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News
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Want to know when Marg and William are going to be on tv? Try these links: |
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Upcoming CSI episodes, Interviews and rare television appearances. |
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All times listed are Eastern. CSI airs in syndication on SPIKE tv weeknights at 7p.m. and 8 p.m. Other times are listed after the episode title. January 11: CSI episode "Fannysmackin'" on CBS.January 18: CSI episode "Rashomama" on CBS at 8 p.m. CSI episode "Sweet Jane" on CBS. January 25: CSI episode "Redrum" on CBS. |
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Below are various news items about Billy, Marg and the show. If you have any news items you'd like to submit please send the link to news@graveshiftcsi.com |
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November 7 Cast Announced for Trinity Rep's A Dublin Carol, with "C.S.I." Star The cast has been announced for the Trinity Repertory Company's staging of Conor McPherson's A Dublin Carol starring "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation" actor William Petersen. Steppenwolf Theater Company artist Amy Morton will direct the work at the Providence, Rhode Island company's Dowling Theater. It plays Nov. 30-Jan. 7, 2007. Opening is Dec. 6. Joining Peterson in the three-member cast will be Trinity Rep Company member Rachael Warren and Brown University/Trinity Consortium student Daniel Mefford. "I'm so thrilled to have William Petersen and Amy Morton, two of my first mentors in Chicago theatre, working here alongside Trinity's world class acting company in my first season," stated Trinity Rep's new artistic director Curt Columbus in a previous release. "I'm particularly delighted that Rhode Island audiences will be the first to welcome Billy back to the stage for the first time since he began 'C.S.I.' six years ago." The Dublin-set play which takes place on Christmas Eve begins when "a man's daughter brings him news about her mother which offers him an unexpected chance at redemption." The work premiered in London in 2000 and came stateside to the Atlantic Theater Company in 2003. Post-show talkbacks will be held after every performance as moderated by a staff member. Each session will last for approximately twenty minutes. The A Dublin Carol design team includes Eugene Lee (set), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes) and Deb Sullivan (lighting). Jennifer Grutza serves as stage manager. Petersen who plays Gil Grissom in the CBS drama "C.S.I: Crime Scene Investigation" made his Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams' The Night of the Iguana. Other stage credits for the Illinois-born actor include the American premiere of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and The Time of Your Life (Goodman Theatre), Balm in Gilead and Fool For Love (Steppenwolf) as well as In the Belly of the Beast, American Buffalo, Speed-the Plow, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, As You Like It, Waiting for Godot, A Streetcar Named Desire and Flyovers. He co-founded Remains Theatre in 1979 and serves as an artistic associate at Chicago's Victory Gardens. The 2006-2007 season at Trinity Rep will continue with Our Town (Jan. 26-March 4, 2007), A Delicate Balance (Feb. 16-March 25, 2007), The Fantasticks (March 30-April 29, 2007), The Clean House (April 27-June 3, 2007) as well as the 30th anniversary all-new production of Trinity Rep's A Christmas Carol (Nov. 17-Dec. 31). Tickets to A Dublin Carol at Trinity Rep, 201 Washington Street in Providence, RI are on sale through (401) 351-4242. For more information, visit Trinity Rep online at www.trinityrep.com. August 26 Federline Will Appear on 'CSI' This Fall Sat Aug 26, 1:56 PM ET First dancing, then rapping. What will Kevin Federline do next? Looks like the 28-year-old husband of singer Britney Spears will be shuffling over to the small screen, where he will appear in an episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS this fall, People magazine reported. Although he and Spears ventured into TV with their reality show "Chaotic," which aired on UPN last year, Federline said this will be his first venture into acting. "It's the first time I've actually had a speaking role," he told the magazine. Federline started filming this week in Los Angeles. He will play a menacing, arrogant teen who harasses investigators Nick Stokes (George Eads) and Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) on a job. The episode is tentatively scheduled to air in October. Federline recently performed at the Teen Choice