Revivals have been all the rage on the small screen in recent years, ranging from The X-Files to (briefly) Roseanne to Mad About You, and now CSI may join the pack. CBS' popular procedural drama ended in 2015 after 15 seasons and more than 330 episodes, so it seems like a natural fit to return for another go. While that will undoubtedly sound great to fans, there are some catches that mean you probably shouldn't start celebrating CSI's triumphant return just yet.
First, the good news. CBS is reportedly considering another round of CSI in celebration of the series' 20th anniversary, which officially happens in October 2020, and Deadline reports the goal is for the revival to feature cast members from the original series, including William Petersen and Jorja Fox.
The revival, if ordered to series, would be set in Las Vegas and serve as a sequel to CSI, which itself wrapped with a feature-length finale in 2015. The new incarnation of CSI would hail from writer Jason Tracey of Elementary and Burn Notice, original series production company Jerry Bruckheimer TV, and CBS TV Studios.
Now, the not-so-good news. No deals for the potential revival have been finalized, and it's in the early stages of development. Deadline further reports that it's possible the show can't come together within a financial framework that works for the parties involved. No formal offers to original cast members have evidently been made at this point, so there's no confirmation of how many (if any) original characters would return.
Furthermore and arguably most importantly, this revival would be for an event series rather than an ongoing series. So, unlike revivals a la The X-Files and Roseanne, there is presumably no intent for CSI's return to its original network to be the first of many revival seasons. Neither CBS nor CBS TV Studios weighed in with comments on this potential CSI return, so nothing has been confirmed or officially denied. So, what would be ideal for a CSI revival?
Well, considering how the CSI series finale wrapped in 2015, rumors of William Petersen and Jorja Fox being approached could be a sign that their characters' romance is going strong in the years since the series went off the air, which is better than what fans of JAG's central couple got when David James Elliott and Catherine Bell reprised their roles on NCIS: Los Angeles.
Ideally, who else would return? Fans should probably rule out George Eads even if CSI does get the go-ahead for a CBS revival considering his latest exit from a CBS series, but what about Marg Helgenberger and Ted Danson, for example? Danson's NBC series just wrapped, and if The Good Place didn't cost him his taste for drama, then maybe he could return for a CSI event series as well.
For now, you can always rewatch the original run of the series. All 15 seasons and the two-part series finale of CSI are available streaming on Hulu. For some less time intensive options than 300+ hours of procedural drama, check out our 2020 midseason premiere schedule.
