CSI or Crime Scene Investigation franchise was one of the most popular TV shows during the 2000s all over the world. Until that point, so-called “cop shows” like Law & Order and NYPD Blue had the same old formula – discover a crime, find a suspect, the suspect is not guilty, plot twist during the case happens and everything is revealed. Don’t get us wrong, most of the shows even do that even today, but CSI had that “something” that made the public stay late and watch the shows every single night. We bring you an ultimate guide on how to watch every CSI episode in order:
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 2
- CSI: Miami – Season 1
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 3
- CSI: Miami – Season 2
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 4
- CSI: Miami – Season 3
- CSI: NY – Season 1
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 5
- CSI: Miami – Season 4
- CSI: NY – Season 2
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 6
- CSI: Miami – Season 5
- CSI: NY – Season 3
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 7
- CSI: Miami – Season 6
- CSI: NY – Season 4
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 8
- CSI: Miami – Season 7
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 9
- CSI: Miami – Season 8
- CSI: NY – Season 6
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 10
- CSI: Miami – Season 9
- CSI: NY – Season 7
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 11
- CSI: Miami – Season 10
- CSI: NY – Season 8
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 12
- CSI: NY – Season 9
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 13
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 14
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 15
- CSI: Cyber – Season 1
- CSI: Cyber – Season 2
- CSI: Vegas – Season 1
- CSI: Vegas – Season 2
Before we explain our guide in detail, we need to represent what CSI was and still is and how it impacted television as a whole. These shows are all in the same universe, and there were some guest appearances between the shows and their characters. Without further ado, let’s go!
How Many CSI TV Shows Are There?
In total, there are five CSI shows that were televised since the inception of the first one.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or CSI: Las Vegas was the original series that first aired in 2000. This CSI was unbelievably popular until the last episode that aired in 2015, after 15 seasons. This was one of the first shows that presented in a very detailed manner how the evidence is processed in the laboratory during investigations. That fact paired with great characters like Gill Grissom, who was a CSI supervisor, Catherine Willows, an assistant supervisor, Sara Sidle, a rookie forensic who becomes one of the best further into the show, and many more, make this show even better.
These characters are not perfect at all – living in Las Vegas and investigating crime there can be really stressful for anyone. Fortunately, producers recognized that and provided us with a realistic representation of people who are struggling with these kinds of jobs. For example, one of the main characters of the group Warrick was pretty loved by the public and great at his job, however, he was a gambling and drug addict that in the end cost him his life.
CSI: Las Vegas is considered one of the catalysts for change in the American Law System – forensic evidence is one of the most, if not the most important parts of any investigation. All in all, this show was just the beginning because we move on to the next one.
CSI: Miami is a spin-off series set in the city of Miami. The main character Horatio Caine with his team of scientists is trying their best to keep Miami “clean” and make it a better place to live. This is arguably the most popular show in the franchise because it took over the world. It first aired in 2002 and ended after 10 seasons in 2012.
This show was a cultural phenomenon – most of the world watched this show every night from Monday to Friday. Character Horatio Caine inspired a lot of characters in other shows and is one of the most iconic TV characters of the 2000s.
CSI: New York is an indirect spin-off of CSI: Las Vegas and a direct spin-off of CSI: Miami, with characters from New York actually making a cameo in CSI: Miami. The third installment of the CSI franchise that first aired in 2004. Even though it was not popular like the first two CSIs, New York had its own niche that worked.
Characters like Mac and Stella are still remembered as the ultimate TV characters from the 2000s. The show ended after 9 seasons in 2013.
CSI: Cyber is the fourth series from the CSI franchise and a spin-off of the original series. It first aired in 2015 and ended in 2016. This show is probably the worst out of all of them since it was canceled only after two seasons. Unfortunately, the fans did not like the show that much, and sometimes ridiculous but charming over-the-top DNA analysis montages of previous shows, just did not go well with them.
And last but not least we have the newest installment of the CSI franchise, CSI: Vegas. This TV show was originally branded as an epilogue limited series after the original show CSI: Las Vegas. It brought most of the original cast and actually made good ratings since its inception in 2021. It is renewed for the second season.
How To Watch CSI Series In Order?
Since we already mentioned that all CSI TV shows are happening in the same universe, it is pretty easy to determine which shows should you start first. With all shows combined, there are in total 36 seasons of all shows televised! It sounds too much, but in CSI’s defense, these shows are easy to watch. Once you get into it, you just can’t stop watching it. So as you already probably figured out, yes, the episodes will be listed chronologically from oldest to newest. After short clarification, let’s start!
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season One, aired from 2000 to 2001
This one is a no-brainer. CSI: Las Vegas was the start of everything and it should be a starting point of every chronological order of episodes.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season Two, aired from 2001 to 2002
Since we already established that CSI: Miami only starts in 2002, CSI: Las Vegas is still on the watch list.
- CSI: Miami – Season One, aired from 2002 to 2003
Horatio Caine with his team finally graces us with their presence, and dear lord is it spicy!
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season Three, aired from 2002 to 2003
Basically, this season is happening at the same time as Miami, so you won’t be bored. Great storylines including the exploration of traumatic experiences… and alive corpses.
- CSI: Miami – Season Two, aired from 2003 to 2004
This is where the show truly picks up, and it is glorious.
- CSI: Las Vegas, Season Four, aired from 2003 to 2004
Few crossovers occur, and it is really cool.
