CSI (franchise)

CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) is a media franchise of American television series created by Anthony E. Zuiker. The first three CSI series follow the work of forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious deaths, while the fourth series, CSI: Cyber, emphasizes behavioral psychology and how it can be applied to cyber forensics.

CSI
World CSI Day logo. Characters shown in order from top to bottom: Gil Grissom, Horatio Caine, Catherine Willows, Mac Taylor, D.B. Russell and Avery Ryan
Created by	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Anthony E. Zuiker CSI: Miami, CSI: NY and CSI: Cyber Anthony E. Zuiker Carol Mendelsohn Ann Donahue
Original work	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Owned by	ViacomCBS
Print publications
Novel(s)	CSI novels
Comics	CSI comics
Magazine(s)	CSI Magazine
Films and television
Television series	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Miami CSI: NY CSI: Cyber
Television film(s)	Immortality
Games
Traditional	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The Board Game CSI: Crime Game Booster Pack CSI: Senses: The Game CSI: Miami: The Board Game CSI: Board Game
Video game(s)	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Dark Motives CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder CSI: Hard Evidence CSI: Miami CSI: NY CSI: Deadly Intent CSI: Crime City CSI: Fatal Conspiracy
Miscellaneous
Toy(s)	CSI: Forensics Lab CSI: DNA Laboratory CSI: Forensic Facial
Exhibition	CSI: The Experience

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation began on October 6, 2000, and ran for fifteen full seasons. Starring (at various times) William Petersen, Ted Danson, Marg Helgenberger, Elisabeth Shue, and Laurence Fishburne, the series concluded its run with a two-hour finale entitled "Immortality" on September 27, 2015. The series' original lead characters, Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows, were based upon LVMPD Crime Scene Analysts Daniel Holstein and Yolanda McClary.[1] CSI's first spin-off and the second series within the franchise is CSI: Miami, which ran for ten seasons between 2002 and 2012, and was canceled on May 13, 2012. Miami stars David Caruso and Emily Procter, with its lead character, Horatio Caine, based upon LAPD bomb squad technician Detective John Haynes.[2]

In 2004, CSI: Miami spun off CSI: NY, the third series in the franchise and the only indirect spin-off of CSI. It was canceled on May 10, 2013, after nine seasons.[3] The series starred Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, and Sela Ward. In 2014, CSI spun off CSI: Cyber, its second direct spin-off and the fourth series in the franchise. Cyber premiered in 2015, and starred Patricia Arquette and franchise alumnus Ted Danson—the only actor to appear as a series regular in more than one CSI series. The lead character, Avery Ryan, was inspired by cyber-psychologist Mary Aiken, who was attached to the series as a producer.[4] CSI: Cyber was canceled on May 12, 2016.[5]

Recently in 2020, CBS is considering a limited series revival featuring original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation cast members, William Petersen and Jorja Fox.[6]

A total of 797 episodes of the CSI franchise have aired.

Overview

The CSI franchise is available in 200 territories with an audience of two billion people.[7] Various spin-offs have been developed to cater for the market including novels, comic books, and computer games.

The franchise has had a large cultural impact. It has spawned what has been called the "CSI effect", in which juries often have unreasonable expectations of real-life forensics because of what they have seen on CSI. Equally, the new-found popularity of forensics dramas on television has led to an increase in applications for courses dealing with forensic science or archaeological science—in the United Kingdom applications are up by 30%.[8] The franchise is so influential that fellow CBS show How I Met Your Mother advertised itself as "not a Crime Scene Investigation show".[9] In some ways the franchise may also fill a cultural need:

"We started in 2000 and it was a success, but our ratings really shot up after the September 11 attacks," Zuiker says in a documentary about the CSI phenomenon to be aired at Christmas [2007]. "People were rushing to us for their comfort food. There was a sense of justice in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – it helped to know that there were people like our characters out there helping to solve crimes. And, of course, 9/11 was the world's largest crime scene."[7]

However, the "CSI effect" is considered by some experts to be responsible for helping criminals covering up evidence that could be used to trace them using techniques learned by watching CSI and other shows in the same genre.[10] Recent studies could not find conclusive evidence for the existence of this effect.[11]

Series

CSI: Miami and CSI: Cyber spun off from CSI, and CSI: NY spun off from CSI: Miami, all via backdoor pilot episodes.

