'CSI' News: Crime Forensics Show Ends With Season 15, TV Movie Finale In the Works
The crime procedural drama series "CSI" will mark its 15th season next year, and CBS has decided not to continue with the series, which has been experiencing dwindling ratings the past few years. The network however announced that the show will make sure it will end with an "epic finale." It recently confirmed that a CSI TV Movie is being developed and will serve as the conclusion for the series.
The two-hour special is set to be aired on Sept. 27 and will bring original cast members William Petersen as Dr. Gil Grissom and Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows. According to a report in IGN, CBS would like to "send off" the series properly, thus the decision to have a special finale. CBS network executive Kelly Kahl said that the series "was very important to the network. It was one of the shows that helped us reverse our directions. I'm very happy we can send it off in the right way."
CSI is considered a flagship series of the network, having spawned several spinoffs as well as the development of similar crime drama series in other networks. According to a report in Time, the show "ushered in a wave of procedural crime dramas with an ensemble cast that used technology-based murder-solving methods."
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When it launched in 2000, it was a hit with its "slick production and intriguing mysteries." Spinoffs of the show include "CSI: Miami," "CSI: New York" and the most recent one, "CSI: Cyber." "CSI" is also considered as one of the longest-running crime dramas on television.
The show's rating recently averaged 11.2 million viewers and only a 2.1 rating among the demographic ages 18-49, which according to the Time report, is the same as the first season ratings of "CSI: Cyber."
In related news, Ted Danson, who is a cast member of the most recent season of "CSI," will be joining the "CSI: Cyber" cast. "CSI: Cyber" is headlined by Patricia Arquette.
