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UPDATE: He’s coming in as a new team leader on the graveyard shift of the original CSI, filling one of the voids left by Laurence Fishburne, who himself took over from William Petersen. The talks with Ted Danson only started about two weeks ago and closed late today, so this was truly fast casting. The show moves to a new night — from Thursdays to Wednesdays — in the hopes of growing that 10 PM time slot and invigorating ratings. Fishburne never clicked with viewers, and Danson seems like sensible casting. A proven TV star coming into an aging hit is quite a coup. Danson most recently had a gig with FX’s Damages and has been a regular on HBO’s Bored To Death,which will continue.
UPDATE: CBS press release follows:
LOS ANGELES – July 12, 2011 — Multiple Emmy Award winner Ted Danson will join the cast of CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, in a series regular role, on the CBS Television Network. His character will debut in the season premiere on Wednesday, September 21 (10:00-11:00 PM,ET/PT). Danson will play the new CSI Supervisor for the grave shift after heading the crime lab in Portland. He comes to the team as they are still grappling with the professional and personal fallout from last season’s take-down of serial killer, Nate Haskell. ”You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it’s just words,” said Executive Producer Carol Mendelsohn. ”We’re very excited Ted Danson came along.”
“From the moment we all started talking about therole, it was clear he couldn’t be more perfect,” said Executive Producer Don McGill. “Intelligence, wit, warmth, depth of characterand emotion, he brings it all. And now he’ll have to bring latex gloves, too.”
Ted Danson will remain a series regular on the critically acclaimed HBO series,“Bored to Death.” He has also recently garnered accolades for his roles on “Damages” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Ted Danson will next be seen starring opposite Drew Barrymore and John Krasinsky in “Everybody Loves Whales” to be released in January 2012.
Now entering its 12th season, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION is the most-watchedtelevision show in the world. CSI is produced by CBS Television Studiosin association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. The executive producers are Jerry Bruckheimer, Carol Mendelsohn, Anthony Zuiker, Ann Donahue, Don McGill, Jonathan Littman and Louis Milito.
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AWESOME!
Kind of surprising – I thought they would have gone younger. But Danson’s a good fit for the CBS demo, and he is certainly a genuine TV star.
Is there any job he would turn down?
I’ll now watch in the fall for at least the first 4 episodes. If they can do with Danson with what they did on Liev’s character, it will be a William Peterson who?
Way to go Sammy!
Interesting choice. Also, kind of inspiring. I will be watching.
Inspiring? It’s a white choice. It’s an all white cast on CBS.
Why does every show on television need an ethnic character? You just don’t have one for the sake of having one.
OK, yes, but you can have some. I mean, unless you live in Des Moines, Iowa, there are actual black/Hispanic/Asian/Indian/gay/Persian people who are a part of the fabric of society.
I mean, have you ever been to Las Vegas? It’s hardly all-white.
Reminds me of the series “Friends” (based in New York city!!) – where it was so white that it was distracting…
Ted Danson is essentially a mortician – hired to keep the CSI corpse looking pretty as the show runs its course.
I hate to sound so damned cynical, but I’m just calling it as I see it.
Couldn’t agree more. He won’t bring any Cheers from me
I’ve never really watched, but I will now. A coup indeed.
And a great guy, as well. I hope I again get the chance to work with him on set (Mary too).
The reason audiences didn’t connect with Laurence Fishburne is because they kept giving his character such stupid storylines. *Especially* the Haskell story.
Interesting–why this old white guy? Makes CSI lily white and male dominated–isn’t there a minority in Hollywood? And he’s coming in as supervisor? So I guess that means Catherine gets demoted because of her actions with Langston-do-no-wrong-Fishburne?
Why are you so obsessed with the origin on the planet of an actor’s ancestors? It must be strange and somewhat depressing to value/devalue performers on such an arbitrary basis.
@Alex – why are you being so knee-jerk about this comment? There are few (i.e. none) minorities on dramatic TV. It’s true, accept it. If a person’s “origins” were irrelevant, than there would be *more* minorities on the small screen. If you’re implying that persons of African/Asian/Hispanic “origins” don’t have the talent to make the cut, well, I’d say you’re wrong.
Still, we have Tyler Perry, so I guess we should be happy…(not)
There seems to be a little confusion about Laurence Fishburne’s character Ray. He was never a supervisor. Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) was the supervisor.
Way to spell Krasinski right CBS.
I think that’s actually a cool casting idea.
Ted Danson? What? Why not just shut-down production and save the cash for shows that people will watch?
Ten Danson? What? No, really, what?
Why not get Shelley Long? No, really, why not get Shelley Long?
Ha ha, Shelley Long would have been a more INTERESTING choice.
I think you need a few more “what’s” and “no really’s” in your post.
Carol Mendelsohn thinks that way to attrack viewers to CSI? I am very dissapointed in this election. I hope that Billy Petersen make any appearance in the series. Will be the only chapter that I will see.
Didn’t see this one coming. But I still want Peterson back!
I like Ted Danson, but dramatically, on CSI? I don’t know. I don’t watch the show anyways, so this doesn’t make me wanna see it.
This is very good, could of done much worse.
I love Ted Danson but this won’t work, it just won’t because the show is dead, the show died with Grissom’s character left the show. For me that was it. I like Lawarance Fishburne but his character was never going to save that aging show. It’s time for the show to end, while there’s still a few ratings, and viewers left.
Show really died when they broke up Hodges and Wendy, and Shankar and Rambo left. I kept track of polls all that season and they were no higher than 7th and as low as 15-20.
It will never be “William Peterson who.” He was the glue for that series. I have DVD’s of all the seasons with Grissom and they are still fun to watch. I’ve only watched a handful of the episodes since he left, and they were horrible. I’ll watch again, with Danson, and I hope it will work. But Grissom is the one I’ll remember, and miss.
It’ll completely change the culture of the show, for the worse. Ted Danson is a fine human being and talented actor who will not be believable even for a minute as a foresnic scientist. You might as well cast Abe Vigoda.
Agreed. They need to stop these stupid “creative ideas” which have not worked and get back to what brung them. Get some of the cast back, especially Liz Vassey, and bring back Rambo and Shankar to replace Mendelsohn and Donohoe.
So glad Bored to Death is sticking around, I think its such a great show, so funny and well done. Go Ted!
Whatever. CSI jumped the shark a year or two ago. Still watch it, but it is not must see. Which tells you where the rest of the networks are at this point. If CSI really wants to improve the ratings, they should have done something/more with the Lady Heather character instead of emasculating her. Safe and boring is not the way to go.
They also should bring back Hodges and Wendy. Many of us tuned in just to watch them. The way they did her was really rank. They were drawing a following and somebody got nervous.
He’s been doing such interesting work on cable shows lately, it’s a shame he’ll be less available for those shows while he’s working on the television equivalent of a fast food franchise.