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The Modern Procedural Drama: Investigating CSI

M tudiesSedia

The aim of this Factsheet is to focus on the CSI franchise and: Place the show within its institutional context Discuss the shows relationships to the procedural drama genre Identify the generic similarities and differences between

versions of CSI Discuss the appeal of the show for its audience within its cultural

context

Attracting 2 billion viewers in over 200 countries,the CSI franchise is one of the most successfulAmerican TV programmes ever produced. In theUSA single episodes can attract 60 million viewersand in the UK it is Channel Fives most popularprogramme. It is also repeated on a number of UKcable channels and several episodes are broadcastevery day.(http://www.danmojica.com/CSI%20Logo%203.jpg)

Definition: FranchiseThe reproduction of characters and ideas related to a singlemedia text across a range of media texts, forms and products.

CSI and GenreCSI falls into the police proceduralgenre. This genre focuses onwhodunnit mysteries and followsa group investigating crimes. Ontelevision this has proved to be asuccessful formula in the past withexamples of the genre ranging fromDragnet in the 1950s to Hill StreetBlues, NYPD Blue and HomicideLife on the Street amongst others.In the UK this formula has also beensuccessful in programmes such asZ Cars, The Sweeney, PrimeSuspect and The Bill.

Currently the franchise has threedifferent versions on television, eachone being set in a different US city: theoriginal CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(2000) which is set in Las Vegas, CSI:Miami (2002) and CSI: New York (2004).

Although meeting many conventions of this genre, the CSIfranchise has also subverted many of them. One convention of thisgenre is the way the day to day life of a police department ispresented in a realistic way with gritty representations of policelife and the violence of the streets. Some have used documentarystyles in order to create a heightened sense of realism. A currentexample of a procedural drama that follows these conventions isThe Shield which has avoided the use of soundtrack to add to itsdocumentary-like feel. The Shield, like other modern procedurals,uses complex narratives and focuses on corruption within the policeforce and so presents moral uncertainties. The media language ofCSI creates a less realistic feel and, whilst police corruption andstreet violence are, at times, part of the narratives of the shows,they tends to be more morally certain as the main characters areidentified as being consistently heroic and morally upright.

Grissom confronts asuspect in an investigationscene which uses codesand conventions takenfrom other proceduraldramas.

(http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0286486/shield2.jpg)A typically realistic shot from The Shield

AQA/WJEC/OCR?CSI is a useful contemporary text to study for both AS and A2.OCR focuses on the TV drama specifically (2008 specification) atAS. CSI could be studied within a cross form case study (AQAAS 2008) or as an independent study topic at A2. With all awardingbodies any study of CSI would need to be based around themedia concepts.

CSI uses a range of codes and conventions which are shared acrossthe franchise, creating a distinct interpretation of the policeprocedural genre, therefore, creating its own sub genre. At the sametime, however, each version of the show has some distinct aspectswhich create subtle differences between them.

Sidle and Grissom in the morgue a typical CSI locationin all three shows

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Codes and Conventions of CSI

CSI ConventionsAll versions of the show are created by CBS and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer who is famous for his productionof big budget Hollywood films. CSI was created by Anthony E. Zuiker. Each version has been released successfullyon DVD. In the UK, first showings are on Channel Five which has become known for its US imports and hasrecently launched a new channel, Five-US, to capitalise on the success of these and other shows. The shows havehigh production values costing around $3 million per episode.

Each programme is highly stylised using coloured lighting effects, flashbacks and a range of techniques such asheightened or washed out colour, blurring etc. Each programme has an establishing shot of wide angle track of thelocation usually as seen from above. Each version of CSI uses CGI and other special effects to create hyper-realistic views of wounds, bullet travel etc. At some point during the investigation a montage is used to show thescientists at work where dialogue is suspended and a modern sound track used. Each show uses a track by TheWho as its theme music (choosing appropriate lyrics to tie in with the theme of the shows, e.g. who are you?) andthe soundtrack is usually contemporary.

Although there are some exceptions, the shows are usually episodic showing two or three cases from expositionto resolution. The true hero of the show is science which is used to solve the crimes being investigated and, in themajority of episodes, criminals are exposed and the story ends with their arrest. Binary oppositions are used:science (as truth) v deceit; the police v criminals, all of which can be reduced to the simple opposition of good (thepolice and scientific crime fighters) and evil (the criminals).

