In October 2000, the police procedural drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation hit television screens. The US show, which starred William Petersen, George Eads, and Marg Helgenberger, followed the adventures of a team of Las Vegas-based crime-scene investigators as they strived to solve murder cases.
From the moment it arrived, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation proved popular with audiences and due to the success of the series it was soon followed by a collection of spin-off shows. The CSI shows – five in total – were all set in the same universe, and introduced a collection of new characters which expanded the mythology.
If you watched all of the CSI shows when they first aired, it was fairly easy to follow along. However, if you missed them the first time around, getting into the franchise now can seem a little daunting – especially as the four shows produced almost 800 episodes.
But don’t be put off by the sheer amount of CSI stories available – there is an easy way to jump on board. All you need is a handy viewing guide, such as the one contained in this post!
Below I will run through the viewing order of the CSI shows, so you’ll know exactly what shows and what seasons to watch and when. Use the guide to start your journey, and you’ll be a loyal CSI fan in no time!
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What are the CSI shows?
OK, before I explain the viewing order of the CSI timeline, here are the shows in the franchise:
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – CSI aired from 2000 to 2015, for a total of 15 seasons and 337 episodes
- CSI: Miami – CSI: Miami aired from 2002 to 2012, for a total of ten seasons and 232 episodes
- CSI: NY – CSI: NY aired from 2004 to 2013, for a total of nine seasons and 197 episodes
- CSI: Cyber – CSI: Cyber aired from 2015 to 2016, for a total of two seasons and 31 episodes
- CSI: Vegas – CSI: Vegas is a revival of the CSI brand, following its original conclusion in 2016. As part of the revival, original star William Petersen returned for the first season.
As noted above, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was the first show to air in the collection. It was followed by CSI: Miami, CS: NY, CSI: Cyber and then CSI: Vegas.
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The order of the CSI shows
Below is the best viewing order for the CSI shows. As you can see, if you wish to watch the franchise in order, you will need to begin alternating shows, season by season, following the conclusion of Season Two of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season One (2000 – 2001)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Two (2001 – 2002)
- CSI: Miami: Season One (2002 – 2003)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Three (2002 – 2003)
- CSI: Miami: Season Two (2003 – 2004)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Four (2003 – 2004)
- CSI: Miami: Season Three (2004 – 2005)
- CSI: NY: Season One (2004 – 2005)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Five (2004 – 2005)
- CSI: Miami: Season Four (2005 – 2006)
- CSI: NY: Season Two (2005 – 2006)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Six (2005 – 2006)
- CSI: Miami: Season Five (2006 – 2007)
- CSI: NY: Season Three (2006 – 2007)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Seven (2006 – 2007)
- CSI: Miami: Season Six (2007 – 2008)
- CSI: NY: Season Four (2007 – 2008)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Eight (2007 – 2008)
- CSI: Miami: Season Seven (2008 – 2009)
- CSI: NY: Season Five (2008 – 2009)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Nine (2008 – 2009)
- CSI: Miami: Season Eight (2009 – 2010)
- CSI: NY: Season Six (2009 – 2010)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Ten (2009 – 2010)
- CSI: Miami: Season Nine (2010 – 2011)
- CSI: NY: Season Seven (2010 – 2011)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Eleven (2010 – 2011)
- CSI: Miami: Season Ten (2011 – 2012)
- CSI: NY: Season Eight (2011 – 2012)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Twelve (2011 – 2012)
- CSI: NY: Season Nine (2012 – 2013)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Thirteen (2012 – 2013)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Fourteen (2013 – 2014)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Season Fifteen (2014 – 2015)
- CSI: Cyber: Season One (2015)
- CSI: Cyber: Season Two (2015 – 2016)
- CSI: Vegas: Season One (2021)
- CSI: Vegas: Season Two (2022)
Please note: Although the above list provides the best viewing order for the five shows, you might find some slight overlapping with stories, due to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY originally airing concurrently.
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If you’re a fan of CSI, or you’re just getting into the CSI shows, then you may wish to know that every episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is currently available on DVD, via a Region 1 DVD boxset.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The Complete Series contains all 15 seasons (337 episodes) on Region 1 DVD, perfect for US fans (or those who can play Region 1 discs).
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: The Complete Series is available from all good entertainment stockists, including Amazon US.
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about CSI. For more classic TV and movie content, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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