CSI: Miami

CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami title card
Format	Crime Drama
Created by	Anthony E. Zuiker Carol Mendelsohn Ann Donahue
Starring	David Caruso Emily Procter Adam Rodriguez Jonathan Togo Rex Linn Eva LaRue Megalyn Echikunwoke
Opening theme	Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	7
No. of episodes	151 (List of episodes)
Production
Running time	40–45 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	CBS
Picture format	480i (SDTV), 1080i (HDTV)
Original run	May 9, 2002 (on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) September 23, 2002 – present
Chronology
Related shows	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: NY
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

CSI: Miami is a spin-off of the CBS network series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The series is an American crime drama television series that trails the investigations of a team of Miami forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and other crimes. The pilot episode was first broadcast on May 9, 2002 as an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and six seasons have been aired. CSI: Miami currently airs on Mondays, at 10:00 p.m. on CBS. In Canada, the show airs on CTV at 8:00 p.m. CSI: Miami is produced in partnership with the Canadian media company Alliance Atlantis and CBS Paramount Television.

CSI: Miami is the only show in the CSI franchise to have crossed over with both CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: NY, but is the only one out of the three who has yet to crossover with a series outside of the franchise. CSI: Miami has also crossed over CSI: NY on more than one occasion.

The show has been heavily criticized—almost since its debut—by police and district attorneys, who feel CSI: Miami portrays an inaccurate image of how police solve crimes, and by the Parents Television Council, who note the level and gratuitousness of graphic violence, images and sexual content seen on the show. Nevertheless, CSI: Miami became the most-watched show in the World.

On May 14, 2008, CBS renewed the show for a seventh season. Season 7 started airing September 22, 2008 on CBS.

The show is now in syndication and reruns are currently broadcast in high definition on A&E.

Production

CSI: Miami is filmed primarily in the United States. Location shots are filmed in the South Florida/Miami-Dade area, while indoor scenes are shot at Raleigh Manhattan Studios in Manhattan Beach, California. Some scenes, mainly outdoor, are filmed mostly in Long Beach, California, as well as portions of Manhattan Beach. Beach areas of Downtown Long Beach are often used for other outdoor scenes: Marina Green Park, Rainbow Lagoon Park. The newly constructed high-rise condos there give the presence of being in Miami. The sculptured walkway paying tribute to the old Pike Roller Coaster can be seen in the background in the episode "Under The Influence" (original air date 10/04/04; there, Alexx and Horatio investigate a body found on Shoreline Drive, a street made famous by the Long Beach Grand Prix).

Other locations of Long Beach are used such as the Naples district, where its canals and upscale homes with large boat docks and palm trees give a feel of Miami.

In the early episodes, and gradually through to the present day, there would be a sighting of a mobile news van from CBS' Miami affiliate WFOR-TV Channel 4 and(nowadays) microphones and news vans from cross-state rival WINK-TV, based in Fort Myers; a similar idea was used throughout the entire 12-year run of another CBS crime drama, Hawaii Five-O, when a news van from CBS' long-time Honolulu station KGMB Channel 9 was used in a few episodes as well. However this idea wasn't used on the other "CSI:" shows (Las Vegas is covered by KLAS-TV Channel 8, and New York is covered by WCBS Channel 2).

Music

Like CSI: and CSI: NY, CSI: Miami uses a song by The Who ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as its theme song. The lyrics were written by Pete Townshend, with vocals by Roger Daltrey, from The Who's 1971 album, Who's Next.

All throughout the series music plays an important role, with popular music often playing during the course of an episode. Musicians and groups whose music has been used on the show include Akon,Young Jeezy, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paul Oakenfold, Audioslave, Juno Reactor, Nine Inch Nails, Boards of Canada, Ill Niño, Sigur Rós, Prince, Oasis, M.I.A., Seal, Damien Rice, Lemon Jelly, Eminem, Chamillionaire, Mogwai, Drowning Pool, Black Eyed Peas, the Chemical Brothers, Finger Eleven, Kylie Minogue, Papa Roach, Interpol, Chronic Future, Death Cab for Cutie, Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse, Kasabian, FC Kahuna, Linkin Park, Paolo Nutini, Evanescence, Paddy Casey, Aqualung, Lupe Fiasco, The Hives and many more.