Series	Season		Episodes		Originally aired		Rank	Rating
					First aired	Last aired
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation		1	23		October 6, 2000	May 17, 2001	11	11.6
		2	23		September 27, 2001	May 16, 2002	2	14.5
		3	23		September 26, 2002	May 15, 2003	1	16.3
		4	23		September 25, 2003	May 20, 2004	1	15.9
		5	25		September 23, 2004	May 19, 2005	1	16.5
		6	24		September 22, 2005	May 18, 2006	3	15.6
		7	24		September 21, 2006	May 17, 2007	6	12.2
		8	17		September 27, 2007	May 15, 2008	7	10.6
		9	24		October 9, 2008	May 14, 2009	4	11.5
		10	23		September 24, 2009	May 20, 2010	10	9.7
		11	22		September 23, 2010	May 12, 2011	12	8.4
		12	22		September 21, 2011	May 9, 2012	16	8.0
		13	22		September 26, 2012	May 15, 2013	18	7.7
		14	22		September 25, 2013	May 7, 2014	16	7.8
		15	18		September 28, 2014	February 15, 2015	28	7.2
		Finale	2		September 27, 2015		N/A	N/A
CSI: Miami		Backdoor pilot			May 9, 2002		N/A	N/A
		1	24		September 23, 2002	May 19, 2003	11	11.0
		2	24		September 22, 2003	May 24, 2004	8	11.9
		3	24		September 20, 2004	May 23, 2005	5	12.4
		4	25		September 19, 2005	May 22, 2006	8	11.8
		5	24		September 18, 2006	May 14, 2007	10	10.7
		6	21		September 24, 2007	May 19, 2008	11	9.2
		7	25		September 22, 2008	May 18, 2009	12	9.1
		8	24		September 21, 2009	May 24, 2010	18	8.1
		9	22		October 3, 2010	May 8, 2011	22	7.3
		10	19		September 25, 2011	April 8, 2012	27	7.1
CSI: NY		Backdoor pilot			May 17, 2004		N/A	N/A
		1	23		September 22, 2004	May 18, 2005	20	8.9
		2	24		September 28, 2005	May 17, 2006	18	9.2
		3	24		September 20, 2006	May 16, 2007	16	8.9
		4	21		September 26, 2007	May 21, 2008	22	7.6
		5	25		September 24, 2008	May 14, 2009	15	8.6
		6	23		September 23, 2009	May 26, 2010	19	7.9
		7	22		September 24, 2010	May 13, 2011	N/A	N/A
		8	18		September 23, 2011	May 11, 2012	N/A	N/A
		9	17		September 21, 2012	February 22, 2013	23	7.3
CSI: Cyber		Backdoor pilots			April 30, 2014	November 16, 2014	N/A	N/A
		1	13		March 4, 2015	May 13, 2015	39	10.77
		2	18		October 4, 2015	March 13, 2016	50	8.50

