'CSI: Vegas' Gets Series Order At CBS With Original Stars William Petersen And Jorja Fox
CSI is heading back to Sin City. And it's got a couple of familiar faces to lead the way. Original CSI series stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox are set to return in CSI: Vegas, the latest installment in CBS' hit forensics procedural series, which takes the franchise back to where it all began.
Variety reports that CBS has given a series order to CSI: Vegas, a sequel series to the original CSI, which will feature original series stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprising their roles as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle. Per Variety:
The series opens a brand new chapter in Las Vegas, the city where it all began. Facing an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant new team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
Petersen and Fox will be joined by series newcomers Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Mel Rodriguez, and Mandeep Dhillon. Uta Briesewitz will direct and serve as executive producer in the first episode. Jason Tracey will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Anthony Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Craig O'Neill, Petersen and Cindy Chvatal also serve as executive producers.
"Twenty-one years ago, we launched CSI and watched in awe as this new cinematic series launched an entire genre and became a groundbreaking juggernaut that still has global resonance today," Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome the next generation of forensic criminalists to the CSI brand and unite them with the legendary characters from the past who we still love, including the extraordinary Billy Petersen and Jorja Fox. Crimefighting technology has advanced dramatically over the last several years, and combined with classic CSI storytelling, we can't wait to watch this new CSI team do what they do best: follow the evidence."
The original CSI, which followed a "dedicated group pf forensic investigators at the Las Vegas Crime Lab works to solve often-grisly crimes in Sin City" led by Petersen's Gil Grissom, premiered in 2000 on CBS and was an instant smash hit. It went on to air for 15 seasons, becoming the most watched drama series in the world for 7 years between 2006 and 2016, and spawned three spin-offs: CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and CSI: Cyber. Now it's going back to the beginning with CSI: Vegas.
CSI: Vegas will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television, and distributed internationally by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group. It will debut during the 2021-2022 broadcast season on CBS.