Awards, where he rapped one of the songs on his upcoming album, "Playing with Fire." Mayer, Bonaduce Under "CSI" Scope Her body was a wonderland--now it's a crime scene. Swoon-worthy crooner John Mayer, along with slightly less swoon-worthy reality bad boy Danny Bonaduce, has signed on to appear in the first half of CSI's two-part season premiere, kicking off Sept. 21. Mayer will star as himself in the Nielsen-dominating procedural, and will perform two songs from his upcoming third studio album, Continuum--"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" and his current single, "Waiting on the World to Change." Mayer's serenades will wedge themselves into the decidedly grim action when Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Nick (George Eads)'s investigation leads them to a Las Vegas nightclub where the Grammy winner will grace the stage.In addition to Mayer's small-screen turn, former Partridge Family thesp Bonaduce will also appear in a role to die for. The former child star, who's better known of late for Breaking Bonaduce and assorted offscreen shenanigans, will appear as an ex-rocker turned murder victim. The top-rated drama's seventh season premiere, "Built to Kill," revolves around the murder of an aspiring dancer backstage during Sin City staple Cirque du Soleil's KA show. The two-part premiere also ups the dramatic ante by finding leading lady Catherine and her family the potential targets of another crime. While Mayer's cameo appearance will last just long enough to plug his forthcoming release, it's sure to be more successful than his last attempt at TV fame. Last year, he hosted a music-comedy show on VH1, the imaginatively titled John Mayer Has a TV Show, which lasted just one episode. Last night, meanwhile, Mayer kicked off a 32-date coheadlining tour with Sheryl Crow in Pittsburgh. The tour runs through Oct. 14 in Atlanta. Continuum is due out Sept. 12. May 14 Marg is currently filming a new movie, Mr Brooks, with Kevin Costner, William Hurt and Demi Moore. No word yet on what her role is. The film will be released sometime in 2007. May 13 CSI actress comes home to N. Bend NORTH BEND - Television star Marg Helgenberger will be visiting her hometown of North Bend on Sunday, May 21. Helgenberger, a 1977 graduate of North Bend Central High School, is one of the stars of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” now in its sixth season on CBS. Helgenberger will attend a reception in her honor at North Bend Central High School. The event is open to the public and is a fundraiser for the Sesquicentennial Committee and the NBC Drama Club. Helgenberger received an Emmy in 1990 for her role in the TV drama “China Beach.” She has also won a Peoples' Choice Award, two other Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for her television work. Helgenberger has starred on the big screen in “Erin Brockovich,” “Species,” “Cowboy Way” and “Always.” She is currently working on the film, “Mr. Brooks,” with Kevin Cosner, William Hurt and Demi Moore. Helgenberger is a fourth-generation North Bender; her grandfather and father owned businesses in town and her family was active in the community. As part of the welcome-home activities, a portion of Locust Street in front of her childhood home will be given the honorary name of “Helgenberger Avenue.” A short program will be held in front of the home west of the North Bend City Park at 4 p.m. and is open to the public. After touring her former home, Helgenberger will attend the reception at the high school. Tickets are $15 per person and can be obtained by sending a check and a stamped, self-addressed business envelope to Helgenberger Event, General Delivery, North Bend, NE 68649. Doors at the high school will open at 5 p.m. Included in the ticket price is food, a souvenir ticket and program, an NBC Drama Club tribute to Helgenberger, a question and answer time and a chance to meet other members of the Helgenberger family. There will also be door prizes. For an additional cost, attendees will be able to obtain an autograph or have their picture taken with Helgenberger. Final prices have not been determined yet, but officials said an autograph will be $5; to have your picture taken with Marg will be $10 and you have to provide the camera. There may be glossy pictures that she will autograph for $10. But the tickets are autographable and there may be a program that also is autographable. Another television personality with ties to North Bend, Jon Schuetz, will emcee the event. He is a 1982 NBC graduate and sports director at KETV, Channel 7 in Omaha. Mick Mines, state senator from Blair, and a 1968 NBC graduate, will also participate in the day's activities honoring