I had a pleasant surprise while scanning the magazine shelves. CSI's Wm Petersen and Marg Helgenberger staring back at me from the magazine cover of "Sherlock" (issue 59). I've often stated that CSI is a direct descendant of the Sherlock Holmes stories. In "Sherlock", the reviewer, Robert Sanderson, makes the same analogy in an extremely laudatory review.
Sanderson largely deplores the weak characterizations found in CSI where the personal lives of each and their inter-relationships are hardly explored. I consider that a blessing and that distinguishes it from almost every other show (if you want gritty charaterization, try LAW & ORDER or THE SHIELD). Judging by the ratings, it can't be considered a impediment. In terms of cultural popularity, it must rank close to the Conan Doyle stories at the turn of that century.
Hey! How did I lose my capitalization in the Topic Title? :huh:
Characterisation is usually one of the essential ingredients for me when I'm watching TV, I must admit. I would say however that the CSI shows make for a welcome change of pace and focus. There's no arc, not to any great degree anyway, and there's minimal characterisation. This gives the writers great freedom, it's most liberating in a way not having to adhere to a set of givens. Almost all shows these days follow a path, both in plot and characters, CSI is one of the few that happily goes forward with little idea of where it will end up a few episodes down the line let alone a season. The only show I could compare that nature with curiously is QUANTUM LEAP; the nature of each episode follows the same pattern/formula, but the enjoyment is derived in seeing how they get from A to B given that we'd always know that they would indeed get to B.
I wasn't a fan of CSI from the beginning, I only came to watch it through the significant other, but I'm mightily glad that I did give it a chance, it led me not only to MIAMI as well, but also THE SHIELD, COLD CASE, NAVY NCIS etc, just about the only Cop shows I've ever really had any time for previously were NYPD Blue and HOMICIDE LIFE ON THE STREET.