Marg Helgenberger left CSI during Season 12, which aired between 2011 and 2012. While Catherine Willows is the character Helgenberger has been known for throughout the last decade, the actress has had a long and storied career in both TV and film and she may be returning to CBS, albeit in a different project, next season.
Helgenberger has signed on for CBS’ Intelligence pilot. According to THR, the actress will star in the pilot as Lillian, a role that will feature the actress as a character with plenty of responsibility, just like her gig at CSI. In the Intelligence pilot, she’ll play the director of a governmental cybersecurity branch called Cybercom.
Helgenberger will star in the pilot opposite Lost’s Josh Holloway, Breaking Bad’s James Martinez, and The Mentalist’s Michael Rady. Michael Seitzman is writing the pilot and several people will executive produce, including Rene Echvarria, David Semel, and Tripp Vinson.
CBS picked up Intelligence to pilot just last month and casting seems to be coming together pretty quickly and nicely for the drama, which will follow a Cyber Command unit in the United States. One of the leads will have a pretty unique technological ability—a chip implanted in his head will allow him to access the “entire electromagnetic spectrum.” CBS usually only has a few slots open each season, but there’s definitely room for a technology-oriented program at the network, so maybe Intelligence will land one of those coveted slots. I, for one, wouldn’t mind seeing Helgenberger back on TV.
