Product Details

• Actors: William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle, Eric Szmanda
• Directors: Danny Cannon, Kenneth Fink, Lou Antonio, Michael Shapiro, Michael W. Watkins
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• DVD Release Date: March 25, 2003
• Run Time: 1025 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (172 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008972G
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,569 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Murder, and its tale-telling aftermath, is the compelling subject of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Since it premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000, CSI was a ratings triumph, spawning a spinoff (CSI: Miami) and positioning itself for long-term success. As the first season demonstrates, creator Anthony Zuiker's foolproof formula was established early on, bolstered by a fine ensemble cast and requiring minimal tweaking as the season progressed; its Las Vegas-based "criminalists" eventually became "CSI" steeped in the scientific minutiae of forensic investigation, but the series arrived essentially intact, with an irresistible (and seemingly inexhaustible) supply of corpses and the mysteries that surround them. Influenced by the graphic precedent of movies like Seven and Kiss the Girls, CSI matches morbidity with dispassionate methodology; viewers are so fascinated by the investigative process that they're unfazed by intimate autopsies and internal (i.e., digitally animated) views of traumatized flesh, bone, and sinew.

While keeping abreast of cutting-edge technologies, CSI combines the ingenuity (and fallibility) of villains with the appealing humanity of its heroes. CSI director and entomologist Gil Grissom (played by series coproducer William Petersen) is introverted but ethically intense; he's both mentor and moral compass for his night-shift team, including a former stripper-turned-CSI (Marg Helgenberger); a recovering gambler (Gary Dourdan); an eager ace (George Eads) with room for improvement; a workaholic (Jorja Fox) who can't always remain emotionally detached from her cases; and a chief detective (Paul Guilfoyle) who's a necessary link to police procedure. Like The X-Files, CSI supports its characters with feature-film production values, employing a Rashomon structure that turns murder into a progressively accurate study of cause and effect. Script quality is consistently high ("Blood Drops" and "Unfriendly Skies" are exceptional), direction is slick and sophisticated, and the mysteries are complex enough to invite multiple viewings. Despite a regrettable shortage of DVD features, CSI's inaugural season remains addictively worthy of its lofty reputation. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Based on real life Las Vegas crime scene investigators, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION follows the team as they solve chilling cases with innovative thinking and methodical scientific inquiry. Tackling cases peppered with grisly details, the Las Vegas PD Criminalistics Division is the #2 crime lab in the U.S., solving crimes that practically every other crime lab has given up on. Set in a town whose reputation for providing instant success for those willing to try their luck, CSI finds that the constant influx of visitors to the city that never sleeps also provides ripe targets for criminals of all varieties. The show also stars Paul Guilfoyle as Capt. Jim Brass, Robert David Hall as Dr. David Robbins and Eric Szmanda as Greg Sanders.

DVD Contents:
Disc 1: Pilot, Cool Change; Crate and Burial; Pledging Mr. Johnson
Disc 2: Friends and Lovers; Who Are You?; Blood Drops; Anonymous
Disc 3: Unfriendly Skies; Sex, Lies and Larvae; I-15 Murders; Fahrenheit 932
Disc 4: Boom; To Halve and to Hold; Table Stakes; Too Tough to Die
Disc 5: Face Lift; $35K O.B.O; Gentle, Gentle; Sounds of Silence
Disc 6: Justice is Served; Evaluation Day; Strip Strangler

Disk 6 of the DVD also includes the following special features:
* Featurette: "CSI: People Lie...But The Evidence Never Does"
* The Who's "Who Are You" Music Video
* Character Profiles

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great show, but...., January 27, 2005

By 

B. Justice - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season (DVD)

Although CSI is definitely one of the best shows on television, this dvd is a little bit of a letdown. It's bare bones as far as extras go (which is not taking advantage of the dvd format as far as I'm concerned). There's no subtitles (I'm not deaf, but what if I was?). The price is almost twice as much as any other season of a network television show (most others range from $40-$50). I still think it's a great show, but they could've done a better job. If you really wanna see it, rent it. UPDATE: DO NOT BUY THIS. They are re-releasing this in the coming months with extras and in anamorphic widescreen format (like they did with all the other releases) so SAVE YOUR MONEY and buy the set they should've released to begin with.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ratings were worse, but the stories were better, March 18, 2003

By 

Mark Cohen "mark_cohen" (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season (DVD)

Although CSI was not the #1 hit it currently is in its first season, this season set the stage. Interesting cases, pioneering special effects that suddenly took you INSIDE a murder victim's body to examine the injuries, competent acting... these all made CSI the pop-culture phenomenon it is today.

What sets this first season apart was that aside from the weekly crimes, the show actually dealt with the personal lives of the characters, and most episodes had continuing plotlines which were separate from the "crimes-of-the-night": Catherine had her child custody issues with her ex, Nick had his complicated relationship with a hooker, Sara had to deal with being the new person on the team, Warrick had his gambling problem/corrupt judge subplot, and Grissom had his romance with "face lady", his rivalry with the daytime CSI team's chief, and his professional problems with the sheriff and the mayor.

Such subplots vanished in season two - Catherine suddenly appeared as if she had no family, Grissom became a complete eunuch, as did Nick, who never had another girlfriend. But the ratings improved, so I guess that's what people prefer - a more classic, completely episodic crime series without the continuing subplots that give it a soap-like quality.

But for me, I miss those subplots, which is why I think this first season of CSI is a must-have on DVD. It was CSI at its best.

63 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best television you can find!, February 18, 2003

By 

Brian (Littleton, Co United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - The Complete First Season (DVD)

Finally after three years, CBS and Paramount are realeasing the complete first season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. I have been watching every episode since the first and have enjoyed almost every one! Now, with this six disc set, i can watch the first season over and over again which has some of the best classic episodes.

Pilot
Cool Change
Crate 'n Burial
Plegding Mr. Johnson
Friends & Lovers
Who Are You?
Blood Drops
Anonymous
Unfriendly Skies
Sex, Lies, and Larvae
I-15 Murders
Farenheit 932
Boom
To Halve and to Hold
Table Stakes
Too Tough to Die
Face Lift
$35K O.B.O.
Gentle, Gentle
Sounds of Silence
Justice is Served
Evaluation Day
The Strip Strangler

These are the 23 episodes of the first season that will be included.
I have taped (on VHS) every single episode since the third episode of the series, but now i can watch them with much better quality. This is by far the best show on television!