The 1 Thing That Made CSI: Las Vegas Different From CSI’s 3 Other Spinoffs

There is one thing that made CSI, also known as CSI: Las Vegas, different from all the other spinoffs, especially compared to CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. One of the most influential TV shows of its era, CSI ran for 15 seasons and led to three spinoffs as well as one revival, which is currently airing. The CSI universe once had three shows airing at the same time, with new cases in Vegas, Miami, and New York every week. While the original Crime Scene Investigation is widely regarded as the best CSI show, the spinoffs helped build the franchise’s legacy.

Many of the CSI tropes are still used by other crime procedurals, which shows how much of an impact the series had on its genre. Even though Crime Scene Investigation was a very formulaic show, it set itself apart from similar series that were airing at the time by often focusing more on the characters than on the cases themselves. The CSI franchise had many teams across all entries, with a lieutenant or a lab supervisor leading each of them. The most iconic of those team leaders was Gil Grisson, whose exit from the show changed CSI forever.

CSI Changed The Team’s Leader Multiple Times (The Spinoffs Didn’t)

Miami, NY, and Cyber never replaced their lead characters

Whereas CSI: Miami and CSI: Cyber kept their respective lead characters throughout the entirety of the shows, the original CSI series had multiple team leaders and protagonists across 15 seasons. This is because William Petersen, who played Gil Grissom in CSI, exited the show in season 9. As such, not only did Crime Scene Investigation become in need of a new character to fulfill the role of lab supervisor, but it also needed a new cast member who could become the face of the show following the exit of one of its stars.

Interestingly, while Laurence Fishburne’s Raymond Langston was by all means Grissom’s replacement from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, he did not replace Grissom as the Las Vegas lab supervisor. Catherine Willows, played by Marg Helgenberger, was already an established character on the show and stepped up as the team’s new leader from seasons 9 to 12. After Willows’ demotion following a delicate case and Fishburne’s exit from the series, Ted Danson’s D.B. Russell would join the show in season 12 as the new lab supervisor. Russell continued to lead the team until the end of the series.

CSI: Miami & CSI: NY’s Team Leaders Defined The First 2 CSI Spinoffs

Horatio Caine and Mac Taylor are among CSI’s best characters

Unlike their parental show, both CSI: Miami and CSI: NY kept their team leader from beginning to end, which set them apart from the original Crime Scene Investigation. The first CSI series eventually became more of an ensemble than a one-lead character type of show, with the oldest members of the team sharing virtually the same amount of screen time. The spinoffs, on the other hand, were always slightly more focused on their team leaders – CSI: Miami’s Horatio Caine (David Caruso) and Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) – both of whom had very strong personalities.

It is difficult not to think of Horatio Caine’s sunglasses and one-liners when discussing CSI: Miami, both of which contributed to making him one of the most iconic characters in the franchise. Likewise, while Mac Taylor was quite different from Horatio Caine, Sinise’s character was the heart of the CSI: NY team and played a significant role in the show’s most important story arcs. Horatio and Mac rank high in the list of best CSI characters, and part of the reason why they achieved such status is because they remained on their shows from beginning to end.

Keeping The Same Protagonists Made CSI’s Spinoffs Different From The Main Show

Crime Scene Investigation was never truly able to replace Grissom

Several spinoffs based on popular shows fail to live up to the original project, which is why what CSI: Miami and CSI: NY accomplished must not be taken for granted. The shows managed to be as good as Crime Scene Investigation but differently, bringing new characters and dynamics to the CSI universe. Some of the best CSI episodes of all time happened in the spinoff series rather than in the Las Vegas show, and the series created its own identity rather than relying on what had come before.

It must be noted that CSI: Cyber featured Patricia Arquette as Dr. Avery Ryan for two seasons, although Ted Danson’s D.B. Russell joined the team in season 2. Considering how CSI: Cyber was canceled after two seasons, none of its characters ever got to achieve the same level of acclaim as the ones from the Miami and NY spinoffs. Dr. Avery was an interesting character, but the addition of CSI veteran D.B. Russel in season 2 made it difficult for her to stand out after what had already been a disappointing first season.