William Petersen by Robert Voets/CBS
I think I hear CSI fans everywhere screaming. We teased casting changes for the CBS drama in a recent Mega Minute, and alas, those changes include William Petersen, whose recently signed contract only guarantees his appearance until the upcoming season's 10th episode, a rep for CBS confirms, following a report from EW's Ausiello. Petersen isn't gone for good, though. He will be staying on as an executive producer, and has agreed to make special appearances throughout the remaining run of the series. This marks the third original cast member to leave the show, following Jorja Fox and Gary Dourdan's departures last season. Producers, however, promise a memorable exit for Grissom (including Fox's return next season for a multi-episode, Grissom-Sidle arc) and some exciting changes in the show's future. "We're out to add new characters to the show, and the show will change as a result," said exec producer Carol Mendehlson. "But that's a good thing."So, how do you feel about Petersen's c...
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Jorja Fox by Andrew MacPherson/CBS
CSI boss Carol Mendelsohn wasn't pulling my leg when she told me last October that we haven't seen the last of Sara Sidle. Sources confirm that Jorja Fox has inked a deal to return for the show's ninth-season premiere next fall.Specifics of her comeback are being kept under lock and key, but my CSI mole assures me that she "won't be appearing in a flashback." The likely scenario has Sara returning to Vegas to shag Grissom mourn ex-colleague Warrick, who was shot (and presumably) killed in last week's finale. I say "presumably" because in the current issue of TV Guide, Mendelsohn says Gary Dourdan will be back in the fall — and "not just in flashbacks." I've got three words for you: Gut-wrenching death scene. For more on Fox's CSI return, pick up next week's season finale fallout-themed issue of TV Guide, which I'm hearing is a veritable spoilerpalooza!In the meantime, post your thoughts on Fox's mini-comeback in the comments section below. — Additional reporting by Carita ...
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CSI finale - Gary Dourdan by Bill Inoshita/CBS
Get ready for the most shocking episode of CSI ever according to exec producer Carol Mendelsohn Given that past finales have featured Nick George Eads buried alive and a shocking revelation that Grissom William Petersen and Sara Jorja Fox had been sleeping together theyve got a lot to live up to But Mendelsohn promises theyll deliver Its a very personal episode she says Warrick Gary Dourdan finds himself in more trouble following past episodes in which he was suspected of murder and suspended while investigating a Vegas mobster The result is that sides will be drawn and as TV Guide has reported Dourdan who was recently arrested is leaving CSI The question remains how Mendelsohn says No one will ever forget it and it will change the show forever
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Now that Jorja Fox has officially confirmed the worst kept secret in the TV biz — she's ditching CSI next month after seven years in the forensics lab — we can start to focus on more important things in life. Like, you know, her return to the show! In her only interview, CSI's top gun, Carol Mendelsohn, weighs in on the circumstances surrounding Fox's exit, responds to published reports that she considered killing her off, previews tonight's big marriage proposal, and utters the words grieving fans have been dying to hear: Sara Sidle will be back...read more
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Jorja Fox by Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com
Now that Jorja Fox has officially confirmed the worst kept secret in the TV biz — she's ditching CSI next month after seven years in the forensics lab — we can start to focus on more important things in life. Like, you know, her return to the show! In her only interview, CSI's top gun, Carol Mendelsohn, weighs in on the circumstances surrounding Fox's exit, responds to published reports that she considered killing her off, previews tonight's big marriage proposal, and utters the words grieving fans have been dying to hear: Sara Sidle will be back. Are you bummed that something couldn't be worked out to keep Jorja around?Carol Mendelsohn: I am very bummed. You know, it's been something we've been facing for a while now [so] I've given it a lot of thought. When Jorja expressed her desire to move on — even though I would have loved nothing more than to have had her here for Season 8 and Season 9 and on — you [react] as you would in any family: You love the person an...
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Jorja Fox by Michael Caulfield/WireImage.com
Although CSI hasn't even pronounced Sara dead yet, it sounds suspiciously like the powers-that-be are already planning to breathe new life into the show by introducing a replacement for Jorja Fox's hot cop. Executive producer Carol Mendolsohn has told me exclusively that a new female character will turn up in this season's third episode. "[She] may be a CSI or lab tech," the boss said. And, according to my casting spies, the junior detective will be in her mid-twenties, fresh out of college and lacking the capacity for self-censorship. Of course, this isn't conclusive proof that Sara won't emerge unscathed from her, um, car wreck. But it certainly seems plausible, even likely, considering what else we've learned this week. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, CSI exec producer Jonathan Littman said the "Sara-Grissom story line is going to conclude." And you don't get much more definitive closure than death, now do ya? In any case, at least this much is certain: Fox will appear...
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William Petersen in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation by Robert Voets/CBS
Speaking at the Banff World Television Festival on Tuesday, CSI executive producer Carol Mendelsohn revealed that not only is the popular procedural shooting on location in San Fran this coming season, but that a visit to the U.K. may be on tap as well. "We feel Grissom is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes," Mendelsohn offered, noting that CSI first eyed the idea a season or two ago, but was ultimately stymied by scheduling conflicts. Besides, craft services can only do so much with bangers and mash.
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In seperate eight-figure deals that will cement their status among television's best-paid showrunners, exec producers Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) and Ann Donahue (CSI: Miami) have signed to stay on at CBS through spring 2010. "They're both fantastic writers and great showrunners, a rare combination to get," CBS Paramount prez David Stapf tells Variety. "They engender a lot of loyalty from their cast and crew."Plus, neither lady gets all squeamish watching the dailies of any icky scenes.
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Earlier this week, I heard someone in the office remark that Liev Schreiber, the temporary new guy on the CSI block, looks more like a skeevy killer than a crime-scene technician. Maybe so, but his inscrutable demeanor, his oddly fussy mannerisms (watch him at breakfast in tonight’s episode) and his unorthodox work practices make his character of Michael Keppler a fascinating new addition to the first and best show in the CSI franchise, as long as he lasts. (Won’t be for long, as William Petersen will return next month from his theatrical sabbatical.)Last week the empathetic, enigmatic Keppler seemed as much profiler as CSI, and in tonight’s episode, he continues to reveal psychological shadings unusual for this show-telling a colleague that he prefers to think like the killer rather than identify with the victim, which only clouds his judgment.Keppler’s judgment comes under scrutiny in this first-rate episode, co-written by series executive producer Carol Mendel...
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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
After more than six seasons in Sin City, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation's top investigator is leaving Las Vegas. At least temporarily.
Beginning with this week's episode (airing tonight at 9 pm/ET, on CBS), William Petersen's grim Gil Grissom is going on sabbatical to deal with the frustrations that have been making it difficult for him to do his job. "We've seen Grissom suffering from burnout," explains executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. "Now he has an offer to teach a seminar at Williams College, which he finds enticing."
Grissom's break is coming about because Petersen himself wanted time off — to do a play in Providence, Rhode Island. And while both departures seem temporary, Grissom's will permanently change relationships in th
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