The only time you'll be able to watch "CSI" now is when you're flipping through channels late at night trying to decide which show's re-runs you're willing to watch.
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is finally over after a 15-year stint on the air.
CBS picked up the show on a whim. Many thought it would never take off.
They were obviously wrong.
It was the No. 1 show on television for a while, and even the most popular show in the world.
People seemed to be drawn to the dark and alluring tales, suspenseful music, and cool twists on science.
I know I always was.
For my family and me, watching "CSI" on Thursday nights was our weekly ritual. We always cuddled up on the couch together, waiting for The Who to commence the show with their catchy song.
I always thought it was so cool that I was allowed to stay up until after 10 pm. All of my friends had bedtimes substantially earlier, but I always proudly announced that I never had to go to to bed until "CSI" was over.
When a forensic specialist came to my school to talk about what she did as her job, she asked if anyone watched "CSI." I was the only person to raise my hand. It made me feel cool and experienced, and I even got to be her assistant because of it.
It's been years since I last watched the show, and to be honest, I didn't even know it was still on television. I assumed people had swapped over to other crime shows like "Criminal Minds" or "Bones," or perhaps even one of the three "CSI" spinoffs -- "CSI: Miami," "CSI: New York," or "CSI:Cyber."
It seems "CSI" was the first of its kind. We had "Law & Order" for years before it, but it never had the cool special effects, the gruesome looks into the human body or the glimpses into the forensic labs.
In an interview with CNN in 2003, the show's creator Anthony E. Zuiker credits the success of the show to our natural curiosity as humans.
"I think the show is kind of like a car wreck," he said. "You want to keep watching it, but you don't want to turn away. And because people know it's not real and it's make-believe, and people are out there solving crimes and giving a great mystery week to week, I think that's what lures viewers to watch."
It's sad that the show is over, but hopefully it will be on Netflix so we can binge watch all 15 seasons and relive all the crazy adventures of the characters.