Crew

Creators: Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, and Ann Donahue
Executive Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Anthony E. Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Jonathan Littman, Danny Cannon, Nancy Miller, Sam Strangis

Plot

Like the original CSI, CSI: Miami is a police procedural about a team of forensic scientists. It is set in present-day Miami-Dade County (which mainly includes unincorporated Miami-Dade, as well as Miami, Kendall, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Opa-Locka, Key Biscayne, etc.).

The team investigates mysterious and unusual deaths to determine who killed whom and why, and also solves other serious crimes (such as rape or kidnapping). In seasons one and two the show had two cases per episode just like its sister shows but from season three onward the show frequently focuses on a single case in each episode, or an investigation branched off from the main case (for example, episode 305, 'Legal,' in which a homicide in a nightclub is solved by Wolfe and Calleigh, while Horatio and Delko crack a prostitution ring being run by the nightclub's owner), as opposed to the two-cases-per-episode storytelling of its sister shows, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and CSI: NY. Many of its characters have appeared on all three CSI related shows because of the two-part episodes.

Characters

Main characters

Main article: List of CSI: Miami characters

• MDPD CSI Lieutenant: Horatio Caine (David Caruso): the head of the Miami-Dade crime lab, a former NYPD homicide detective, a forensic analyst, and former bomb squad officer. In "Losing Face" (season 1, episode 2), Caine revealed that everything he knew had been taught to him by his good friend and mentor, Al Humphreys (played by Lou Beatty, Jr.), who is killed by an explosion while trying to defuse a bomb in the episode. Several of his coworkers and subordinates affectionately refer to him as "H". Horatio is known to be very protective of his team, often going out of his way to assist them when needed. Horatio was briefly married to Eric Delko's sister, Marisol (Alana de la Garza); the marriage ended when she was murdered by a Mala Noche sniper. As of the sixth season, Horatio has discovered that he has a sixteen-year-old son named Kyle (from an affair he had had while working undercover, under the name of John Walden), who when they first met was going to be tried as an adult for kidnapping. His mother paid off the star witness, and the episode ends with Kyle choosing his mother, saying, "I have to give her a chance." He is an outstanding marksman, and does not hesitate to use deadly force when the situation calls for it. He also very often goes to extraordinary lengths to save evidence or a potential victim, once driving his H2 into a building that was in the process of being imploded, and is often seen giving his personal number to victims or their families to call if they need help. His demeanor is serious, direct, and to the point. He rarely makes eye contact unless making a point or finishing his thought, preferring to sport sunglasses or look downward. Horatio was present at the death of fellow CSI Tim Speedle, and that of his own brother, Ray, also a police officer. Horatio appears to have a good sense for how to communicate with children who have just experienced traumatic ordeals, obtaining information from them quickly and gently. This is likely due to the fact that as a child, Horatio himself was a victim of domestic violence (his father killed his mother). In the season 6 finale, Horatio is shot as part of a plan. As a part of that plan, Wolfe and an ATF agent set up and stage the shots that Horatio takes, in an attempt to put Caine into undercover to try to get the Fused Alloy Bullets that have been on the streets of Miami. Horatio uses the "stay-calm" approach while comforting victims, killers, etc. Horatio's look consists of his naturally sandy reddish hair, classic black suit, and his signature sunglasses. He often ends everything he says in a calm manner, making any next movement or change in volume or noise louder than expected.

