CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Un article de Vev.

Modèle:Infobox television Modèle:Two other uses CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (commonly referred to as CSI) is a popular, Emmy Award-winning CBS television series that trails the investigations of a team of Las Vegas forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and crimes committed.

CSI is produced in partnership with the Canadian media company Alliance Atlantis. On May 16, 2007, CBS renewed the show for an eighth season. Season 8 began production in July and began airing on Thursday September 27, 2007.

There are two spin-offs to this show, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

Production

Conception and development

During the 1990s, Anthony Zuiker caught producer Jerry Bruckheimer's attention after writing his first movie script. Bruckheimer wanted an idea for a television series. Zuiker didn't have one but his wife told him about a Discovery Channel show she liked about forensic detectives who used DNA and other evidence to solve cold cases (The New Detectives)<ref>CSI (which has an acronym Computer Science Investigators) cast and Anthony Zuiker at the Paley Center (2001) Part1.Retrieved on 2007-November 12.</ref>. Zuiker started spending time with real-life LVPD crime investigators and was convinced that there was a series in the concept, Bruckheimer agreed and arranged a meeting with the head of Touchstone Pictures. The studio’s head at the time liked the script and presented it to ABC network executives, who decided to pass. The head of drama development at CBS saw potential in the script, plus the network had a pay or play contract with actor William Petersen who said he wanted to do the CSI pilot. The network's executives liked the pilot so much, they decided to include it in their 2000 schedule immediately, airing on Fridays after The Fugitive, a remake of the sixties show. Initially it was thought that CSI would benefit from The Fugitive, which was expected to be a hit, but by the end of the year 2000 CSI had a much larger audience.<ref>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - A Television Heaven Review Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

Filming

CSI was initially shot at Rye Canyon, a corporate campus owned by Lockheed Corporations situated in the Valencia area of Santa Clarita, California. Other shows like The Unit and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have also been shot there.<ref>Rye Canyon Office Park Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

After the eleventh episode, filming shifted to the Santa Clarita Studios and only second unit photography, such as the shots of the Las Vegas streets are done on location in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Occasionally, when required the cast will also shoot on location in Las Vegas, but more often the locations will be substituted by California locations. Santa Clarita was originally chosen for its similarity to the outskirts of Las Vegas.<ref>Elyse's CSI: Filming/Locations Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref><ref>CSI-Fan.cjb.net Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> Some of the California locations include the Verdugo Hills High School, UCLA's Royce Hall, the Pasadena City Hall and, as of October 2007, the California State University, Northridge campus.<ref>IMDB CSI's locations Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref><ref>Elyse's CSI: Filming/Locations Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

On 2005, for CSI's sixth season, location again changed, and the entire soundstage was moved into the Universal Studios in Universal City, California. But even if there's no more indoor shooting in Santa Clarita, the city and the surroundings have proven so versatile that CSI still shoots some of its outdoor scenes there.<ref>CSI Files - "CSI" Moves To Universal Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref><ref>CSI Files - "The Unit" Takes Over CSI's Old Studio Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

Music

CSI's current theme song used in the United States since inception in 2000, is "Who Are You", written by Pete Townshend with vocals by Roger Daltrey of The Who<ref name="uswk"> A real reality show

. USA Weekend  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2006-09-16. </ref> as the title track of their 1978 album. The show's spinoffs also use The Who songs as their theme songs: "Won't Get Fooled Again" for CSI: Miami and "Baba O'Riley" for CSI: NY, both recorded by The Who in 1971 for their album Who's Next. This was parodied in an episode of Two and a Half Men, where a CSI parody used "Squeeze Box" as its theme. The Who's Roger Daltrey made a special appearance in a season seven episode.

All throughout the series music plays an important role, artists like The Wallflowers, John Mayer and Akon (with Obie Trice) have even performed in the show (The Accused is Entitled, Built To Kill, Part 1 and Poppin' Tags respectively). The Wallflowers' "Everybody out of the water" can even be found on the CSI soundtrack. Mogwai is often heard during the 'science bits' as does Radiohead, but many other artists have lent their music to CSI such as Rammstein, KMFDM, Kasabian, Celldweller, Sigur Rós, Rob Zombie, Avril Lavigne, Bonobo, Zero 7, IAMX, Mobb Deep, Eminem, New Order, The Black Eyed Peas, The Turtles, Depeche Mode, Evanescence, Nine Inch Nails, The Game, The Stone Roses, Electronic, Peter Gabriel, Kaila Yu, Prodigy, Gwen Stefani, Kate Bush, Placebo, The Decemberists, Pantera, Gratitude and CSI actor Eric Szmanda's friend Marilyn Manson.

