SerpApi.Org
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is one of the most influential TV shows in the world of true crime — so it may come as no surprise that the long-running series' creation was inspired by an episode of another true crime series. Creator Anthony E. Zuiker revealed to the Television Academy that, in 1998, a Season 4 episode of the Discovery Channel show, "The New Detectives," gave him the push to write "CSI."
"There was this particular episode about Linda Sobek, an LA Raiders cheerleader that was killed by a photographer. In that episode, there were three pieces of key evidence that stuck out to me as a layman just watching the show," Zuiker explained. "And the light bulb went off. I poured myself a glass of cabernet and I wrote the script in three days." "The New Detectives" was a true crime documentary series focused on the forensics of real-life murder cases. The show would feature two or three cases per episode, making it a natural precursor to "CSI."
Read more: 10 Major Movie Stars Who Appeared On ER
CSI was a natural descendant of The New Detectives
The pilot for "CSI" came to creator Anthony E. Zuiker mostly fully formed and, inspired by "The New Detectives," he imbued the series with a similar structure — but using a fictional format. "I was a little all over the place in terms of exactly what the show was," the showrunner explained to the Television Academy while discussing the initial structure. "In the pilot, we had these character arcs with Marg [Helgenberger]'s character and multiple cases going on at the same time," he added, which mirrored "The New Detectives."
After Zuiker brought in writers Carol Mendelsohn and Ann Donahue to showrun the series alongside him, their inclusion gave way to the show's habit of having two central storylines per episode, known as "A" and "B" plots. "That's when the show really got its rhythm," he noted. So, not only is "The New Detectives" to thank for the concept of "CSI" as a whole, it is also responsible for its satisfying multi-case structure that would go on to be a staple of crime television.
Enjoyed this article? Sign up to TVLine's free newsletter, and follow us on Google or add us as a preferred search source for the latest in TV, streaming and movie news.
Read the original article on TVLine.
