Three shows, one case: 'CSI' dramas merge for a week

Among the things Miami, New York and Las Vegas have in common is "CSI."

And this week, for the first time, the three shows merge for one case.

Laurence Fishburne's character from the parent "CSI" series follows clues to human-trafficking and organ-harvesting operations. The story begins as Horatio Caine (David Caruso) summons Dr. Raymond Langston (Fishburne) to Florida on "CSI: Miami" Monday, Nov. 9; it continues as Langston works with Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) to find a potential informant in the Big Apple on "CSI: NY" Wednesday, Nov. 11; and it concludes by taking Langston back to Vegas on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" Thursday, Nov. 12.

Q: What are your thoughts on the three shows being joined for one story?

Fishburne: I thought it would be fun to do. As the new guy, I guess I have to pay my dues some way. I didn't think of it in terms of starting over again but as Langston having an adventure.

Sinise: I guess it was destined to happen at some point. These shows have been on the air for a long time, and it's probably a good time for us to join forces for one week.

Caruso: It makes sense to have a crossover. There's a certain initiation that takes place that way, and I was kind of hoping that would take place with Laurence. "CSI: Miami" was born on the Vegas show many years ago, then we gave birth to "CSI: NY," so it's kind of cycled back around.

Q: How do you think the result has turned out?

Caruso: The Miami-Las Vegas crossover is what I like to describe as almost another series, kind of a temporary spinoff. The relationship between Horatio and Dr. Ray was so fleshed out, we wanted it to continue. There's a moment where we consider going on the road together, but Horatio can't leave Miami because of many other pressing things. Hopefully, we'll get to revisit it. There's a lot of emotional stuff that happens, some great surprises.

Sinise: I enjoyed working with Laurence very much. It felt good on the set, and I think it's going to be a pretty exciting "CSI" triple threat.

Fishburne: What I'm concerned with is how I can help add to the story we're telling - to make it more interesting, more intense, more watchable, whatever. That's always where my focus is.

Q: Had you known or worked with the other male "CSI" leads before?

Sinise: I've known Laurence for years, but I'd never had the opportunity to work with him before. We did some location scenes together in New York, then we also did some out here (in Southern California, home base for all the "CSI" shows).

Caruso: Laurence and I have been friends for a long time, and we've worked together, so we really wanted to put that energy back in the room. We had a lot of fun doing it. It's the same with Gary; once you have an actor of that caliber join the family, you don't want to let him go.

Fishburne: Gary and I have known each other for almost 25 years, and I've been an admirer of his all that time, so it was a special treat to finally get to work with him. And David and I worked together years ago in a picture called "King of New York," so it was wonderful to get to do that again.

Q: Do you think your show was able to keep its own flavor within the shared story?

Caruso: We had a great experience. Laurence gets to respond to a completely different environment in this, so I have high hopes for it. I'm anxious to see the Vegas leg of it.

Fishburne: Ultimately, Langston is mine, so any major decisions that have to do with him begin and end with me. I think it's taken "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" a while to really settle and find the groove again, and after being there about a year, I think I'm about halfway there.

Sinise: I've pitched some story ideas before, and they've said, "Well, they did something similar in season three of the Las Vegas 'CSI.'" The shows do keep an eye on what the others are doing. There aren't many franchises like this, "Law & Order" certainly being another, but I don't know that all those shows have crossed with one another the way this has happened.

Q: How do you view the strength of your own series these days?

Sinise: I think the writers are doing a terrific job coming up with stuff for us to play. We have a good arc going with (guest star) Skeet Ulrich, and I'm very proud of our writers. If they don't do their job, we can't do ours, and I'm always impressed that they keep coming up with such good mysteries.

Caruso: As evidenced by the fact that we physically went to Brazil to shoot an episode, the show has gone global in a way that has been really satisfying for everybody. I wish we could have done more on-the-road stuff, because it was a feature-film experience to go to a destination that far away and to be received as we were.

Fishburne: It's very hard for me to talk about something that's an ongoing process. We're not even halfway into the season, and the way I work, I'm not running to the writers room to find out what they have planned. These people have been doing this show for 10 years and doing it with excellence, so I don't have to worry about what they bring me. The reality is that the star of the show is the mystery. The character stuff makes it a little more exciting, but it has to serve the story.