Helgenberger. May 12 William Petersen Returning to StageTrinity Rep Welcomes William Petersen Trinity Rep is proud to announce that William Petersen of TV’s C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation will star in Conor McPherson’s A Dublin Carol in the 2006-2007 season. Celebrated television, film and stage actor William Petersen will join Trinity Rep for a five-week run in the Dowling Theater, December 1st through January 7th. Tickets are available as part of Trinity’s season subscription packages, on sale now through the box office at (401) 351-4242 or online at www.trinityrep.com. “I’m so thrilled to have William Petersen and Amy Morton, two of my first mentors in Chicago theater, working here alongside Trinity’s world class acting company in my first season,” says Curt Columbus, artistic director. “I’m particularly delighted that Rhode Island audiences will be the first to welcome Billy back to the stage for the first time since he began C.S.I. six years ago.” Directed by Amy Morton, associate artist with Steppenwolf Theater, this intimate gem of a play takes place in Dublin, on Christmas Eve. A man’s daughter brings him news about her mother which offers him an unexpected chance at redemption. The compelling tale of pain and hope, memory and myth had its premiere in 2000 and the press dubbed playwright Conor McPherson “the finest dramatist of his generation.” (London Telegraph) William Petersen has a distinguished career in film, theater, and television. He is best known for his starring role Gil Grissom in the highly rated and critically acclaimed CBS drama C.S.I: Crime Scene Investigation. Petersen made his Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana, which originated at the Goodman Theater. His theatrical productions include the American premiere of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross and The Time of Your Life at the Goodman; Balm in Gilead and Fool For Love at Steppenwolf; In the Belly of the Beast at Wisdom Bridge, the Kennedy Center, and the Edinburgh Theater Festival; American Buffalo, Speed-the-Plow, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, As You Like It, Waiting for Godot, A Streetcar Named Desire and Flyovers. He co-founded Remains Theatre in 1979 and is an artistic associate at Victory Gardens. Petersen was born in Evanston, IL, and discovered acting while attending Idaho State University. Leonard Maltin writes that Petersen’s performance as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire at the Stratford Festival in Ontario led to his being cast in William Friedkin’s stylish thriller To Live and Die in L.A. His films include To Live and Die in L.A., Michael Mann’s Manhunter, Joel Schumacher’s Cousins and the political thriller The Contender with Joan Allen, Kiss the Sky, Fear, Young Guns II, and The Skulls. On the small screen, Petersen’s performance in C.S.I. has earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama. He was seen in the Golden Globe winning 12 Angry Men for Showtime with Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott directed by William Friedkin, and as John F. Kennedy in HBO’s Emmy nominated miniseries The Rat Pack. He played family patriarch Joseph Kennedy in the miniseries The Kennedys of Massachusetts. He appeared in the mini-series The Beast, based on the novel by Peter Benchley; Return to Lonesome Dove with John Voight and Barbara Hershey; Long Gone; and Hard Promises and Keep the Change, which Petersen produced. Since its founding in 1964, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works, including seven subscription productions, and an annual production of A Christmas Carol, for an estimated annual audience of 165,000. In its 42-year history, the theater has produced nearly 50 world premieres. Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program launched in 1966, introduces over 30,000 Rhode Island and Massachusetts students a year to live theater. The Brown University/Trinity Rep Consortium offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. Since 1973, Trinity Rep’s home has been the Lederer Theater Center, a historic landmark built as the Majestic Theatre in 1917. With an annual budget of $7 million, the theater employs 130 artistic and administrative staff and annually generates more than $24 million in economic activity. For more information, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep’s website at www.trinityrep.com. May 11 The CSI cast was on the CBS Early Show today to promote the episode "Bang Bang." If you can't see the video in the link above, a transcript is below. JULIE CHEN, co-host: (Excerpts showing filming of "CSI") CHEN: The letters "CSI" take on a whole new meaning when