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CSI: NY star Melina Kanakaredes is leaving the veteran CBS crime drama after 6 seasons. I hear her contract was up and she was approached by CBS and CBS TV Studios with a new deal but opted to move on. I also hear another TV series veteran, Once and Again star Sela Ward, is being seriously considered as a possible replacements to star opposite Gary Sinise on CSI:NY‘s upcoming 7th season. After a six-year run in the Wednesday 10 PM slot, CSI: NY is being relocated to Fridays where it will air at 9PM this fall.
“We hoped Melina would return to CSI: NY for another season, but we respect her decision to move on,” CBS and CBS Studios said in a joint statement. “Her amazing talent and invaluable contribution to the success of the series are greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. She will forever remain a friend to the network and studio and we wish her the very best.” Added Kanakaredes, who now holds the distinction of having starred on two back-to-back hit series, NBC’s Providence and CBS’ CSI:NY: “I made some amazing and lifelong friendships during my six seasons on CSI: NY, and I will treasure them forever!” CBS signed Kanakaredes in a rich talent deal right after the end of Providence. It led to her starring role on CSI:NY, which I hear most recently earned her around $200,000 an episode. For Kanakaredes, this marks a clean break from the show as she didn’t have a producer credit on it like Sinise or William Peterson, star of the mothership CSI series, who departed it last year. Production on Season 7 of CSI:NY starts on July 28.
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I am sorry to see Kanakaredes go; but Sela Ward is truly an excellent choice to replace her. I am a continuing fan of the CSI episodes; however, I rank them in a somewhat different order. CSI NY continues to get better, and I like it the best-just enough science to be interesting, and good character interplay. I like Caruso, all the way back from his “NYPD BlUE” days, but the hero bit is getting a bit overdone. The original CSI (Vegas) just isn’t the same without Petersen–if it weren’t for DVR’s, and my TIVO–I might skip it against other network competition.
I will miss Melina. She was one of the reasons I watched CSI:NY, and wish her the best in future ventures. I don’t care much for Sela Ward and she was the reason I stopped watching House for a while, so I hope she does not replace Melina.
The dynamic of CSI NY will change with the addition of Sela Ward and the subtraction of Melina Kanakaredes because based on the descriptions I have read the characters they will obviously be different. This does not necessarily mean that the show will be “better” or “worse” from a qualitative standpoint, but it will be different. I remember watching Sela Ward on the show “Thirtysomething” when I was much younger and she was a capable actress, so I am interested to see how she will fit into the existing team. I was curious about how the team was going to change after Vanessa Ferlito’s character Aiden Burn left and Anna Belknap’s Lindsey Monroe was introduced and it worked, but in a different way than it had before. I guess to make a short story long I will reserve judgement until I see the episodes with Sela Ward in them.
Stella is my favorite character out of all the CSI. Her positive outlook on life was very refreshing. In my opinion Melina set the bar pretty high so it will be very interesting to see if Sela ward can even compare in my mind. I really thought that perhaps this would be the “SMacked” season many (including me) had been hoping for but I guess not… I hope that they don’t “kill” Stella this season though because then It would be even harder to be open to a replacement…
Not sure I will ever watch CSI NY again. In no way will it be the same. I am going to truly miss Stella. She was the only reason I watched it. I, too, think NY was the best of them all. The original CSI is my least favorite and should be the one to go. I sure was hoping to see her and Mac finally in a relationship.
Sela Ward is a great replacement choice – though I didn’t really have a problem with Melina. Since I was not invited to the contract negotiations, I will not attempt to second guess whether her departure was due to pay disagreements or not – but in the grand scheme of things, I’d take her pay for one single episode any day and be content.
Regarding rankings; please- I’ve watched every episode of all the CSIs (well – not the Miami’s anymore)(yes – no life): 1. Vegas (Fishburne is good – although I miss Petersen), 2. NY – though Sinise is really why I watch – he’s a fabulous actor! and 12th (yeah – I skipped several places) – Miami: Caruso. I’m so tired of the PROFILE shot!! YUCK! He never faces anyone when he talks – and like someone else pointed out – tired of him being the “hero” of the day. He must be the writer, producer, director, and main character of the show! I cannot even watch that one anymore.
She was, without doubt, the reason we stopped watching this show…..it was as ridiculous as watching naomi campbell as a police officer……..we didn’t believe her character for a second……we never saw a cop in high heels anywhere else with the possible exceptiom of csi miami, oh wait maybe csi as well i guess, oh well there goes that theory…..some of our friends thought often she reminded them of sigourney weaver in GalaxyQuest……..good riddance we say and we plan to watch sela with great enjoyment in the fall.
CBS is getting as bad as ABC
i agree whole-heartedly. its basically like sports-if u want the talented players u have 2 pay them well. i like sela ward but will really miss melina-i have loved her since “giuding light”!
I think when CSI:NY continues with Sela Ward it is going to be the last season of the show. I like her as an actress but she is just not in the same league as Melina my wife and I loved her on Providence and will surely miss her on CSI:NY I would bet anything tht this will be the last season for this show.
csi:ny is done!
when a show is moved from a prime spot (wed 10pm) to crappy fri night (when no one watched tv) it is over and that is why she jumped off early.
I watch TV on Friday night. Saturday is my night out. I am always looking for something to see on Friday and now I have it.
If cbs wanted to help ratings-have her killed off in one of the most suspensful, outlandish murder mysteries that would take most of the season to solve generating great sympathy for the character.