Other artists have been mentioned in CSI though not played. Catherine once said of a murder that happened in a meat-packing plant "this is like that Morrissey album, Meat Is Murder" (this album is actually by The Smiths). Another example is when in a later episode Jim Brass asked a murder suspect, that started singing, if he "looked like Paula Abdul" to her.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Soundtrack was released on September 24, 2002.

Plot

The show follows the cases of the Crime Scene Investigation division of the Las Vegas Police Department, usually referred to by officers as the "Las Vegas Crime Lab". Anthony E. Zuiker chose to set the series in Las Vegas because—as mentioned in the pilot episode—that city's crime lab is the second most active in the United States, after the Federal Bureau of Investigation lab in Quantico, Virginia.<ref name="imdbtriv"> CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - trivia

. IMDb
. Amazon  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2006-09-28. </ref> The division solves crimes almost entirely through the means of forensics evidence, which may or may not come to the conclusion of a murder or accidental death. The bizarre conclusions of these cases often force one to question morals and beliefs and possibly human nature in general.

Style

Stylistically, the show has drawn favorable comparisons to Quincy and The X-Files.<ref>Slashdot - The Rise of CSI Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> The show's gadgets and occasional usage of yet-to-be-invented technology have moved the show nominally into the genre of science fiction and garnered it a 2004 Saturn Award nomination for best network television series. The series also occasionally lapses into the realm of fantasy, such as a 2006 episode, "Toe Tags" which is told from the point of view of several corpses in the CSI lab who reanimate and discuss their deaths with each other.

The series is known for its unusual camera angles, percussive editing techniques, hi-tech gadgets, detailed technical discussion, and graphic portrayal of bullet trajectories, blood spray patterns, organ damage, methods of evidence recovery (e.g. fingerprints from the inside of latex gloves), and crime reconstructions. This technique of shooting extreme close-ups, normally with explanatory commentary from one of the characters is referred to in the media as the "CSI shot". Many episodes feature lengthy scenes in which experiments, tests, or other technical work is portrayed in detail, usually with minimal sounds effects and accompanying music — a technique reminiscent of Mission: Impossible. Often the lighting, composition, and mise-en-scene elements are heavily influenced by avant-garde film<ref>CSI:Crime Scene Investigation Season 3 Part 2 DVD bonus feature "The CSI Shot: Making It Real"</ref>.

Characters

Main article: List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters

Modèle:See also

Main characters

• Dr. Gilbert Arthur "Gil" Grissom, Ph.D. (William Petersen): The night shift team supervisor for the Las Vegas CSI unit, and a forensic entomologist with a degree in biology from UCLA. Grissom was born August 17 1956.<ref>"Identity Crisis". Anthony E. Zuiker and Ann Donahue (writers) & Kenneth Fink (director). CSI. CBS. 2002-01-17. Season 2 Ep. 13.</ref> He is known for being a very thorough and methodical scientist, as well as for being a bit of a quirky introvert. Grissom was raised Catholic, and although he stops short of denying the existence of a Creator, he is devoted to his beliefs that religion is of little use in today's society and has had theological/philosophical debates with more than one member of the cloth. Gil is proficient in sign language and used to have otosclerosis (inherited from his mother) but he underwent corrective surgery.<ref>"Inside the Box". Anthony E. Zuiker and Carol Mendelsohn (writers) & Kenneth Fink (director). CSI. CBS. 2003-5-15. Season 3 Ep. 23.</ref> It has been confirmed that he has a relationship with Sara Sidle to the viewers on the sixth season finale "Way to go" and to the rest of the lab on the seventh season finale "Living Doll", when Sara was kidnapped. He proposed marriage to Sara in Season Eight Ep. 4 "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp", to which she accepts. This character is loosely based in real life criminalist Daniel Holstein.<ref>Marg Helgenberger - Interview Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

• Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger): Blood spatter analyst. She was second-in-command of the night shift for the first four seasons, assuming command when Grissom was out of town or otherwise on leave, and has often quarreled with Grissom and Ecklie when she feels her authority is compromised. She has often requested promotions or ways to spend more time with her teenage daughter. Catherine's ex-husband, Eddie, and her father, Sam, were both murdered on episodes of the program. Willows holds a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from UNLV. She supported herself through college by working as an exotic dancer. This character is loosely based in real life CSI Yolanda McCleary.<ref>Marg Helgenberger - Interview Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

• Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan): Audio-video analyst. A Las Vegas native and a chemistry major from UNLV, Brown is an audio/visual analyst. Warrick is also a recovering gambling addict which is hindered by the fact he works in Las Vegas. He was in fact gambling when new CSI Holly Gribbs was killed at a scene in CSI's first episode, and almost lost his job because of not being with her at the time. Grissom's friendship and support has helped him a great deal in overcoming his addiction. Warrick seemingly goes through life with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, rarely smiling, though he does have a deep affection for his hometown and uses his experience as a former gambler and casino runner in his investigations. Warrick was married in season six, but divorced in season eight.

• Nicholas "Nick" Stokes (George Eads): Hair and fiber analyst. An easygoing and friendly former college baseball player and fraternity member with a degree in criminal justice from Texas A&M University, Stokes is a hair and fiber analyst from Dallas, Texas. Stokes tends to "empathize instead of sympathize" with the victims, which has drawn several rebukes from others. Nick sometimes jumps to conclusions about cases before he has all the evidence.

• Det. Capt. James "Jim" Brass (Paul Guilfoyle): Homicide captain. Brass was the head of the CSI unit in Las Vegas until he was moved back to the police homicide division in the second episode. He was originally from New Jersey. He continues to work with CSI despite problems in season two with his daughter, who is a drug addict and a prostitute in Los Angeles. It was discovered in the season 2 episode Ellie that he is not Ellie's biological father. He is now captain in the homicide division and works closely with the CSI team. He is very often the one that leads questionings, and his sarcastic attitude makes these questionings darkly humorous, keeping in step with the show's feel.

• Gregory "Greg" Sanders (Season 3- ; Recurring 1-2) (Eric Szmanda): He was the newest field worker on the CSI team, first becoming a field worker in the season five episode "Who Shot Sherlock?", but Ronnie is now the newest. He idolizes Grissom, once had a crush on Sara Sidle and is known for his "wacky" behavior. He is also known for being naive about forensics field work, despite an encyclopaedic knowledge of DNA and trace analysis. Greg, a very intelligent child prodigy, grew into a man with an unconventional look and funny attitude. He is known to listen to heavy metal music such as Marilyn Manson while working, supposedly to help his concentration. Despite his rebellious image, he did not challenge Sara's assertion that he was a virgin upon entering college. He has hinted at romantic interest in numerous women, both in and out of the lab, during his tenure on the program, including a bit of a "crush-war" with Hodges over Mia Dickerson. Greg is an Eagle Scout.

• Dr. Albert "Al" Robbins (Season 3- ; Recurring 1-2) (Robert David Hall): The head county coroner. Married with three children, he is close friends with Grissom, who is often the only one who understands him, and vice versa. He has two prosthetic legs, and it has been implied that he lost them in an accident while trying to dig up a floor at a crime scene.

• David Hodges (Season 8- ; Recurring Seasons 3-7) (Wallace Langham): A lab technician who was transferred to the Las Vegas crime lab from the Los Angeles crime lab. Hodges' appearances provide some comic relief, though most of the team finds him obnoxious and irritating. He always tries to ingratiate himself to Grissom, who occasionally does acknowledge Hodges' expertise, albeit grudgingly. Hodges' first appearance was in the third season episode "Recipe for Murder", and he became billed as a regular cast member starting with the season 8 episode "Dead Doll." He had a crush on fellow lab technician Mia Dickerson, and once got all the other lab workers to collaborate (behind Grissom's back) and try to solve the miniature case, coming up with a theory which Grissom unhappily admitted was likely quite accurate.