Characters

Character	Series appearances				Actor	First	Last
	CSI	Miami	NY	Cyber
Gil Grissom[N 1]	Main				William Petersen	2000	2015
Catherine Willows	Main				Marg Helgenberger	2000	2015
Warrick Brown	Main				Gary Dourdan	2000	2008
Nick Stokes	Main				George Eads	2000	2015
Jim Brass	Main				Paul Guilfoyle	2000	2015
Sara Sidle	Main				Jorja Fox	2000	2015
Greg Sanders	Main				Eric Szmanda	2000	2015
Al Robbins	Main				Robert David Hall	2000	2015
Sofia Curtis	Main				Louise Lombard	2004	2011
David Hodges	Main				Wallace Langham	2003	2015
Riley Adams	Main				Lauren Lee Smith	2008	2009
Raymond Langston	Main	Guest	Guest		Laurence Fishburne	2008	2011
Wendy Simms	Main				Liz Vassey	2005	2010
David Phillips	Main				David Berman	2000	2015
D.B. Russell[N 2]	Main		Guest	Main	Ted Danson	2011	2016
Morgan Brody	Main				Elisabeth Harnois	2011	2015
Julie Finlay	Main				Elisabeth Shue	2012	2015
Henry Andrews	Main				Jon Wellner	2005	2015
Horatio Caine	Guest	Main	Guest		David Caruso	2002	2012
Calleigh Duquesne	Guest	Main			Emily Procter	2002	2012
Eric Delko	Guest	Main			Adam Rodriguez	2002	2012
Alexx Woods	Guest	Main			Khandi Alexander	2002	2009
Tim Speedle	Guest	Main			Rory Cochrane	2002	2007
Megan Donner		Main			Kim Delaney	2002	2002
Yelina Salas		Main			Sofia Milos	2003	2009
Ryan Wolfe		Main			Jonathan Togo	2004	2012
Frank Tripp		Main			Rex Linn	2003	2012
Natalia Boa Vista		Main			Eva LaRue	2005	2012
Tara Price		Main			Megalyn Echikunwoke	2008	2009
Jesse Cardoza		Main			Eddie Cibrian	2009	2010
Walter Simmons		Main			Omar Benson Miller	2009	2012
Mac Taylor	Guest	Guest	Main		Gary Sinise	2004	2013
Stella Bonasera		Guest	Main		Melina Kanakaredes	2004	2010
Danny Messer		Guest	Main		Carmine Giovinazzo	2004	2013
Aiden Burn		Guest	Main		Vanessa Ferlito	2004	2006
Sheldon Hawkes		Guest	Main		Hill Harper	2004	2013
Don Flack			Main		Eddie Cahill	2004	2013
Lindsay Monroe			Main		Anna Belknap	2005	2013
Sid Hammerback			Main		Robert Joy	2005	2013
Adam Ross			Main		A. J. Buckley	2005	2013
Jo Danville			Main		Sela Ward	2010	2013
Avery Ryan	Guest			Main	Patricia Arquette	2014	2016
Elijah Mundo				Main	James Van Der Beek	2015	2016
Simon Sifter				Main	Peter MacNicol	2015	2015
Brody Nelson				Main	Shad Moss	2015	2016
Daniel Krumitz				Main	Charley Koontz	2015	2016
Raven Ramirez				Main	Hayley Kiyoko	2015	2016
D.B. Russell[N 2]	Main		Guest	Main	Ted Danson	2011	2016

1. In addition to appearing in 198 episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Petersen also guest-starred as Grissom in "Where and Why", episode 6.06 of Without a Trace.
2. Ted Danson joined the main cast of CSI: Cyber following the ending of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Differences between series

Las Vegas

Methods
The Las Vegas team are scientists foremost, and follow the evidence.

Crimes
The crimes the Las Vegas CSI team face (other than the standard murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, and rapes) include casino robberies, bodies buried in the Nevada desert, and murders during different conventions at casinos.

Crime lab
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Crime Lab is a modern crime lab and shares a lot (but not a building) with the Las Vegas Police Department. It reports to the sheriff's office. In early episodes of season one the lab is frequently referred to as the number two crime lab in the United States, solving cases believed unsolvable. The lab consists of specialist laboratories, a larger office (used by the Supervisor in seasons 1-9, and subsequently as a bullpen in seasons 9-11 and the Director’s office from season 12 onwards), a smaller office used by Catherine Willows between seasons 5 and 12, a locker room, an AV room, a break-room, and stairs leading to a second floor, housing the office of the Director and Assistant Director (until D.B. Russell’s appointment in which the Night Shift Supervisor’s Office is used as the Director’s office also). It is also believed to house the offices of the Day-shift and Swing-shift supervisors.

• Laboratory Directors: D.B. Russell (12.01–16.02), Sara Sidle (16.02)
• Night Shift Supervisors: Jim Brass (1.01), Gil Grissom (1.02–9.10), Catherine Willows (9.11–11.22), D.B. Russell (12.01–16.02)
• Night Shift Assistant Supervisors: Gil Grissom (1.01), Catherine Willows (1.02–5.08, 6.01–9.10, 12.01–12.12), Sofia Curtis (5.09–5.25), Nick Stokes (10.01–11.22), Julie Finlay (12.14–15.18)
• Day Shift Supervisors: Sofia Curtis (Acting) (5.07–5.08),
• Swing Shift Supervisors: Catherine Willows (5.09–5.25)

Miami

Methods
The Miami team are detectives foremost, and mainly use theories to solve crimes.

