 2007}} being ranked the worst show for family prime-time viewing after the 2002–2003{{cite web|url=http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2003/main.asp|title=Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2002–2003|publisher=Parents Television Council|access-date=June 3, 2007|archive-date=August 7, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040807180541/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2003/main.asp|url-status=dead}} and 2005–2006{{cite web |url=http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2006/main.asp |title=Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2005–2006 |publisher=Parents Television Council |access-date=June 3, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613060721/http://www.parentstv.org/ptc/publications/reports/top10bestandworst/2006/main.asp |archive-date=June 13, 2011}} seasons. The PTC also targeted certain CSI episodes for its weekly "Worst TV Show of the Week" feature.{{cite web|last=Bowling |first=Aubree|title=Best and Worst TV Shows of the Week|work=ParentsTV.org |publisher=Parents Television Council |date=October 10, 2002 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2002/101002.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051016191616/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2002/101002.asp |archive-date=October 16, 2005 |access-date=June 28, 2007}}{{cite web|last=Bowling|first=Aubree|title=Worst TV Show of the Week – CSI|work=ParentsTV.org|publisher=Parents Television Council |date=April 27, 2003 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2003/0427worst.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050408103625/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2003/0427worst.asp |archive-date=April 8, 2005 |access-date=June 28, 2007}}{{cite web|last=Monaco|first=Carl|title=Worst TV Show of the Week – CSI on CBS|work=ParentsTV.org|publisher=Parents Television Council |date=October 30, 2003 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2003/1030worst.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831190818/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2003/1030worst.asp |archive-date=August 31, 2006 |access-date=June 28, 2007}}{{cite web|last=Bowling|first=Aubree|title=CSI – Worst Family TV Show of the Week|work=ParentsTV.org|publisher=Parents Television Council |date=November 1, 2004 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2004/1101worst.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050914202343/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2004/1101worst.asp|archive-date=September 14, 2005 |access-date=June 28, 2007}}{{cite web|last=Bowling|first=Aubree|title=CSI – Worst Family TV Show of the Week|work=ParentsTV.org|publisher=Parents Television Council |date=November 21, 2004 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2004/1121worst.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504012636/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2004/1121worst.asp |archive-date=May 4, 2007 |access-date=June 28, 2007}}{{cite web|last=Bowling|first=Aubree|title=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Worst Family TV Shows of the Week|work=ParentsTV.org|publisher=Parents Television Council |date=February 20, 2005 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2005/0220worst.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813002639/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/bw/2005/0220worst.asp|archive-date=August 13, 2007 |access-date=June 28, 2007}} In addition, the fifth season episode "King Baby" that aired in February 2005, which the PTC named the most offensive TV show of the week, also led the PTC to start a campaign to file complaints with the FCC with the episode;{{cite web |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/action/CSI/content.htm |title=CSI Content |access-date=July 18, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211021127/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/action/CSI/content.htm |archive-date=December 11, 2007}} Retrieved on November 28, 2007. to date, nearly 13,000 PTC members complained to the Federal Communications Commission about the episode.[http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/fcc/Complaints.asp Broadcast Indecency Campaign] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503021051/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/fcc/Complaints.asp |date=May 3, 2007}} Retrieved on November 28, 2007. The PTC also asked Clorox to pull their advertisements from CSI and CSI: Miami because of the graphically violent content on those programs.{{cite press release|title=PTC Tells Clorox to Clean Up its Advertising|publisher=Parents Television Council |date=November 15, 2006 |url=http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/release/2006/1115.asp |access-date=August 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505064653/http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/release/2006/1115.asp|archive-date=May 5, 2008}}
