Shankar: 'CSI' Reinvented Mystery Genre

CSI showrunners Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar recently revealed why the show is so special to them.

"People love mysteries," explained Shankar. "The show reinvented the genre. There's the satisfaction of getting the bad guy and of reaffirming the belief that, if you have good people who are objective and analyze the facts, you will eventually get to the truth."

For Mendelsohn CSI is not only about entertainment, it's a chance to convert perspectives. "I believe you can change the way people look at the world, without hitting them over the head, through the power of the pen," she said. "When you make a woman a judge, that says something. CSI investigator Catherine Willows can outkick any of the guys. Only by seeing strong role models, can girls realize that everything's possible."

Mendelsohn and Shanker attended Cornell University. After graduating and going on different directions their paths met on the set of CSI. Today, they run the show together. "Naren and I know we're doing something special. The show is not a single voice, it's really a collaboration. The whole is even greater than the parts. That's what makes me most proud."

"TV production is pretty rough going. It takes a lot of time to write and film," Shankar added, but in the end, it's all worth the grueling schedule. "You're paid to make stories up, and then people shoot them and make them look cool."

Visit Cornell University's Chronicle Online to read the rest of the article.

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