CSI Miami: Series 1, Part 1 DVD – Boti Bliss, David Caruso

CSI: Miami follows the same super-successful formula as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Fortunately, this instantly popular spin-off established its own unique identity from the start. Like Gil Grissom’s motley crew, the Dade County criminalists of CSI: Miami solve murders using forensic science. Unlike the Vegas crew, however, they’re cops with the power to arrest, their coroner talks to dead people, and almost everybody speaks Spanish. Sometimes their crime scene is a swamp, sometimes a resort hotel. Either way, the skies are always sunny, the gators always biting. Real-life Florida resident David Caruso–playing Lt Horatio Caine, the head honcho–is joined by Khandi Alexander (NewsRadio) as coroner Alexx Woods, Emily Procter (The West Wing) as ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne, Adam Rodriguez (Roswell) as underwater recovery expert Eric Delko, and featured player Rory Cochrane (Dazed and Confused) as Tim “Speed” Speedle–though Cochrane wouldn’t become a full-fledged cast member until the 12th episode (“Entrance Wound”). Kim Delaney (Caruso’s former NYPD Blue cast mate) features in the first few episodes, but left after the tenth, reportedly due to a lack of chemistry with Caruso. Just as CSI has made the most of its location with stories about showgirls and casino owners, so has CSI: Miami exploited its surroundings for all they’re worth. Like its parent show, CSI: Miami quickly became a US ratings powerhouse and was followed by CSI: New York in 2004. –Kathleen C. Fennessy