CSI was once a television ratings powerhouse, with 2 spin offs to prove its rating muscle, but times have changed it seems. Lawrence Fishburne is departing after 2 seasons, and his replacement has been announced. Ted Danson has been named as the new head of the CSI night shift. Yeah that Ted Danson. Sam Malone of Cheers and John Becker of, well, Becker is now heading up CSI. Before you scoff and dismiss him as a sitcom star, consider he did get 3 Emmy Nominations for his role on the FX dramatic series Damages.
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen - Kristin Dos Santos (CC)
Ratings have dropped, not only for CSI, but CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. Meanwhile similar shows on CBS are still going strong. NCIS, Criminal Minds, and NCIS: LA all beat any and all of the CSI franchises in the ratings last year. Maybe choosing Danson is a last ditch effort to re-invent or at least re-invigorate a failing franchise. It may already be a case of too little too late.
CBS has already moved CSI to Wednesdays at 10pm following the stronger performing Criminal Minds, and given its’ cushy 9pm Thursday night time slot to new comer Person of Interest. Produced by J J Abrams and starring Michael Emerson, of LOST, and Jim Caviezel, of Passion of the Christ, Person of Interest has according to CBS tested better than any new drama in 15 years. One CBS executive said it had “crazy broad appeal you don’t usually see.” A rookie show beats you out of your time slot of over 10 years? Never a good sign, no matter what the test groups say.
CSI re-invented the crime investigation genre, and shows like NCIS and Criminal Minds owe their success in part to the doors CSI cast wide open, but maybe the time has come for the old to step out of the way, because the new are definitely doing something better. If Danson can not turn the show around, more viewers will turn it off and we may well see the end of CSI legacy.
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