The Real CSI: Miami
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Detailed CSI docu spin-off has violence, drugs, language.
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The Real CSI: Miami
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What's the Story?
THE REAL CSI: MIAMI is a true crime series about real crime scene investigations in and around Miami, Florida. Inspired by the fictional CSI: Miami series, each installment of this unscripted show allows audiences to learn how actual crime scene investigators solved different kinds of crime series, ranging from thefts to brutal murders. With the help of interviews with different Miami crime scene investigators, viewers are invited into the step-by-step process by which they uncover and research specific clues in an investigation. Some of the forensic science that guides their work is also discussed. Crime scene photos, saved security camera footage, and archive police footage of conversations with suspects also help tell each story. Reenactments of events are also part of the narrative. Meanwhile, conversations with family members and friends of the victims of these crimes share details about their loved ones and their thoughts about what happened.
Is It Any Good?
This OK true crime series features the genre's usual elements, while showing in detail how crime scene investigations can yield helpful information. But The Real CSI: Miami is focused on process, and while (like any true crime series) there is some exploitation of the victim experience, its intention is to break down specific clues, advances, and setbacks in each case. The reasons why detectives are able to draw conclusions based on specific evidence, some of which isn't immediately obvious, is also explained. Learning how investigators eventually solved the featured crimes may feel satisfying, but it also underscores how slow it is to solve them in the real world, especially when compared to CSI: Miami or any series in the franchise. Some folks may prefer the Hollywood version, but if you like unscripted true crime entertainment, you'll be satisfied with this one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the day-to-day processes that go into investigating crimes. What training do crime scene investigation experts have to have in order to be helpful in an investigation?
How does the work of real CSI units compare with how CSI work is represented on TV? What is different? Is there anything similar?
TV Details
- Premiere date: June 26, 2024
- Networks: CBS , Paramount+
- Genre: Reality TV
- Character Strengths: Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: July 10, 2024
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