Crimes
The crimes the Miami CSI team face (other than the standard murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, and rapes) include drug running, murdered refugees from Cuba, bodies found washed up on the beach and dumped in the Everglades, and crimes involving the rich and famous who have secrets to hide in their mansions and beachfront properties.

Crime lab
The Miami CSIs were firstly, in the backdoor pilot, stationed out of a broom closet next to the MDPD's bull pen. They were given their own building prior to the start of the first season. Originally dark and technical, this building housed Horatio's office, Megan's office, specialist labs, and a locker room. During the fourth season a government grant meant that slanted glass walls, multiple modern labs, an interrogation room, and a new locker room were all constructed. Horatio's office is not seen following the lab's reconstruction—although a state-of-the-art ballistics suite was added, acting as Calleigh's office. The lab has reinforced windows and shutters to protect against hurricanes and tsunamis.

• Laboratory Director & Day Shift Supervisor: Horatio Caine (Backdoor pilot–10.19)
• Assistant Day Shift Supervisors: Megan Donner (1.01–1.10), Calleigh Duquesne (1.11–10.19)

New York

Methods
The New York team are equally scientists and detectives, and frequently use criminal profiling (as well as evidence and theories) to solve cases.

Crimes
The crimes the New York CSI team face (other than the standard murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, and rapes) include organised crime activity involving the Italian Mafia, street-gang violence, and ethnic, cultural, and ability differences.

Crime lab
During the first season, the NYPD CSI lab is in an old underground building with rustic brick walls. The lab houses Mac's office, a locker room, the autopsy suite, and specialist forensic laboratories. As of the second season the lab is on the 35th floor of a high-rise building in Manhattan. Equipped with glass walls and state-of-the-art equipment, this lab consists of the Supervisor’s office (belonging to Mac, and - for a short time - Jo), specialist laboratories, an observation walkway, a break-room and kitchen, a locker room, and an office belonging to the Assistant Supervisor (first Stella, then Jo), containing an additional hot-desk used by Hawkes, Danny, Lindsay, and Aiden. Part of this second lab is blown up in the season three finale, "Snow Day", but is restored by the beginning of season four.

• Laboratory Director & Day Shift Supervisor: Mac Taylor (Backdoor pilot–9.17)
• Assistant Day Shift Supervisors: Stella Bonasera (Backdoor pilot–6.23), Jo Danville (7.01–9.17)

Washington, D.C.

Methods
The Cyber team focuses on the technical aspect of crimes, with NextGen forensics providing it with a real-world crime scene investigative counterpart.

Crimes
The FBI Cyber Crime Division investigates cyber-based terrorism, internet-related murders, espionage, computer intrusions, major cyber-fraud, cyber-theft, hacking, sex offenses, blackmail, and any other crime deemed to be cyber-related within the FBI's jurisdiction.

Divisions
— Cyber Crime Division
The FBI Cyber Crime Division operates out of Washington, D.C. and is housed in the Cyber Threat Operations Center. The CTOC consists of Ryan's office, Russell's office, a communications bull pen housing the desks of Krumitz, Nelson, and Ramirez, a cyber lab, a glass walkway, and a 'tear-down room'. Due to their nomadic nature the team are often seen interviewing suspects at various FBI field offices and police departments.

• FBI Directors: FBI Director Marcus Silver, FBI Assistant Deputy Director Simon Sifter (1.01–1.13), FBI Deputy Director Colin Vickner (1.01–2.04), FBI Deputy Director Avery Ryan (2.06–2.18)
• Special Agent in Charge: Avery Ryan (Backdoor pilot–2.05)

— Next Generation Cyber Forensics Division
The Next Generation Cyber Forensics Division is a lab-based facility within the Cyber Crime Division used for the processing of evidence in cyber-related cases.

• Laboratory Director: D.B. Russell (2.01–2.18)

Theme songs

The opening themes for all four series are remixes of songs performed by The Who.

