Everyone’s favourite insect fan, Gil Grissom from CSI, is going to take a leave of absence for a couple of episodes this season after reaching some kind of “emotional high”. Turns out William Petersen is off to do some theatre for a bit, which is something he’s been threatening to do for some time, so the producers are going to write around his absence.
It’s been promised that a ‘big name’ is going to fill the gap left by Petersen, which is an interesting fact indeed. Consider that this coming season is going to be the seventh for CSI, which is the traditional end point for most shows after which all contracts have to be renegotiated. Petersen has been extremely vocal about his desire to head back to the theatre just as soon as contract expires.
However, CSI is still such a ratings champion, it seems unlikely that CBS will simply end the show. That means they’ll either need a new Grissom or will promote from within, given they have such a large cast. Will this ‘big name’ be a test run for Grissom’s season eight replacement?