Past main characters

• Sara Sidle (Seasons 1-Image:Cool.gif (Jorja Fox): A materials and element analyst. A physics major at Harvard University, Sidle previously worked for the San Francisco coroner and crime lab and replaced Holly Gribbs after helping investigate her death. She is completely devoted to her job and will go to almost any lengths to make sure justice is served, for both the victims and the criminals. Sara's alcoholic father used to beat her and her mother Laura, until one day Laura snapped and stabbed him to death; as a result Sara has difficulties with dealing with abuse cases against women and children in her job. Following her father's death and her mother's subsequent institutionalization, she was placed into foster care. She was engaged to co-worker Gil Grissom, which was shown in the season 8 episode "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp". In the episode "Goodbye and Good Luck," Sara leaves the team following a case in which she was forced to tell a twelve-year old girl her brother had killed himself after the girl had framed him for a murder. She did not say good bye to her fellow CSIs nor Grissom, for whom she only left a note stating she had to go face the ghosts of her past and she could not do it there.
• Detective Sofia Curtis (Season 7; Recurring 5-6) (Louise Lombard): A CSI who became part of Grissom's team after the mid-season five split, decided by the Assistant Director of the crime lab, Conrad Ecklie. She soon considered resignation, upset at the fact that she had been demoted from acting day shift supervisor. In season six, Curtis makes a career shift from CSI to detective. When considering a case or crime scene, she thinks out loud, and explains to Grissom that this is the best way for her to concentrate, to notice, to understand, and to remember everything. A recurring character in season five, Sofia became a regular character in season seven, and Louise Lombard was billed in the opening credits. Sofia appeared in the [[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season Image:Cool.gif|season eight]] premiere, "Dead Doll," but Lombard was no longer listed in the opening credits. She was, instead, billed as a "Special Guest Appearance." In the opening credits for the season eight third episode, "Go to Hell," Louise Lombard was once again billed as a main cast member. Ironically, she did not appear in the episode. She was once again removed from the opening credits in the episode fourth of the eight season and has not been listed as a main character since.

Guest stars

Aisha Tyler, Liz Vassey and Liev Schreiber have all had recurring roles in the series. Tyler played Mia Dickerson, a DNA analyst for two seasons, Vassey played Wendy Simms, also a DNA analyst, and Schreiber appeared as Grissom's short term replacement, Michael Keppler. Another popular recurring actress is Melinda Clarke, who plays Lady Heather, a diabetic who is also a brilliant and beautiful sexual-dominatrix who delved into cyber sex and owned her own brothel, all while capturing the infatuation of Grissom. The two went so far as to go to dinner together, a date which Gil ended early when he thought Lady Heather may be involved in a crime. Archie Kao has played Archie Johnson, an Audio-Video expert, since 2001.

Some of the show's more prominent guest stars include rapper Method Man, who has appeared twice as troublemaker "Drops" (whom Brass strongly dislikes); and child actress Dakota Fanning, in one of her earliest roles, as a molestation victim in the seventh episode of season one. The Who frontman Roger Daltrey guest starred as a missing mob boss who comes back to Las Vegas to "payback" his would be killers. Frank Gorshin made his last ever TV appearance in season 5 episode 24 (Grave Danger).

David Caruso, Emily Procter, and the rest of the original cast of CSI: Miami also appeared on the original series, episode 22 of season two, which was the genesis of the CSI: Miami spinoff.

Episodes

Main article: List of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episodes

There were twenty three episodes in the first season, including the two part pilot episode written by Anthony Zuiker, the series' creator. There were twenty three episodes each of the three following (Seasons two to four). There were twenty five episodes in Seasons five and twenty four in Seasons six and seven. The total number of aired episodes to date is 174.

A two part crossover episode with Without a Trace aired on November 8, 2007. The first hour was on CSI and the second hour was on Without a Trace.<ref name="crossover"> A CSI Without a Trace Crossover

. CSIfanatic.com

 

. Retrieved on 2007-07-31. </ref>

Reception

For the 2001 season CBS decided to move CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, along with the hit franchise Survivor, to Thursday night, ending NBC’s long dominance of this television hours, because even though they had a long-standing and popular Must See TV lineup (such as Friends and Will & Grace) they couldn't compete to CSI's 30 to 40 million viewers a week. CBS became the most-watched network on American television, with CSI being the most-watched program on television for the 2002–2003 TV season<ref name="bbc">"

   US crime drama tops Friends 
     
 " , BBC
 
  . Retrieved on 2006-09-16
 . </ref> and the most-watched scripted show for five consecutive seasons, from the 2002–2003 season through the 2006–2007 season. Since 2003, it is also the top-rated drama series in America and in 2007 remains among the top five programs every season (usually behind American Idol).<ref>CSI:Crime Scene Investigation - A Television Heaven Review Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

The 2004–2005 season finale, directed by Quentin Tarantino and entitled "Grave Danger", was watched by over 35 million viewers on May 19, 2005, twice that of the nearest competition.<ref>CSI Files - "CSI: Miami" & Original CSI Break Ratings Records Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>.