Series	Theme song
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	"Who Are You"
CSI: Miami	"Won't Get Fooled Again"
CSI: NY	"Baba O'Riley"
CSI: Cyber	"I Can See for Miles"

Crossovers

Crossovers are possible between CSI series as well as with other programs within the same creative stable. Between the series the baton is passed to the new CSI series via a crossover/pilot where cases are overlapped and personnel are shared. Many actors have appeared in two of the series. Five actors have appeared in three: David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, and Gary Sinise all appeared in CSI, CSI: Miami, and CSI: NY, while Ted Danson appeared as a guest star on CSI: NY and a series regular on both CSI and CSI: Cyber, making him the first actor to be a main character in more than one CSI series. Before becoming a regular as "Danny Messer" on CSI: NY, Carmine Giovinazzo had a small role as "Thumpy G" in an episode of CSI, making him the only lead actor to play two characters within the franchise.[12] Crossovers have also, on occasion, taken place between a CSI series and a series outside the franchise.

Within the franchise

Crossover between			Episode	Type	Actors crossing over	Date aired
Series A	Series B	Series C
CSI	CSI: Miami	N/A	"Cross Jurisdictions" (CSI 2.22)	Backdoor pilot	Series A: David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodríguez, Rory Cochrane, Khandi Alexander	May 9, 2002
Catherine and Warrick team up with Horatio Caine to investigate the murder of Las Vegas' former chief and the kidnapping of his wife and daughter following a wild party.
CSI: Miami	CSI: NY	N/A	"MIA/NYC NonStop" (CSI: Miami 2.23)	Backdoor pilot	Series A: Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, Carmine Giovinazzo, Vanessa Ferlito, Hill Harper	May 17, 2004
Horatio travels to New York believing it to be the residence of someone who committed a double homicide. He is assisted by Mac Taylor who suspects that the crimes in Miami might be connected to the murder of an undercover New York cop.
CSI: NY	CSI	N/A	"Grand Master" (CSI: NY 1.04)	Character appearance	Series A: Ricky Harris	October 27, 2004
CSI consultant Disco Placid (first seen in "Anonymous") consults on the audio aspects of a murder that takes place during a turntable competition.
CSI: Miami	CSI: NY	N/A	"Felony Flight" (CSI: Miami 4.07) "Manhattan Manhunt" (CSI: NY 2.07)	Two-night event	Series A: Gary Sinise Series B: David Caruso	Nov. 7, 2005 Nov. 9, 2005
A convicted serial killer, Henry Darius, sabotages and escapes an airplane that was flying him from New York to Miami, where he supposedly buried a body. After fleeing the crash site he goes on a killing spree and abducts a college student. Since Darius was originally arrested in New York, Mac Taylor arrives in Miami to help Horatio track the killer down. Darius murders a group of teens in a luxury apartment where he tries to rob a security vault.
CSI: Miami	CSI: NY	CSI	"Bone Voyage" (CSI: Miami 8.07) "Hammer Down" (CSI: NY 6.07) "The Lost Girls" (CSI 10.07)	CSI: Trilogy	Series A & B: Laurence Fishburne	Nov. 9, 2009 Nov. 11, 2009 Nov. 12, 2009
Ray Langston arrives in Miami to investigate a severed leg found in the Everglades that belonged to a girl who disappeared in Las Vegas a week before. He discovers a human-trafficking ring that specializes in black-market organ harvesting that leads him to New York where he assists Mac in attempting to free a hostage. Ray returns to Las Vegas to find a missing girl who's been taken by the human traffickers and may be part of a prostitution ring.
CSI	CSI: NY	N/A	"In Vino Veritas" (CSI 13.13) "Seth and Apep" (CSI: NY 9.15)	Two-night event	Series A: Gary Sinise Series B: Ted Danson	Feb. 6, 2013 Feb. 8, 2013
Mac Taylor visits Las Vegas to surprise his girlfriend, Christine, who is missing upon his arrival. It turns out she was kidnapped in New York before the trip and a look-alike took her place. D.B Russell insists on accompanying Mac back to New York to help find her.
CSI	CSI: Cyber	N/A	"Kitty" (CSI 14.21)	Backdoor pilot	Series A: Patricia Arquette	Apr. 30, 2014
Avery Ryan, a Special Agent attached to the FBI Cyber Crime Division, travels to Las Vegas when the murder of a casino mogul's wife is linked to an UnSub she has been tracking who commits crimes on the internet that play out in the real world.
CSI	CSI: Cyber	N/A	"The Twin Paradox" (CSI 15.06)	Guest appearance	Series A: Patricia Arquette	Nov. 16, 2014
Finlay leads the CSI team in a hunt for Seattle's notorious Gig Harbor Killer, while Russell meets with colleague Avery Ryan for advice on how to catch a mentally unstable serial killer.

