Are You A CSI Buff? How Many Of These CSI Questions Can You Answer?
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) began airing in 2000 and ran for 16 seasons, featuring the fictitious world of a team of forensic scientists at a crime lab in Las Vegas as they work together to solve crimes using science. The original series spurred a franchise of four more TV shows.
We're curious whether you're a CSI franchise guru and how many of these CSI trivia questions you can answer correctly. Make sure to check your point score at the end.
Question: Who Was The Writer And Creator Of The Original Series Of CSI?
Despite the franchise growing over many years, the original series of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was written by who?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Anthony E Zuiker
Anthony E Zuiker is an American writer and producer responsible for creating all four spin-offs of CSI and the murder-mystery reality TV show Whodunnit? (2013).
gkrew, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Question: What Police Department Does CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Follow?
The original series of CSI follows the forensics division of which police department?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Las Vegas Police Department
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation follows the forensics team of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Which Real-Life Investigators Were The Inspiration Behind Gil Grissom And Catherine Willows?
CSI's success largely came from the leadership of William Petersen (Grissom) and Marg Helgenberger (Willows), but which real-life crime scene investigators were the pair based on?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Crime Scene Analysts Daniel Holstein And Yolanda McClary
The pair were inspired by Daniel Holstein and Yolanda McClary, two senior-most crime scene analysts at the Las Vegas Police Department. Holstein is also a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Which Duo Wrote & Sang The CSI Theme Song?
"Whoooooo are you? Who--who-who-whooooo". I know you can hear it in your head—but do you know who wrote the lyrics and who sang them?
Hunter-Desportes, CC BY 2.0 ,Wikimedia Commons
Answer: Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey
Hilariously, two band members from English rock group The Who sang "Who Are You?"
KRLA Beat/Beat Publications, Inc., Wikimedia Commons
Question: From Which Addiction Is Warrick Brown Recovering Throughout The Series?
As the show goes on, Warrick Brown (played by Gary Dourdan) is seen to be recovering from an addition to what? A) Substances B) Alcohol. C) Gambling, or D) Gaming
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: C) Gambling
While Brown isn't able to completely kick the habit, his gambling addiction seems mostly controlled throughout the series, despite moments of weakness displayed on-screen.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Sara Sidle Majored In Which Degree At Harvard University?
Despite being a mainstay (played by Jorja Fox) in CSI in seasons 1 through 8, then occasionally in seasons 9 and 10, Sara Sidle's scientific genius was displayed early on, as she received which degree from Harvard?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Physics
From blood splatter patterns to the Coriolis effect, Sidle understands it all thanks to majoring in Physics at Harvard.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Raymond Langston Succeeded Gil Grissom As Supervisor In Season 9, But Who Was The Actor Who Played Him?
Grissom's departure in season 9 just about broke every CSI fan's heart. But they were pleasantly surprised (or not) by his replacement for season 10. But who was it?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Laurence Fishburne
That's right, after showing Neo "the way" in The Matrix, Fishburne became the supervisor of the CSI team.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Which Member Of The Team Did Gil Grissom Marry?
Spoiler alert, sorry. But which member of the team did Grissom end up marrying, after years of romantic tension building?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Sara Sidle
That's right! Mrs Grissom was Sara Sidle, as the pair married sometime between seasons nine and ten.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Gil Grissom Knows ASL, But Where Did He Learn It?
In Season 1, Episode 20, the crew are called to investigate a hit-and-run on a deaf young man. During the episode, it's revealed that Grissom knows American Sign Language. But who did he learn it from?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: His Mother, Betty
It's revealed that Grissom's mother, Betty, is deaf. So, Grissom learned ASL to allow the pair to communicate. This also helps him communicate with members of the deaf community during cases.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: What Was The Original Name Of William Peterson's Character?
Did you know that Petersen changed the last name of Gil, from "________" to "Grissom", because of his admiration for astronaut Gus Grissom? What was supposed to be the surname of Gil?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Scheinbaum
I think we all agree that "Gil Grissom" has a much better ring to it.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Which Medical Condition Was Originally Slated To Retire Gil Grissom's Character?
The show's writers were originally going to phase out Grissom's character by having him retire for medical reasons. But which condition was he diagnosed with? Was it: A) Osteoarthritis, B) Lung Cancer, C) Otosclerosis, or D) Parkinson's Disease?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: C) Otosclerosis
Despite having planned this to retire Grissom, the writers received a number of letters stating (factually) that the condition could be easily repaired with surgery. They changed tracks and finished off that story arc in season 3.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: What Is Peculiar About A Season 15's Character's Mugshot Number?
