CSI is a media franchise of American television programs created by Anthony E. Zuiker and originally broadcast on CBS, all of which deal with forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and crimes committed. So far 490 episodes of the CSI Franchise have aired.

As the shows are shown in 200 countries with an audience of 2 billion people, various spin-offs have been developed to cater for the market, including novels, comic books and computer games. The franchise has had a large cultural impact. It has spawned what has been called the CSI Effect, in which juries often have unreasonable expectations of real-life forensics because of what they have seen on CSI.

Equally, the new-found popularity of forensics dramas on television has led to an increase in applications for courses dealing with forensic science or archaeological science—in the United Kingdom applications are up by 30%. In some ways the franchise may also fill a cultural need:

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