The CSI franchise is continuing on at CBS just not the way we thought! (New show announced)

It looks like CSI is going to continue on CBS after all, just not in the way fans might have expected it to!

For a while in the 2000s, CSI was the dominant franchise on CBS. It began with the original series, which was a huge hit for the network, kickstarting a wave of procedural dramas. Fans loved the quirky crime scenes and science as well as the characters on cases.

It soon spawned the spinoffs set in Miami and New York with CSI: Cyber looking at computers. The main CSI series ended in 2015, with CBS reviving it in 2021 as CSI: Vegas with several original cast members taking part. It retained the original's flair for strange crime scenes and computer graphics to highlight the forensics work.

CBS just canceled the series before its third season finale, although CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach hinted that there would still be potential for the franchise. Now, we know that there will be a CSI show on CBS, just not the fictional drama fans expected.

What is The Real CSI: Miami?

Per Deadline, CBS has ordered The Real CSI: Miami, a docuseries that will focus on real-life crimes and the forensic science used to solve them by the Miami crime lab. That includes interviews with the real cops and forensics staff and how it aids the prosecutors on the cases.

CSI: Miami was the first hit spinoff of the franchise with David Caruso as Horatio Caine, head of the Miami CSI team. The show used the Florida setting nicely for unique crime scenes. Of course, it also became famous for Caruso’s habit of ending the pre-credits teaser with a quip and sliding on his sunglasses, which became a meme.

The new unscripted series is produced by CSI creator Anthony Zuiker and top producer Jerry Bruckheimer. This is much like how the FBI producers crafted FBI True, using real-life cases for a four season run (so far). Using the real life CSI Miami for a docuseries makes sense as it can explore the science the franchise plays with and perhaps some cases that outdo the scripted series in their bizarre setups.

The show is scheduled to premiere Wednesday, June 26, at 10/9c. This might set the stage for more CSI-style reality shows and perhaps pave the way for another CSI show. If nothing else, at least fans can see some sort of continuation of the franchise after all.

Stay tuned to Hidden Remote for more news and coverage!