'CSI' -- Its success is elementary
By Dave Mason, Scripps Howard News Service | Posted: Thursday, October 09, 2003
It's elementary, my dear Watson; there's still room for Sherlock Holmes on TV.
The value of deductive reasoning stands out in Thursday's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which remains TV's highest-rated series.
A mummified corpse brings something unusual to the story, but armchair detectives should look for something more common in solving the case.
The importance of simple pieces of evidence is emphasized in the episode, airing at 9 p.m (EDT). Thursday on CBS.
This week's episode shows why "CSI" is succeeding as it defies Hollywood trends.
"CSI" leans more toward realism than melodrama, and at a time when viewers are bombarded by the soap opera twists in reality shows, that's refreshing. The ratings show viewers agree.
The two-hour Sept. 18 season premiere of "Survivor: Pearl Islands" did top the ratings, but "CSI," preempted by "Survivor," didn't air that week.
Today's "CSI" features three cases: a dead woman found mummified by the summer heat in her home, a break-in at a family's house and a young boy who shoots himself in the foot with a gun he found in his yard. The mystery is how the gun got there.
Watch Catherine Willows (Emmy winner Marg Helgenberger) carefully as she solves the gun case. Her actions might puzzle viewers, but it'll all make sense in the end.
The mummified woman case shows the slow but effective approach by investigator Gil Grissom (star and co-executive producer William Petersen). In the same case, investigator Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) shows his knack for making deductions.
And the break-in case, which features unexpected twists, shows the scientific approaches by investigators Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) and Nick Stokes (George Eads).
While this episode focuses on evidence, it's also about how fear can deter victims from helping the police. The guest stars, including Stephen Root ("NewsRadio"), do a great job of providing the episode's emotional context, and you'll end up empathizing with their characters.
The popularity of "CSI" has led TV to again stress the police genre.
In trying to repeat the show's success, CBS has launched "Cold Case," which focuses on solving old cases, and "Navy CIS," in which civilian investigators look into homicides involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
The USA network this summer launched "Peacemakers"; it's basically "CSI" set in the Old West. And ABC is now airing two new series: "10-8," about Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, and "Karen Sisco," about a U.S. marshal (Sisco, played by Carla Gugino of the "Spy Kids" movies) in Miami.
And while it's not a police drama per se, "Joan of Arcadia" has made the family's father, Will Girardi (Joe Mantegna), the police chief.
ABC's "L.A. Dragnet" and CBS' "The District" are competing with each other at 10 p.m. Saturdays. And the three "Law & Order" shows remain popular on NBC.
But "CSI" has set the standard in stories that follow the evidence, however simple and common.
The value of deductive reasoning stands out in Thursday's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which remains TV's highest-rated series.
A mummified corpse brings something unusual to the story, but armchair detectives should look for something more common in solving the case.
The importance of simple pieces of evidence is emphasized in the episode, airing at 9 p.m (EDT). Thursday on CBS.
This week's episode shows why "CSI" is succeeding as it defies Hollywood trends.
"CSI" leans more toward realism than melodrama, and at a time when viewers are bombarded by the soap opera twists in reality shows, that's refreshing. The ratings show viewers agree.
The two-hour Sept. 18 season premiere of "Survivor: Pearl Islands" did top the ratings, but "CSI," preempted by "Survivor," didn't air that week.
Today's "CSI" features three cases: a dead woman found mummified by the summer heat in her home, a break-in at a family's house and a young boy who shoots himself in the foot with a gun he found in his yard. The mystery is how the gun got there.
Watch Catherine Willows (Emmy winner Marg Helgenberger) carefully as she solves the gun case. Her actions might puzzle viewers, but it'll all make sense in the end.
The mummified woman case shows the slow but effective approach by investigator Gil Grissom (star and co-executive producer William Petersen). In the same case, investigator Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) shows his knack for making deductions.
And the break-in case, which features unexpected twists, shows the scientific approaches by investigators Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) and Nick Stokes (George Eads).
While this episode focuses on evidence, it's also about how fear can deter victims from helping the police. The guest stars, including Stephen Root ("NewsRadio"), do a great job of providing the episode's emotional context, and you'll end up empathizing with their characters.
The popularity of "CSI" has led TV to again stress the police genre.
In trying to repeat the show's success, CBS has launched "Cold Case," which focuses on solving old cases, and "Navy CIS," in which civilian investigators look into homicides involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
The USA network this summer launched "Peacemakers"; it's basically "CSI" set in the Old West. And ABC is now airing two new series: "10-8," about Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, and "Karen Sisco," about a U.S. marshal (Sisco, played by Carla Gugino of the "Spy Kids" movies) in Miami.
And while it's not a police drama per se, "Joan of Arcadia" has made the family's father, Will Girardi (Joe Mantegna), the police chief.
ABC's "L.A. Dragnet" and CBS' "The District" are competing with each other at 10 p.m. Saturdays. And the three "Law & Order" shows remain popular on NBC.
But "CSI" has set the standard in stories that follow the evidence, however simple and common.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