It the fall of 2006 ABC began airing the third season of Grey's Anatomy at the same time as CSI, prompting a TV ratings battle between the two popular shows. Grey had over 3 million more viewers than CSI in that season's premiere. Since then it has been a constant fight between the two shows, because even when CSI beats Grey in the ratings, CSI always had lower ratings among the younger viewers, the category most wanted by advertisers.<ref>NY Post - 'GREY' MATTERS Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> Some critics have said that CSI is now taking the characters into more romantic paths so as to compete with Grey, although this has been denied by Carol Mendelsohn.<ref>Chicago Tribune - The Gil and Sara show on 'CSI' Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref><ref>Chicago Tribune - A 'terrifying' romance on 'CSI' Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> Also, the fact that for the first time ever CSI ended a season with a cliffhanger (Sara Sidle trapped under a car) has been compared to Grey's Anatomy, that has ended every season with cliffhangers.<ref>Entertainment Weekly - Kiss and Tell Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> The cliffhanger resolution gave CBS its fruits since [[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (season Image:Cool.gif|season eight]] premiered with over 4 million viewers more than Grey, also winning in the young people category.<ref>Zap2it - 'CSI' Outdraws 'Grey's' Thursday Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref>

Public reaction

CSI's popularity has led to websites, online discussion forums and a large amount of fan-made art to be made, they are second in amount of fan fiction (of a TV show) in FanFiction.Net, with over 17 thousand stories, Buffy the Vampire Slayer being the first, with over 30 thousand. On September 27, 2007, after CSI's season eight premiered, a miniature model of character Gil Grissom's office (which he was seen building during season seven) was put up on eBay. The auction ended October 7th, with the prop being sold for $15,600; CBS donated the proceeds to the National CASA Association.<ref>Watching CSI Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref><ref>CBS CSI Gil Grissom’s rare office replica TV prop Retrieved on 2007-10-22.</ref>

On August 2007, upon rumors of Jorja Fox leaving the show, a grassroots campaign started.<ref>TVGuide.com - Is CSI On the Hunt for a New Jorja Fox? Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref> Organized by the online forum Your Tax Dollars At Work, many of its nineteen thousand members donated to the cause, collecting over $8,000 for gifts and stunts targeted at CBS executives and CSI's producers and writers. Some of the stunts included a wedding cake delivery to Carol Mendelsohn, 192 chocolate covered insects with the message "CSI Without Sara Bugs Us." to Naren Shankar and a plane flying several times over the Universal Studios of Los Angeles with a "Follow the evidence keep Jorja Fox on CSI" banner.<ref>Campaign Updates Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref><ref>Flyover pictures and videos Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref> Another side of the campaign includes mailing the show's producers a dollar, so as to save Fox's contract "one dollar at a time". As of October 16, according to the site's running tally, more than 20,000 letters with money or flyers have been mailed to the Universal Studios and to CBS headquarters in New York from forty-nine different countries since the campaign started on September 29.<ref>TVguide - CSI Boss Vows Jorja Fox is "Coming Back" Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref><ref>'CSI' fan says losing Sara would be a crime Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref><ref>EW.com 'CSI' Fans Launch Save Jorja Fox Campaign Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref> The money sent will allegedly go to charity. This campaign is reminiscent to CBS's Jericho fans reaction over the show being cancelled. On that occasion, fans sent over 20 tons of nuts to CBS headquarters.

