TELEVISION > 'CSI: Miami' rockets Caruso to worldwide fame

REUTERS: CANNES (Hollywood Reporter) - Twelve years after his ill-fated departure from "NYPD Blue," David Caruso can now claim to be one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the world.

His sun-drenched crime drama "CSI: Miami" is a ratings smash from Berlin to Bogota, from Paris to Pretoria. Outside the United States, "CSI: Miami" tops "Lost," "Desperate Housewives" and even the original "CSI" to rank as the most-watched U.S. series around the world.

"In a funny way, we are more resonant in the foreign markets than we are domestically," Caruso, 50, said in an interview at the MIPTV market, where producers sell their wares to foreign TV stations. "That's why I think it is very important to come and connect with the journalists here and viewers here because our relationship with the larger landscape is here."

Indeed, "CSI: Miami" ranks No. 12 so far this season among U.S. viewers aged 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research. ("American Idol" takes the top two spots, followed by "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy" and "CSI.") The drama is currently in its fourth season.

Germany, Europe's largest TV market, provides a typical example of how the "CSI: Miami" machine has conquered foreign lands. The show launched to record ratings on cable channel Vox in 2004 before being nabbed by Vox parent channel, and market leader, RTL. "CSI: Miami" is now the No. 1 series in Germany.

Caruso said he is no longer chasing a dream of a film career -- the reason for his sudden departure from "NYPD Blue" in 1994 -- and that he would be happy to still be doing "CSI: Miami" in five or 10 years time.

"I think I found my niche," Caruso said. "You say, well, you'll be on the show for another five years. I don't see it that way. I see it like, well, I get a chance to do my job for as long as they let me on this show: the daily pursuit of the scene. And that's what I got into this business for in the first place."