you're actually there on the sound stage. It's not so much crime scene investigation as cameras, sets, and of course in-depth interviews. When you guys first started six years ago, we knew nothing about Grissom or Catherine, or Warrick. Now, we're finally getting to learn a little bit about what makes you tick. Mr. WILLIAM PETERSEN (Gil Grissom, "CSI"): As much as one can, as much as anybody knows what makes them tick, you know? CHEN: True. Mr. PETERSEN: I mean if you ask Grissom, he doesn't know exactly what... CHEN: `I tick?' Mr. PETERSEN: You know, yeah, I guess, `Why am I ticking?' CHEN: This season, the ticking time bomb of attraction continued between Grissom and Sara. (Excerpts from "CSI") Ms. JORJA FOX (Sara Sidle, "CSI"): It's almost like we all have these alter egos, you know, and--and that started back in season one, and now that it's been six years, I totally had hopes for her and dreams for her, and I get upset for her. CHEN: You're more Sara than Jorja. Ms. FOX: Yeah, yeah, no, it's confusing sometimes. And, you know, certain times of the year I'll buy a piece of wardrobe, and I'll look at it in the summer, and I'll be like who bought that? Who did--oh, right, Sara must have bought that. You know, it's a strange thing that you go in and out of. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: Last season ended with Nick buried alive, and this season appeared to follow in that dark tradition. We had a murder scene that echoed the Holocaust, another episode where a woman was sealed alive inside a chimney, and the team even investigated a mass suicide. Mr. GARY DOURDAN (Warrick Brown, "CSI"): I think the word has come down on the Internet, I think they've been getting feedback, that's what people like. They like watching the train wrecks. They like watching the car wrecks. They like watching the dark stuff. We can show things on our show on network television, the bloodiest stuff, but we can't have a sex scene, I don't understand it. CHEN: Yeah, go figure. Mr. DOURDAN: It's--go figure. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: In tonight's episode, a Las Vegas casino becomes a maze of chases and deceptions after only one man sur-vives the brutal killing of his wife and co-workers. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: What is it like as an actor and executive producer? I mean, you know, we, watching at home, we really think it's all happening in Vegas. To turn an LA soundstage into a casino, I mean it really looks like a casino. Mr. PETERSEN: Yeah. CHEN: How'd you hook up with that? Mr. PETERSEN: Well, it's difficult on--it's difficult on the art department. CHEN: Oh yeah, a challenge. Mr. PETERSEN: And it's a little taxing on the budget. But it's--you know, I mean actually if you just--if you went into Vegas, and you realized all those casinos are just big soundstages anyways. You know, I mean those are big, giant rooms that have been stuffed with stuff. Offscreen Voice: Action, camera! Mr. DOURDAN: And when you walk on the set, it's--you're--you're in a casino. They had to walk around and tell the extras, `Don't put money in the slot machines, you won't get it back. They do not work.' (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: "CSI" is heading into its final two episodes, each of them ending in a jaw-dropping cliff-hangar. It's not something "CSI" usually does, but the actors couldn't be happier. Mr. GEORGE EADS (Nick Stokes, "CSI"): The more you kind of just to not make it--to not get in a rut, you know, to give it some life and just give it some change, we have such a talented cast here that--to play emotion is something we all--our--our chops are kind of dripping to play. Ms. MARG HELGENBERGER (Catherine Willows, "CSI"): I guess being so--I'm hoping, anyway, seven and eight will be really, you know, just a continuation of that, and be lots of arcs of various characters and intermingling, and just so it's--I think it makes it more textured, and more rich. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: "CSI" is riding high in the ratings as it heads into season seven, something the cast didn't dare imagine when they took their first case. Mr. PETERSEN: You don't ever put that into the--the ethos, that somehow or another you're going to be around for seven years. You know, your--you just hope to make a good show today. CHEN: It always starts out as a gamble, doesn't it? Mr. PETERSEN: Yeah, it is. It's a--it's a big crap shoot, and we happened to roll the right dice, I guess. CHEN: Rolling the dice, makes sense for a show set in Las Vegas. As always, "CSI" airs tonight at 9, 8 Central, right here on CBS. And tune in to THE EARLY SHOW tomorrow for an inside look at tonight's explosive