TV Show of the Week 25: CSI (+ Miami and New York)

Mr E

From the end of the current seasons, if you were to watch all episodes of these 3 shows back to back, it would take you just over 13½ days (yep, I just worked that out).

CSI stands for Crime Scene Investigation. They're the forensic guys who look at a crime scene, find a fleck of spit, and use that to tell you what you had for breakfast. 3 days ago.

The original (and best) CSI is set in Vegas, and started in 2000. For most of those 9 seasons, Gil Grissom was the leading man. Supporting characters have come and gone, but a handful of people have been there since the start. I'm trying to figure out if the Las Vegas Tourism Board would approve of what's shown on this show. On one hand, you have murders, kidnapping, extortion and thievery, while on the other hand, you have gambling, decadence, sex, and money.... Hmmmm..... I don't think they're too worried.

Then in 2002 came CSI Miami. Pretty much the same idea, but set in the Sunshine State. They took the whole premise of the Vegas show, cloned it, and stuck it in Miami. They put in a leading man (David Caruso's Horatio Caine) that was nowhere nearly as charismatic as Grissom, but people lapped it up (the guy just tries too hard....)

Finally, 2004 saw the launch of CSI New York. Same deal - clone the format, and stick it in another city. I admit to only seeing a few episodes of this, but I think it comes off as a poor bastard lovechild of the other two. It doesn't have the glamour of Vegas or the sunshine of Miami. Gary Sinise plays the leading man (Mac Taylor) here.

The CSI shows have their detractors (me included). I don't watch these religiously, but I've been known to watch an episode here and there on RTE2 and Living. Its pretty mindless glossy stuff, with science that isn't always grounded in reality. Switch your brain off, kick back and enjoy - its the kind of show where you can flick on any episode and just watch it, and there's nothing wrong with that.

With 487 shows and no sign of slowing, they'll be showing these (both new and repeated) for years and years to come.

Karoma

...seriously?

Mr E

They're extremely popular, Karoma. Yes yes yes its a shame that better shows get cancelled year after year, and shows like this live forever but believe it or not, not everyone wants season long story arcs where they have to watch every episode. Switch off, fire and forget. Mindless chewing gum for the brain.

Lantis

New York is actually my top choice in the CSI trinity. I love the dynamic between the team members, and the whole general atmosphere of the series. Everyone has an equal share of the focus. Mac and Stella do get story focus more often than others, especially in ongoing arcs, but I feel that every character could easily carry an episode by themselves.

Vegas I do enjoy, but I find the shooting style of the series far too dark and gloomy. I know it's all about murder and crime scenes, but honestly, there's only so much bluescreen you can take.

Miami I have serious issues with, mainly because it seems to me like it should be renamed CSI: Horatio. He jumps into centre stage every time with his faux-dramatic style, and I often find that the other characters' screen time and development are smothered by his presence. I'll admit I haven't given Miami enough of a chance, though, not seen many episodes of it.

Mossy Monk

I love CSI for the fact that you don't have to watch it religiously (mostly).

Queen-Mise

I detest CSI and posing Horatio.

I have watched a few along the way, and it wouldn't be so bad only for Mr Poser. At the end of an episode staring moodily at the sea, while contemplating the pitfalls of humanity or some such junk. It is incredibly moralistic and the bad guy always get his comeuppance.

CSI NY isn't as bad. I used to watch it, but don't watch any of them any more.

JPA

Karoma wrote: »

...seriously?

Why is he putting on sunglasses when he's already wearing some? Is it a joke I'm missing.

Richard Dower

I really like Miami but hate New York....my FAVE though is Vegas, seen every episode to date. I only started to get into season 4 of Miami and above, season 6 ends tonight :-(

These shows have some of the biggest ratings on tv, for example the CSI episode with Taylor Swift had 20.8 million. They are quality shows and hugely popular, played in numerous countries all over the world.

tvnutz

Richard Dower wrote: »

These shows have some of the biggest ratings on tv, for example the CSI episode with Taylor Swift had 20.8 million. They are quality shows and hugely popular, played in numerous countries all over the world.

