TV · in order
CSI Watch Order
The CSI franchise is five series, 39 seasons and 838 episodes: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), CSI: Miami (2002), CSI: NY (2004), CSI: Cyber (2015) and CSI: Vegas (2021). Release order works at series level, but three backdoor pilots, two cross-series two-parters and the 2009 CSI: Trilogy make the interleaved watch order the one that actually holds together.
CSI Watch Order: complete list
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Why this order?
Five series, 39 seasons and 838 episodes sounds like a straightforward stack of procedurals, and mostly it is: outside a handful of junction points, every CSI show runs case-of-the-week and you can dip in anywhere. But the junctions are exactly where show-by-show binging fails. All three spinoffs launched through backdoor pilots hidden inside another show's season: Miami's real pilot is CSI season 2's Cross Jurisdictions, NY's is Miami's penultimate season 2 episode MIA/NYC NonStop, and Cyber's is Kitty in CSI season 14. Start any spinoff at its own episode 1 and you meet the cast with no introduction.
The crossovers are worse. The 2009 CSI: Trilogy tells one human-trafficking case across all three shows in a single week, and the correct order is Miami, then NY, then the original CSI last, which is the opposite of instinct. Two more two-parters hide in different shows' episode lists entirely: Felony Flight (Miami) concludes in Manhattan Manhunt (NY) in 2005, and In Vino Veritas (CSI) concludes in Seth and Apep (NY) in 2013. A per-show binge plays each half months apart.
Then there is Immortality, the 2015 finale TV movie that streamers mislabel as CSI season 16. It aired seven months after CSI season 15 ended and between Cyber's two seasons, and it hands Ted Danson's D.B. Russell to Cyber season 2, so it belongs after Cyber season 1, not at the end of the flagship's run. CSI: Vegas closes things out as a legacy sequel: it needs the original series (ideally through Immortality) but none of the spinoffs, so anyone skipping Miami, NY and the buy-only Cyber can jump straight from Immortality to Vegas.
Timeline 2000-2021
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2000 Crime Scene Investigation
- 2002 Cross Jurisdictions (CSI S2E22)Miami
- 2004 MIA/NYC NonStop (CSI: Miami S2E23)NY
- 2005 Felony Flight + Manhattan Manhunt (Miami S4E7 +…
- 4-year gap
- 2009 Trilogy (Miami S8E7 + NY S6E7 + CSI S10E7)
- 4-year gap
- 2013 In Vino Veritas + Seth and Apep (CSI S13E13 + N…
- 2014 Kitty (CSI S14E21)
- 2015 CyberImmortality (CSI finale TV movie)
- 6-year gap
- 2021 Vegas
Where to play it today
- Paramount+ is the franchise hub in the US: JustWatch (checked Aug 2, 2026) lists the full original CSI, most of Miami (8 of 10 seasons at check time), CSI: NY and CSI: Vegas, though mid-2026 reports described some original-series seasons as temporarily missing, so carriage is churning
- Hulu is partial and in flux: the original CSI was reported removed on June 1, 2026 yet still showed 6 seasons at check time, and Miami and NY are partial there; check before committing to a Hulu binge
- CSI: NY has 5 seasons free with ads on The Roku Channel
- CSI: Cyber has no US subscription streaming: purchase-only on Amazon Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home
- All of the above is US availability as of August 2026; other regions differ, so check JustWatch for yours
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for CSI.
Frequently asked questions
How many CSI shows are there?
Five series: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-2015), CSI: Miami (2002-2012), CSI: NY (2004-2013), CSI: Cyber (2015-2016) and CSI: Vegas (2021-2024). That totals 39 seasons and 838 episodes (337 + 232 + 197 + 31 + 41), counting the 2015 finale TV movie Immortality as two episodes of the original.
Do you have to watch CSI in order?
Mostly no, since every show is a case-of-the-week procedural. Order matters at specific junctions: the three backdoor pilots (Cross Jurisdictions, MIA/NYC NonStop, Kitty), the 2005 and 2013 two-part crossovers, the 2009 CSI: Trilogy, the Immortality handoff into Cyber season 2, and CSI: Vegas depending on the original series.
What is CSI: Trilogy and in what order do I watch it?
A single November 2009 case told across three shows in one week: CSI: Miami's Bone Voyage (S8E7), then CSI: NY's Hammer Down (S6E7), then CSI's The Lost Girls (S10E7). Miami first, the flagship last; starting with the original show scrambles the story.
Why does streaming show 16 seasons of CSI?
The two-part 2015 finale movie Immortality is listed by streaming services as season 16. Wikipedia and this guide count 15 seasons, with the movie included inside the 337-episode total, so a 15 versus 16 discrepancy is a listing artifact, not a missing season.
Is CSI: Vegas a reboot?
No, it is a legacy sequel: William Petersen (Grissom) and Jorja Fox (Sara) lead season 1 and Marg Helgenberger (Catherine) returns for seasons 2-3, continuing the original characters' stories. It premiered October 6, 2021, exactly 21 years after the 2000 pilot.
Which CSI series is longest and which is shortest?
The original CSI is longest at 15 seasons and 337 episodes; CSI: Cyber is shortest at 2 seasons and 31 episodes. In between: Miami (10 seasons, 232 episodes), NY (9 seasons, 197 episodes) and Vegas (3 seasons, 41 episodes).
Where can I stream the CSI shows?
As of August 2026 in the US, most of the franchise is on Paramount+ (the full original series per JustWatch, most of Miami, plus NY and Vegas). The original's Hulu status is genuinely in flux after a reported June 2026 removal, with Miami and NY partial there. CSI: NY also has seasons free with ads on The Roku Channel. CSI: Cyber is buy-only with no subscription option. Check current listings before committing.
Will there be a new CSI show?
Nothing is dated. CSI: Vegas was cancelled in April 2024 and aired its finale on May 19, 2024. CBS executives have said a new CSI project is in active development and the franchise is very much alive, but no title, cast or date exists, so for now the franchise is dormant.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, api.tvmaze.com, justwatch.com, comicbasics.com, comingsoon.net, imdb.com, looper.com
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