With other series

Crossover between		Episode	Type	Actors crossing over	Date aired
Series A	Series B
CSI: NY	Cold Case	"Cold Reveal" (CSI: NY 3.22)	Guest appearance	Series A: Danny Pino	May 2, 2007
When Stella Bonasera's DNA matches evidence found during a Cold Case investigation in Philadelphia, Detective Scotty Valens visits the New York Crime Lab in order to rule her out as a homicide suspect.
CSI	Without a Trace	"Who and What" (CSI 8.06) "Where and Why" (Without a Trace 6.06)	Two-hour event	Series A: Anthony LaPaglia Series B: William Petersen	Nov. 8, 2007
Jack Malone joins forces with Grissom to track a serial killer since a boy who was kidnapped in New York six years before matches the profile of a Las Vegas murder victim. The two of them establish the killer's pattern of behavior to track him down.
Two and a Half Men	CSI	"Fish in a Drawer" (Two and a Half Men 5.17) "Two and a Half Deaths" (CSI 8.16)	Writer exchange	Series A: George Eads Series B: Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones	May 5, 2008 May 8, 2008
The two shows' writers swapped roles. George Eads appears in "Fish in a Drawer" as a wedding guest when a man is found dead, possibly murdered. In "Two and a Half Deaths" Grissom investigates the death of a sitcom diva who was filming in Las Vegas. Sheen, Cryer, and Jones appear as themselves wearing the same clothes from "Fish in a Drawer".
CSI	MythBusters	"Theory of Everything" (CSI 8.15) "Fireball Stun Gun" (MythBusters 8.10)	Cameo appearance	Series A: Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage	May 1, 2008 June 2, 2010
The team investigates an abundance of cases that turn out to be related, including the death of a man who may have spontaneously combusted in police custody due to the combination of two supposedly nonlethal weapons: pepper spray and a stun gun. Hyneman and Savage appear in "Theory of Everything" as lab technicians watching Nick test the idea and then later on MythBusters test it themselves in earnest and find it plausible.

UK TV movies

In the UK, Channel 5 edited together related episodes to make one whole feature. These include:

Series	Title	Episodes edited together	Runtime
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	The CSI Pilot Movie	"Pilot" / "Cool Change"
	The CSI Movie: Grave Danger	"Grave Danger (Part 1)" / "Grave Danger (Part 2)"
	The CSI Movie: Bullet[13]	"A Bullet Runs Through It (Part 1)" / "A Bullet Runs Through It (Part 2)"	110 mins
	The CSI Movie: Bang-Bang[14]	"Bang-Bang" / "Way to Go"	110 mins
	The CSI Movie: Built to Kill[15]	"Built to Kill (Part 1)" / "Built to Kill (Part 2)"	110 mins
	The CSI Movie: Dr Who & Mr Jekyll[16]	"Doctor Who" / "Meat Jekyll"	105 mins
	The CSI Movie: Immortality	"Immortality Part I" / "Immortality Part II"	87 mins
CSI: Miami	The CSI Movie: Crisis[17]	"No Man's Land" / "Man Down"	105 mins
	The CSI Movie: Fallen[18]	'"All Fall Down" / "Fallen"	105 mins
CSI: NY	The CSI Movie: Revenge[19]	"Nothing for Something" / "Life Sentence"	100 mins

Also Channel 5 will sometimes group episodes with similar themes together such as:

• Psychopaths called "CSI: Psycho Season" – episodes involve characters such as Paul Millander, Nate Haskell (The Dick & Jane Killer), and Charlie DiMasa (Dr. Jekyll) from CSI; Antonio Riaz, Walter Resden, and Clavo Cruz from CSI: Miami; and Shane Casey, Clay Dobson, Hollis Eckhart (The Compass Killer), and The Cabbie Killer from CSI: NY.
• Home Invasion Murders – episodes include "Blood Drops" and "Gum Drops" from CSI, "Slaughterhouse" from CSI: Miami, and "Damned If You Do" and "Who's There?" from CSI: NY.
• Cop killings called "CSI: Cops in Crisis" – episodes include "Cop Killer" from CSI: Miami as well as the episodes where regular CSI characters are killed such as Warrick Brown, Tim Speedle, Aiden Burn, and Jessica Angell.
• Domestic murders between couples called "CSI: Murder and Matrimony" – episodes include "Just Murdered" and "Divorce Party" from CSI: Miami.
• Guest celebrities called "CSI: Celeb" including the episodes featuring Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian among others.
• Christmas themed episodes called "A CSI Christmas" – episodes include "The Lost Reindeer" from CSI and "Silent Night", "Forbidden Fruit", "Second Chances" and "Shop Till You Drop" from CSI: NY. Also Channel 5 might include Christmas themed episodes from other crime dramas such as the NCIS franchise and Castle.

Other media

Comics

There have been a number of comic books based on all three series published by IDW Publishing. Writers include Jeff Mariotte and Max Allan Collins.

Games

The CSI franchise has spawned 11 computer games published by Ubisoft across the three shows.

Gameloft has also published a series of mobile games based on the CSI series including CSI: The Mobile Game (Vegas) and CSI: Miami.

In addition, several board games and puzzles based on all three series have seen release, all published by Canadian game manufacturer Specialty Board Games, Inc. In 2011, the CSI Board Game was released by another Canadian company, GDC–GameDevCo Ltd. It is the first game to include all three CSI shows.[20]

A pinball game machine called CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was released in 2008.[21]

Exhibition

Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry opened an exhibit in CSI's honor on May 25, 2007 called: "CSI: The Experience".[22] In October 2011 it was at Discovery Times Square in New York City.[23] There is also a game on the website where you are trained in forensic biology, weapons and tool mark analyses, toxicology and the autopsy.

Novels

Various novelizations have appeared based on the series. Authors include Max Allan Collins (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), Donn Cortez (CSI: Miami), Stuart M. Kaminsky (CSI: NY), and Keith R.A. DeCandido (CSI: NY).

Magazine

Titan Magazines published 11 issues of CSI Magazine starting in November 2007. They contained a mixture of features and interviews looking into the world of the three CSIs and the people who help create it.[24] They were available in the UK and US.[25]

Toys

A range of toys have been developed. These include:

• "CSI: Forensics Lab"
• "CSI: DNA Laboratory"
• "CSI: Forensic Facial"

However, they have been the source of some controversy. The Parents Television Council, who have complained about CSI in general, in 2004 released a statement specifically aimed at the toys.[26] The PTC e-mailed letters to their supporters, telling them the content of the games were entirely inappropriate for children to be exposed to "because the CSI franchise often displays graphic images, including close-ups of corpses with gunshot wounds and other bloody injuries." The letter went on to say "The PTC doesn't think the recreation of blood, guts and gore should be under a child's Christmas tree this year," PTC concluded. "This so-called 'toy' is a blatant attempt to market CSI and its adult-oriented content directly to children."

In urging members to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, PTC said CBS parent company Viacom needed to hear from parents who are concerned about the "graphic scenes of blood, violence, and sex" in their product. They also asked their supporters to contact Target and Toys "R" Us.

World record

Producers announced intentions to break the Guinness World Record for largest ever TV simulcast drama on March 4, 2015, with the episode "Kitty" airing in 150 countries in addition to digital streaming.[27] They succeeded in breaking the record by airing CSI: Cyber's backdoor pilot in 171 countries.[28]

Documentaries

Because of the popularity of the CSI franchise in the United Kingdom, Channel 5 created two documentaries about CSI. The first one called The Real CSI follows real crime scene investigators as they work on crime scene. The second documentary, True CSI, features true tales of how forensic science has helped solve some of the world's best known crimes. True CSI had actors re-enacting the crime as well as interviews with people involved in the solving of the crimes themselves. Cases featured included the Sam Sheppard case.

In early 2007, British channel ITV1 broadcast a special of its flagship documentary Tonight with Trevor McDonald discussing the ramifications of the "CSI effect", highlighting the effect not only of the franchise but of several other British and American TV police procedurals.

The popularity of the series has also spawned forensic based reality television/documentary programs, including A&E's The First 48 and truTV's North Mission Road.