episode. May 10 The CSI episode "Unbearable" won the Genesis Award for Outstanding Dramatic Series. May 5 Marg Helgenberger was on the CBS Early Show today, talking about what her idea of Catherine's dream man is. If you can't view the video in the link above, the transcript is below. HANNAH STORM, co-host: (Excerpt from "CSI") JULIE CHEN, co-host: For some car lovers, denting a Ferrari is like painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa. But that's just what they did on last night's "CSI." Or did they? When we see the show, and we a Ferrari get banged up and a Corvette get banged up, are you guys really banging up these really expensive cars? Mr. ERIC SZMANDA (Greg Sanders, "CSI"): Yes. Yes. CHEN: All for the art of "CSI." Mr. SZMANDA: Yes and no. We do actually bang up the cars, but they switch out some of the parts, so these parts are already ruined, and then fix them make them up to look good, and there were special angles and, you know, special long lenses they can, you know, make the illusion real. CHEN: Wait, so you're starting out with the real Corvette and the real Ferrari that is intact? Mr. SZMANDA: Well, no, we take out the parts that are intact, and put some parts that are already busted up on the car, and fix them up so they look nice, and then--then we crash them. CHEN: Driving a Ferrari was just one part of a real-life fantasy, purchased for the murder victim as a very expensive gift. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: If Catherine Willows were to have her fantasy day, what would that entail? Ms. MARG HELGENBERGER (Catherine Willows, "CSI"): I think that Catherine is not shy of really going for it. I mean, I think that it would be a fantasy that would involve--in regards to a--a man in her life, I think it would be the ultimate fantasy of having, you know, somebody who's very romantic, very, very passionate, very adventurous. CHEN: Would it be Warrick leaving his--leaving Tina? Ms. HELGENBERGER: No. CHEN: It wouldn't be him. Ms. HELGENBERGER: I don't think so, I don't think so. CHEN: OK. Ms. HELGENBERGER: I think it would be somebody who's not in the same line of work that she's in. I think it would be somebody who's a little dangerous, somebody who's not necessarily... CHEN: Interesting. Ms. HELGENBERGER: ...yeah, a good companion. CHEN: Not a good guy. Ms. HELGENBERGER: Well, somebody who would just--yeah, because it's a fantasy, and it's somebody that... CHEN: Right. Ms. HELGENBERGER: ...she knows that it's not necessarily--she's not looking for a--for a soul mate or... CHEN: Long term, right. Ms. HELGENBERGER: She's looking--she's looking for a lot of adventure and a lot of danger and fun, I think. STORM: And next week, Julie will be back with a special behind-the-scenes look at "CSI." And we'll show you how they re-create Las Vegas on a Los Angeles sound stage. No small feat. May 4 William Petersen, on Real Gil Grissom William Petersen was on the CBS Early Show today, talking about his character, Gil Grissom. If you can't view the video in the link above, the transcript is below. This morning we continue CSI: WEEK with a look at one of TV's most mysterious character's, Gil Grissom. As played by actor William Petersen, Grissom solves the toughest cases while keeping much of his own personality under wraps. Petersen recently told me there's a lot more to "CSI"'s lead investigator than you might think. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: Gil Grissom remains cool and calm as he collects evidence on "CSI." But as actor William Petersen told me, Grissom himself might warrant further investigation. Mr. WILLIAM PETERSEN (Gil Grissom CSI): You know, I think it all for him is some sort of a study. He knows what he can and can't handle. CHEN: How big is his heart? Mr. PETERSEN: I think it's big. I think he has a big heart. I don't think he would do what he does if he didn't have a big heart. He--he likes to pretend he has a big brain, instead. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: You saying that he doesn't have a big brain? Mr. PETERSEN: No, I'm just saying he has a big heart. CHEN: Bigger heart or bigger brain? Mr. PETERSEN: I didn't say which one was bigger. CHEN: But I'm asking you. Mr. PETERSEN: I'm just saying that Grissom would prefer you to think that his brain was bigger. CHEN: Ahh. Mr. PETERSEN: It makes it easier for him. CHEN: So he is human. Mr. PETERSEN: Probably. (Excerpt from "CSI") CHEN: After six years of getting up-close personal with murder and its aftermath, Petersen seems to understand what the real CSIs ought also know: that, bottom line, it's just a job. (Excerpt from "CSI") Mr. PETERSEN: What happens, you know, over the course of time is that, you