• MDPD CSI Level 3/Sergeant: Calleigh Duquesne (Emily Procter): a ballistics specialist. Her expertise in ballistics and firearms led to her being nicknamed "Bullet Girl". Her father is an alcoholic attorney who has tried to rehabilitate himself several times. She has a brief relationship with John Hagen in season 2; in the season 3 finale, Hagen shoots himself while she is getting a different gun, after having pulled a gun on her earlier in the episode. It has been hinted that romantic interests have sprung up between her and fellow CSI and best friend Eric Delko. She follows the letter of the rules at all times (except once with her father). She is dedicated and usually by the book, sometimes seeming jaded towards and intimidating to men. Calleigh often enjoys beating and competing against males, having a certain satisfaction in proving them wrong. She does not suffer fools gladly, and is not one to play with even though some men attempt to intimidate her, which is always followed by a quick comment or snappy comeback.

• CSI Level 3: Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez): a fingerprint and drug identification expert of Cuban and Russian descent. In episode 410, "Shattered", Delko's job is endangered when he is arrested for drug possession, but it is discovered that the marijuana was for his sister (Marisol) to ease the pain of her leukemia treatments. Marisol was murdered by a Mala Noche sniper after she married Delko's boss, Horatio Caine. Eric is also the team's underwater recovery expert. In season 5 while trying to rescue a woman kidnapped by escapee Clavo Cruz, Delko was critically wounded by one of Cruz's henchmen. He survived and is now back on the team, but suffered some memory loss as a result of the injury. Unlike Horatio Caine's approach, in a calm matter, Eric often comes off strong, yelling or in a rather abrasive tone. Delko was especially hurt when Wolfe was selected over him to assist in the plan to help Caine go underground to apprehend Saris in Episode 701, who in the Season 6 finale was distributing fused alloy bullets on the streets of Miami. Caine himself told Delko later in the episode that his selection of Wolfe was done to prevent endangering Delko's career if the plan to apprehend Saris was unsuccessful.

• CSI Level 1: Ryan Wolfe (Jonathan Togo) (Season 3– ): was working as a police officer at the time he was hired for the CSI Lab virtually on the spot by Horatio, who noted Ryan's immaculate care of his gun with approval, likely due to Wolfe having OCD (his predecessor, Speedle, died in the line of duty as a direct result of his poor gun maintenance). He first appeared in the episode "Under the Influence", but did not become a regular cast member until "Hell Night." Ryan was impaled in the eye with a nail gun in the episode "Nailed". At the end of the episode 522 "Burned", Ryan was fired for being directly linked to a murder suspect and lying about it to Horatio and to Internal Affairs. Seeking jobs as both a crime-scene expert, an expert witness for the defense, a firearms range technician and applying to work as an ME Investigator while applying for reinstatement, he was later reinstated. In the season 6 finale, Wolfe receives a text message saying "It is done" right after Horatio is shot and presumed dead. It turns out that he was asked by Horatio to assist in setting up Horatio's own execution, so he could go undercover. The mission was pulled off by strapping a blood pack of Horatio's blood to a bullet proof vest. The staged murder initially strained Wolfe's friendship with Eric Delko, who had not been informed of the setup and sincerely believed that Horatio was dead, and that Wolfe was indirectly responsible.

• MDPD Homicide Detective: Sergeant Frank Tripp (Rex Linn) (Season 5– ; Recurring Season 1–4): a Texan homicide detective who regularly accompanies the team to the crime scenes. He has a gruff appreciation for the capabilities of the CSIs and their excellent results. He has a good working relationship with all the CSIs, particularly Calleigh. He is divorced, with three kids (episode 118, "Dispo Day"). After passing the Sergeant's Exam in the beginning of season 6, Tripp was required to spend some time in uniform on a patrol rotation, but soon returned to the homicide unit and plainclothes duty (episode 611, "Guerrillas in the Mist").

