THE AXE-MAN COMETH! GOODBYE 'CSI: MIAMI'

Father-protector! Horatio Caine guards his turf in CSI: MIAMI. Images: CBS.

I'd been aware that there was a big cancellation decision going on with the suits at CBS over which of their two CSI spin-offs created by Anthony Zuiker would be axed this year: the Gary Sinise starrer set in New York or Mister Shades himself, David Caruso's version, set in sunny Florida. The result came in a few weeks back and I have to say that I'm pretty surprised by the outcome: that Horatio and his team were the candidates going to syndication heaven after its landmark tenth season had been completed, and that no real finale wrap-up was to be done for them or their hit series (and it truly was a hit right out of the gate, despite some early jarring between once series leads Caruso and a miscast, soon to depart after one season Kim Delaney).

Original Season One titles: CSI Miami - Season 1 Intro With Kim Delaney - YouTube

For me personally, I think it's all a bit of a shame really that MIAMI is going into the sunset, despite the fact that ten years is a very good innings for a TV series of this ilk (of which its previous ninth season had ultimately shown signs of a strong recovery episode wise after a very weak, sometimes quite absurd, previous year). Though there had been a few occasional long sub-plots a few seasons back that were pretty good (one noteworthy series peak point storyline being Gary Sinise's Mac in conflict with a powerful newspaper editor/media mogul (an excellently slimy Craig T. Nelson), and a pursuit of a highly dangerous, seemingly one step ahead of the game, gang of marine trained bank robbers), I've never thought that CSI: NEW YORK was as bright, breezy and enjoyable, or had as likable a cast, as MIAMI. Perhaps, overall in the bigger scheme of things that is the American TV industry, film star Sinise, a popular and very straight laced actor, had a bit more clout in his producership role of the series than Caruso had as a lead series star (a bit like William Peterson had in the early seasons of the original CSI series as an Exec Producer, before he got tired of it), or perhaps US viewers and the networks now preferred the second spin-off because it was a little more harder edged in its grounded New Yoik attitude or less stylised in the face of competitive shows of the genre on rival stations. Regardless of such decision-making, power politics and numbers crunching, I'm very much going to miss Mister Caruso in what has so far been his career best TV performance, as the determined man with a mission to keep Florida families safe, Emily Procter as the always deliciously cute sexy gun expert Calleigh Duquesne, Adam Rodriguez as the reliable and equally likable sidekick Eric Delko, and the rest of the ever-growing series cast in its colourful and mostly always popcorn style cinematic heroics.

The series reached its peak in its middle years with (L-R)  Delko (Adam Rodriguez),  Alexx (Khandi Alexander), Horatio (David Caruso), Ryan (Jonathan Togo) and Calleigh (Emily Procter).

The final series of CSI: MIAMI has yet to make its glorious, high-definition looking resumation in the UK on the FIVE channel (presumably around August-time), but I look forward to seeing the resolution of the previous season cliffhanger-Horatio actually shot down for real this time (no fakery, Horatio is dead gimmicks like a few years back) whilst Natalia Boa Vista (the firm and lovely Eva La Rue) was locked in a car boot and heading to a watery grave, as well as discovering how the final new sub-plots affecting our heroes will play out (including an appearance from 24's Carlos Bernard, now playing a baddy). KOOL TV will be previewing CSI: MIAMI's last hurrah in the not too distant future.

NEW HANDS ON DECK: 'CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION' SEASON TWELVE

Ted Danson and Elisabeth Shue in the new season of CSI. Images: CBS.

We've already showcased the premiere appearance of Ted Danson as DB Russell, the new lead star of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (finally arriving on the UK's FIVE channel from next Tuesday 13th March) in a previous feature (VIVA LAS VEGAS! TED DANSON'S NEW REIGN ON "CSI" | KOOL TV), but here's some additional episodic stills introducing the arrival of another anticipated name actor to the series: the lovely Elisabeth Shue, taking over from Marg Helgenberger's departing Catherine Willows, as Julie (Finn) Finlay, the volatile but dedicated forensics expert, and once co-worker to Russell in Seattle, making her first appearance in the show, then bonding with the Las Vegas based team in her own unique way, within the episode Seeing Red.

New look titles: CSI Las Vegas - Season 12 Intro {w/ Elisabeth Shue} - YouTube

Building better work bonds: Julie and DB in the episode Stealing Home.

In the crime lab with Julie and Greg (Eric Szmanda) in the episode Seeing Red.

He died with his red shoes on! Another case for Nick (George Eads), Julie and DB in the episode Stealing Home.

New girls on the block: Morgan Brody (Elizabeth Harnois) and Julie in Trends with Benefits.

Greg and Morgan are on the case in the episode Bittersweet.

The team pool their formidable resources in Seeing Red.

For the first time in ages, this fresh new look to the long-running, still in the top ten US ratings list series (which also include young blond newcomer Elizabeth Harnois's addition to the swelling cast ranks in the season premiere episode, as Morgan Brody) actually has me want to start watching the show again after several much needed years away from it. Fingers crossed that this regenerative, creative shot in the arm, which I think the series really does need at this time, actually works well for the shows writers and producers as the CSI TV legend continues...

