The brainchild of Anthony Zuiker and Jerry Bruckheimer, CSI became wildly popular almost immediately. Led by gleefully antisocial and geeky Gil Grissom (William Petersen), a so-called "nerd squad" of crime scene investigators uses the latest in forensic technology to solve an endless string of Las Vegas murders. How'd the teenage boy end up dead in the middle of the desert? Why'd the first class airplane passengers kill one of their own? What sparked the brutal slaughter of a suburban family? Inverting the path well-traveled by The X-Files, Petersen's Grissom is remote and calculating, while Marg Helgenberger's single-mom Catherine is hypersensitive, and the series benefits from strong supporting performances by Paul Guilfoyle, Jorja Fox and potential breakout star Gary Dourdan. CSI's focus is on complicated plots, rather than characters or relationships, but whenever things get too emotionally distant, the show goes for one of its signature visual grabbers, such as super-zooms on crucial evidence, black-and-white crime recreations or nauseating autopsy footage. DVD extras are limited to a music video of the show's theme song and a short behind-the-scenes documentary. Compelling and unpredictable, this is recommended for larger collections. (D. Fienberg)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigaton--The Complete First Season
Paramount, 6 discs, 1,025 min., not rated, $89.99 May 19, 2003