A grassroots campaign started in August 2007, upon rumors of Jorja Fox leaving the show,{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/Is-CSI-On-8208.aspx |title=Is CSI On the Hunt for a New Jorja Fox? |first=Michael |last=Ausiello |date=July 24, 2007 |work=TV Guide |access-date=June 14, 2011 |archive-date=July 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726093512/http://www.tvguide.com/news/is-csi-on-8208/ |url-status=dead}} organized by the online forum Your Tax Dollars at Work. Many of its 19,000 members donated to the cause, collecting over $8,000 for gifts and stunts targeted at CBS executives and CSI
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 Court Appointed Special Advocate Association.{{cite web |url=http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280154305542&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071011004258/http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280154305542&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=018 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2007 |title=CBS CSI Gil Grissom's rare office replica TV prop |publisher=ebay |access-date=October 22, 2007}}
=Law enforcement reaction=
Real-life crime scene investigators and forensic scientists, warn that popular television shows like CSI (often specifically citing CSI) wildly distort the nature of crime scene investigators' work, exaggerating the ease, speed, effectiveness, drama, glamour, influence, scope, and comfort level of the profession, which they describe as tending to be mundane, tedious, limited, and boring, and very commonly failing to solve a crime.Flavin, Brianna (quoting Brian McKenna, retired police Lieutenant and Crime Scene Investigator), [http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/justice-studies/blog/crime-show-myths-debunked-forensic-experts-tell-what-life-is-real/ "How Accurate are Crime Shows on TV? Debunking 7 Common Myths"], February 7, 2017, Blog, School of Justice Studies, Rasmussen College, Inc., Oak Brook, IL, retrieved May 31, 2017Stanton, Dawn (quoting Robert Shaler, Ph.D., prof. of biochemistry and molecular biology, dir., forensic science program, Penn. State Univ. formerly at Pittsburgh Crime Laboratory, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, and Lifecodes Corp (nation's first forensic DNA laboratory)), [http://news.psu.edu/story/141207/2009/11/10/research/probing-question-forensic-science-tv-accurate "Probing Question: Is forensic science on TV accurate?"], November 10, 2009, Eberly College of Science, Penn. State Univ., retrieved May 31, 2017[http://online.sju.edu/graduate/masters-criminal-justice/resources/articles/top-criminal-justice-misconceptions-television "Top Criminal Justice Misconceptions on TV"], Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Penn., retrieved May 31, 2017Jones, Elka (quoting several law enforcement professionals, including crime scene investigators and forensic experts), "Crimefighting and crimesolving programs: Assault on authenticity" in [https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2003/fall/art01.pdf "As seen on TV: Reality vs. fantasy in occupational portrayals on the small screen"], Fall, 2003, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Washington, D.C., retrieved June 1, 2017
Another criticism of the show is the depiction of police procedure, which some{{cite web|last=Willing |first=Richard |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-08-05-csi-effect_x.htm |title='CSI effect' has juries wanting more evidence |publisher=Usatoday.Com |date=August 5, 2004 |access-date=September 10, 2012}} consider to be decidedly lacking in realism.{{cite news|url=http://www.aic.gov.au/services/careers/csi.html|title=The Real CSI|author=Ross MacDowell|publisher=Australian Sunday Herald|access-date=October 14, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060918074050/http://www.aic.gov.au/services/careers/csi.html |archive-date=September 18, 2006}} For instance, the show's characters not only investigate ("process") crime scenes, but they also conduct raids, engage in suspect pursuit and arrest, interrogate suspects, and solve cases, all of which falls under the responsibility of uniformed officers and detectives, not CSI personnel. Although some detectives are also registered CSIs, this is exceedingly rare in real life. It is considered an inappropriate and improbable practice to allow CSI personnel to be involved in detective work, as it would compromise the impartiality of scientific evidence and would be impracticably time-consuming. Additionally, it is inappropriate for the CSIs who process a crime scene to be involved in the examination and testing of any evidence collected from that scene. CSI shares this characteristic with the similar British drama series Silent Witness.
