CSI: Miami

CSI: Miami
Genre	Mystery Drama Thriller Crime procedural
Created by	Anthony E. Zuiker Carol Mendelsohn Ann Donahue
Starring	David Caruso Emily Procter Adam Rodríguez Khandi Alexander Rory Cochrane Kim Delaney Sofia Milos Jonathan Togo Rex Linn Eva LaRue Megalyn Echikunwoke Eddie Cibrian Omar Benson Miller
Opening theme	"Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who
Composer(s)	Kevin Kiner Jeff Cardoni Graeme Revell David E. Russo Clint Mansell
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	10
No. of episodes	232 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Carol Mendelsohn Jerry Bruckheimer Anthony E. Zuiker Ann Donahue Barry O'Brien Marc Dube Stephen Zito Danny Cannon Jonathan Littman Nancy Miller Sam Strangis David Black Sunil Nayar
Producer(s)	Jerry Bruckheimer
Running time	Approx. 39–45 minutes Approx. 63 minutes (2 episodes)
Production company(s)	Jerry Bruckheimer Television Alliance Atlantis (2000–08) CBS Productions (2002–06) CBS Paramount Network Television (2006–09) CBS Television Studios (2009–12)
Distributor	CBS Television Distribution
Release
Original channel	CBS
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Original release	September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23) – April 8, 2012 (2012-04-08)
Chronology
Related shows	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: NY CSI: Cyber

CSI: Miami (Crime Scene Investigation: Miami) is an American police procedural drama television series that premiered on September 23, 2002, on CBS. The series, starring David Caruso, Kim Delaney, and Emily Procter, is the first direct spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the second series in the CSI franchise. CSI: Miami ended on April 8, 2012.

Plot

CSI: Miami follows a group of Detectives assigned to the MDPD's Crime Scene Investigation unit. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character driven drama in the pursuit of using physical evidence to solve grisly and often bizarre murders. The team is led by Lieutenant Horatio Caine, who, through his history as a bomb-disposal expert, has gained specialised knowledge in explosive forensics. Horatio is not afraid to see the world in shades of grey, and often crosses ethical and legal boundaries in order to get justice for the innocent victims of crime his team encounters. His partner was originally Megan Donner. Donner was the director of the MDPD crime lab and had worked with Caine for many years when her husband was killed in the line of duty. Re-joining the team following a leave of absence she ruffled feathers in asserting her seniority. She sees justice in black and white. They work with a team of highly trained analysts including senior detective Calleigh Duquesne, a ballistics expert and who later becomes Horatio's second-in-command after Donner decided to quit the team. Duquesne is a blonde southern belle, which often results in suspects letting down their guard. And as the longest-standing member of the Miami CSI team she is all too aware of the risks that her colleagues must face while investigating crimes in the same vain as their Las Vegas, New York, and Quantico counterparts.

Creation

Concept and development

On April 17, 2002, CBS announced plans to launch a series originally titled CSI: Miami-Dade, a spin-off to the hit procedural CSI. On the location choice, co-creator Carol Mendelsohn stated that "[she, Anthony E. Zuiker, and Ann Donahue] felt Miami was the most happening place [...] Miami is so rich as a character. There is so much water. There are so many different cultures here all colliding. Its politics are so interesting. All that gives Miami an edge."^[1] CBS ordered 22 episodes of the series, with Anthony Zuiker stating that whilst he intended for the series to look "ridiculously gorgeous," he felt that the "show [was] not about women walking around in bikinis. It's about science."^[1] The series was launched as a second-season episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and originally featured a cast led by David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez, Khandi Alexander, with Rory Cochrane. Kim Delaney joined the series following the pilot episode's broadcast.

Production

The series was executive produced by creators Carol Mendelsohn, Anthony E. Zuiker, and Ann Donahue, with Ann Donahue acting as show-runner. Jerry Bruckheimer also executive-produced the series. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation stars William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger expressed their displeasure at CBS' launch of Miami, with Petersen stating that "[they] should have waited five years for a ‘CSI’ spinoff." Helgenberger supported Petersen's comments during an Emmy acceptance speech, noting that "as far as [she was] concerned, there’s only one 'CSI'." Petersen jestingly referred to the series “NYPDCSI”, as it initially featured both David Caruso and Kim Delaney, of NYPD Blue fame.^[2] On February 1, 2012, the network announced that the 10th season of CSI: Miami would be trimmed to 19 episodes to make room for the debut of mid-season replacement NYC 22.^[3] On May 13, 2012, the series was canceled.^[4][5]

