'Anatomy Of A Murder' Puts 'Miami' Under Microscope

CNN this week premiered its new primetime special Anatomy of a Murder, a show that goes behind the scenes of the real world of crime scene investigation.

As a companion to the special, host Dr. Sanjay Gupta had the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the set of CSI: Miami, where he talked to executive producer Elizabeth Devine about the show's science. An ex-criminalist for the LA County's Sheriff's Department, Devine is one of the show's consultants and the inspiration behind the character Catherine Willows. Devine revealed many of the storylines are mirrored after her real-life experiences. "My whole life is on that show," Devine told Gupta. "Everything that happened to me, you know, I would just talk to the writer and we would somehow incorporate little bits, sometimes the whole case, into episodes."

Devine also discussed the differences between real-life and fiction, and why sometimes it's best to ignore certain procedures in order to give the audience a clearer glimpse at the investigative process. "In DNA, everybody has masks on, gloves on, lab coats," she explained. "We forego the masks when we have our characters in here because it's -- realistically, it's very difficult to understand what someone is saying if you can't see their lips. So -- and frankly, you know, people want to see Emily Procter's face."

Gupta also had the chance to talk to actress Khandi Alexander (Alexx Woods), who showed off her morgue proudly and raved about the realness of the fake body parts. "It's really wonderful because all of the organs are made out of silicone, so they're the exact texture and weight of the real organ, so when you're cutting with the scalpel or when you're removing brain or matter, it's feels real," Alexander said. "So as an actor, that just lends to your performance. I love the blood."

Anatomy of a Murder aired Sunday night at 10pm on CNN. For those of you who missed it, a rush transcript of the special can be found at the network's official webpage.

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