There's Just No Justice

I don't follow many TV shows. That is, when most people are racing to their couch on Monday to watch "24" or on Thursday to catch the latest "Grey's Anatomy" I was comfortable watching Futurama reruns. Outside of "The Office" there wasn't one show I felt compelled to keep pace with. While this diminishes my credibility in critiquing TV, I have skimmed through much of what the small screen offers, so when presented with a few puzzling statistics, I natuarlly search for the most logical answer.

This week's mystery is the enourmous popularity of "CSI" relative to "Law and Order". Both original police dramas had two spinoffs, both franchises are considered cornerstones to their respective networks, and all six shows follow similar 'find the bad guy' episode formats. (Law and Order - NBC; CSI - CBS) So if they're so similar on the surface, what is the underlying difference that explains the ratings gap? "Law and Order" has been an NBC primetime staple for over 15 years, and combined with multiple-station syndication contracts, you've likely caught a glimpse of the series at some point. Unfortunately for NBC, fewer and fewer people decided to tune into the "Law and Order" franchise last year.

The original L&O series narrowly escaped NBC's "cancellation" stamp last week and has been ordered to significantly cut costs for the 2007-2008 season. "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" received even more cancellation buzz, and although it too escaped the axe, NBC demoted the series to sister-station USA Network.

"CSI", premiering in 2000, has become a ratings giant for CBS, with "CSI: Criminal Scene Investigation" and "CSI: New York" averaging over 20 million viewers per episode. While this should imply "CSI" is the superior drama, from the amount I have seen of each, "Law and Order" appears better written, more engaging, and with a significantly more talented acting ensemble. I recently caught a "CSI: Maimi" episode, and was bewildered by its terrible, if not laughable dialogue that made "Star Wars" love scenes appear nearly Shakespearean.

I often look for reasons to explain why seemingly inferior TV shows are well-received (How did "Yes, Dear" last six years whereas "Arrested Development" didn't even air three full seasons?") but this case has been difficult to crack. Perhaps "Law and Order" has been branded as 'stale' or 'boring', while CSI's illuminated setting has given the series a 'fresh' feel. Whatever the reason, if the ratings story doesn't turn around for "Law and Order" next year, NBC may be forced to find new programing for their vacant primetime slots.

This piece is not to mock people who enjoy "CSI", but rather do help dispell the misconception that the "Law and Order" franchise should be 'put out of its misery'. The recent cancellation speculation will not help this cause, but if you get a chance, watch a complete "Law and Order" episode, start to finish. As catchy as the original "CSI" theme is, if you give the veteran series just one hour, you may find yourself humming a different tune.