On each and every episode of “CSI”, viewers are taken on a suspenseful roller coaster ride, easily combining science, crime, humor and great storytelling into a potent mix that keeps them guessing at the outcome until the very end.
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"Here comes the nerd squad."
With that rather unflattering opening line from the pilot episode, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" made its little-noticed debut back in the fall of 2000. Rising up fast from its humble beginnings, "CSI" has become the biggest hit show on network television today. In fact, it is currently the top-rated drama series in the country, knocking off another acronym-laden series, "ER" from its perch. "CSI"´s unprecedented early success also accelerated the creation of a spin-off series, the equally intriguing "CSI: Miami", that just made its debut this fall season. Executive produced by action flick guru Jerry Bruckheimer, "CSI" is atypical from his usual fare. In fact "CSI" is totally uncharacteristic of any of the run-of-the-mill police crime dramas that you find on television today.
Today´s crime scene investigators or better known as forensic scientists, are the modern equivalent of a group of Sherlock Holmes with cool toys and well-equipped laboratories at their disposal. Using up-to-date scientific methods and tools to collect and interpret evidence left behind at crime scenes, CSIs try to piece together how crimes are committed in order to nab the bad guys. It was the O.J. Simpson trial that first introduced America to the world of forensic science with Dr. Henry Lee, the nation´s leading forensic criminologist, testifying at the trial and giving a large television audience their first taste of forensic science at work. Then came Monica Lewinsky and the infamous stained blue dress. "CSI"´s creator Anthony E. Zuiker, perhaps building upon the public´s exposure to how forensic science helps law enforcement agencies break such high profile cases, has assembled a competent group of consultants that culls their experience as real-life CSIs to help keep the show rooted in real science and believable plots.
So what is the secret to "CSI"´s success? After all, the basis for the series falls in the realms of science and technology, a premise that is more suited for the Discovery Channel than for prime time television. However, what "CSI" is NOT is exactly the reason for its popularity. Crime dramas are a dime a dozen on television and unfortunately, most of them do not diverge far from their "whodunit" roots. A crime is committed and the detectives chase down leads that finally lead them to the perpetrators. Crime is solved, case closed. To its credit, "CSI" tries very hard not to go down the same path. It turns our expectations for crime dramas inside out and instead of shoving another generic hour of a "whodunit" down our reluctant throats, it patiently focuses on the "howdunit", a seldom-seen aspect of fighting crime. By concentrating on exposing how the crime is committed and the meticulous process that the principal characters go though to reach their conclusion, "CSI" is able to invite the audience into its world of forensic science and take them on a ride through the eyes and minds of the show´s protagonists. Even though science plays a major part in its storyline, the writers of "CSI" are able to make the show accessible and approachable to the general public through easy-to-understand explanations of the methods and tools used in solving the crimes.
Featuring crime scene investigators from the Las Vegas Criminalistics Bureau, "CSI" tells the stories of the graveyard shift team, headed by Gil Grissom (William L. Peterson). Grissom is the quintessential braniac that works on advanced crossword puzzles for fun and gets along better with bugs than people. Nicknamed Gruesome Grissom by his colleagues, his tightly focused intensity in solving crimes through scientific means sometimes border on obsession. Along for the ride is the rest of the CSI team: Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan), Nick Stokes (George Eads) and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox). Although each CSI has his or her own unique personality, seldom are their personal lives the focus of the show. Unlike many other drama series on television that tries to marry the characters´ personal lives with their professional ones, "CSI" prefers to offer just a cursory examination of it and is determined to focus instead on the crimes at hand. Once in a while, Willows´ hectic life as a single parent or Brown´s past gambling addiction shows up on the show but those times are more of an exception than the norm. Does this aspect of "CSI" make it less appealing then? Most probably not. In fact, it makes it easier for anyone to jump in and watch any episode and still be in tuned to the series without missing a beat.
Although it is set in Las Vegas, "CSI" does not go all out to exploit the seedy side of Sin City, leaving gambling, prostitution and other vices usually associated with the city out of the majority of the episodes. Most people only see the glitzy lights of the Las Vegas Strip as representing the city itself but there is more to this burgeoning city than just its major gambling attractions. Away from all the obnoxious neon signs are large swathes of suburban housing in and around the city, desert and mountainous vistas and plenty of other locations for crimes to occur. In short, "CSI" looks at Las Vegas as a regular crime-ridden American city rather than mining for crimes associated with it being a gambling mecca.
Violence has unfortunately become a staple feature on many shows on the small screen. Going against the grain again, there is very little violence depicted on "CSI". The CSIs on the show almost never draw their weapons as crimes are solved though the use of their intellectual ability to figure out the evidence before them. Also, you don´t get to see the violent crimes being committed but only the aftermath of those crimes. However, the sight of the violent crime victims can sometimes be more gruesome than the criminal act itself. For instance, rotting corpses ravaged by maggots, severed limbs and skeletal remains are definitely high in gross factor and they show up with more frequency on "CSI" than regular fresh corpses.
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