'CSI' in Any Other City Just Isn't as Sweet! Plus, 'Four Kings' Pulled and 'Anatomy' Awarded

In preparation for this entry today, I watched last night's episode of CSI: Miami. I hadn't seen this show in a long time, but I quickly remembered why I don't usually watch it (in addition to the fact that it's up against Medium). This CSI is missing the magic that makes the original so special. It also has the David Caruso problem and really cliched writing (last night's "When you say it, I believe it" "That's because it's true"), but more importantly, it's missing the magic. It makes me sad because I do love Calleigh (actress Emily Procter has much good will built up with me because she was the awesome Ainsley Hayes on The West Wing). The original has a wonderful set of characters that play off of each other perfectly. It blends humor with the absurd and throws in a little emotion on the side all while never taking itself too seriously. Miami seems to take on a more serious tone, and yet, I find myself laughing at things I probably shouldn't be laughing at because it ventures into the ridiculous. I will give props to both shows for making their cases match the atmosphere of their locations. CSI's venture into the bizarre side of human nature and its often darkly lit scenes blend nicely with the wild world of Las Vegas and the active nightlife the city offers. Miami's expensive cars, opulence and flashy appeal combined with its bright sunny days and picturesque blue waters match that city's wealthy culture and warm weather. And then there's CSI: NY, which admittedly, I haven't seen since last season. I have heard that the show has vastly improved, and the ratings seem to reflect that as well. I think the problem with NY is more that it doesn't have anything to distinguish itself from other cop shows on television. There are 4 editions of Law & Order that all take place in New York, and fellow Jerry Bruckheimer crime drama Without a Trace also bases itself there. It is also lacking memorable characters like the original (although I do like Hill Harper's character). I remember reading about a third installment of CSI, and how the producers had narrowed down the cities to New York and New Orleans. I think New Orleans would have served this edition better than another New York based cop drama. Having said that, I don't think it's the location that makes the other two editions inferior to the original, but rather a combination of characters, writing, cases and originality. It sounds cliche, but nothing can top the original.

Every time we turn on the television it seems there's one of these procedural cop shows on the air. Most of them do very well. In any given week, you can expect to see CSI, CSI: Miami, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Law & Order: SVU, CSI: NY and NCIS along with new procedural -ish Criminal Minds all in the top 20 shows of the week. Some worry that the networks will over do it as they did with the reality craze in the early 2000s. With the recent premiere of Conviction (creator Dick Wolf says this law show blends more character than most procedurals) and the still yet to premiere ABC crime procedural The Evidence, is there any sign of the trend over saturating the market? Last season, NBC tried out a fourth edition of Law & Order, called Trial By Jury, but pulled it after it failed to deliver the ratings the network had hoped for on Friday nights. CBS, which has found success with 5 Bruckheimer crime shows, is still trying to find a solid audience for the latest Bruckheimer show Close to Home. That show started out on Tuesday nights against Law & Order: SVU (the highest-rated of the L&O franchise), but stumbled, so CBS moved it to its current Friday slot where it has done much better. Yet when CBS recently announced several renewals for next season, Close to Home was noticeably left off the list, indicating that the network wants to wait and see before it commits to the show for another season. The original Law & Order (now in its 13th season), which started the procedural movement, has lost some of its steam in the ratings, falling to second in its timeslot this season to CSI: NY. NBC is moving the show an hour earlier to make room for its new drama Heist this week, which will pit it against Lost and American Idol. It's fierce competition that will probably sink the crime show into fourth place for the hour behind Criminal Minds. In recent seasons there has been a push for more character-based, serial dramas thanks to mega hits Lost and Desperate Housewives, but the market for crime procedurals is still out there and thriving. Consider the fact that CSI averages around 30 million viewers an episode and only seems to be growing in popularity as it gets older, proving that the procedural is still going strong as well. Just as with anything else in life, television needs a balance. Currently, things seem to be evenly distributed, giving viewers like us a lot of variety so we can load up our viewing plates with serials, procedurals, law, order, comedy and even a small dose of reality. I wouldn't want it any other way.

About Last Night...NBC won the first hour of the night with Deal or No Deal, followed by CBS comedies King of Queens and How I Met Your Mother and Fox's Prison Break. At 9, CBS took over with comedies Two and a Half Men and The New Adventures of Old Christine, followed by Fox's 24 and ABC's Supernanny. The final hour of the night went to CBS' CSI: Miami, followed by NBC's Medium (r) and ABC's Miracle Workers. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.

~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - The 11 finalists compete with songs from the 50s tonight on Fox's American Idol.

@9 p.m. - JD encourages his fellow doctors to go the extra mile with their patients on NBC's Scrubs (a second episode follows (rerun), and this week it's John C. McGinley's (Dr. Cox) favorite episode). Over on CBS, Jonas attempts to rescue a group of American missionaries in hiding in The Philippines on The Unit. ABC airs back-to-back new episodes of Sons & Daughters.

@10 p.m. - The teams head to Germany where one team follows another who leads them in the wrong direction on the way to the Roadblock on CBS' The Amazing Race. Over on NBC, a co-ed on financial aid is found dead with a lot of cash on NBC's Law & Order: SVU. ABC's Boston Legal finds Shirley Schmidt and former husband Ivan Tiggs (Tom Selleck) working together on a divorce case.



QUICK CUTS

*NBC is pulling its Thursday night comedy Four Kings. Effective immediately, reruns of My Name is Earl will occupy the 8:30 p.m. slot on Thursday nights until further notice. Four Kings had been averaging only 7.5 million viewers and it is the lowest rated show on NBC's Thursday night line-up. The network hasn't said whether or not it will air the remaining 6 episodes of the series in the future.

*And finally, Grey's Anatomy may have just started last season, but it is already getting the distinguished "classic" label - future classic, that is. TV Land named the medical drama a Future Classic at the TV Land Awards last night. The award "recognizes the one new show from the past calendar year which best exemplifies the qualities of an emerging television phenomenon that will endure for years to come" according to the press release. The TV Land Awards: A Celebration of Classic TV air Wednesday on both TV Land and Nick at Night at 9 p.m.

That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for thoughts on The Amazing Race (It's the conclusion of a thrilling two-parter!) and The Scrubies! Plus, all the latest television news!


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