know, the more you see, the more you get used to it. I mean, it's true of the real CSIs and... CHEN: Yeah. Mr. PETERSEN: ...and policemen and such like that. And I think that's also true of us at a certain point. You know, you--you--you--we do it all the time... CHEN: Mm-hmm. Mr. PETERSEN: ...you know, day in and day out, not just Thursday nights, you know, so maybe we're--we're--we're a little more inured to it. CHEN: Do you ever get a subject matter or a script where something still shocks you, like, `This happened?' Mr. PETERSEN: Yeah, I--I don't like it when they mess with kids. CHEN: Yeah. Mr. PETERSON: Those are usually the thing--the ones that are most disturbing for me. CHEN: No kids in tonight's episode. Just grownups acting more than a little bit childish. In this exclusive sneak peek, Grissom investigates a murder that might or might not involve another Las Vegas staple: good old-fashioned bad luck. (Excerpt of "CSI") Mr. PETERSON: One of the things about this show is that, you know, it happens--we come on the show after the bad thing has happened and we rebuild it in some level. And so it makes it more tolerable. And so there's a perspective to it which is, I think, helpful not only to our audience but also to our actors. CHEN: And of course you can check out tonight's episode of "CSI" at 9, 8 Central, right here on CBS. And CSI: WEEK continues tomorrow on THE EARLY SHOW, as Marg Helgenberger gives us an inside look at tonight's episode. But up next, spring flowers are here, so we may as well use them. We'll get help to plan a special floral party with Colin Cowie when we come right back. May 4 William Petersen's mother passed away on Monday. Our hearts go out to Billy and his family. June Hoene Petersen She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur E. Petersen who died on December 18, 2004, at the time of his death the Petersen's had been married for 73 years. She is survived by her children Arthur Jr. (Diane) of Barrington, Illinois, Anne (Lloyd) O'Hollearn of Evanston, Illinois, Robert of Boise, Idaho, Mary Kay (Richard) Bowman of Barrington, Illinois, Elizabeth Petersen of Barrington, Illinois and William (Gina) Petersen of Los Angeles, Califronia; 22 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren, she was also survived by her devoted caretaker, Lodi Arzadon. June grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. The oldest of 12 children, graduated from St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, with a journalism degree in 1930. She was a longtime active member of St. Athanasius Church in Evanston, the Evanston Catholic Woman's Club, past president of the St. Mary's Chicago Alumnae Association and was the Alumnae Class correspondent for St. Mary's Courier. Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 4, 2006, 10:00 a.m. until time of the Funeral Mass, 11:00 a.m. at Saint Athanasius Church, 1615 Lincoln Street, Evanston, Illinois 60201 (www.stathanasius-evanston.org) Interment will be private.Memorials may be made to Catholic Charities, Dept. 1623, Box N, Chicago, Illinois 60690 or St. Mary's of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556. April 30 Underrated: William Petersen - They don't give Emmys for what he does weekly on "CSI." Nor will you find a performance anywhere on the tube so precise and so unfailingly sly and witty and perfectly understated, even when the lines he's given to say are full, top to bottom, with arcane esoterica and the babble of pseudo-science. March 18 William Petersen, whose role as Grissom in the original CSI has won him TV super stardom, turned 53 last month. His momentum shows no signs of slowing down as TV’s most admired forensic detective gears up for another bloody role, that of Macbeth. Justin Camilleri gives us more details about this popular actor CSI’s season five finale Grave Danger, directed by Quentin Tarantino, was shown on UK Living two weeks ago, leaving everyone hooked to their screens. The episode has once again confirmed William Petersen’s pivotal role in ensuring the show’s success. He is known as the thinking woman’s poster boy. According to Marg Helgenberger, his co-star on CSI: “Billy (as he is called) can be as enigmatic as his character Grissom, enjoying his solitude on set, but has a generous, charming personality that makes him well liked among his peers.” With an adventurous spirit and sharp intellect, he is prone to restlessness and by his own admission, easily bored. An excellent horseman, experienced fisherman and avid sports fan, passion is clearly Billy’s middle name. Born on 21 February 1953 in Evanston, Illinois William Petersen is the youngest of six children, born to fourth generation Danish