Criticism

• CSI has often been criticized for the level and gratuitousness of graphic violence, images, and sexual content. The CSI series (along with its spinoff shows) have pushed the boundary of what is considered acceptable viewing for primetime network television.<ref> Pro-Family Group Outraged Over CSI "Toy"

. Mens News Daily  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2006-10-14. </ref> The series had numerous episodes on sexual fetishism and other forms of sexual pleasure; see especially the recurring character of Lady Heather, a professional dominatrix. CSI has been ranked as among the worst prime-time shows for family viewing by the Parents Television Council nearly every season since its second,<ref> Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2001-2002

. Parents Television Council  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. </ref><ref> Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2003-2004

. Parents Television Council  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. </ref><ref> Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2004-2005

. Parents Television Council  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. </ref><ref>Modèle:Cite paper</ref> being ranked the worst show for family prime-time viewing after the 2002–03<ref> Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2002–2003

. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. </ref> and 2005–06<ref> Top 10 Best and Worst Shows on Primetime Network TV 2005–2006

. Parents Television Council  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. </ref> seasons. The PTC has also targeted certain CSI episodes for its weekly "Worst TV Show of the Week" feature.<ref> Bowling , Aubree

     (2002-10-10)
   
.    Best and Worst TV Shows of the Week 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref><ref> Bowling , Aubree

     (2003-04-27)
   
.    Worst TV Show of the Week - CSI 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref><ref> Monaco , Carl

     (2003-10-30)
   
.    Worst TV Show of the Week - CSI on CBS 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref><ref> Bowling , Aubree

     (2004-11-01)
   
.    CSI - Worst Family TV Show of the Week 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref><ref> Bowling , Aubree

     (2004-11-21)
   
.    CSI - Worst Family TV Show of the Week 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref><ref name="ptc200502"> Bowling , Aubree

     (2005-02-20)
   
.    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Worst Family TV Shows of the Week 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref> In addition, the episode "King Baby" aired in February 2005, which the PTC named the most offensive TV show of the week,<ref name="ptc200502"> Bowling , Aubree

     (2005-02-20)
   
.    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Worst Family TV Shows of the Week 
. ParentsTV.org
. Parents Television Council 
   

. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. </ref> also led the PTC to start a campaign to file complaints with the FCC with the episode;<ref>CSI Content Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> to date, nearly 13,000 PTC members complained to the FCC about the episode.<ref>Broadcast Indecency Campaign Retrieved on 2007-November 28.</ref> The PTC has also asked Clorox to pull their advertisements from CSI and CSI: Miami because of the graphically violent content on those programs.<ref>Modèle:Cite press release</ref>

• Another criticism of the show is the depiction of police procedure, which is decidedly lacking in realism.<ref> Ross MacDowell

  . 
 "
   The Real CSI 
     
 " , Australian Sunday Herald
 
  . Retrieved on 2006-10-14
 . </ref> For instance, the show's characters not only investigate crime scenes (as their real-world counterparts would), but they also solve cases, which falls under the responsibility of detectives, not CSI personnel. However, some detectives are also registered CSIs, although this is exceedingly rare in actual life. CSI shares this characteristic with its UK equivalent, Silent Witness.

• Some police and district attorneys have criticized the show for giving members of the public an inaccurate perception of how police solve crimes. District attorneys state that the conviction rate in cases with little physical evidence has decreased, largely due to the influence of CSI on jury members.<ref>"

   'CSI effect' has juries wanting more evidence 
     
 " , USA Today
  , August 5, 2004
 
 . </ref> For more information, see the article CSI Effect.

• The LGBT community has criticized the show for its negative representation of LGBT characters.<ref> CSI Sensationalizes Transgender Lives

. GLAAD  
 

 

. Retrieved on 2007-07-16. </ref> However, as the majority of the non-regular characters in the show are—by the show's very nature—criminals or suspects, it is only natural that all of the aforementioned guest characters are portrayed in a less than positive light. Furthermore, the fifth season episode "Ch-Ch-Changes" was received positively by the transgender community in particular.<ref> Malinda Lo

.    CSI's Mixed Track Record on LGBT Characters 
. After Ellen 
   

. Retrieved on 2006-10-01. </ref> Furthermore, the season 5 episode "Iced" featured one of very few openly gay characters that was not a victim or criminal, as the victim's neighbour.<ref> Malinda Lo

.    CSI's Mixed Track Record on LGBT Characters 
. After Ellen 
   

. Retrieved on 2006-10-01. </ref>

Franchise

Main article: CSI franchise

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

CSI Effect

Main article: CSI Effect

The "CSI Effect" (sometimes referred to as the "CSI syndrome") is a reference to the phenomenon of popular television shows such as the CSI franchise, Law & Order, Silent Witness and Waking the Dead raising crime victims' and jury members' real-world expectations of forensic science, especially crime scene investigation and DNA testing.<ref name=csi>N. J. Schweitzer and Michael J. Saks The CSI Effect: Popular Fiction About Forensic Science Affects Public Expectations About Real Forensic Science. Jurimetrics, Spring 2007</ref> This is said to have changed the way many trials are presented today, in that prosecutors are pressured to deliver more forensic evidence in court.<ref> Mann, Michael D.

