This week CBS will unveil the third addition to its CSI franchise-CSI New York, I’ll watch but not without some protest. Correct me if I’m wrong, but when Lennie and Ed need help with a crime, don’t they call the CSU? So much for the cross-network rant, any excuse to put Melina Kanakaredes back on prime time television is alright by me.
I’m just amazed that there are all these incredibly complicated crimes that take place each year. At least 22 weird murders a year.
I can believe it in New York. But I doubt that Las Vegas and Miami end up with that many in a year.
I’m not sure about the casting. Gary Sinise is great, but I’m not sure he can pull off the delicate balance of cocky-and-confident yet unsettlingly-creepy that is de rigueur for a Bruckheimer CSI head.
Grissom has the I-was-the-Dungeonmaster-in-college thing, and Kane has the My-parents-were-siblings-and-kept-me-socially-isolated thing. How will Calucci skeeve us out? We know he lost his wife under tragic circumstances – will he obsess over her like a latter-day Dr. Phibes?
Another point I’m confused on. The name “Rick Calucci” doesn’t seem to be a nod to a previous, cult-status character, unless it’s too culty even for me. Why break from tradition?
Will the show even have a Who themesong? Will it be CSI at all? 
Well, here’s my theory for spinoffs.
mmmmm…Gary Sinise.
NYCSI Staffer #1: “'Ey. Yeah, lookit dis. 'Pparently dis guy wuz killed by some sorda blunt instramint.”
NYCSI Staffer #2: “Yeah. Whadda bum.”
NYCSI Staffer #3: “Dja run da spectromathing onnit?”
NYCSI Staffer #1: “Naw, who ca’es? Guy’s a bum.”
NYCSI Staffer #2: “Yeah, f*ck 'im. Ywana hot dog 'r summin?”
NYCSI Staffer #3: “Yeaokay. F*ck dis guy.”
I’m still pissed off over what liars they are. When the second spinoff was being seriously talked about, they said - and I quote - that they couldn’t really do another American city because they’re all pretty much the same, so they were thinking of doing CSI: London or CSI: Paris. Either of those would have been great.
But no, instead we get CSI: Miami with less beaches.
And rats! Big f’n rats with cocks this long!
New York is sooooo overdone. You think they could have thought of another city. Las Vegas was inspired, Miami not so much, but still sort of different, maybe like CSI: Seattle, or CSI: Houston, or even CSI: Atlanta would have worked.
Oy gevalt! That sucked!
So I actually watched CSI: Miami last night in order to see the introduction of CSI: New York. Have these people never watched Law & Order? Don’t they know that after 14 years and 3 series of the realism of L&O, a NY crime show ought to seem like it has a passing acquaintance with the city or it will look really forced and phony?
New Yorkers just don’t go around saying stuff like “Gee, that’s a real New York story!” And Gary Sinise, is a fine actor and all, but he doesn’t have one iota of New York flavor.
I’m totally with ISiddiqui. Why the heck did they set this in NY? NY’s been done and done and overdone! I can see how setting it in a “unique” place can make for more dramatic possibilites. It sure worked for Vegas. I don’t like CSI Miami very much, but I do like South Florida as a setting, with the Everglades and all. (I read a lot of Carl Hiaasen.) I think they found a lot of success thinking outside the box, so to speak. Couldn’t they have come up with someplace with UNEXPLORED dramatic possibilities?
In fact, I think I’ll start a thread…
I watched it, too, and at least this time I didn’t fall asleep before the end!
I like Gary Sinise and I think he’s got the chops to make CSI: NY his own. Melina came across as a bit too tough a cookie for my liking, but she has one of the most exquisite faces on the small tube.
I love the original Vegas series. Great cast, great chemistry, really icky stories.
I don’t like the Miami version. First of all, I can’t stand David Caruso and his Horatio Caine is written as too much an I-Me-My guy. He doesn’t have quirks; he has an ego. And I don’t like the fact that the show is all filtered orange. OK, we get it. It’s hot in Florida.
I looks like the NY series, based on last night’s episode, is going to be all gray. How depressing! My guess is that this will be a Wednesday show. I’ll watch, cuz there’s not much else to watch on Wednesday nights.
Aye. The line I choked on was “This is New York-- you think it, it’s news.” (One NYC cop to another.)
How long do you have to live in the city before the “OMG! We’re in New York!” wears off? :rolleyes:
Judging from my experience— about 3 days. 
I was disappointed with the show. The sound quality sucked (too much interference from the bass beat that kept booming for no reason), and it was way, way too filtered, especially since they shot it a couple weeks ago during a very sunny stretch.
Maybe it was trying to go for a different look or “feel”, but I found the show more intense and oppressive (visually and aurally) than its siblings. Less humor, more gravity, and though I like Gary Sinise, Melina managed to irritate me in the Providence promos (never saw the show) so I suspect I’m going to tire of her quickly.
Still, I see some promise–the other shows seem to be resorting to more absurd and contrived crimes, whereas NY (though seemingly done to death in TV Copville) may allow for some fresh inspiration.
The Big Question: Which Who song will be in the opening credits. My guess: “Squeeze Box”
CSI: Tupelo
Gary Sinise was alright, but a mite too intense. I thought he was going to pop that vertical vein on his forhead and then try to rip Horatio’s throat out with his teeth.
“It’s a deal – RAAHR!” CHOMP!
“Eden” who was analyzing stuff in the chem lab sounded like she was trying to talk with an I-didn’t-get-the-part-in-Girlfight-but-shouldda “toughness”, but then, maybe it was just her regular speaking voice.
The rest of CSI crew mde me think “meh”. Their true debut may be better - wasn’t that when we got a better feel for the Miami crew? The Gun Nut, Scuba Guy, Corpse Chat, etc.?
I’m another who found the lighting/filtering murky and had trouble figuring out what I was supposed to be seeing onscreen.
Picture this: Gary Sinese, bathed in a radiant blue glow, stares down at a dead NY cop. When Kane shows up at the dead cops apartment, he is bathed in a glowing orange tone. I tell DeHusband, “Look Honey, he’s a little Florida sunbeam in a dark dreary NYC!”
Stage Lighting 101: The most used filters are Amber and Blue. But be careful when using lots of blue… Don’t use too much amber unless you want to make someone look as if they’re on a mission from God.
Perhaps:
“I Can’t Explain”
“The Real Me”
“Let’s See Action”
“I’m Free”
Thank Og, somebody else noticed that. I started giggling:
“Look, an apparition!”
<Sixth Sense> I see Horatio…</Sixth Sense>
That would work. It’s got a “hard” sound and strong vocals like the other two that are being used. The lyrics in the chorus certainly apply.
I read somewhere (maybe in the TV book that comes with the NY Times) that they were thinking of using Eminence Front. Other than the line “It’s a put on,” I can’t see how it would work. The song as a whole is about dissembling, but it’s not like there’s one big obvious line like “Who are you” that they could emphasize.
And thanks to those of you who explained about the color filtering. I never overtly notice that kind of stuff, but I do notice on some level, so when someone points it out, I always have a big “oh YEAH!” reaction.