Today, we look at when (or if) you folks believe that CSI: Crime Scene Investigation “jumped the shark.”
This is “Just Can’t Jump It,” a feature where we examine shows and whether they “jumped the shark.” Jumped the shark (coined by Jon Hein) means that the show had a specific point in time where, in retrospect, you realize that show was going downhill from there (even if, in some rare occasions, the show later course-corrected). Not every show DOES jump the shark. Some shows just remain good all the way through. And some shows are terrible all the way through. What we’re looking for are moments where a show that you otherwise enjoyed hit a point where it took a noticeable nose dive after that time and if so, what moment was that?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was such a sensation that it soon launched a cottage industry of spinoff series and totally changed how the world viewed crime scene investigation in the United States. The original series ran for fifteen seasons (a sequel series is currently airing on CBS).
So first…DID IT JUMP THE SHARK? I’d say so, yes.
WHEN DID IT JUMP THE SHARK The show definitely lost a lot when original star William Peterson left the series, but Laurence Fishburne was an excellent replacement, so I don’t think it jumped from Peterson’s departure, but the following season had this long over-the-top serial killer plot with Dr. Jekyll that just seemed like a parody of those sorts of plots that I think I would pick that as the moment the show jumped.
Let me know what you think in the comments or on social media!
Feel free to e-mail me at brian@poprefs.com for suggestions for shows to do in future installments!