  . 
 "
   The 'CSI Effect': Better Jurors through Television and Science? 
     
 " , Buffalo Public Interest Law Journal
  , 2006
 
 . </ref><ref name=csi2>Donald E. Sheldon, Young S. Kim and Gregg Barak A Study of Juror Expectations and Demands Concerning Scientific Evidence: Does the 'CSI Effect' Exist? Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law</ref>

CSI: The Experience

Main article: CSI: The Experience

Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry opened an exhibit in CSI's honor on May 25, 2007 called: "CSI: The Experience".<ref name="CM"> CSI Stars Spend a Night at the Museum

. TVGuide.com

 

. Retrieved on 2007-05-24. </ref> There is also a supporting Web site designed for the benefit of people who cannot visit the exhibit at CSI: The Experience Web Adventure, designed by Rice University’s Center for Technology in Teaching & Learning.

The Mobile Analysis Unit

In a high profile product placement deal <ref> GMC Partners With CSI Crime Scene Investigation to CSI

. Retrieved on 2007-11-03. </ref>, General Motors donated two GMC Yukon XL Denalis to the Los Angeles and Las Vegas police departments. The same model vehicles were modified and used on the show as the "Mobile Analysis Unit", or MAU, in the same episode directed by Tarantino, the season five finale "Grave Danger". The vehicles were given a six inch height difference from stock models, allowing the trunk lid to be used by the characters as a rain shield, and the rear bay and third-row area as a mobile lab, complete with notebook computers, equipment drawers and storage. <ref name="CSI Files"> The Yukon XL Denali Joins the Cast of CSI

. CSIFiles.com

 

. Retrieved on 2007-08-26. </ref><ref>IMCDB.org "CSI: Crime Scne Ivestigaion, 2000-2007" Retrieved on 2007-11-06.</ref>

U.S. television ratings

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

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

   CBS Wins Season 
     
 " , E!Online
  , May 25, 2001
 
 . </ref>

. IMDB
. amazon  
 

 

.    TV Season Wraps; 'CSI' Rules 
. E! Online 
   

Awards and nominations

Awards

Emmy:

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

Big Brother Award

• Austria 2007 in the category of communication and marketing: The jury stated among other things, "The CSI television series present computer surveillance, DNA-analysis and the overthrow of civil rights in an uncritical, trivialized and dangerously onesided kind of way".

Nominations

Emmy:

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

DVD releases

Region 1 DVD releases

The US box sets are distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, while the Canadian box sets are distributed by Alliance Atlantis.

Region 2/4 DVD releases

Region 2 and 4 DVD releases have followed a pattern whereby each season is progressively released in two parts (each of 11 or 12 episodes, with special features split up) before finally being sold as a single box set. After being almost 12 months behind the region 2 releases for a while now, the region 4 releases are speeding up, with distributors foregoing the usual release pattern of "Part 1, Part 2, Complete Series" for season 5 and simply releasing it as a complete box set.

Region 2

Region 4

Online sales

See also

• CSI franchise
• CSI: Miami
• CSI: NY

References

External links

Modèle:Wikiquote

• CSI Official wiki at CBS
• "CSI" at Yahoo! TV
• CSI: The Experience
• CSI:Web Adventures
• WatchingCSI
• Full episodes of CSI
• CSI at TVGuide.com

Modèle:CSI franchise Modèle:CSI: Crime Scene Investigationbg:От местопрестъплението cs:Kriminálka Las Vegas da:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation de:CSI: Den Tätern auf der Spur et:CSI: Kriminalistid es:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fr:Les Experts (série télévisée) gl:CSI ko:CSI과학수사대 it:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation he:CSI lt:CSI: Kriminalistai hu:Helyszínelők nl:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ja:CSI:科学捜査班 no:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation pl:Kryminalne zagadki Las Vegas pt:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ru:CSI: Место преступления sk:C.S.I.: Kriminálka Las Vegas fi:CSI sv:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation th:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation tr:CSI: Las Vegas uk:CSI: Місце злочину zh:CSI犯罪现场