Only the eagle-eyed among you will get this. The number is 4815162342.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: It Appears On The Side Of The Plane At The Center Of The TV Series Lost
That's right! Maybe that's where Lost's writers got the idea. Season 15, Episode 1:"CSI Effect".
Bad Robot, Show Lost (2004–2010)
Question: Which Camera Was Used By Grissom And The Team For The First Five Seasons Of CSI?
You'll notice at each crime scene, Grissom and other members of the team are all photographing with what camera?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: The Nikon F5
This professional-grade SLR shot 35mm film and was a revolution in technology in the early 2000s.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Do You Know Why Las Vegas Was Selected As The Location For Crime Scene Investigation?
The producers for CSI didn't just pick a populous city at random.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: It's The Second-Busiest Crime Lab In The United States
In attempting to keep the show as real as possible, the first iteration of the CSI franchise was set in Las Vegas. The actual LVPD crime lab is the second-busiest crime lab in the US behind the FBI's lab at Quantico, VA.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Who Was The Executive Producer Of The Show?
This executive producer's face actually appeared under the desk of Gil Grissom in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, but who was it?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Jerry Bruckheimer
The infamous EP got a little shout-out in a poster that appeared under the glass tabletop of Gil Grissom's desk.
Wikimedia Commons, Gage Skidmore
Question: How Many Crossover Episodes Have There Been Between The Different CSI Shows?
Throughout the last 25 years, and 838 episodes, the CSIs from different shows have all worked together on-screen to solve particularly difficult cases. But how many crossover episodes have there been thus far?
Answer: 12
There have been 12 crossover episodes. The first was a backdoor pilot for CSI: Miami, airing during season 4 of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Question: What Was The Name Of The Episode That Introduced CSI: Miami?
This CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode aired during the fourth season of the show, but what was the episode's title?
Answer: "CSI: Trilogy"
Crossover episodes within the CSI universe happened periodically, with the season 4 episode entitled "Trilogy" acting as an introductory episode for CSI: Miami.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: In Order Of Appearance, List The CSI Franchise Spin-Offs
Which came first, the microbial chicken or the egg?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, CSI: Cyber
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was first, launching in 2000. Then, CSI: Miami kicked off in 2002, CSI: NY followed crime scene investigators around The Big Apple in 2004, and CSI: Cyber was the most recent spin-off.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: Which of the CSI Spin-Offs Lasted For Only One Season?
This was probably due to audience fatigue with the concept of CSI. How far can you take an already-successful show? Which of the spin-offs lasted for just one season?
Answer: CSI: Cyber
While cybercrime wasn't exactly nascent in 2015 when CSI: Cyber debuted, there's only so much you can do with the concept of cyber-criminality. CSI: Cyber was cancelled in 2016.
Question: Which Actor Appeared On All Three CSI Spin-Offs?
Most characters in CSI tend to stay within their universes. But not this person. Who was it?
Answer: David Caruso
Starring as Lieutenant Horatio Kane, Caruso appeared in every spin-off.
Question: How Many Main Characters Have Been Killed In The Line Of Duty In The CSI Universe?
Line-of-duty deaths aren't common among crime scene investigators, but do you know how many died in the CSI universe?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: Three
There have been three main characters killed in the line of duty.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Question: What Made CSI: Crime Scene Investigation So Controversial?
The CSI universe is universally beloved, but for a period of time, it was hugely controversial, too. Do you remember why?
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Answer: The CSI Effect
In what became known as the "CSI Effect", there was/is widespread belief that public perception of crime, forensic science, and criminal justice has been influenced by CSI in particular, and other shows like it. For instance, there's the belief that, because they've watched CSI, jurors expect a great deal more forensic evidence to be presented at a trial than there actually is. The negative consequences of this could be that jurors are less likely to convict without forensic evidence, which could have seen guilty defendants go free.
CBS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000/15)
Points Tally: Which CSI Character Would You Have Been?
If you got between 17 and 23 right, you're Gil Grissom—a determined and intelligent leader of people.
If you got between 12 and 17 right, you're Warrick Brown—hot on Grissom's heels, but held back by a few mistakes in your past. Regardless, an invaluable member of the team.
If you got between 7 and 12 right, you're Sara Sidle—a definitely beloved member of the team, but also attracted to your boss, which can cause focus issues.
If you got between 1 and 7 questions right, well, maybe you need to re-watch all of the series from start to finish.
Let us know how you did in the comments below!
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