Even though April and May signal new growth and the promise of more outdoor fun to come, it can be a difficult time for TV fans. Spring is always when a number of series get the ax to make way for new fall programming, and the 2024 TV schedule has delivered some sad news for viewers. CBS, especially, has cut bait on several shows with dedicated followings, with the delightful So Help Me Todd ending after two seasons, NCIS: Hawai’i delivering a frustrating cliffhanger of a series finale after being blindsided by cancellation, and CSI: Vegas getting the same bad news recently. Now, another CSI is in the works, but it’s really not what I was expecting.
What New CSI Show Is Coming After CSI: Vegas Was Canceled?
I don’t doubt that everyone reading this is one of the millions of fans who’ve been upset by CSI: Vegas joining the ever growing list of shows canceled and ending in 2024, with stars like franchise vet Marg Helgenberger also, of course, being saddened by the news. So, it was quite a surprise to hear that a new CSI show is on the way, but it’s actually not another spinoff. CBS just revealed its summer schedule, and Wednesday, June 26 will see the premiere of The Real CSI: Miami.
As you may have guessed, while this show takes its name and location from the David Caruso-starring series that ran for 10 seasons from 2002 through 2012, this is an unscripted show that will follow “gripping real-life crime cases and the cutting-edge forensic science used to solve them” in the south Florida city. Each episode of the new show, which is produced by CSI franchise masterminds Anthony Zuiker and Jerry Bruckheimer, offers viewers a look into a different case and “highlights that at the heart of every story there’s a victim and a family seeking justice.”
Another long-standing franchise on the network, NCIS, is enjoying continued scripted success even after the loss of Hawai’i (and two of its spinoffs, Los Angeles and New Orleans ending after lengthy runs), with it having recently celebrated its 1,000th episode overall and two new spinoffs (the upcoming NCIS: Origins and the soon to begin filming NCIS: Tony & Ziva) already being worked on. So, it’s especially surprising to see that the CSI franchise is being taken in such a different direction, and that it’s ready to go so quickly after the loss of Vegas.
Obviously, this has to be something that was in the works long before the decision was made to cut the newest spinoff/revival loose. Deadline noted that during a recent press conference, the CEO of CBS, George Cheeks, intimated that something new could be on the way, and said that the “franchise is very much alive and vibrant and you could imagine it coming back in many different ways.” And, it just so happens that giving CSI the opportunity to become one of the best true crime shows you can stream felt like the best next step.
It’s sad to see Vegas go, but at least it was part of a long TV legacy that fans will have a chance to enjoy a little bit longer once The Real CSI: Miami debuts this summer.
