CSI: Investigação Criminal

The hugely popular "CSI" is no less than a contemporary entertainment marvel. Finding its stride in season 2 with a formula which pushes the envelope while still being doable, this series packs ample portions of entertainment into 40 minute episodes while staying fresh, delivering palatable doses of science didactically, and, most of all, manifesting a strong sense of social responsibility in all of its subliminals. While most entertainment aims for the crotch, the gut, or the heart, "CSI" goes for the most difficult target, the head, as it teaches forensics and the empirical process while remaining cooly detached from sensationalism and melodrama all the while using the "truth is stranger (and more interesting) than fiction" thesis to its and our advantage. The results are fun and interesting lessons in everything from dwarfism to Down syndrome to anatomy to ballistics to etc. all the while maintaining a social conscience. Whether explaining how S&M is not necessarily perversion to simply dissing Don King, "CSI" is one sweet sugar coated education with solid mainstream values. My favorite lines? CSI1:"There's a sucker born every minute." CSI2: "Yeah. And they all come to Vegas." Truer words....

I love these kinds of shows, so I came across CSI:Crime Scene Inestigation by accident while flicking through channels, and since that moment I have been hooked. I like how each crime is looked at from a different perspective, it offers a whole new slant on things, although some of the more disturbing/graphic images may turn your stomach a little. Also, I love the colours the series is shot in, reds, blues, greens and yellow, really a treat to the eye, and the photography is very impressive. And the music is funky and cool, well the theme song is from The Who, they ooze with coolness. I like the writing, Grissom's dialogue and asides are a joy to behold especially, and the methodical but well structured story lines. The season finales nearly always manage to be gripping and compelling. And the acting is great, William Peterson was wonderful as Grissom, and although I was sad to see him go, the character's departure was handled very well so I was glad of that. The reason why it isn't quite as good as it could have been is because somehow I don't find it as well thought out as the earlier seasons. And while Laurence Fishburne is a great actor and does a good job, I kind of miss Grissom if you get the jist. That said though, this is a great show. 8/10 Bethany Cox

CSI has come to the UK and has been on our screens for around a year. I saw the first episode and was impressed but like with a lot of TV series I found good such as the X-files I just forgot about it and never watched it, anyway about 2 months ago I heard and advert on the radio for it and so watched it. I have been watching it religously since, I have missed most of series one and the first few episodes of series two which annoys me but every episode is great, well written and excellently acted and directed. What sets this out from other TV shows is the incredibly professional look, from the movie like cinematography to the brilliant acting, the writing is always very good and the plot twists always surprising whilst feasible. I wish I had watched it since series one. I am a fan of Marg Helgenberger, I find her very sexy, she is a gorgeous woman and this really made me finally decide to watch it, as I usually watch something from the movie channels on saturdays. The show has a great production value and its got that Bruckheimer class about it. They always have good directors such as Danny Cannon who also did the underrated Stallone flick Judge Dredd. All the actors are good the two younger guys played by Gary Dourdon and George Eads and the nice looking Joja Fox and they and Marg are all led by the ultra intelligent Gill Grissom, excellently played by the one of the shows producers William Peterson, the lines Grissom has are classic. The show has some generally interesting characters who are all likeable. This show is pure TV excellence and it gets a bonus thumbs up because they cast one of my fave actors Mark Dacascos in an episode which should reach the UK in about 7 weeks. 10/10

C.S.I. is the best new show of the 2000 season! William L. Petersen is the coolest of the cool as Gil Grissom. I've followed his career since I first saw him in To Live and Die in L.A. He's an amazing actor and he heads up a cast of amazing actors as well. This show really keeps you on the edge of your seat as the investigators literally take a crime scene that appears to leave them with nothing to go on. The investigators take nothing and turn it into something amazing as each crime is solved right in front of you and you as the viewer, never see it coming! Wow! I hope this is one show CBS will pick up year after year!

The first 8 1/2 seasons of CSI were great. I watched almost every episode, including its Friday beginnings. I was so happy when the show moved to Thursday and became a massive hit. However, after original star William Petersen (Gil Grissom) left midway through Season 9, the show fell apart IMO. I watched until Season 11, and when Fishburne left, I gave up. Anyway, watch Seasons 1-9 for the best quality.