Original casting

In mid 2002, CSI executive producer Anthony Zuiker began casting for the then-unnamed Miami based spin-off. First cast was Emily Procter, as Calleigh Duquesne. Regarding her decision to leave The West Wing and join Miami, Procter stated that "It was like choosing between a boyfriend that wants to be with you casually or a man that says I love you." She described her character as "a weird girl [...] bright and very nerdy. She wears a lot of boot-cut corduroy pants and turquoise necklaces and looks like a hippie. I just like to pretend I’m Velma in Scooby-Doo."^[6] Adam Rodriguez, Rory Cochrane, and Khandi Alexander were cast alongside Procter, completing the supporting ensemble. For the lead, CBS suggested David Caruso. Zuiker, who stated that he had "heard about the NYPD Blue thing," was initially hesitant. Elaborating, Zuiker stated that he "sort of jumped in and said, 'Naw, I don't know about this guy. The show's tough enough to get off the ground and I don't want to walk into any problems." CBS president Les Moonves had announced in January that a Miami spin-off was imminent, yet "It wasn't until we sort of, like, at the eleventh hour, really started to look at our options as to who was going to play Horatio, [Zuiker, Mendelsohn, and Donahue] revisited Caruso. And [they] said, 'Yeah, we'll have him come out for dinner, see what he's about.'"^[7] Caruso was later cast as Caine. He was the last pilot cast member to be contracted to series.

Following the back-door pilot, Zuiker stated that he believed the series "needed a little more balance in terms of a leading woman". Executives offered Sela Ward the part of Megan Donner, a Lieutenant and Horatio's former boss. Ward turned down the role,^[8] and producers later cast Kim Delaney. Ann Donahue described Delaney's casting as "a no-brainer," stating that "when Kim became available, we knew in a heartbeat that we wanted her." Zuiker elaborated, noting that "Kim brings a level of maturity, a level of balance with David Caruso [...] We just felt we were missing something in the whole picture - we needed a strong female in the cast." The New York Times reported that original lead Emily Procter would "now follow Ms. Delaney in the credits." In late 2002, despite receiving excellent feedback from producers, Delaney departed the cast after ten episodes. CBS issued a statement noting that Delaney's character had become less integral to the series as it progressed, "they had hoped to duplicate the sparks between William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger on the original CSI," noted EW, but Delaney and Caruso's chemistry was lackluster.^[9] Delaney became the first of many cast members to depart the series, and was not replaced. Sela Ward later went on to lead the cast of spin-off series CSI: NY, alongside Gary Sinise.

Locations

The SkyOne headquarters regularly used as the police station.

CSI: Miami was filmed primarily in California. Indoor scenes were shot at Raleigh Manhattan Studios in Manhattan Beach, California. Most outdoor scenes were filmed in Long Beach, as well as portions of Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach. Beach areas of Marina Green Park and Rainbow Lagoon Park in downtown Long Beach were often used for other outdoor scenes, as the newly constructed high-rise condos there gave the pretense of being in Miami. Many outdoor location shots were also filmed in Miami-Dade County, Florida, including Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and Miami Beach.^[10] The sculptured walkway paying tribute to the old Pike Roller Coaster can be seen in the background in the episodes "Wrecking Crew" and "Under The Influence". Footage from the Biscayne Courthouse, visible prominently in the episode "Recoil", among others, was filmed at the Water Garden Park in Santa Monica, at 34.028728, -118.471331.^[11] Other locations around Long Beach are used such as the Naples district, whose canals and upscale homes featuring large boat docks and palm trees impart a Miami-like atmosphere.^[12] The building used for exterior shots of the Miami-Dade Police Department crime lab is actually the SkyOne Federal Credit Union headquarters located at 14600 Aviation Boulevard in Hawthorne, California.^[13]

Music

CSI: Miami's main theme is Won't Get Fooled Again, written and performed by The Who, who also perform the theme songs of the other three CSI series. Also like its sister-series, Miami uses a number of well-known songs to accompany scenes throughout its run, including This Woman's Work, by English rock singer Kate Bush.

Cast

Main cast

• David Caruso as Horatio Caine; the Director of the MDPD Crime Lab and a sworn Police Lieutenant. Rising through the ranks as a bomb squad technician, Caine is an expert in explosive forensics and is incredibly protective of his team. He often goes to extraordinary lengths to save evidence or a potential victim. Throughout the course of the series, he becomes more jaded and less ethical, developing a far more serious, direct, and to-the-point attitude, though he maintains his ability to communicate well with children who have suffered traumatic ordeals. (starring: seasons 1-10).

• Emily Procter as Calleigh Duquesne; a CSI Level 3 and Horatio's Assistant Supervisor. Calleigh is a veteran MDPD Detective and the longest serving member of the crime lab. She is a ballistics specialist. Her slight build, blonde good looks, and southern belle accent often lead others to underestimate her, but she is a brilliant and a dedicated scientist. She develops a romantic relationship with fellow CSI Eric Delko, and, in the shows final season, adopts two children. (starring: seasons 1-10).