A collective of heroic characters is used: A mature male (each series uses a known actor) leads the team (largely unknowns prior to CSI) which is of mixed

age, gender and race: Grissom in Las Vegas, Horatio Caine in Miami and Mac in New York The male lead tends to be a loner, a workaholic and has some personal tragedies or problems to deal with Most of the team members undertake traditional police work which includes questioning suspects and attending

crime scenes Each team is supported by a number of scientists who work in well-resourced labs Each team works closely with a coroner At least one non-scientific policeman works closely with the team

The shows focus on simple narratives means that stereotypes are used extensively, both in the heroic team and inthe criminals/victims involved in the cases. Amongst the leading cast a single mother struggles to balance workand family commitments (Las Vegas); a young character is shown at first as being unprofessional and his lack offocus is an irritation to the older team members (Las Vegas); the country-girl who has moved to the city is portrayedas nave (New York); the ex-marine is patriotic (New York); the workaholic finds personal relationships difficult(all). Victims are sometimes innocent but often their demise is linked to personal choices they make. In Las Vegasa large number of gamblers and prostitutes are killed; in Miami death often follows pleasure seeking in some way;in New York the victims greed is often a cause of violence. These stereotypes reinforce a range of contemporaryvalues.

CSI has mainstream appeal. The ensemble cast allows broad audience identification with the cast and its simplenarrative, repeated codes and the regular resolution of problems creates audience gratification in a number ofdifferent ways.

Institution

Media Language

Narrative andCharacters

Representation /Ideology

Audience

Using Stereotypes:At first Greg was represented as a stereotypical young man: he joked around at work, had knowledge of a rangeof youth cultures and irritated Grissom by listening to rock music in the lab.

Exam Hint :- When discussing your ideas in essays, always use actual examples from shows you have seen to illustrate the pointsyou are making. You will need to show the examiner you have studied the text, not just read a factsheet about it. Try not to makegeneral observations about the shows (e.g. CSI tends to use closed narratives) but give evidence for the comments you aremaking with detail from specific episodes (e.g. CSI tends to use closed narratives. For example, the killer of the marine found incentral park is identified by the end of the episode Heroes).

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Las Vegas

Gambling, show girls, Americasplayground, the sex industry, night-life,marriage chapels, bright neon lights,tourism, 60s Vegas links withorganised crime, the desert

A gang of hoodies beat up tourists forfun; Clients of prostitutes are oftenkilled; Someone who cheats in a casinois found dead; Someone who has wona lot of money in a casino is found dead;The desert is often used to dump bodies.

Bright jewel colouredlighting is used in themainly night timesetting to reflect theneon light of the Vegasstrip; The colours usedare often symbolic red for dangerous

locations, white light for clarity in thelab; The lab is mainly naturalistic with astrong blue and white tone. Low-keylighting is used to highlight importantparts of the investigation and thebuilding is modern and well equipped.

The coldness of science sets the toneof the investigations in Las Vegas andvery little personal connection is madein the cases; Grissoms character hasan intellectual engagement with thepuzzles he faces and the crimes are oftenpresented in this way.

There is little Hollywood action in LasVegas. Crimes are solved by focussingon the evidence and the characters areprimarily scientists.

Miami

Beaches, sun, glamour, drug-crime,Hispanic culture, holiday-makers, wealth,the everglades

Buying or selling drugs often leads todeath; Models are killed out of jealousy;Dead bodies are found on the beach;The rich and famous come to Miami andget involved in violent crime; Bodies areeaten by the wildlife in the everglades.

Yellow and gold coloursdominate and extremecolour washes are usedto emphasise the brightsunlight of the location;Often colours are used tocreate unnatural skieswhich tie in with the

themes being presented browns, pinksand purples are not uncommon; Muchof the programme is set during the day again to emphasise the hot, sunnyclimate; The lab is also lit with goldentones and is the most high tech of thefranchise using a lot of glass and chrome.

Much is made of the sympathy for thevictims and their families. The coroneroften shows emotion towards the bodiesshe receives for autopsies and Horatiois shown comforting and supportingfamily members after crimes and hasbecome personally involved with victimsand their families

Lots of action from terrorist attacks,planes being shot from the sky and dirtybombs threatening Miami. The showuses shoot outs, car chases andexplosions regularly. Horatio does notget involved in the laboratory work

New York

Sophisticated, extremes of wealth andpoverty, Wall Street, shopping, culture,culturally diverse, a city of opportunity,Central Park, skyscrapers, 9/11

Bank robbers dress up as a characterfrom a classic film set in New York(Breakfast at Tiffanys);An investment banker is pushed out ofa window in Wall Street; Runaways whogo to New York to start a new life cometo a sticky end; An eccentric millionaireis killed; Homeless people are killed;Many bodies are found in the park.

The dominantcolour is bluewith grey. Thecolours reflectthe built upurbanenvironment,

the age of the city and the colderclimate of New York; A mix of day andnight settings are used but each stillhas a mainly blue tone; The lab usesup to date equipment but the buildingmixes modern design with verytraditional architecture just like thearchitecture of New York.There is less of a personal connectionto the victims than in Miami but moreof a personal connection with the crimesthemselves than in Las Vegas. Onecharacter was a victim of domesticviolence and this can cloud herjudgement. She also has an accidentwhich means she could have contractedAIDS. A member of the team wasmurdered and Mac lost his wife in theattack on the world trade centre so thecharacters are impacted on by theevents of the city.The action in New York follows manyof the conventions of a proceduraldrama. There may be some chases (onfoot) and some armed standoffs. Thecharacters balance their work betweenconventional police work on the streetsand the scientific work in the laboratory.

