For as long as it has been around, the CSI franchise has captivated audiences globally with its riveting plotlines, characterized by a fusion of forensics, crime-solving, and its trademark depiction of iconic American cities. Spanning five different shows with an array of actors portraying forensics experts, from “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “CSI: Miami” to “CSI: New York,” “CSI: Cyber,” and “CSI: Vegas,” it managed to venture into oddly exciting territories, building a brand whose appeal transcended borders. Now, the time has come for a shift in narrative – a switch from the make-believe world of crime-solving to the harsh realities of catching criminals as it happens, captured in CBS’s new documentary-style production, “The Real CSI: Miami.”
As the original creator of the hit franchise, Anthony E. Zuiker explains, this bold new venture makes utmost use of real 911 calls, actor portrayals, surveillance video, interrogation footage, bodycam videos, crime scene images, and innovative graphics to weave together compelling true accounts of crimes and their subsequent resolutions. Through these stories, survivors, family members, and the real-life officers and technicians who solved the crimes relay their experiences, adding significant emotional depth to the narrative.
Zuiker’s obsession with always maintaining an element of relatability is evident. “It’s very important to have the survivors and emotionality,” he says, underscoring his commitment to maintaining emotional connectivity, a vital aspect he believes contributed heavily to the CSI franchise’s massive success.
And how else could the true story about the actual crime-solving process be told if not by the officers themselves, he reasons. As investigators trawl through the evidence, retracing steps, revisiting crime scenes, or even diving into the depths of a canal to recover a piece of crucial evidence as the case may be, onlookers are brought into the heart of the process, exploring the why and how behind every move.
But this, as Zuiker admits, also presents a unique challenge. On the one hand, the need to maintain the familiar ‘CSI’ feel is imperative, while on the other, the necessity to stick to the absolute facts of each case limits creative freedom.
Sample the series’ premiere episode, which delves into the chilling 2015 gunshot murders of Tara Rosado and Carlos Ortiz in the sunny Florida Keys. Their bodies were found in their bedroom, a clear sign of struggle evident, but without a trace of the murder weapon. Unraveling this mystery unveils a tale involving old friends, a bale of cocaine, and an old gun found in a canal.
Or consider the episode that explores the infamous 2018 murder of rapper XXXTentacion, and the quest to determine whether the fatal shots fired outside a motor sports store resulted from a rivalry or a random robbery. It’s here that the series tests its promise to give life to the dry precision of forensics, transforming it into a narrative driver that’s genuinely engaging.
In fact, “The Real CSI: Miami” seems to owe its existence to the fascination for forensic sciences that first inspired the creation of “CSI.” Watching an episode of discovery channel’s “New Detectives” sparked Zuiker’s fascination with the criminal world’s crime-solving capabilities. A cheerleader’s murder and the profound insight into the nitty-gritty of forensics became the stimulus for the birth of ‘CSI.’
Riding the wave of CSI’s success from the hot desert of Las Vegas to Miami’s aquatic expanses and New York’s urban thickets, Zuiker, now 55, has seen his creation transform into an Emmy Award-winning global juggernaut, rivalling ‘Law & Order.’ With a fanbase spread across 171 countries, Zuiker views this new series as a right step in keeping the franchise vibrant and relevant.
Despite carrying the success of the franchise, for Zuiker, the creative process continues unabated. His relentless curiosity keeps him in the hunt for new plotlines, inspiring stories like a mysterious body found in a washed-up metal drum in Vegas to an unusual hobbyist micro-crocheting koalas on Etsy. The latter, he believes, would make for a fascinating serial killer’s ‘calling card.’
Reflecting on his journey, Zuiker muses over ‘CSI’s’ potential as a crime deterrent. He finds humor in the idea that criminals would reconsider their actions if they paid closer attention to his shows. More than just entertainment, the CSI franchise has thus had the unique distinction of shining a light on the realities of crime and investigative procedure, a testament to the truth that fact can often be more compelling than fiction.