Summary

• CSI innovated crime procedurals by focusing on scientific experts instead of traditional detectives, filling a unique niche.
• Realism in cases and investigations elevated the show's authority, shaping cultural perceptions of forensic storytelling.
• The show's attention to detailed forensics, innovative lighting, and memorable characters set a new standard for crime dramas.

The crime procedural is one of the most popular genres of television, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation consistently innovated the formula better than any other offerings on TV. This is thanks to the unique perspective the show brings through its choice of investigators and crimes. Focusing on the scientific experts instead of the detectives offered a unique opportunity for CSI to fill a much-needed niche. Instead of chasing down criminals, CSI makes long nights spent in the lab just as thrilling.

Not only was the original series a success but so were its spin-offs, which incurred many CSI crossover episodes and events. While these spin-offs weren't carbon copies, they did owe their existence to the path that the original show cleared. However, not only do the spin-offs take a page out of CSI's handbook. Almost every crime procedural since the show's premiere has borrowed or stolen the parts of the series that made it stand out. However, CSI was the first and best at many of the iconic features it is known for.

Watch CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on Hulu, Paramount+, or Prime Video.

8 Realism Of Cases And Investigations

Incorporating real techniques of forensic science and investigating.

CSI is a fictional TV show, so it naturally takes some liberties with dramatization and the scientists' abilities. However, many of the crimes and techniques used by the CSIs are based on real police work. This authority is elevated by the show's overall tone, which leans toward realism rather than out-of-this-world storytelling. Much of what CSI portrays as the work of real lab technicians has seeped into the cultural mindset about what investigation is and how TV should interact with it.

CSI isn't always completely accurate, but when compared to its successors, it's practically a masterclass in how evidence is processed. Each character has their own expertise that comes into play depending on the crime. Gil Grissom (William Petersen) specializes in entomology and is the supervisor for the lab until season 9. Additionally, his second-in-command, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger), is an expert in blood spatter analysis. Incorporating professionals with different skill sets is crucial to any successful case.

7 Analysis Of Evidence

How the characters examine evidence is crucial for the plot.

At the heart of all the best CSI cases isn't a hard-boiled detective with something to prove but a group of curious people looking for a hidden connection and the final piece of an unsolvable puzzle. The series doesn't concern itself with getting inside the criminal's mind or breaking down doors. Instead, it looks objectively at the physical evidence and concrete facts. However, this also opens the door to what it means when the analysts themselves have a subjective point of view and get emotionally attached to cases.

CSI Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), who is well-known for her contentious romantic relationship with Grissom throughout the series, gets overly involved whenever there's a case that includes violence against women.

CSI also shines in its juxtaposition between the hard line of science and the emotional perspectives of its characters. Though they deal primarily with physical truths, it doesn't stop them from reacting to the violence they see daily. CSI Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), who is well-known for her contentious romantic relationship with Grissom throughout the series, gets overly involved whenever there's a case that includes violence against women. Although she might try to step over the line in these instances, it's her work as an analyst that will get the job done.

6 Focus On Forensics

Instead of solely looking at criminal investigations through the eyes of detectives.

Every crime procedural has its own spin on the genre, but before CSI, none had considered that forensics could be as compelling as boots-on-the-ground fieldwork. Brute force takes a back seat in CSI, and the intricate details make or break a case's success. Since CSI, few shows have given much time or thought to lab work, and results from the lab are something that the detectives have to wait for, only hindering their investigation. CSI showed that these results take time to process and aren’t an afterthought. This has made technical language work its way into the cultural vernacular.

5 Innovative Lighting And Cinematography

Clever use of darkness and handheld camerawork.

CSI revolutionized the gritty style of crime dramas and frequently used fantastic creatives to step in and direct various episodes of a season. Notably, Quentin Tarantino directed two forgotten CSI episodes. They are some of the best of the series and the most intense. The visual style of the lab differed from crime scenes, which differed from interrogations, making each segment of the show feel unique but cohesive enough to work. This is effective because it places the audience within the world of the show, making it easier to relate to the characters and understand the choices they make.

4 Introduced The “Graveyard Shift”

Working long, late hours raised the stakes and increased tension.

One of the thrusts of CSI is that it's a full-time job with no rest or breaks. The analysts could be called in at a moment's notice and must be ready to put their skills to the test. Grissom was the night shift supervisor, and since the most gruesome crimes happen at night, his job was the most coveted and grueling. Long hours remind the audience that the characters do this every day, building empathy. Additionally, the use of darkness is inherently frightening, making the investigations carry more weight with every flicker of light.

3 Utilizing Its Setting To The Fullest Extent

Las Vegas provides plenty of intrigue and opportunity for exciting conflict.

CSI: Vegas saw the return of Gil and Sara in the recent reboot, as well as the show's Nevada roots. It continues the trend of using Las Vegas as much as possible, using the city as a character instead of a backdrop. There are some procedurals whose settings are only incidental and aren't used as a point of interest. Setting the show in Las Vegas opens the door to every type of person from all walks of life, a crucial element for any procedural.

If CSI had only focused on the murders of certain types of people with the same kind of criminal every time, it would have quickly grown stale. Instead, it grew in scope and ability as the seasons progressed because the city and its dangers felt real. It's also through the setting that CSI capitalized on its trademark use of juxtaposition. The glitz and glamour of the casinos shine even more brightly when placed next to a grizzly murder.

2 Memorable And Distinct Characters

The long-lasting characters are defined by much more than their archetypes.

Running for sixteen seasons, CSI had many characters who left before the ending, which meant the series had to work quickly to establish character dynamics and development. In procedurals, it's easy to let the plots carry the show and make character arcs a lower priority, but CSI doesn't do that. Though their home lives are hidden and romances only happen between coworkers, there are enough subtle moments to clarify their motivations. Additionally, this makes the loss of any character all the more impactful. Some procedurals kill off characters frequently, but CSI never uses a main character's death as a spectacle.

1 Juggling Multiple Storylines

Instead of having weak B plots or only one storyline.

Another way that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation makes its characters individuals is by having them show their strengths in different ways across multiple cases at once. There is often one central crime that the lead team takes on in the episode and then a secondary investigation that the remaining CSIs take on. The lead group varies but almost always incorporates Gil Grissom, Sara Sidle, and Catherine Willows, three standby characters in the show.

Instead of relegating the secondary storylines to misadventures or petty personal dramas, they were a fully developed stand-alone mystery.

Many series struggle to make their B and C plots as compelling as their main plot, but the show never encountered this problem. This is because, instead of relegating the secondary storylines to misadventures or petty personal dramas, they were a fully developed stand-alone mystery. Creating not one but two crimes that were interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged is no small feat. Few, if any, shows have been able to make every moment of their show as compelling and vital as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.