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End of an era as CSI franchise bows out

In case you missed it, last night the CSI franchise ended a 16 year run on Australian TV.

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It was once a ratings blockbuster attracting viewers of over 2 million viewers on our screens, but last night the CSI franchise bowed out, ending a 16 year run on TV.

TEN screened the last ever episode of CSI: Cyber last night to 220,000 viewers -a far cry from the franchise’s glory days.

At two seasons and 31 episodes it was the final spin-off of the franchise which debuted in 2000, and the shortest of all of them.

The original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ran for 15 seasons from 2000 to 2015 starring William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, George Eads, Gary Dourdan, Paul Guilfoyle, Jorja Fox and later Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, and Elisabeth Shue. Its mix of forensic and procedural was irresistible to fans of crime.

CSI: Miami followed for 10 seasons from 2002 starring sunglasses-obsessed David Caruso, with a very solid run.

CSI: New York ran for nine seasons from 2004 led by Gary Sinise and Melina Kanakaredes, later replaced by Sela Ward.

All three did great business for Nine underpinned by the original series, including as a Sunday night drawcard.

CSI: Cyber, which saw Patricia Arquette joined by Ted Danson, attempted to update the franchise with online, cyber and hacking crimes from 2015. But it was cancelled by CBS earlier this month.

The final episode was aptly titled “Legacy,” last seen by drama forensics poring over it for signs of life.

There aren’t many procedural franchises on TV anymore, Law and Order being the rare exception while Dick Wolf’s Chicago Fire / Chicago P.D. / Chicago Med franchise is also giving it a red hot go.

Case closed.

8 Responses

  1. I’m sad that there are no more episodes of CSI: Cyber. It was the only CSI show I actually watched and liked. But I’m glad it ended with a happy ending and not with an open ended ending, like The Good Wife did.

  2. Chicago PD is the best procedural airing at the moment IMO. Elementary is also quite good.

    Never cared for CSI, NCIS is not much better either

  3. It’s sad that the CSI franchise has finished as I enjoyed all of them.

    There’s also going to be a Chicago Law from Dick Wolf in the fall in the US.

    1. Chicago Med hasn’t even aired in Australia so what hope do viewers have of seeing Chicago Law. Also these shows are unlikely to make it to free to air here.

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