Well that doesn't really mean much considering American Idol gets 23+million viewers a week.

I used to watch bits a pieces of Vegas,but it's just pretty much the same thing week after week and then you might get a continuing arc now and again. Miami is just funny in that it has David Caruso spouting the cheesiest lines on television. I think Gary Sinise is the best actor of the main 3 leads but I didn't watch much of NY either.

None of the shows are realistic and it's pretty much the same thing week after week for 22 eps a season. As Mr E said its mindless glossy stuff and I don't mind watching that kind of show for escapism. But for that I tend to watch something way more out there and fun like 24. Maybe I just feel that its a scandal that more than 20million viewers watch this but hardly anyone has seen The Wire,which is IMO the best tv show ever made and so very realistic compared to CSI.

irishcsifan

i love love love all the CSI's. i am a major fan. i have david caruso's(horatio)
autograph

ixoy

Didn't Gregory House recently quip about putting on sun glasses to the tune of the Who?

Karoma

JPA wrote: »

Why is he putting on sunglasses when he's already wearing some? Is it a joke I'm missing.

Slight exaggeration. See: http://www.break.com/index/david_caruso_one_liners.html

JP Liz

I love all the CSIs but my fav is NY - Mac Taylor is so HOT!

Ginny

CSI Vegas is the only one I'll never miss, CSI NY i watch when I can, but I avoid avoid avoid Miami, all down to HC.
I'm actually gonna miss Grissom a lot, to me he was the glue that kept the Vegas team together and I reserving judgement on RL, I'm afraid GG leaving will be the jump the shark moment for Vegas.

Syferus

I've always had a soft spot for CSI, with Vegas being generally regarded as the best and my personal favourite by a big margin.

CSI isn't trying to be some sort of The Wire style series with operatic themes, but television would be a boring place if everything tried to be. It's a well shot, fantastically graded police procedual (in the truest sense of the word) show with morality plays. The cases are almost always the centre piece and alot of the time they've got more than enough hooks to carry you along for the 42 or so minutes it takes to reach the end.

It has it's own niche and it's generally enjoyable and, personally, something to watch now and then when I'm in the mood for something that doesn't require too much fore-knowledge to watch.

CSI was also important for helping ramp up production values in general on TV, with itself and 24 appearing around the same time and helping introduce a little more visual flare to the masses of television shows that followed. They simply where better shot that almost any television show that came before, from editing to grading to some rather beautiful desert scenes.

A perfect jump-in-jump-out show, in a sense.

Richard Dower

I love CSI Miami *FOR* HC...the show would be nothing without him!

Richard Dower

Ginny wrote: »

CSI Vegas is the only one I'll never miss, CSI NY i watch when I can, but I avoid avoid avoid Miami, all down to HC.
I'm actually gonna miss Grissom a lot, to me he was the glue that kept the Vegas team together and I reserving judgement on RL, I'm afraid GG leaving will be the jump the shark moment for Vegas.

Haha!...Ginny is an LC fan

banshee_bones

Love CSI Vegas, have been watching it since I think it was Living first had it, long before RTE! Il watch CSI Miami if theres nothing else on but i cant stand the NY one.

Really cant believe Warrick is gone! and Gunna miss Grissom too, as someone else said hes the glue that held the team together

Agamemnon

I'll watch any of the the three, they're enjoyable, mindless entertainment. My favourite is Miami because it's such a rolling cheese fiesta. Everything Caruso says or does makes me laugh. It's the most consistently funny show on tv.

Richard Dower

Weird...i've never associated funny or humour with Caruso?....does he really make you guys laugh??

Syferus

Richard Dower wrote: »

Weird...i've never associated funny or humour with Caruso?....does he really make you guys laugh??

He means people laugh at Caruso ironically, not that he's some sort of comedian by design. It's (almost) universally known that Caruso hams it up in CSI: Miami.