• CSI Trainee: Natalia Boa Vista (Eva LaRue) (Season 5– ; Recurring Season 4): a DNA analyst who upon first arriving, was only allowed to work on cold or unsolved cases due to the restrictions of her federal grant. She and Delko dated briefly, which ended abruptly after a pregnancy scare. She escaped an abusive marriage before joining the department, when her association with a society for battered women was key to helping the team solve the murder of a woman (who had been killed by the victim's ex-husband) assuming an alias for protection. In season 5, much to her distress, she discovered her abusive ex-husband Nick Townsend (Rob Estes) was out of prison when he served her with a restraining order. He was working for a private company that cleans up crime scenes, forcing her to make terms with him to get the restraining order dropped. The two shared a tense professional relationship until Nick's murder, a crime for which Boa Vista was briefly considered the prime suspect. In season 6 (episode 618, "Tunnel Vision"), Natalia was finally certified to carry a firearm.

• Medical Examiner: Doctor Tara Price (Megalyn Echikunwoke) (Season 7, 705 -; recurring, Season 7, 702 - 704 ): the new Miami-Dade day-shift medical examiner who replaced the departed Doctor Alexx Woods, played by Khandi Alexander, who left the show in season six. Echikunwoke was introduced in the seventh season's second episode, "Won't Get Fueled Again." She became part of the main opening cast credits in the season 7 episode 7-05, "Bombshell."

Former main characters

• Medical Examiner: Doctor Alexx Woods (Khandi Alexander) (Season 1–6): was a Miami-Dade medical examiner. Alexx began her medical career in New York as a physician and became a medical examiner with the CSI team after moving to Miami for personal reasons. She is a very emotional person, and is more of a 'mother' figure for the CSI team, showing great concern for them whenever one of them is injured. She also often talks to the dead bodies in a comforting and caring tone as she examines them. She is married with a young son and daughter with former husband Andrew Kalish, who was murdered in an episode early on in the series. Alexx is not the Chief Medical Examiner, as noted in the episodes when she was offered a transfer to the night shift by the Chief Medical Examiner, but rejected the position. In the episode 619 "Rock and a Hard Place," her son is named the prime suspect in a murder; this causes Alexx to rethink her job in the M.E.'s Office (and her place on the team as well as her friendship with the other CSI's), and she quits saying to Horatio "I need to spend more of my time taking care of the living." Horatio responds by saying that should she wish to return, her post would be open for her. According to TV Guide, Alexx will make a return in 2009.^[1]

• MDPD Homicide Detective: Yelina Salas (Sofia Milos) (Season 3; Recurring Season 1–2, 5– ): was a Colombian homicide detective frequently attached to CSI investigations, and the widow of Horatio's brother Ray Caine. She later starts a relationship with IAB Sergeant Rick Stetler, Horatio's personal nemesis. After her husband Raymond was revealed to still be alive, she left with him and their son for Brazil, where they planned to keep a low profile for Ray's safety. She reappears in the Season 5 premiere starting with "Rio." Caine and Delko are in Rio de Janeiro to hunt down Antonio Riaz, who murdered Horatio's wife and Delko's sister Marisol at the end of Season 4. Riaz is killed in a fight with Horatio, but not before killing Raymond Caine and enlisting Ray Jr into drug running in the shantytowns of the area. Yelina and Ray Jr. wind up back in Miami, and Yelina goes into business as a private investigator (episode 522, "Burned"). In the Season 6 opener (episode 601, "Dangerous Son") Yelina investigates a suspect for Horatio, and she locates a birth certificate that reveals that the parolee is in fact Horatio's biological son. Yelina also returns for the 7th sesaon premiere, going under cover to help Horatio capture Ron Saris (episode 701, "Resurrection").

• CSI Level 3: Tim "Speed" Speedle (Rory Cochrane) (Season 1–3 301): was a trace evidence and impressions expert; originally from Syracuse, New York, with a degree in biology from Columbia University. Speed was killed in the line of duty in the third season premiere, Lost Son; he had not maintained his firearm diligently and was shot by a suspect when it misfired during a police shoot-out. The character was written out at the request of Cochrane, who wanted to pursue a career in film and reportedly disliked the long, arduous shooting schedules for CSI: Miami^[2]. The actor later reprised his role as a hallucination of Eric Delko's (episode 604, "Bang, Bang, Your Debt").

