Gilbert "Gil" Grissom, Ph.D. is leaving CSI. William Petersen has done an amazing job portraying the character over the past few years. Even as numerous other CSI shows have sprung up his character is still the most interesting CSI character. Grissom's last show airs January 15th. We will miss Grissom but we are excited by Laurence Fishburne who is a great replacement. Here's a teaser for the final show which is the end of a two-parter. Maureen Ryan has more details at the Chicago Tribune.
Laurence Fishburne Nabs Ratings, New Production Deal
Laurence Fishburne garnered record ratings with his debut on CSI. Now he's signed a production deal.
Fishburne has sealed a first-look deal with "CSI" producer CBS Paramount Network TV to develop projects for the smallscreen.
As part of the deal, Fishburne's Cinema Gypsy Prods. will be located on the Eye's CBS Radford lot in Studio City.
Fishburne has tapped former TV One and Paramount TV exec Rose Catherine Pinkney to oversee his television arm. Pinkney will report to Fishburne and Helen Sugland, Fishburne's manager and partner in Cinema Gypsy.
"I have always wanted to continue to expand our production efforts at Cinema Gypsy into television, and Rose Catherine's extensive background and experience in TV is a natural fit with those plans," Fishburne said.
News comes following Fishburne's Thursday debut on "CSI." Fishburne's appearance coincided with the show's best ratings since its season premiere, averaging 20.9 million viewers and a 5.8 rating/15 share among adults 18-49, easily winning its hour.
Fishburne is breathing new life into CSI, and his production deal is a smart move.
Kristin Dos Santos has the scoop
on Lawrence Fishburne's new character on CSI:
* Fishburne's character has no name yet, but according to the executive producers, "Our internal code name for the character is the Professor." (Ooh! Maybe the Skipper and his little buddy come, too? )They're totally soliciting suggestions for character names...
* Fishburne is cool. (In case you couldn't guess that from the past 25 years of his career): "Do not mistake my presence for the event," he said. "The event is CSI the show. Everyone brings their unique talents to the show, and that's what I'm going to do."
* According to Naren Shankar, the Professor's background is in research pathology. He's been forced out of that career, so he's become an itinerant college lecturer. He's teaching a course in criminalistics when he gets involved in an investigation—and, naturally, the ground-floor qualification for being a CSI is a background in science.
* Grissom (William Petersen) and the Professor will overlap, working on a case investigation together throughout episodes nine and 10. According to the exec producers, Fishburne is schedule to start shooting on Sept. 17 or 18, and his first appearance is scheduled for Dec. 11...or early 2009, depending on how the schedule shakes out.
* Said Naren: "It takes a special personality to be willing to start new—to a place where you're not in charge of everything—and start over. It's an interesting place to be," for both the writers and the actor. "And the character will feel very at home in the bowels of the coroner's office, a little more comfortable than he feels in the halls of the CSI office."
We think he's going to reinvigorate the show. Fishburne is the epitome of cool.
