'CSI' without Gil Grissom? I'll pass
Posted: Friday, July 18, 2008 7:00 AM by Paige Newman
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TV
“Well, there goes that show,” my pal, co-worker and fellow “CSI” devotee, Gerrie said after hearing the news that William Petersen is leaving “CSI.”
The show’s executive producer, Carol Mendelsohn, was quick to try to put a positive spin on it, telling Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello, “There’s never going to be another William Petersen, and there will never be another Jorja Fox. But we are not out to just replace those actors. We’re out to add new characters to the show, and the show will change as a result. But that’s a good thing.”
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Um, no, it’s not. Petersen’s Gil Grissom is the heart of “CSI” – he creates the show’s offbeat personality that keeps it more than a few steps above “CSI: Miami” and “CSI: New York.” And despite what “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf thinks, actors aren’t light bulbs; you can’t just replace one when it goes out and expect it to shine as brightly.
Yeah, “Law & Order” has gone on, but has it really been the same or as good as it was during Jerry Orbach’s Lennie Briscoe era? I know, he wasn’t with that show when it began, but when he joined the show, he gave it a center, and he gave it soul. Was “Homicide: Life on the Street” the same without Andre Braugher’s Frank Pembleton?
It’s frustrating when TV producers assume we care so little about the characters they create. Do they really think that “CSI” fans are just tuning in for the camera work or to find out who the latest murder victim is? And no, I don’t begrudge Petersen (or Jorja Fox or Gary Dourdan) the right to move on to other projects, but I also don’t think this top-notch show is going to be half as good.
Some of the changes that Ausiello pointed out are positive. He noted that Wendy, Super Dave and Hodges are all being promoted to main characters. And at least last year, the producers seem to quickly realize that no one enjoyed Ronnie Lake (Jessica Lucas) – as she was yanked pretty quickly from the cast. Nick and Greg can probably be guaranteed more screen time, but it’s pretty hard to get excited about a Grissom-less “CSI.” I don’t even really care about “The L Word’s” Lauren Lee Smith joining the cast.
Ausiello did point out that another male cast member is joining late in the season, and that producers are looking at Kurt Russell, Laurence Fishburne or John Malkovich to possibly play him. They must be kicking themselves that they killed off Liev Schreiber’s character last year. But honestly, again, who cares? Russell, Malkovich or any other actor they add just won’t be able to replace Grissom.
Yep, I’ll be watching this fall (Grissom is rumored to be leaving sometime mid-season), but don’t be surprised if I don’t stay with it after Grissom’s exit. He’s the reason I started watching the show, so I guess it makes sense that he’ll be the reason I stop.