- CSI: Miami – Season Three, aired from 2004 to 2005
Huge changes happen, and it is on the viewer to determine if it’s good or bad.
- CSI: NY – Season One, aired from 2004 to 2005
New York investigators show up!
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 5, aired from 2004 to 2005
Huge changes happen, and the team needs to deal with them.
- CSI: Miami – Season 4, aired from 2005 to 2006
This season showed why it was one of the most-watched shows of that era.
- CSI: NY – Season 2, aired from 2005 to 2006
This show also starts to pick up and developed its own identity.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 6, aired from 2005 to 2006
A great season that showed that this TV show is not boring yet.
- CSI: Miami – Season 5, aired from 2006 to 2007
The popularity of the show reaches a new high.
- CSI: NY – Season 3, aired from 2006 to 2007
The New York crew faces the toughest challenges yet.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 7, aired from 2006 to 2007
A season that saw a huge change, and honestly, it was not the same again.
- CSI: Miami – Season 6, aired from 2007 to 2008
This season had one of the most epic endings. Hollywood action movies stuff.
- CSI: NY – Season 4, aired from 2007 to 2008
Huge changes in characters’ personal lives.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 8, aired from 2007 to 2008
Great season, with great cases and action.
- CSI: Miami – Season 7, aired from 2008 to 2009
Consequences from season 6, and blossoming love are the main themes of this season.
- CSI: NY – Season 5, aired from 2008 to 2009
Season of the 100th episode, and boy was it a good one.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 9, aired from 2008 to 2009
The team suffers a huge loss, and it was bound to happen.
- CSI: Miami – Season 8, aired from 2009 to 2010
Even though it was still entertaining, a show kind of got fantasy features, and we are not complaining.
- CSI: NY – Season 6, aired from 2009 to 2010
This season gets personal with some characters and the plot only thickens.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 10, aired from 2009 to 2010
A huge change in the leadership leads to some doubts among the Las Vegas investigators.
- CSI: Miami – Season 9, aired from 2010 to 2011
This season is truly deadly and keeps the viewer on their toes the whole time.
- CSI: NY – Season 7, aired from 2010 to 2011
Huge changes in the roster happen, and new faces stir the pot.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 11, aired from 2010 to 2011
Veterans of the group face some huge headaches and the old-new faces come back.
- CSI: Miami – Season 10, aired from 2011 to 2012
Last season of CSI: Miami. Great show that left us a bit shocked – the cancellation was out of nowhere. All in all, the show ended okay.
- CSI: NY – Season 8, aired from 2011 to 2012
An important character faces death and makes their colleague to think about life and death.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 12, aired from 2011 to 2012
Everything escalates this season, with big departures making the lab not what it used to be.
- CSI: NY – Season 9, aired from 2012 to 2013
Last season of CSI: NY. It finished alright, with the drama of course, but just enough to be tasteful.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 13, aired from 2012 to 2013
Things get personal, crossover happens and new leadership faces the music.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 14, aired from 2013 to 2014
Slowly but surely, CSI executives started to represent future CSI: Cyber characters, with few guest stars.
- CSI: Las Vegas – Season 15, aired from 2014 to 2015
Last season of one of the biggest shows in the last 25 years.
- CSI: Cyber – Season 1, aired in 2015
A new spin-off started, and the characters we saw in other CSIs come back.
- CSI: Cyber – Season 2, aired from 2015 to 2016
It did not even start properly but this was the show’s last season. Could be better but the new characters have not impressed the viewers. However, they did introduce some new investigative techniques that we did not see before.
- CSI: Vegas – Season 1, aired in 2021
New and old faces came together to show us what is happening in Las Vegas this time. Good show, with the magic of the original series, slowly getting there.
- CSI: Vegas – Season 2, will air in 2022.
The show got renewed, so we will see a continuation of the lives of the old characters after the original show’s ending. Show’s executives announced new cameos. We can not wait.
Do You Need To Watch CSI Series In Order?
There is a reason why are we making this list – since the release of CSI: Vegas, some fans decided to come back, and remember the old shows, and the new ones got interested and started watching everything from the beginning. It sounds silly, but the CSI franchise can be treated like newer Marvel fans treat MCU movies – they watch the movies according to the timeline of the events of the movies. Of course, at the same time, MCU movies can be watched however you want, and that is like with the CSI series.
Seasons of the shows are dedicated to plots of the series’s characters who are operating and working in each city, and the timing never truly mattered. Every CSI faction is busy with its own thing. Crossovers are great and remind us that shows are connected. However, we repeat, you can watch it in order but you do not need to do it. The shows are watchable regardless of any of those factors.
Will There Be More CSI TV Shows?
We already know that CSI: Vegas is airing later this year, but when it comes to other CSI projects? We do not know. CSI producers and CBS, a TV network, already tried making another CSI project that failed – CSI: Cyber. People were not ready for another police investigation show that was supposed to be something fresh but the TV formula suggested a similarity with the CSI: Las Vegas which just got off the air after 15 years. That is a huge overdose for the viewers.
Newer generations of viewers are suggesting that these shows are bad because of the same repetitive formula that was bestowed on our televisions. That is disingenuous because these shows were watched that much for a reason. Today, we as the viewers are getting tired of some TV shows and genres that dominate everyday programs and streaming platforms, so it would not be a surprise if we see a new fresh CSI show that will come to the right place at right time in the future.
