US Edition‘CSI’: Anthony Zuiker Looks Back on Adding Sara, Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Grave Danger’ & More for 25th Anniversary
Anthony Zuiker credits CSI for popularizing forensic science and notes the show surpassed The Fugitive’s ratings by 121%, influencing crime dramas for 25 years.
- On October 6, 2025, Anthony Zuiker reflected to TV Insider on CSI's 25th anniversary and its impact after debuting on CBS.
- Anthony Zuiker designed CSI to spotlight science solving crime, arriving amid the O.J. Simpson trial, fueling interest in forensic science and justice for victims and survivors.
- Absent from the pilot, Sara Sidle was added later after Chandra was fired, enabling Jorja Fox's casting and an Episode 2 plot in Cool Change.
- The series reshaped public views of forensics, inspiring true-crime podcasts and documentaries, and the CSI franchise grew into a billion-dollar property with multiple series including CSI: Vegas, canceled after 3 seasons.
- A CBS executive warned that retaining 70% of The Fugitive's ratings would be successful, but CSI surpassed it by 121% and moved to Thursday.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Why 'CSI' really killed off Chandra West's Holly after just 2 episodes
Series creator Anthony Zuiker is opening up about the shocking casting decision, and how it led to the hiring of series regular Jorja Fox.CBS via Getty Chandra West as Holly Gribbs on 'CSI'Chandra West was set to be a major part of a fledgling police procedural called CSI when it debuted on CBS in 2000. But after only two episodes, West was fired. Now, series creator Anthony Zuiker is opening up about the shocking casting decision and its lastin…
‘CSI’ At 25: Creator Anthony Zuiker On His Favorite Episodes, What New Spinoffs He Would Do, ‘Vegas’ Cancellation & ‘Quiet Tenant’ Status
Twenty five years ago on this day, Oct. 6, CSI premiered on CBS, launching one of the most successful TV franchises in history. It was a low-key start for the crime drama in the low-profile Friday 9 PM time period behind a series remake of The Fugitive with no watch party for the premiere. The series’ creator, Anthony Zuiker, at the time an aspiring screenwriter moonlighting as a tram driver in his native Las Vegas, was at the Beverly Hills Ho…
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