As Jane wrote a couple of weeks ago, CBS was hot on the heels of landing a big name star to fill the void when William Petersen leaves CSI later this year. The names bandied about included Kurt Russell and John Malkovich, and one other major motion picture star, Laurence Fishburne. Today, the network announced Laurence Fishburne will indeed be the new addition to CSI. His character is a forensic scientist, like Grissom, but don't expect him to have Gil's fascination with insects. No, Fishburne's man has other bugs: he's a former pathologist and college lecturer who's focused on why people commit acts of violence. It should be interesting to see how his preoccupation with the why integrates with the other CSI gang who are all Grissom-trained and generally obsessed with how a crime is done and who done it.
Fishburne will be introduced in the ninth episode when his character meets members of the CSI team during a murder investigation and ends up joining them.
There hasn't been much revealed about how the show is writing Grissom out. The character left last season for a few shows -- the Schreiber arc -- on what was called a sabbatical. Petersen will remain as one of the show's executive producers and is supposed to pop up now and then in a guest role, so wherever Gil goes, he'll still be connected to the Las Vegas crime lab.
The network was looking for an authoritative presence to fill Grissom's shoes, and that's what they got with Fishburne. Laurence carries that quality with him in nearly every role he's played, including Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It. He's probably best known as Morpheus from the Matrix trilogy, which is probably a good thing if CBS is hoping to keep viewers glued to CSI.
You see, even though CSI is still one of the top rated TV shows on CBS, the network might be watching for slippage with Petersen exiting. However if Fishburne's character is as well-written and his storylines are as well-executed as Liev Schreiber's when he filled in for Petersen for a multi-episode arc last year, fans should stick with the show and be happy with some new energy.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-18-2008 @ 3:04PM
Anita said...
I love LF and if you're going to replace WP, you might as well do it with a heavy duty actor. However, I'll have to see what happens writing-wise and acting-wise, particularly since 2 characters that I enjoyed left & one that I don't is still there. I loved Grissom and Peterson brought an intangible quality to it. While I'm glad Fishburne's taking over the lead, I wouldn't mind Grissom popping in and out throughout the season -
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8-18-2008 @ 3:49PM
Samsara said...
It will be interesting to see the difference in LF's character focused on the why as opposed to the how..that actually might be an interesting perspective for the show to on.
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8-18-2008 @ 4:28PM
Cincinnati Mike said...
I read elsewhere that his obsession of "why" stems from his profiling experience...which tells him that he has a borderline murderer gene himself, or something. Shades of "Dexter," but an interesting injection for a really old show.
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8-18-2008 @ 5:20PM
eugene said...
woohoo!
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8-18-2008 @ 5:49PM
Alex - A.S. said...
This is good news.
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8-18-2008 @ 5:57PM
Alex - A.S. said...
This is good news.
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8-19-2008 @ 8:58PM
StillBash said...
OMFG! This is... awesome!
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8-21-2008 @ 7:26AM
lynnhartin said...
There will never be anyone to replace Peterson, he makes the show. I love CSI Las Vagas because of him only. I do not even watch the Miami or the other one. Petersons will be removed but never replaced.
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8-21-2008 @ 7:55AM
clark2019 said...
this is the first time in many many years of tv that i am disappointed that a person is leaving. Petersen's leaving is not welcomed. producer is great, but not being in front of camera is not what we want.
I hope u dont say what Oprah said: TV IS A WASTE. sorry but why do all of u make big money making shows and dont want any people to watch. People do watch. I grew up when the tv was 40 inches wide with a 10 inch screen. since being born in 1953, tv is a part of life. guess I will have to go back to NASA TV for entertainment. on thusday nite i can go out and watch for the space station and maybe the space shuttle come over.
Dr McDreamy is looking better and beter for thrus nite at 9pm. will miss csi, 3 members of cast gone in 2 seasons, NOT GOOD.
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8-21-2008 @ 8:25AM
heidi said...
csi was my favorite show and just the one with william peterson in it, i dont like any of the other csi's. you cant replace him it will never be the same. when he is off the show i can no longer watch it.this is a tragic mistake
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8-21-2008 @ 8:38AM
Steve said...
I guess every show has to come to an end, so's the same for CSI. First Sarah, then Warrick and now Grissom??? CSI is going to fall flat on it's face. It USED to be my favorite show...goodbye CSI.
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8-21-2008 @ 8:43AM
trisha said...
I'm sorry that William Peterson is more or less leaving the show, and I'm not sure Fishbourne is really going to be able to carry the show. I know he's a good actor,in the movies, but TV series is different, we develope a relationship with the characters( in a sense)I will really miss Warrick, but I hope he gets his life back on track. I don't miss Sara at all, I didn't like her character or the script written for her..By the way, please come out with new video game.......I've mastered the others. Good luck to CSI Vegas, if you decide to get rid of Carouso on Miami, I will watch it then. I cannot stand his constant posing before he speaks..He doesn't have a good side. His John Wayne character is all wrong, there's only one DUKE...Get Tom Selleck, he doesn't have a bad side.
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8-21-2008 @ 3:59PM
George said...
The show will go down hill from now on. LF is not an A list actor. The only thing he's done deserving mention was the Matrix series.
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8-21-2008 @ 9:21AM
jack said...
I think he will be a good replacement,he has an even quality about him.My biggest fear is that this show will turn into the same piece of crap that CSI MIAMI,and CSI NY are.
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8-22-2008 @ 10:20AM
Dianna said...
I remember when "Larry Fishburne" started on One Life To Live.
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