In April 2012, PBS' Frontline aired a documentary called "The Real CSI" investigating the limitations of the CSI techniques in forensic science.[29]

References

Notes

1. Staff (December 5, 2000). "Meet the Real C.S.I.". KLAS-TV. Retrieved March 16. 2015.
2. Scheiber, Dave (January 1, 2004). "Crossing the line". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
3. Goldberg, Lesley (May 10, 2013). "CBS Cancels CSI: NY After Nine Seasons". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
4. Hibberd, James (March 5, 2014). "Patricia Arquette to star in CSI spinoff". Entertainment Weekly.
5. Ausiello, Michael (May 12, 2016). "CSI: Cyber Cancelled at CBS". TVLine. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
6. Andreeva, Nellie (August 10, 2020). "CSI Event Series Eyes CBS Green Light; William Petersen & Jorja Fox In Negotiations To Return; Meet the New Vegas Team Members". Deadline. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
7. Gilbert, Gerard (December 19, 2006). "CSI: The cop show that conquered the world". The Independent. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
8. Hackett, Paul (March 28, 2007). "Want a career in forensics? Here's some hard evidence". The Guardian. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
9. CBS (August 20, 2007). "How I Met Your Mother -- CSI: Style". YouTube. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
10. Rowlands, Ted (February 15, 2006). "'CSI effect' cuts both ways: Experts say crime shows help law enforcement and criminals". CNN. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
11. Baranowski, Andreas M.; Burkhardt, Anne; Czernik, Elisabeth; Hecht, Heiko (March 2018). "The CSI-education effect: Do potential criminals benefit from forensic TV series?". International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice. 52: 86–97. doi:10.1016/j.ijlcj.2017.10.001.
12. "Revenge Is Best Served Cold". IMDb. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
13. "The CSI Movie: Bullet". TVCatchup. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
14. "The CSI Movie: Bang-Bang". TVCatchup. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
15. "The CSI Movie: Built to Kill". TVCatchup. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
16. "The CSI Movie: Dr Who & Mr Jekyll". TVCatchup. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
17. "The CSI Movie: Crisis". TVCatchup. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
18. "The CSI Movie: Fallen". TVCatchup. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
19. "The CSI Movie: Revenge". TVCatchup. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
20. "CSI Board Game". GDC–GameDevCo. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
21. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". Stern Pinball. Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
22. Moore, Laura (May 24, 2007). "CSI Stars Spend a Night at the Museum". TV Guide. Retrieved May 24, 2007.
23. "Tickets on Sale Now for CSI: The Experience at New York's Discovery Times Square". (September 15, 2011). PR Newswire. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
24. Trongo, Rachel (October 30, 2007). "The Official CSI Magazine Hits Newsstands". CSI Files. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
25. "The Official CSI Magazine". CBS Store.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
26. Moore, Jimmy (November 17, 2004). "Pro-Family Group Outraged Over CSI 'Toy'". Men's News Daily. Retrieved October 14, 2006.
27. Easton, Ann (March 2, 2015). "The Power of Patricia Arquette: CSI: Cyber Aims to Break a Guinness World Record". The New York Observer. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
28. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (March 10, 2015). "CSI Breaks Guinness World Record for Largest TV Drama Simulcast of All Time". Variety. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
29. "The Real CSI". (April 17, 2012). Frontline. Retrieved April 18, 2012.

Further reading

As well as fictional books based on the franchise there have also been a number of guides published:

• Flaherty, Mike, and Corinne Marrinan (September 2004). CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Companion. Pocket Books, ISBN 0-7434-6741-8.
• Marrinan, Corinne, and Steve Parker (October 2006). Ultimate CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Dorling Kindersley, ISBN 1-4053-1672-1.
• Cortez, Donn, and Leah Wilson, eds. (December 2006). Investigating CSI: An Unauthorized Look Inside the Crime Labs of Las Vegas, Miami, and New York. Smart Pop series, BenBella Books, ISBN 1-932100-93-8.
• Allen, Michael (August 2007). Reading CSI: Crime TV Under the Microscope. I.B. Tauris, ISBN 1-84511-428-0.
• Cohan, Steven (December 2008). CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. BFI TV Classics, BFI Publishing, ISBN 1-84457-255-2.