>Isn't that suopposed to be because there are so many channels, and the average attention span of an American is such that they don't dare risk long drawn-out investigations? Mind you, that flies in the face of series such as 24 and Lost!
>
>Mind you, they do actually solve at least 2 cases per week, and they don't BOTH come at the end.

Here's a couple Xi (csi) and Lorder (L&Order) rules that I've compiled so far:

If you're playing a suspect:

- if they arrest you within first 40 minutes (theoretical minutes - assuming the show actually lasts 60, which isn't actually the case), you're either
- free to go, they got the wrong guy. You will be paid less for your role.
- expecting to be free to go because they'll catch the real guy between 40th and 55th minute. Your fee depends on how much time your interrogation takes.
- free to go but won't get far, you'll get shot within the next five minutes. Your fee varies depending on how you get to die.

- no matter how bad the light was, there is at least one security camera with at least six pixels dedicated to you. Even if you have successfully hidden your face, they'll lift your fingerprints off those six pixels :).

If you're playing staff:

- you will have no humorous lines unless you're the mortician. Nobody laughs (except the unknown percentage of the audience), because they're either the rest of the staff (thus awarded no humorous licence) or playing dead.

- if your case is mostly solved by 35th minute, some of the evidence will be thrown out on a technicality and you'll spend the rest of the show digging up more.

- you can toss snide remarks if you're the boss, but nobody will laugh (which I think is cool - I'll laugh if I feel like, they don't have to show me how).

Feel free to add to this list. Can't remember everything.