• MDPD CSI Lieutenant: Megan Donner (Kim Delaney) (Season 1 101–111): was Horatio's predecessor who went on indefinite leave from her job following the death of her husband. She briefly returned to work alongside Horatio, who had since been promoted to head investigator of the CSI unit, but later resigned, finding the pressure of the job to now be more than she could handle. Actress Kim Delaney's character was reportedly written out due to the lack of chemistry between her and Caruso^[3].

Recurring characters

Main article: Minor characters in CSI: Miami

CSI: Miami has utilized an extensive cast of recurring characters on the show. Recurring characters can be found as technicians in the crime lab, as homicide detectives, as family members of main characters, and as villains, among others.

Episode list

See: List of CSI: Miami episodes

Crossovers

CSI: Miami was spun off from an episode of the original CSI entitled "Cross Jurisdictions." In this episode, Catherine Willows and Warrick Brown of the original CSI travel to Miami while investigating the murder of Las Vegas' ex-chief of detectives.

In addition, CSI: Miami has crossed over with CSI: NY. Characters from CSI: NY were originally featured in the second season of CSI: Miami in the episode, "MIA/NYC NonStop" that aired May 17, 2004. Miami crossed over a second time in the fourth season episode, "Felony Flight," that aired November 7, 2005 in which Mac Taylor flies from New York and comes to Miami to assist Horatio in tracking down a common nemesis named Henry Darius. The story was continued on CSI: NY in the second season episode called, "Manhattan Manhunt," that aired November 9, 2005, when Henry Darius escapes to New York and Horatio goes along with Mac to continue the investigation.

Reception

CSI: Miami has been named the World's Most Popular TV Show following rating studies of 20 countries worldwide. The survey, which was conducted by Informa Telecoms and Media, showed that CSI: Miami was featured in more top ten viewing charts than any other show. Also, in the same survey, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was shown to have high popularity coming in at sixth place.^[4]

Franchise

Main article: CSI franchise

Like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami has spawned a series of comic books, novels, and video games based on the show. In addition, the show CSI: NY was based on a second season episode of CSI: Miami.

U.S. television ratings

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of CSI: Miami on CBS.

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

DVD releases

The CSI: Miami Region 2 DVD releases have followed a particular pattern whereby each season is progressively released in two parts (each of 11 or 12 episodes, with special features split up) before ultimately being sold as a single boxed set.

* The Region 4 releases of the first two seasons were initially divided up into two parts of 11 or 12 episodes before being released in full season DVD "fat packs", with large cases compared to the slimline cases DVD distributors opt for now. The release dates detailed here are for the re-released seasons in slimline cases. The two-part releases as well as the "fat pack" full season releases of the first two seasons were released much earlier than these re-releases. The subsequent seasons were first released in the slimline cases.

U.S. broadcast history

• First Run: September 23, 2002–present -- Mondays 10:00pm/9:00pm central
• Repeats: CBS repeats "CSI: Miami" sometimes on weekends during the Crimetime Saturday Slot.
• Repeats: "CSI: Miami" has reruns on A&E Network in 2005. Both A&E and Spike TV share the rerun rights to the crossover episodes (with CSI: NY), Felony Flight and Manhattan Manhunt.^[7]

See also

• CSI franchise
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
• CSI: NY

References

External links

• CBS CSI: Miami official site (Flash required)
• CSI: Miami Official wiki at CBS
• Watching CSI
• "CSI: Miami" at Yahoo! TV
• Brendan Bernhard (February 6, 2007). "South Beach Riot". New York Sun Newspaper.
• CSI: Miami - Full episodes (For US only)