Bruckheimer Announces Next CSI

If Jerry Bruckheimer has his way, he could very well have another CSI series in the works to fill the Thursday slot when "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" wraps next year.

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After over two hundred episodes and more than ten seasons, Jerry Bruckheimer has announced that next season could just be the last season for "CSI," the series which added the words "floater," "DB," and "radioactive fetus" to the American consciousness, as well as sired two equally successful shows and several clones.
"With Petersen off the show, the overall numbers have gone down." Bruckheimer says. "We lost two key actors (Jorja Fox left last year and Dourdan left this year), and with less the original cast, the series is not rating as high in the Nielsens."
Despite the drop, the show is still one of CBS's top-rated shows so the network executives have given the green light to do one more spin-off, the success of which to determine it filling the Thursday 9:00 time slot or possibly finagling more money into one more last season.
Word is that Bruckheimer mulled several cities before finally settling on Nashville, Tennessee. Unlike Chicago or Detroit, it is very cheap to film on location in Nashville plus as the Music City and center of Country Music in the United States, several storylines could revolve around the industry and even invite more country stars to make guest appearances.
Recently, both Taylor Swift and LeeAnne Rimes have made appearances on CSI.
The story will have Marg Helgenberger's character making a trip to Nashville to attend the wedding of a relative, but something happens that invites Catherine to work with the Nashville CSIs to solve the case. At press time, the projected cast and characters included:
Jim Parent to be played by Dale Midkiff from "Time Cop." Midkiff has appeared on all three of the CSI series. He will play Jim Parent, a widower and former Chicago CSI director. After the death of his wife, he takes the Nashville CSI job to keep busy after the death of his wife. The job is harder; Nashville does not have the funding of say Miami or Las Vegas. There will be none of the high-tech eqipment of the other shows and much more ingenuity and leg work.
Holly Marie Combs from "Charmed" is interested in the role of Brenda Roe, who Parent edged out of the field director position, so there will be a lot of nervous and angry tension between them. She also has a complicated possibly shady history and ties to maybe one or more characters in the other CSI series.
In the role of Walt "Daz" Dazinger is John D. LeMay, who has worked much on the New York stage but is possibly best known for starring in the cult Eighties series, "Friday The 13th: The Series." His first regular TV part in years, LeMay with play a dedicated family man and the tech guy in the series.
Johning him will be Wil Wheaton, best known from "Star Trek: The Next Generation," who also had an appearance on CSI. Wheaton will play the ballistics guy, J.D. Odom, a former cop from five generations of former St. Louis police officers. His best friend, Kevin Li-Soon, played by Ke Huy Kwan of "Goonies" fame is the trace expert and would-be country star. His role is a lot like early Greg (Eric Szmandra) on CSI, but the fact is his experience and techniques are a bit shaky and he's the least bit professional. Speculation is he lied about some of his credentials to get his job.
Rounding out the cast is Geri Betzler as Tricia Hammond, a beautiful blonde Marilyn Monroe-type as the DNA expert. A choreographer from Broadway, Betzler also has had experience as an actress, starring in a string of cult horror movies under the name Zoe Trilling. Interested in getting into acting again, she hopes the role will give her the acting challenge missing from many of her past projects.
The finall role to be named is Dr. Sandy Hymes to be played by Jane Sibbett from "Friends," but some people might recall her even from the short-lived "Herman's Head." Hymes is the county coroner, also a widower and a possible romantic interest for Midkiff as Jim Parent. At one time, the role was offered to Crystal Bernard from "Wings," but she passed on it. - ATF