• Adam Rodriguez as Eric Delko; a fingerprint and drug expert of Cuban and Russian descent. Detective Delko first encountered the CSI team whilst working as a tow-truck driver. Horatio convinced him to join the MDPD, and the two became good friends. Eric has one sister, who Horatio married, and little to no other family. Because of this, he builds strong bonds where he works, developing a strong friendship with Tim Speedle, and a romantic interest in Calleigh. (starring: seasons 1-8, 9-10; recurring: season 8).

• Khandi Alexander as Alexx Woods; a Medical Examiner for Miami Dade County. Alexx began her medical career in New York as a physician and became a medical examiner with the CSI team after moving to Miami for personal reasons. She is a very emotional person, and is more of a "mother" figure for the CSI team, showing great concern for them. She also often talks to the dead bodies. Alexx eventually leaves CSI in order to spend more time with the living. (starring: seasons 1-6; guest star: seasons 7-8).

• Rory Cochrane as Tim Speedle, known affectionately as "Speed"; a trace evidence and impressions expert from Syracuse, New York. He worked for the St. Petersburg PD in 1997, and had a degree in biology from Columbia University. Speed joined the team at the recommendation of Jesse Cardoza, and became an invaluable asset. Speed often failed to comply to departmental standards, however, and was killed as a result of his unclean weapon misfiring. (starring: seasons 1-3; guest star: season 6).

• Kim Delaney as Megan Donner; Horatio's first partner and a respected MDPD Police Lieutenant. She was the director of the MDPD Crime Lab prior to taking indefinite leave due to the death of her husband, who was killed in the line of duty. She believes in following the evidence, and as such is often seen as adversarial to Horatio's go-with-the-gut Detective style. As a result of this, Megan resigns, finding the pressure of the job to now be more than she could handle. (starring: season 1).

• Sofia Milos as Yelina Salas; a Colombian homicide detective frequently attached to CSI investigations, and the widow of Horatio's brother Raymond Caine. She later starts a relationship with IAB Sergeant Rick Stetler. Yelina leaves the team and moves to Rio with her family, although she later returns to Miami as a private investigator. She remains good friends with Horatio throughout the series. (starring: season 3; recurring: seasons 1-2; guest star: seasons 5-7).

• Jonathan Togo as Ryan Wolfe; a Detective attached to Horatio's team. Ryan was working as a police officer at the time he was hired for the lab by Caine, who noted Ryan's immaculate care of his gun, likely due to Wolfe having OCD. Ryan was replacing fallen CSI Tim Speedle, who died in the line of duty as a direct result of his poor gun maintenance. The team, and Eric in particular, are hostile to Ryan at first, though they later warm to him. (starring: seasons 3-10; recurring: season 3).

• Rex Linn as Frank Tripp; a Texas-born homicide detective who accompanies the team to the crime scenes. He is known for interrogating suspects in his typical sarcastic manner and has a good working relationship with all the CSIs. He is divorced with three kids, and has known Horatio since at least 1997. Over the course of the series, he is promoted to Sergeant, taking on a more prominent role within the MDPD, and spending a short time in uniform. (starring: seasons 5-10; recurring: seasons 1-4).

• Eva LaRue as Natalia Boa Vista; an MDPD Detective and DNA specialist hired by Caine. Upon her arrival, she was only allowed to work on cold or unsolved cases due to the restrictions of her federal grant, although it is later revealed she is in fact an FBI Special Agent working undercover. She later applies to join the team permanently, much to the initial chagrin of Delko and Wolfe. She was a victim of domestic abuse during her marriage. (starring: seasons 5-10; recurring: season 4).

• Megalyn Echikunwoke as Tara Price; the day-shift medical examiner who replaced Alexx following her departure. She is initially well-received by the team, until she is shown to steal a bottle of Oxycodone (an opioid analgesic medication) from a victim in the morgue. Ryan Wolfe confronts Tara about the stolen pills in her locker, and she is later arrested and dismissed from the team. Tara is replaced shortly thereafter by Dr. Tom Loman. (starring: season 7).

• Eddie Cibrian as Jesse Cardoza; an MDPD Detective who worked with Horatio and Megan prior to the formation of the CSI team. He returns to Miami following a stint as a LAPD officer in order to track the man who murdered his wife. Cardoza builds strong friendships within the team but is killed in the line of duty during a halon attack on the lab. Calleigh is particularly hurt by his loss. (starring: season 8; guest star: season 9).