However, not all law enforcement agencies have been as critical; many real CSI investigators have responded positively to the show's influence and enjoy their new reputation. In the UK, scenes of crime officers now commonly refer to themselves as CSIs. Some constabularies, such as those in Norfolk, have even gone so far as to change the name of their crime scene unit to "CSI".{{cite web|url=http://www.norfolk.police.uk/article.cfm?artID=11271&catID=671&bctrail=0,535,844 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023005746/http://www.norfolk.police.uk/article.cfm?artID=11271&catID=671&bctrail=0,535,844|url-status=dead |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |title=Norfolk Constabulary – Crime Scene Investigation web page|publisher=Norfolk Constabulary |access-date=October 6, 2008}} CSI recruitment and training programs have also seen an increase in applicants as a result of the show, with a wider range of people now interested in something previously regarded as a scientific backwater.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4284335.stm |title=CSI shows give 'unrealistic view'|work=BBC News Online |date=February 21, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2010 |first=Paul |last=Rincon}}
=LGBT=
The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community has criticized the show for what they consider to be negative representation of LGBT characters.{{cite web|url=http://www.glaad.org/action/al_archive_detail.php?id=324 |title=CSI Sensationalizes Transgender Lives|access-date=July 16, 2007 |website=GLAAD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040502045846/http://www.glaad.org/action/al_archive_detail.php?id=324 |archive-date=May 2, 2004}} Despite this criticism, the fifth season episode "Ch-Ch-Changes" was received positively by transgender people in particular.{{cite web|url=http://www.afterellen.com/TV/2005/5/csi.html |title=CSI's Mixed Track Record on LGBT Characters|author=Malinda Lo |access-date=October 1, 2006 |website=After Ellen |date=May 9, 2005 |archive-date=November 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124233353/http://www.afterellen.com/TV/2005/5/csi.html |url-status=dead}} Furthermore, the season 5 episode "Iced" featured one of a very few openly gay characters on the show who were not victims or criminals, as the victim Trip Wilmont (Ross Thomas)'s neighbor Zack Capola (James Ransone).
=''CSI'' effect=
{{Main|CSI effect}}
The "CSI effect" is the alleged phenomenon of CSI raising crime victims' and jury members' real-world expectations of forensic science, especially crime scene investigation and DNA testing.N. J. Schweitzer and Michael J. Saks [https://ssrn.com/abstract=967706 The CSI Effect: Popular Fiction About Forensic Science Affects Public Expectations About Real Forensic Science.] [http://www.law.asu.edu/jurimetrics Jurimetrics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071002153806/http://www.law.asu.edu/Jurimetrics/ |date=October 2, 2007}}, Spring 2007 This is said to have changed the way that many trials are presented today, in that prosecutors are pressured to deliver more forensic evidence in court.Donald E. Sheldon, Young S. Kim and Gregg Barak [https://ssrn.com/abstract=958224 A Study of Juror Expectations and Demands Concerning Scientific Evidence: Does the 'CSI Effect' Exist?] Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law Victims and their families are coming to expect instant answers from showcased techniques such as DNA analysis and fingerprinting, when actual forensic processing often takes days or weeks, with no guarantee of revealing a "smoking gun" for the prosecution's case. District attorneys state that the conviction rate has decreased in cases with little physical evidence, largely due to the influence of CSI on jury members.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-08-05-csi-effect_x.htm |title='CSI effect' has juries wanting more evidence|work=USA Today |date=August 5, 2004 |first=Richard |last=Willing |access-date=April 30, 2010}} Some police and district attorneys have criticized the show for giving the public an inaccurate perception of how police solve crimes.
In 2006, the evidence cited in support of the supposed effect was mainly anecdotes from law enforcement personnel and prosecutors, and, allegedly, little empirical examination had been done on the effect. The one study published by then suggested that the phenomenon might be an urban myth.{{cite journal
| url = http://law2.fordham.edu/publications/articles/200flspub5906.pdf
| title = The CSI Effect: Exposing the Media Myth
| author = Podlas, Kimberlianne
| publisher = Fordham University School of Law
| journal = Fordham Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal
| volume = 16
| number = 429
| pages = 429–465
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719195320/http://law2.fordham.edu/publications/articles/200flspub5906.pdf
| archive-date=July 19, 2011
}} However, 2010s research suggests that these modern TV shows do have an influence on public perceptions and expectations, and on juror behavior.{{Cite journal |last1=Holmgren |first1=Janne A. |last2=Fordham |first2=Judith |title=The CSI Effect and the Canadian and the Australian Jury |journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences |volume=56c |issue=S1 |pages=S63–S71 |date=January 2011 |doi=10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01621.x |pmid=21155799 |s2cid=21221066
| issn = 0022-1198}}Alldredge, John [http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/themis/vol3/iss1/6 "The 'CSI Effect' and Its Potential Impact on Juror Decisions"], (2015) Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 6., retrieved May 31, 2017 One researcher has suggested screening jurors for the level of influence that such TV programs has had.
=Accolades=
Notes
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=nb}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website|https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/csi/}}
- [https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/csi-crime-scene/100100 CSI] at TV Guide
- {{IMDb title}}
{{CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|state=expanded}}
{{CSI franchise}}
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