These shows (e.g. CSI) show police forensic professionals spending many, many hours (as long as it takes) on each case - anything to get at the truth! I wish...
Living near Houston, with a crime lab in disgrace owing to lack of funds/direction/leadership, and a number of convictions possibly about to be thrown out on account of crime lab techs "dry labbing" results, the dissonance is amazing. I don't know about other cities' crime labs, but doubt if any of them have the resources that the TV crime labs boast.
Better to read a book, reload ammo, brush the cats, or do chores - than watch too much TV.
A reality based CSI would be rather boring. Kind of like a reality based anything. Would you watch a show called "Your Shitty Job"?
After I read, reload, brush the dog, play with my kid, help with dinner, do yard work, etc, TV is a brief escape and chance for me to catch my breath. At a mere 3hrs a week when new shows are being broadcast, I think I'm on the light end of TV consumption.
Heck, you can only watch so much TV when you don't have cable or satellite.
Chris
You know what--sometimes you just gotta realize it's all make-believe and there for entertainment and amusement. Who cares really?
It's cause a lot of people are imprinted on by TV... they believe what is on it. Thus, if there is a general direction of idea the show is going in... for instance "Cops are the good guys, right wing gun-loving extremists are the bad guys", or something like that, some people consciously or subconsciously accept it as reality, or it at least makes a real-life impression on them. Shows, even if they're fiction, can still be full of political and social messages.