Silly Little Country

More On CSI Miami vs CSI

I have been thinking a lot about why I like the original CSI, and do not feel so compelled by CSI:Miami. Originally I did not get a distinction it is clear many got.

All the CSIs are full of grotesquerie, pseudo-science, and nonsensical notions of what evidence can be gathered and how compelling it can be.

So why is the Las Vegas version so much fun?

1) A superb ensemble cast - the actors just play brilliantly with one another.

2) Office Politics. This is what the original CSI is all about, in the sense that it is what makes it interesting. Gil always takes umbrage at empowerment of his employees. His feedback to them on their performance (which is crucial when they so lack empowerment) is minimal. It is SO real! And so funny. Petersen plays his role superbly. I have not seen ofice politics portrayed so well in any other series.

(Oh and what is CSI_Miami's office politics? This is sad. The second-best investigator is the sister-in-law, and once wife candidate, of Horatio, and they moon occasionally about this in a tiresome way. The brother is dead so I don't get the problem, but maybe my brain lacks something significant. It just makes them boring to me. Seems typically CSI:Miami to me - full of supposed importance and no humour.))

3) Humour.
See above. I laugh constantly watching the first CSI series, almost never on CSI:Miami.

I have seen only one episode of CSI:NY and it was totally dominated by Penelope Ann Miller's breasts; I approve of this, but it does not lead to intelligent commentary.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 7:48 PM