I think Sela Ward is a wonderful choice! She just films well…so few actors of any age can stand the light, but Sela does so wonderfully….age is not a factor here…Americans need to stop whining about age….death at this point is unavoidable… so live already!
I was a faithful watcher of CSI-NY but no longer since
“Stella” will no longer will be on the show. DO NOT like Ward.
Won’t be the same so won’t watch. Too bad because I really like Gary and the rest of the staff.
Could you enlighten us as to why you feel that way? I can’t imagine anyone not liking Sela Ward. Maybe I’ve missed something she has or hasn’t done.
Glad to hear Melina is leaving. I never thought she was a very good actress – pretty stiff delivery of her lines and what her character, Stella, would say just did not match for Melina. I did not find any chemistry between her and Mac. I enjoy Danny and Lindsey; it’s nice to see a relationship on TV that works and is fun. Sela Ward is a class act; she will bring the ratings back to CSI NY. I don’t believe that CSI NY has the lowest ratings. Las Vegas has gone right down the toilet since William Peterson left and they killed off Gary Dourdan’s character. CSI Miami has high ratings because men like to see all the female characters parade around in low-cut tops and high-heeled shoes. What police woman would dress like that? I like David Caruso, but how that series portrays the female cops is ridiculous. They dress like they’re working as dancers in a bar. Sela Ward will bring some spark and light to CSI NY. Melina is pretty dull.
totally agree. Kanakaredes is a total bore. fishburne is a good actor but not right in CSI, really miss Peterson.
totally agree. Kanakaredes is a total bore. fishburne is a good actor but not right in CSI, really miss Peterson.
I am very disappointed that Melina Kanakaredas is leaving CSI:NY,however I am a fan of Sela Ward. I like the other characters so hopefully her character will fit in nicely.
I am a fan of Melina’s. I watched her on Providence and was thrilled when she was on CSI:NY. CSI is not the same without Peterson, that is for sure. I still like Miami though. Hopefully it will stay on for awhile.
I watched the show today and the dynamic was not the same. The subtraction of Melina Kanakaredes will loose one more viewer, Me.
I like Stella a lot. She really fit in with the rest of the crew; but, had a certain sophistication and attractivess that set her a “cut above” in her profession. As I watched the season opener last night, the character played by Ms. Ward seemed too smooth — beauty-shop hair, business attire. It seemed as though she was hoping to take Mac’s place. It would be interesting to hear what the producers/writers see for the future.
I probably won’t watch regularly any longer. The dynamics have changed too much. I will watch periodically.
My husband and I did not know Melina was not coming back to CSY-NY. We were very disappointed in the change. We didn’t like how Sela’s character just came in so bold and took over. We were great fans of the show. Love the entire cast family as is. Without Melina it won’t be the same. A big loss. Not sure if we will stay with this season. We like the rest of the cast and the overall show. But Sela needs to not be such a key part right up front.
I am a great fan of Melina’s, and of Gary Sinise. Theior characters wroked well off eachother, and I do NOT think her Stella was tough and uncompromising like others have said. Stella came up in a hard childhood, and was quite a woman as portrayed by Melina. I loved her in Providence, at times she was zany,but was not a soap watcher so never saw her earlier on. I can’t stand David Caruso so never watched more than one CSI Miami, and I never liked the Vegas one at all. The characters in NY seemed to meld together. I think Sela Ward is okay, but I don’t like her character as I loved Stella. I am sorry to see the show go if it does – love Mac, Danny, Flack, Hawkes, Lindsey and Robert Joy’s coroner. They cared for each other! I think I remember someone saying Stella went to New Orleans. I will watch this year to see the outcome – love Mac!
I am glad Melina is leaving. I never really like her. She was terrible at acting tough and intimidating. It was so fake.
I was so upset to hear Melina wasn’t coming back. She was my favorite character. She played a very strong female lead/role and really appreciated the great job that she did. It just wont be the same without her. Sela is a fine actress, but Stella can never be permanently replaced. There will always be a spot for her in the family. I will truly miss her and hope she has luck in her future events.
CSI New york is just *not the same* without Melina as Stella
Sorry, Sela Ward is just not a good replacement-poor choice
nice to see the others are all still there tho
BIG disappointment Melina has left but I do wish her luck
She WAS a big part of CSI New York
So far Sela Ward’s Jo Danville character is little more then a psychological wise ass. Anyone out there finding that appealing versus Melina Kanakaredes’ Stella Bonasera? Her character had a viscerally compelling sensitivity which will be sorely missed.
Since the departure left the writers short one romance, I’m going to guess a love triangle’s coming between Mac Taylor, Jo Danville and Adam Ross. It fits if you think about the second episode script that was just aired.
I was so disappointed to see Sela Ward’s name on the opening credits. I watched the show anyway and it was awful. Sela Ward cannot act, is very hard on the eyes, and there was no chemistry between her and Gary Sinise. It was as if the Crime Lab had never known how to function until the omnipotent Jo came along and showed them all how to do it. Kanakaredes is a good actor and Stella was part of the team. It reminded me of another TV show “Voyager” that was ruined by one new character “7 of 9″. New characters should bring a new dimension to the show not domination of the show. CBS made a huge mistake with Sela Ward. One more lost viewer for CSI NY.
I DO NOT LIKE SELENA WARD! SHE CAN NEVER REPLACE MELINA! SHE IS THE SHOW! FORGET IT!