"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" Pilot (2000)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Danny Cannon

Writers:

Anthony E. Zuiker (creator)
Anthony E. Zuiker (writer)

TV Series:

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000)

Original Air Date:

6 October 2000 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A murder appears to be a suicide with very little evidence.

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Crime Lab | Police | Evidence | Crime Scene

Cast

William Petersen	...	Gil Grissom
Marg Helgenberger	...	Catherine Willows
Gary Dourdan	...	Warrick Brown
George Eads	...	Nick Stokes
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Captain Jim Brass
John Pyper-Ferguson	...	Husband
Harrison Young	...	Judge Cohen
Allan Rich	...	Dr. Gary Klausbach
Susan Gibney	...	Charlotte Meridian
Eric Szmanda	...	Greg Sanders
Royce D. Applegate	...	Mr. Laferty
Barbara Tarbuck	...	Paige Harmon
Nancy Fish	...	'Lesley Stahl' - Liquor Store Owner
Cedrik Terrell	...	Boe Wilson (as Cedrick Terrell)
Chandra West	...	Holly Gribbs

Runtime:

USA:60 min (with commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Germany:12 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-14

Company:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Trivia:

In the nearly ten years of the series, the opening credits' (pilot epsiode) scene of Grissom's experiment dummy-being bludgeoned in the back of the head-has always been shown.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Grissom goes into the bathroom of a suspect, the toilet seat is down when viewed from the door, but as Grissom approaches, the seat is up, then when he goes to inspect the toilet he raises the seat.

Quotes:

[Holly Gribbs is performing her first autopsy]
Gil Grissom: You gotta breathe through your ears, Gribbs.

Movie Connections:

References The Exorcist (1973)

The start of something Big...........Welcome to Vegas!

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is where it all began. The first episode of the highest rated series, (in the world I think). I think this was well written, directed, and performed. It was Gripping, it left it on a cliffhanger, which is the best thing a pilot can end with.

It starts with a few short cases, (the first one won't really be significant till later on in the series, and in season 2) a suicide (apparently), Warrick investigates a shooting, Holly Gribbs Struggles as the new CSI, which later leads to the cliffhanger when a suspect returns to a crime scene and shoots her. Warrick gets the blame for not supervising her. Will she live? Will she die? (She does, Yay! No offense to her, but if she didn't there'd be no Sara to replace her, way more interesting character. and she opens a whole new storyline throughout the seasons with Grissom) It introduced us to the main characters, briefly. Having read some of the books first, I found myself wondering, "Where is Sara?!?" and "why isn't grissom in charge?!?", but it was that episode that got me hooked on the series itself. I actually bought season 1 on DVD when Season 6 was on TV, now season 7 is nearly over, and I'm still trying to watch it all in chronological order, stuck on season 3 until I save up and buy the next season, I don't watch season 7. It's the story lines of the CSIs which will bring you to watch this week after week. That, and of course the evidence, Which takes you into worlds unknown to you. If you want thought the cops did solved the cases, think again. If you want to watch the best Murder mystery/crime solving drama ever made, you have to start here to understand.