‘CSI’ reboot with original stars moves closer to reality
Gil Grissom could be heading back to work.
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” star William Petersen is reportedly in negotiations to return to the character in a rebooted “CSI: Vegas.”
Jorja Fox, who portrayed his love interest, Sara Sidle, is also said to be in talks to star in the new CBS series.
The reunion series was first mentioned pre-pandemic as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking drama’s premiere on Oct. 20, 2000, and talks have been heating up. Multiple industry outlets have reported details about the new project that would see the duo return to thwart a threat to the Crime Lab.
Petersen left the series in 2009, midway through Season 9. Fox left at the end of 2007, only to rejoin the main cast three years later. Both actors returned for the two-part series finale that aired in September 2015.
A reboot makes sense, considering that “CSI” is among the most valuable properties CBS has ever known.
In its second season, it was the nation’s most-watched drama, a title it held for seven seasons, and it introduced the characters of “CSI: Miami,” which ran for 232 episodes. In its third, it was the most popular series on American TV. Season 4 yielded “CSI: NY,” which lasted 197 episodes.
After its seventh season, “CSI” was recognized as the most-watched show in the world for the first of five times at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. At its peak, the drama reached a worldwide weekly audience of more than 70 million viewers.
Anthony Zuiker, the Chaparral High School and UNLV graduate who was earning $8 an hour as a Mirage tram driver when he created “CSI,” predicted such a reboot five years ago as he looked back on the show’s history.
“Do I think there will be a ‘CSI’ reboot in the future? You know, next generation cases, Las Vegas, same format, sexier storylines, new approach? I think that’s very, very viable in the future,” Zuiker told the Review-Journal. “It could be two years from now; it could be 20 years from now. But I think (it) will always have a life.”
Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567. Follow @life_onthecouch on Twitter.