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CSI (franchise)

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The term "CSI franchise" is commonly used to describe a number of related American television programs created by Anthony E. Zuiker and originally broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and crimes committed.

Overview

As the shows are shown in 200 countries with an audience of 2 billion people,[1] 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%.[2] 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. "People were rushing to us for their comfort food. There was a sense of justice in CSI – 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."[1]

Series

There are now three series, the second and third launched with a crossover/pilot episode.

Documentaries

Because of the popularity of the CSI franchise in the United Kingdom Channel Five created two documentaries about CSI.

The first one called The Real CSI follows real Crime Scene Investigators as they work on Crime Scenes.

The second documentry entitled True CSI features true tales of how forensic science has helped solve some 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 ITV broadcast a special of its flagship documentary Tonight With Trevor Macdonald 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.

Crossovers

Crossovers are possible between CSI series, as well as with other programs within the same creative stable.

Between series

The baton is passed to the new CSI series via a crossover/pilot and cases have overlapped and personnel have been shared. Such episodes include:

Other shows

There are a family of police procedural programs on CBS (some produced by Jerry Bruckheimer) which could be crossed over with CSI or set in the same fictional universe. Currently the crossovers include:

Soundtrack

The title songs are all performed by The Who:

Spin-offs

Comics

Main article: CSI (comic book)

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

Computer games

Main article: CSI (video games)

The CSI Franchise has spawned a number of computer games, with four based around the Las Vegas team and a fifth set in Miami.

Websites

The website onthescenenews.com mentioned in the episode Bloodline, Series 5 episode 9, is a 'secret' website containing extra footage from the show.

Exhibition

Main article: CSI: The Experience

Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry opened an exhibit in CSI's honor on May 25, 2007 called: "CSI: The Experience".[4]There is also a game on the website were you are trained in forensic biology, weapons and tool mark analyses, toxicology and the autopsy.

Magazine

Titan Magazines will start publishing CSI Magazine in mid November, 2007. It will contain a mix of features and interviews looking into the world of CSI and the people who help create it.[5] It will initially be available in the UK[6] and US.[7]

Novels

Main article: CSI (novels)

Various novelizations have appeared based on the series. Authors include Max Allan Collins (CSI), Donn Cortez (CSI: Miami) and Stuart M. Kaminsky (CSI: NY).

Partwork

A CSI partwork, CSI: The DVD Collection,[8] was produced by Ge Fabbri[9], which was a fortnightly serialization of the series on DVD with an accompanying magazine which looked at the cast, characters, episodes featured on the DVD and general forensic techniques.

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, have released a statement specifically aimed at the toys:[10]

In an e-mail to supporters on Tuesday, PTC said this kind of content is 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 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."

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

In popular culture

There are numerous references to CSI including:

File:Csi-wizard-of-oz.jpg
Bizarro's CSI:OZ
  • "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife", an episode of The Simpsons in which Homer gives an outline of his perception of a typical CSI: Miami plot "There's this guy that got killed; I think it was in Miami, so CSI: Miami investigated, then a family said how much they love the Olive Garden; then I fell asleep. When I woke up, Letterman was talking to Alias."[11]
  • On the 2003 episode of South Park Lil' Crime Stoppers, the boys give a theory to who might have stolen a woman's pie that's, without justification, very violent and complicated. This theory includes a husband dismembering his wife in a bathtub and getting rid of the torso by throwing it into a lake, all this is shown in a way similar to that of CSI's crime reenactments. In shock the woman screams "Oh my God, what kind of television have you guys been watching?!"
  • In the pilot episode of the UK sci-fi show Torchwood (a spin-off from Doctor Who), "Everything Changes", PC Gwen Cooper and her partner Andy discuss whether the mysterious Torchwood team are DNA experts with Andy saying how he would like to see a CSI: Cardiff, where the investigators would measure the velocity of a flying kebab.
File:Csi-topeka.jpg
Hallmark's CSI:Topeka
  • A segment on Sesame Street goes by the name of RSI: Rhyme Scene Investigation.
  • In the pilot episode Yankee White, an airport security guard asks Special Agent Tony DiNozzo if NCIS is "anything like CSI"; DiNozzo's curt reply is "only if you're dyslexic". It is unclear whether this is a reference to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or to crime scene investigators in general. Actor Gerald McCullouch, who plays ballistics expert Bobby Dawson on CSI, also appears in the episode as an FBI agent.
  • In the episode One Shot, One Kill, DiNozzo and Caitlin Todd are collecting evidence in a toy shop (a sniper's bullet had punched through the wall from the neighbouring USMC recruitment office); the shop clerk observes that "That's not how they do it on CSI", much to Tony's annoyance. This is patently a reference to the CSI TV show, dispelling theories that the two shows might exist in the same fictional universe.
  • In the episode Witch Hunt (S04 E06), DiNozzo and Gibbs storm into a halloween fancy dress party where they are taken to be in-costume and greeted by a giant carrot with the words "Great group costume guys, but you spelt 'CSI' wrong on your hats!". Gibbs responds by pinning the carrot to the wall while DiNozzo comments "It's not easy being a root vegetable". Again, it is unclear whether this is a reference to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or to crime scene investigators in general, though the fancy dress element may suggest the former.
  • On 2005 Hallmark Cards released a controversial card where they made fun of the Kansas capital Topeka while spoofing CSI. The card implies that Topeka is a city where people die of boredom. Many Topekans where rather offended by this implications.[12]
File:CSIcookiejar.jpg
Hi and Lois's CSI:Cookie Jar
  • CSI was parodied on the Lenny Henry show under the name ForenSIC: UK, with Henry playing a Grissom parody by the name of Dagger. The parody also used a CSI-like opening and The Who's 'Who Are You?' as its theme.
  • There's also a reference to CSI in the August 23 of 2007 edition of The Wichita Eagle, when in the comic strip Hi and Lois, Lois Flagstone discovers that it was her son that took a cookie from the cookie jar.
  • In the sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV one episode pokes fun at the many CSI spinoffs with "CSI: Greater Greensborough Tricounty Area," in which detectives played by Bill Engvall and Jeff Foxworthy investigate the shooting death of a deer.

Further reading

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

  • "CSI" Companion (by Mike Flaherty and Corinne Marrinan, 302 pages, Pocket Books, September 2004, ISBN 0743467418)
  • Ultimate "CSI": Crime Scene Investigation (by Corinne Marrinan and Steve Parker, 144 pages, Dorling Kindersley, October 2006, ISBN 1405316721)
  • Investigating "CSI" (by Donn Cortez, 240 pages, Smart Pop series, BenBella Books, December 2006, ISBN 1932100938)

Literary & Other Precedents

See the Brother Cadfael novels and short stories written by the late Edith Pargeter under the name "Ellis Peters" and their television adaptations starring Sir Derek Jacobi and the Kay Scarpetta novels written by Patricia Cornwell.

See also the Canadian TV series Wojeck, the American TV series Quincy, ME starring Jack Klugman, and the Canadian TV series Da Vinci's Inquest.

References

  1. ^ a b CSI: The cop show that conquered the world The Independent, April 22, 2007
  2. ^ Want a career in forensics? Here's some hard evidence, The Guardian, March 29, 2007
  3. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997926/
  4. ^ "CSI Stars Spend a Night at the Museum". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  5. ^ The Official 'CSI' Magazine Hits Newsstands, CSI Files, October 30, 2007
  6. ^ CSI Magazine (UK)
  7. ^ CSI Magazine (UK)
  8. ^ CSI: The DVD Collection main page
  9. ^ GE Fabbri page on CSI: The DVD Collection
  10. ^ "Pro-Family Group Outraged Over CSI "Toy"". Mens News Daily. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
  11. ^ "Homer Simpson, This is Your Wife". TV.com. CNET. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
  12. ^ City leaders aren't laughing at card, The Topeka Capital-Journal, September 30, 2005
  13. ^ http://www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/CSI/
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