Ideas aboutthe City

How arethese ideasused inplots?

Use of Lightand Colour

Tone

Action

Despite these similarities, each show uses the conventions in slightly different ways.

Las Vegas/Miami/New YorkEach city has been chosen carefully and each programme has a slightly different tone and uses different events as the backdrop to theinvestigations often these reflect contemporary ideas about the cities. The producer has said he feels the city is a cast member and,therefore, can be seen to add character to the shows.

Activity: What do you know about the cities of Las Vegas, Miami and New York? What is the public perception of each city?

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The viewing figures show that the programmes are immensely popular. There are many shows whichhave used CSI conventions in an attempt to replicate their success. Shows like Cold Case andCriminal Minds have put a twist on the CSI conventions by focussing on historical rather thancurrent cases (Cold Case) and by using psychology rather than physical science (Criminal Minds)to solve crimes. Despite its differences to CSI, House can also be seen to be using CSI-type codes toattract and maintain its audience.

A typical action shot from CSIMiami

House: the producer is the Hollywood director Bryan Singer the villain is illness a mixed gender, mixed race team is led by a socially inept male lead (Dr House) CGI is sometimes used to allow the audience to see illness in a way they could only previously imagine it the riddle (how can the patient be cured?) is solved within the episode

CSI and Audience

One of the main audience pleasures, or gratifications, offered byCSI can be seen to be comfort. Despite the violence shown in theprogrammes and the fact that the CSI world is one of extreme violence,blood and gore, the audience can be comforted in the fact thathowever bizarre or puzzling the situation is, the detectives willeventually apprehend the killer. The CSI world is one of moralcertainties and resolutions. The producer observed that theprogramme was an immediate success but after the events of 9/11 itsviewing figures rose sharply perhaps indicating that CSI offerscomfort for an audience who are frightened and confused by eventsin the world. CSI may play on the culture of fear by showing aworld full of violence and crime but it also acts to reassure theaudience that science and institutions such as the police force arereliable and effective.

Activity: What pleasures might the audience get from the following aspects of CSI? Closed narratives most problems are solved by the end of the episode The use of specialised scientific terminology A range of stereotyped characters Clear moral perspectives The use of science to solve crimes Consistent repetition of the franchises codes and conventions The use of CGI The visual and tonal differences between the three programmes

occurrence of criminals pouring bleach over a crime scene (itremoves DNA traces) has increased since the programmes beganand the investigative procedures shown are accused of helpingcriminals evade capture.

Both CSI Las Vegas and Miami appear to be distancing themselvesfrom the idea of realism. In recent Miami episodes, plots have beenhighly exaggerated for example a recent episode showed a murderbeing linked to drug dealers, organised crime and, within the lastten minutes, a terrorism plot. The heroic Horatio still managed tofind the murderer and save the whole of Florida within 45 screenminutes. The latest season of CSI Las Vegas is using a range ofnarrative devices to tell its stories from an episode which is shownfrom the point of view of minor characters to another which showsdead bodies chatting in the morgue. These exaggerations (Miami)and subversions (Las Vegas) of generic codes are all part of thedevelopment of the genre intended to keep the audience watchingthe shows and to maintain their success.

Exam Hint:-Dont forget the importance of the media concepts.When studying a text like CSI, try to consider how the medialanguage you are observing relates to the construction of thenarrative, the use and subversion of generic codes, the waypeople and ideas are represented and the audience pleasuresthe text provides. All of these can be used to help understandthe way the texts constructs values and ideologies. Whenanswering examination questions always make sure you focuson the media concept(s) identified within the question itself.

(CSI Vegas Images from: http://www.tv.com/csi/show)(CSI: Miami Images from http://www.tv.com/csi-miami/show)(CSI: Ney York Images from http://www.tv.com/csi-ny/show)

http://www.tvguide.com/images/pgimg/csi-petersen48.jpg

Science Fact or Science Fiction?Despite the use of scientific language and some real science, oftenthe methods used in the programmes are fictional and real sciencecannot achieve what it is shown to achieve on the shows. Theprogrammes are, however, often received by audiences as beingrealistic and so are having a wider cultural effect too. News reportsshow that juries expect forensic evidence to be as efficient andaccurate as that which is seen on television. Judges have had towarn juries that this is not always the case. According to reports, the

Acknowledgements: This Media Studies Factsheet was researched and written by StephHendry Curriculum Press. Bank House, 105 King Street, Wellington, TF1 1NU. MediaFactsheets may be copied free of charge by teaching staff or students, provided that theirschool is a registered subscriber. No part of these Factsheets may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted, in any other form or by any other means, without the priorpermission of the publisher. ISSN 1351-5136

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