• Omar Benson Miller as Walter Simmons; a Louisiana native and art theft specialist who transfers over from the night shift to join Horatio's team. Simmons' large build is often intimidating to suspects. However, he is shown to be one of the most caring and compassionate members of the team. He is extremely close to both Ryan and Jesse, and develops a friendship with LVPD CSI Raymond Langston. (starring: seasons 8-10; guest star: season 8).

Recurring characters

• Holt McCallany as John Hagen; a Homicide Detective who had emotional and psychological problems. He was the partner of Caine's presumed-dead brother. Hagen kills himself in front of Calleigh. (seasons 1-3).

• Boti Bliss as Maxine Valera; a DNA technician who works on Caine's team. She is incredibly capable but has an unfortunate habit of taking shortcuts whilst processing evidence. (seasons 2-8).

• Johnny Whitworth as Jake Berkeley; originally an MDPD Narcotics Detective, Jack transfers to Homicide following a stint in undercover. He and Calleigh were in a relationship in the academy, and later rekindle this. (seasons 5-8).

• Christian Clemenson as Tom Loman; Miami's newest Medical Examiner and the replacement of Dr. Tara Price. Loman is socially awkward but invaluable to the team, developing strong bonds throughout his tenure. (seasons 8-10).

• Taylor Cole as Samantha Owens; an MDPD Detective who is assigned to Horatio's CSI team. Formerly a lab technician, Owens develops a flirtatious relationship with Wolfe (season 10).

Episodes

Crossovers

• "Felony Flight" – Mac Taylor comes to Miami to help track down an escaped serial killer he arrested in New York, where Mac and Horatio Caine search for the killer in the CSI: NY episode "Manhattan Manhunt".
• "Bone Voyage" – Raymond Langston comes to Miami when a severed leg found in the Everglades is discovered to have belonged to a girl from Las Vegas, then Langston heads to New York in an attempt to rescue another girl from human traffickers in the CSI: NY episode "Hammer Down" and returns to Las Vegas where he suspects the girl may be part of a prostitution ring in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "The Lost Girls".

Franchise

Like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami has spawned a series of comic books, novels, and video games based on the show. In addition, the show CSI: NY spun off from a second-season episode of CSI: Miami. CSI has also been released as a series of mobile games. In fall 2007, CBS teamed up with game developer Gameloft to bring CSI to mobile phones. The first of the series to be published was CSI: Miami. The game features actual cast members such as Horatio Caine, Alexx Woods and Calleigh Duquesne who are trying to solve a murder in South Beach with the player's assistance.^[14] The game is also available for download on various iPod devices.^[15]

Broadcast

United States

• First run: September 2002 - May 2010, Mondays at 10/9pm. October 2010 – April 2012, Sundays at 10/9pm.

Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of CSI: Miami on CBS.

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

• Repeats: CBS repeats CSI: Miami sometimes on weekends during the Crimetime Saturday slot. CBS will also continue to run CSI: Miami in syndication for years to come.^[26]
• Repeats: CSI: Miami has been syndicated on A&E since 2005. Both A&E and Spike share the return rights to the crossover episodes (with CSI: NY), Felony Flight and Manhattan Manhunt.^[27] On December 2, 2011 AMC acquired syndication rights of the series, and would begin airing the episodes on January 2, 2012. The show airs regularly at 5/4pm Monday through Friday. In August 2012 WE tv started airing reruns of the show.

Ireland

• First run: Broadcast on RTÉ Two at 9pm on Thursdays (RTÉ normally broadcasts the show around 10 weeks before the UK's Channel 5 does).
• First run: Sky Living, 9pm on Friday nights, normally after the end of the season on RTÉ Two.
• Repeats: Repeats are shown on RTÉ Two, 3e and Sky Living.

United Kingdom

• First run: Broadcast on Channel 5 currently between 9:30pm and 10:20pm (usually 10:10pm) on Saturdays instead of Tuesdays as previously stated.
• First run: Sky Living, 9pm on Friday nights, normally after the end of the season on Channel 5.
• Repeats: Repeats are shown on Channel 5, 5USA and Sky Living.
• Viewers in Northern Ireland may also view CSI: Miami on RTÉ Two.
• Channel 5 broadcasts CSI: Miami during the summer, and once it ends, CSI: NY and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation begin. Channel 5 does not split up the seasons with breaks for Christmas, etc., instead running the season continuously.

Awards

In 2006 a BBC NEWS article published a study on CSI: Miami citing that it was one of the World's Most Popular TV Shows following studies of 20 countries worldwide. A 2006 survey conducted by Informa Telecoms and Media showed that CSI: Miami was featured in more top ten viewing charts than any other show compared to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation rating as the world's sixth-most popular show.^[28]

References

External links

• CSI: Miami at the Internet Movie Database
• Brendan Bernhard (February 6, 2007). "South Beach Riot". New York Sun. 
• CSI:Miami on the CSI Wiki