TVXOHOF, 09/2010: ANTHONY ZUIKER

In September, the TV Crossover Hall of Fame salutes those behind the scenes in the Trueniverse who make the various crossovers possible. In the past we've honored Dick Wolf, Jamie Tarses, Russell T. Davies, and Wm. T. Orr. (Orr pulled the strings on those cowboy and private eye crossovers from Warner Brothers and ABC back in the fifties. No, the cowboys didn't interact with the private eyes, but I'd watch those if they did!) This year we're honoring Anthony Zuiker, the man who came up with the 'C.S.I.' concept, which started out in Las Vegas and has since spread to Miami and New York City.

With each launch of a new series, a character or two from the previous series has been involved in the pilot episode. So this confirms that each series is connected. Last year, there was a three-way crossover between all of the 'CSI' shows, with Dr. Raymond Langston as the central linchpin. (He was inducted back in February.) It was a cross-country tale of human trafficking that got too bloated and convoluted to make much sense. But at any rate it served to solidify Zuiker's qualifications for entry into the Hall.

(Thom Holbrook, still king of the crossover websites, goes into far more detail about this 3-way than I would choose to.....)

So here's to Mr. Zuiker, who saw the possibilities in a TV show about forensic science - and in such a way as to make it look cool and sexy. BCnU!