CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) is a media franchise of American television series created by Anthony E. Zuiker.
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 Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Crime Scene Analysts Daniel Holstein and Yolanda McClary.
Miami stars David Caruso and Emily Procter, with its lead character, Horatio Caine, based upon Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) bomb squad technician Detective John Haynes.
The lead character, Avery Ryan, was inspired by cyber-psychologist Mary Aiken, who was attached to the series as a producer.
[5] In 2020, CBS began considering a limited series revival featuring original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation cast members, William Petersen and Jorja Fox.
Five television series make up the CSI franchise: Crime Scene Investigation, Miami, NY, Cyber, and Vegas.
[7] Various spin-offs have been developed to cater for the market including novels, comic books, and computer games.
[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].
Crime lab The Miami CSIs were firstly, stationed out of a broom closet next to the MDPD's bull pen.
The New York team are equally scientists and detectives, and frequently use criminal profiling (as well as evidence and theories) to solve cases.
The crimes the New York CSI team face (other than the standard murders, attempted murders, kidnappings, and rapes) include organized crime activity involving the Italian Mafia, street-gang violence, and ethnic, cultural, and ability differences.
The lab houses Mac's office, a locker room, the autopsy suite, and specialist forensic laboratories.
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.
Due to their nomadic nature the team are often seen interviewing suspects at various FBI field offices and police departments.
[65] There is also a game on the website where you are trained in forensic biology, weapons and tool mark analyses, toxicology and the autopsy.
The Parents Television Council, who have complained about CSI in general, in 2004 released a statement specifically aimed at the toys.
[68] 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 title was parody of the CSI franchise but replaced the glamorous US locations with a sleepy English town.
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.
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.