THE HEAT IS ON! THE RETURN OF "CSI: MIAMI"

Delko (Adam Rodriguez) and Horatio (David Caruso) rush to aid the fallen Calleigh (Emily Procter) in the CSI: MIAMI Season Nine opener: FALLEN Part Two. All images: CBS.

Anyone who has been reading the KOOL TV blog long-term will know that watching the adventures of Miami’s finest forensic/investigative squad, led by David Caruso as Horatio Caine- CSI: MIAMI- is one of my most guiltiest of pleasures in my TV watching life. It’s a typically fashioned Jerry Bruckheimer produced series, its full of gloss, its fast paced, has attractive leads stars and lots of location glamour, rich lifestyle and exciting action. However, even I have to admit that the last season of the show-its eighth, which ended on the UK’s CHANNEL FIVE last year (but is now back in repeat runs on the station, as well as SKY LIVING HD), was not its finest hour by any means, and came across as a little tired and all too obviously littered with mistakes made from the shows production end. We had reached a point were the episodes were becoming too predictable, stale or had been done before, whilst some were way too over the top in their conception (one story even had a murder on a Richard Branson style passenger space shuttle/plane taking elite passengers into Earth orbit trips! Please!!), alongside too many main characters now being in the series (with the top heavy addition, despite their likeability, of two new leads (Eddie Cibrian as returning CSI member Jesse Cardoza, and Omar Benson Miller as trainee Walter Simmons, plus BOSTON LEGAL’s Christian Clemenson as the quirky new autopsy doctor, Tom Loman) working to the ultimate detriment of the show, resulting in not all of them having enough screen time to appear (especially affecting other regulars like Rex Linn, Eva La Rue and Jonathan Togo) or have enough to do (many of the gang frustratingly had inter-changeable dialogue, too), linked with subplots that disappeared into nothingness, season plots that just disappointed (Jesse’s protecting his ex-wife when he thinks she’s married to a killer being one thread that ended disastrously, whilst Horatio’s long term Internal Affairs nemesis, Rick Stetler (David Lee Miller), went totally out of character and became a baddie. He was a pain in the ass before, but this new change was poorly conceived and a waste of what could have been a really strong series end story arc). And, most criminally, no one last year seemed to want to give David Caruso-the shining iconic star of the series, love him or hate him, with the on and off sunglasses- an effective long term plot, as had been the case the previous successful seven years, resulting in him seemingly wandering in and out of episodes with not enough to contribute other than his trademark skills and memorable pithy comebacks to scumbags. With all these problems I was beginning to think it really was time for MIAMI to call it quits after eight years, especially with many new pretenders to the throne now on TV and matching it in terms of popularity, ratings and similar story-telling, like CSI: HAWAII (sorry, HAWAII FIVE-O!). Fortunately, it's cliff-hanger episode, FALLEN part one, in which most of the MIAMI Dade team were seemingly taken out by a mysterious virus within their own lab, resulting in Horatio and now semi-regular Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) outside of it arresting their number one suspect for a series of similar murders, and unaware of what was happening, proved a terrific ending, intriguing me enough that I’m now really looking forward to year nine’s UK commencement later in the summer. And I truly hope it doesn’t disappoint.



Horatio's crime-busting Mojo returns in the episode LAST STAND.



Trouble for Delko and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) in SUDDEN DEATH.

Viewers in the US have been enjoying this new run since last September, and it looks as if the shows producers, realizing their past mistakes, have indeed sorted the problems out to a large degree, announcing that this season things will be back to basics with the return of the core team in plots and a reduction in its numbers (one character being quickly written out, killed by the lab released virus), alongside stronger storylines and a central position for Horatio Caine. So far, the behind the scenes actions appear to have been successful, with ratings satisfying enough to ensure its likely survival for another year, and promising lots of intriguing plots (including the resolution of the cliffhanger, FALLEN, plus SUDDEN DEATH (Horatio and the team investigate Miami’s elite with the death of a young girl), SEE NO EVIL (a blind man’s link to a murder sees the emergence of an old enemy), MANHUNT (Horatio searches for the dangerous, now inexplicably freed, murderer of his wife), MATCH MADE IN HELL (Ryan goes undercover in a dating service), STONED COLD (the team investigate the murder of a young girl who has been stoned to death), ABOUT FACE (Natalia discovers a shocking secret), and the shows milestone 200th episode: HAPPY BIRTHDAY (in which the team tracks down the sadistic murderer of a woman who was eight months pregnant)), lots more great guests star names (including Roger Bart, Wes Ramsey, LA FEMME NIKITA’s Peta Wilson, Erica Eleniak, Zoe Bell, and LOST’s Mark Pellegrino), plus a big storyline for Horatio, where he may even get a new girlfriend near the end of the season (apparently she’ll be a secret service agent-good move there, writers-but c’mon, give H. a break and let her live for at least a season-don’t just kill her off after two episodes like all his past flames have been!). Also adding noteworthy contributions this season will be directors including actor David Arquette and an episode both scripted and visualised by Adam Rodriguez (pictured below).

Delko stays with the series for MANHUNT.

So, as the Sunshine State’s oranges blossom and ripen for quality goodness, let’s hope a similar taste of fresh vitality works its magic for CSI: MIAMI!

Previous seasons of CSI: MIAMI are available on DVD, and showing in repeats on the UK's SKY LIVING HD and CHANNEL 5.