Attracting nearly 17 million viewers regularly, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is America's number one show. With two spin-off series, the CSI franchise has sparked an unprecedented global television success. Reading CSI brings together for the first time critical discussions of all three shows from a wide range of perspectives, with contributions from journalists, television critics and pathology experts. Including a series by series episode guide for each program, this in-depth, comprehensive study seeks to understand what the CSI phenomenon means to contemporary television culture.
Michael Allen is Lecturer in Film and Electronic Media, Birkbeck College, University of London. His books include Family Secrets, a study of D.W. Griffith's feature films, and Contemporary U.S. Cinema.