A jump up this week..

..with no NFL contests to compete with, CSI jumped up a spot to No. 3 thi sweek in the weekly broadcast television ratings. As was the case last week, CSI helped CBS have control of the broadcast television market with the network taking 6 of the top 10 in this weeks ratings. New to the list this week is CSI: Miami, the highly popular second coming of the CSI series. It made it in at the No.6 spot.

In my last blog I didn't get to talk much about the other CSI shows: CSI:Miami and CSI:NY. The gist is the same as the orginal but it gives a different flavor consumed by these unique and cultured locales. Miami has seen great reviews and at times has been a heavy match for the original, CSI. New York has been the center of criticism. While it is another quality product, it never seemed to have lifted itself to the status of the other two. It has been criticized with overused show concepts and plots an dhas been hevaily scrutinizd for lack-luster casting.

Interesting to Note

While two weeks old, Nielsen is reporting that CSI is fifth in TV Ratings for Broadcast Television for the week of January 12-January 18, 2009.  It finished behind the AFC Championship game and Post-Game in the National Football League and American Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday.  CSI pulled in a 14.4 rating

This stat is quite interesting because CSI airs at 9:00pm on Thursdays, a hefty spot to be in as it competes with shows such as NBC's The Office which makes it have a more spread out audience.  However, that time is irrelevant as it encompasses the entire week, including re-runs I am assuming.

Even more interesting is CBS dominance in the week.  They pulled in most of the country as the filled 8 of the top 10 spots for Broadcast TV in the week.  The only other station to crack the top ten was FOX with American Idol.

With it being CBS season, with FOX pulling in some of late, it brings me back to the origin of the this blog.  How will CSI survive without Gil Grissom, the lead character in CSI.  Is the show strong enough without him?

The answers, how I see them, are yes and yes.  CSI is simply too good of a series and too well written and produced to totally fall off.  It is a strong cast of individuals who each make the show a little better.  Also, with CSI bring such a unique show as one of the original "crime investigating" show, it has a loyal following.  I also feel though that they get a lot of help from show before and after it with Criminal Minds at 8:00pm and Eleventh Hour, another Jerry Bruckheimer creation, at 10:00pm.  Two of three shows are mainstays on CBS and bring in lots of viewers with Eleventh Hour picking up some steam, especially with this night crime shows back to back to back.

Only time will tell what us going to happen with CSI!

History of the Original CSI

CSI is a fast-paced drama about a team of forensic investigators trained to solve crimes by examining the evidence.  They are on the case 24/7, scouring the scene, collecting the irrefutable evidence and finding pieces that will solve the mystery.  Gil Grissom, shift supervisor, heads the team of investigators at the Crime Lab in Las Vegas.  The team includes Catherine Willows, a hard-working single parent with a checkered past and a teenage daughter she's raising on her own; Warrick Brown, a top analyst with insider knowledge of the gambling world; Nick Stokes, a true-blue stand up guy who empathizes with victims via his own experiences; and Greg Sanders, the wacky tech analyst turned field investigator.  The CSI team members also work closely with Captain Jim Brass, the former chief, now assigned to Homicide, Dr. Albert Robbins, the ever-professional medical examiner, and David Hodges, a lab technician with a specialty in trace and foreign substance analysis.

Summary courtesy of: www.cbs.com/primetime/csi/about.

A New Age for CSI

In a stunning report, longtime CSI:Crime Scene Investigation actor William Petersen, known on the show as Gil Grissom, will be leaving the show for good.

Seeing as he is a huge part in the show's prestige, I have now decided to track the ratings and overall impressions of the show as it carries on without him  Stay tuned as I'm sure there will be much to report in the future!