CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (referred to as CSI, also known as CSI: Las Vegas) is an
American crime drama television series that premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The
show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It is filmed
primarily at Universal Studios in Universal City, California.

The series follows Las Vegas criminalists (identified as "Crime Scene

Investigators") working for the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD)
(instead of the actual title of "Crime Scene Analysts" and "Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department" (LVMPD))[1] as they use physical
evidence to solve murders, which has inspired a host of other cop-show
"procedurals". The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and
character-driven drama. The network later added spin-offs CSI: Miami and
CSI: NY, both of which were canceled after ten and nine seasons
respectively. On February 18, 2014, CBS also announced plans to launch
another spin-off, this time based in Quantico, Virginia, called CSI: Cyber.
The pilot aired on April 30, 2014, as an episode of CSI, called "Kitty".[2]

Actor Character Position

Ted Danson D.B. Russell Head of Crime Lab - CSI Level III - Night-Shift Supervisor

Elisabeth Shue Julie Finlay CSI Level III - Asst. Night-Shift Supervisor

George Eads Nick Stokes Senior CSI Level III

Jorja Fox Sara Sidle Senior CSI Level III

Eric Szmanda Greg Sanders CSI Level III

Robert David Hall Al Robbins Chief Medical Examiner

Wallace Langham David Hodges Trace Technician

David Berman Dr. David Phillips Assistant Medical Examiner

Elisabeth Harnois Morgan Brody CSI Level II

Jon Wellner Henry Andrews Toxicology/DNA Technician

CSI has been recognized as the most popular dramatic series

internationally by the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo, which has
awarded it the "International Television Audience Award (Best Television
Drama Series)" three times.[3][4] Its worldwide audience was estimated
to be over 73.8 million viewers in 2009.[4] In 2012, the show was named
the most watched show in the world for the fifth time.[5] CSI has been
nominated multiple times for industry awards and has won nine awards
during its history. The program has spawned several media projects
including an exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, a series
of books, several video games, and two additional TV shows. It has
reached milestone episodes, such as the 100th, "Ch-Ch-Changes", the
150th, "Living Legend", which starred Roger Daltrey from The Who,
performers of the show's theme song, the 200th, "Mascara" (aired on April
2, 2009), the 250th, "Cello and Goodbye" (on May 5, 2011), and the
300th, "Frame by Frame" (on October 23, 2013).

Production

Overview

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer

Television and CBS Productions, which became CBS Paramount Television
in the fall of 2006, and CBS Television Studios three years later. Formerly a
co-production with the now-defunct Alliance Atlantis Communications, that
company's interest in the series is now[when?] owned by investment firm
GS Capital Partners, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.[7] CBS acquired AAC's
international distribution rights to the program, though the non-US DVD
distribution rights did not change (for example, Momentum Pictures
continues to own UK DVD rights).

Concept and development

During the 1990s, Anthony Zuiker caught producer Jerry Bruckheimer's

attention after writing his first movie script; he 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 spec script and presented it to ABC, NBC and Fox executives, who
decided to pass. The head of drama development at CBS saw potential in
the script, and 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 that they decided to include it in their 2000
schedule immediately, airing on Fridays after The Fugitive. Initially it was
thought that CSI would benefit from The Fugitive (a remake of the 1960s
series), which was expected to be a hit, but by the end of the year 2000,
CSI had a much larger audience.[12]

Plot

In Las Vegas, forensic investigators are trained to solve crimes by

examining the evidence. They are on the case 24/7, scouring the scene,
collecting the evidence, and finding the missing pieces that will solve the
mystery. Originally lead by Gil Grissom, as CSI Supervisor for the grave
shift, now D.B. Russell comes to the team after heading the Seattle Crime
Lab. He's a family man and scientist, but not a nerd. Son of hippie parents,
he's a "Left Coast" Sherlock Holmes who devours crime novels and looks
at every crime scene as if it were a story waiting to be told. Other
members include new CSI Julie Finlay, a blood pattern expert, who
previously worked with Russell in Seattle; Nick Stokes, the conscience of
the team, often driven by his emotional connection to the victim to always
get the job done; Sara Sidle, the moral compass of the team who is
relentless in her pursuit of criminals; Greg Sanders, once an off-beat tech
analyst and now an experienced and intuitive crime solver; and Morgan
Brody, an exile from the Los Angeles Crime Lab and the daughter of
Sheriff Ecklie. She's a natural born investigator who still has a lot to learn
about politics and family. The CSI team members also work closely with
Captain Jim Brass, a seasoned detective and protector of CSI, sometimes
to a fault; Dr. Albert Robbins, the ever-professional medical examiner; his
wise-cracking assistant, David Phillips; David Hodges, a tech of many
talents who often rubs people the wrong way, but never fails to deliver,
and his long suffering colleague and rival Henry Andrews, who jointly
works in the lab as both a toxicologist and DNA technician.
Music

From the start, CSI's theme song has been "Who Are You", written by Pete
Townshend who plays Gibson SG with vocals by lead singer Roger Daltrey
of The Who. Daltrey made a special appearance in the Season 7 episode
"Living Legend", which also contained many musical references such as
the words "Who's next" on a dry erase board in the episode's opening
sequence. In certain countries, to avoid music licensing fees, a unique
theme was used instead.

Throughout the series, music has played an important role; artists like The
Wallflowers, John Mayer, and Akon (with Obie Trice) have performed
onscreen in the episodes "The Accused Is Entitled", "Built To Kill, Part 1",
and "Poppin' Tags", respectively. The Wallflowers' "Everybody out of the
Water" can be found on the CSI soundtrack CD. Mogwai is often heard
during scenes showing forensic tests in progress as are Radiohead and
Cocteau Twins, but several other artists have lent their music to CSI
including Rammstein and Linkin Park—used heavily in Lady Heather's
story arc. Sigur Rós can be heard playing in the background in the episode
"Slaves of Las Vegas", The Turtles in "Grave Danger", and Marilyn Manson
in "Suckers". A cover of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World", arranged by
Michael Andrews and featuring vocals by Gary Jules, was used in the pilot
episode and during three episodes of season six ("Room Service", "Killer",
and "Way to Go"). Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails have also been
featured multiple times throughout the three series. One episode started
with The Velvet Underground's excited rendition of "Sweet Jane" and
ended with the downbeat version of Cowboy Junkies' revision of the song.
Ozzy Osbourne was featured, along with the music of Black Sabbath, in
the thirteenth season finale entitled "Skin in the Game".

Episode Guide

Season Episodes First aired

1 23 October 6, 2000

2 23 September 27, 2001

3 23 September 26, 2002

4 23 September 25, 2003

5 25 September 23, 2004

6 24 September 22, 2005

7 24 September 21, 2006

8 17 September 27, 2007

9 24 October 9, 2008

10 23 September 24, 2009

11 22 September 23, 2010

12 22 September 21, 2011

13 22 September 26, 2012

14 22 September 25, 2013

15 18 September 28, 2014