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CSI Miami, which airs on Channel Five, should come with two health warnings. The first is that if you are the least bit squeamish then this is not the show for you as there is a high gore level in each show. Secondly if you want to see your actors animated and interesting then don't bother switching on.

This show is a spin off from the successful CSI, which is set in the gambling capital Las Vegas, whilst this version is quite obviously from the title set in the equally glamorous Miami.

The Format

Each show lasts for 55 minutes and follows a similar format each week. CSI stands for Crime Scene Investigation and follows a group of forensic investigators as they compile the evidence necessary to solve the case of that week. Usually there are two investigations running each week with the primary case being led by the main character Horatio Caine played by David Caruso.

The show profiles the various techniques used by the investigators as they process each crime scene and then moves to the lab where the evidence is assessed and tested. There is a high quotient of blood and guts as the victims body is put under the knife and often there are flash back scenes, as the evidence is gathered, that serve to explain the various theories that the investigators explore, often this will include footage of bullets passing through bodies.

Certainly the subject matter is a fascinating one and if anyone is planning to commit a crime this would certainly make you think twice as finger prints and DNA are only the start of things you have to worry about.

The Performances

This is where the programme fails to live up to the far superior CSI Vegas. To describe the character performances as wooden would be an insult to the many great puppets that have graced our screens.

Caruso put in a solid performance in NYPD but in this he plays his character with what can only be described as a failed attempt at menacing and cool. In this he compares badly with his opposite number in CSI Vegas where the lead character Grissom is an oddball who takes an active part in the investigation carrying out much of the testing while Caruso character tends to leave this to his colleagues. At the end of it all Caruso character hints at a deeper dark side but the programme fails to explore this and you are left with the feeling that he trying to be something he is not.

The supporting cast do little to enhance the viewing. As with the majority of American detective series not set in New York all of the characters are fine looking specimens. Emily Proctor plays Calleigh Duquesne (West Wing) and her southern accent and attempts at being cute tend to become annoying as the show progresses.

Tim Speedle (Rory Cochrane) and Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) provide the eye candy for the ladies wile Yalona Salas (Sofia Milos) brings some sultry good looks to the screen and also the fact that she is the widow of Caine brother who was killed while working under cover on a drugs bust under less than innocent circumstances. In recent episodes the brother former junkie girlfriend has appeared on the scene with his daughter in tow causing friction between Caine and Milos.

Conclusions

On the positive side the action is fast moving and the storylines are varied often with a twist at the end of them. On the down side the acting is less than impressive and the show does not compare well to the original CSI, which is still going strong.

If you have seen neither before then starting with CSI Miami may lead you to reach a different conclusion however often Channel 5 show this two formats back to back and it is then that CSI Miami looks a poor second.

Learn more about this author, Richard Smith.
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