CSI Avoided 1 Overused Crime Procedural Trope (& Was Better For It)

Most crime procedurals rely on one specific trope, but CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’s biggest strength was that it skipped that trope completely. The original series in the CSI franchise ran for 15 seasons and spawned five spin-offs. The series followed a team of forensic investigators in Las Vegas who used data they gathered from crime scenes to solve murders, assaults, and other violent crimes. Many of CSI’s best cases were as gruesome as they were challenging, earning the series both praise and condemnation for its depiction of police work.

This series was original and popular enough that CBS offered many CSI crossover episodes in addition to all the spin-offs. CSI‘s success has outlasted the original series, which ended in 2015 but which was rebooted in 2021 as yet another spin-off, CSI: Las Vegas. Many current police procedurals have borrowed elements of CSI‘s winning formula. CSI’s enduring popularity and influence on TV crime dramas can be attributed to its choice to ignore one specific trope that most shows in the genre embraced at the time.

CSI Didn’t Include A Detective Gimmick (Unlike Other Crime Procedurals)

This Crime Drama Was The First Not To Include a Goofy But Genius Detective

Most procedurals before CSI focused on one quirky detective or team of detectives. For example, Monk centered around a detective whose OCD allowed him to notice tiny details that others missed and thus solve the crime of the week while The Mentalist was extremely gifted at reading people. This trope continues to be used in some shows: CBS’ Elsbeth, for example, centers around the main character’s seeming goofiness, which allows her to get the cops she works with back on the right track when they focus on the wrong suspects.

This trope has been popular since before TV began. Many of these series owe a debt to Sherlock Holmes, the legendary literary detective who has himself been the subject of both British and American television series. CSI, however, chose to go a different route. This series focused on forensic analysis and other scientific investigative tools, making lab work not only interesting but exciting. CSI could have chosen to make the detectives quirky or overly brilliant, but instead focused on creating a realistic team of forensic detectives without sacrificing drama or intrigue.

The Genius Detective Trope Was Fun (But It Became Overused)

Every Show Didn’t Need To Use The Same Formula

If audiences didn’t enjoy the genius detective trope, there wouldn’t have been so many shows that used it. However, TV quickly became saturated with these types of detective dramas, which got boring. By the time CSI premiered in 2000, almost every crime drama had a genius detective. Even series that were more realistic and didn’t focus on the detective being quirky did this to an extent.

Since every crime procedural on TV used this trope, CSI’s decision not to use it was refreshing and original. The series’ high ratings throughout its 15 seasons on CBS demonstrate that audiences were eager for something different. While people enjoyed the genius detective trope, CSI stood out because it was the only series on the air that did not use this type of character, and in so doing, it demonstrated that audiences could also enjoy more realistic police procedurals.

How Else CSI Changed Crime Procedurals

The Groundbreaking Series Has Influenced the Genre In Many Ways

CSI’s impact on television is indisputable. The series ushered in a new era of realism in police procedurals that still influences the genre today. Many police procedurals use forensics and other scientific tools in their stories, which was unheard of before CSI premiered. Although most series don’t center around forensic scientists, many procedurals now have characters who are experts at forensic science or consult with forensic detectives as needed during investigations.

CSI also was one of the first series to combine realism with character development. Unlike the original Law & Order, which featured more-or-less interchangeable detectives and prosecutors, CSI‘s detectives had personal lives that intersected with their investigations. Most procedurals today follow this formula; often, there is a subplot involving the detectives’ family lives or problems related to romance. This has generated a new series of tropes. There are an alarming number of TV detectives who are on the brink of divorce or have troubled kids who are acting out because of the time demands of the job.

CSI was as groundbreaking as it was because it bucked the trend of the time, focusing on scientific analysis and realistic police investigations instead of on a quirky detective with superpowers. This decision made it one of the most popular police procedurals in the genre’s history and allowed it to become a classic that influenced the crime dramas that followed. Although there are still genius detectives on TV today, there are also more realistic shows that owe a debt to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.