immigrant furniture retailers. Being the youngest, he grew up almost as an only child. It was never really expected that he would continue in the family business. As he says: “My father never really held out much hope that I could ever hold down a job.” Billy’s athletic streak can be traced back to his days in high school where he distinguished himself in playing football, baseball and basketball. From a very young age William possessed a nomadic soul - when he was 15 he went to live with his brother in Boise, Idaho where he attended Bishop Kelly High School. This is where he would meet his first wife, Joanne Brady. Petersen’s hidden love for acting was unleashed when he attended stage craft classes at Idaho State University. His passion towards the stage grew when he saw Marlon Brando in the movie Last Tango in Paris. In a later interview he said: “It was the first time that I understood that acting was an art form. It was not Clint Eastwood on a horse or Bob Hope in a road movie.” He added: “These are all favourite actors of mine but when I sat in Last Tango in Paris, to this day, Brando is the one I want to meet, and the one I’m terrified to meet.” He spent a year honing his craft in Spain as a Shakespearean student, and returned to Chicago to pursue a career on the stage. His stage debut came in 1979 when he starred in Dillinger. In the same year Billy founded the Remains Theatre Ensemble in Chicago with CSI producer Cindy Chvatal and Gary Cole, appearing in a number of theatrical productions such as Becket’s Waiting for Godot, Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In 1981 Petersen played Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. This led to his first breakthrough in mainstream movies when he was cast by Academy award winning director William Friedkin in To Live and Die in L.A (1985). Billy read two lines and that was enough for Friedkin, who cast him immediately as Richard Chance a fearless Secret Service agent who will stop at nothing to bring down a ruthless counterfeiter, Eric Masters (William Dafoe) who killed his partner. Till this day according to Petersen the greatest thing that ever happened to me in terms of acting was his audition for To Live and Die in L.A. Billy at the time said: “After I read the script I went back to my hotel room and took a bath and they called and wanted to make a deal, I still didn’t believe it.” With its gritty car chase, music video camera technique, raw characterisation and 80s Wang Chung soundtrack one cannot help but compare To Live and Die in L.A to Miami Vice. In fact, after he watched the film, Miami Vice director Michael Mann sued William Friedkin for stealing his entire concept but eventually lost the lawsuit. In a twist of irony it was Michael Mann who later gave Billy the role of detective Will Graham in the 80s cult classic, Manhunter. Despite being underrated at the box office during its time of release, it was still praised by renowned newspapers with The Observer calling it: “one of the most stylish and compelling crime pictures of the past decade”. The Daily Mail said: “Here’s a thriller ordeal calculated to strum the steeliest nerves.” While Time Out hailed it as: “Terrifying, one of the most impressive thrillers of the 80s”. All would agree that the film was a success primarily for William Petersen’s character Graham. Unlike the Dirty Harry movies, this detective relied more on the evidence than his gut feeling. Petersen’s performance as a retired FBI expert detective is nothing short of perfection. Absorbing and intense throughout the film, he provides us with a credible hero audiences can believe in. Produced by Dino De Laurentis (U-571) and based upon Thomas Harris’ bestseller Red Dragon, Manhunter is a favourite among Billy’s fans for three main reasons. It would be the first time that Petersen would play an FBI forensics specialist setting the blueprint for things to come….secondly this was the first time on film that forensic science would be used to catch a killer. Finally, this was the first film to spawn Hannibal Lecter’s (Brian Cox) screen legacy as he would later be played by Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Manhunter’s remake Red Dragon. Surprisingly, after receiving such critical acclaim in Manhunter Petersen dropped out of the limelight preferring to star in supporting roles in films such as Amazing Grace and Chuck. He even turned down a role in Oliver Stone’s Platoon to star in Long Gone a 1987 TV baseball drama co-starring Virginia Madsen. Billy was very effective in Joel Schumacher’s Cousins alongside Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini playing an against type role of an unfaithful husband contrary to what his fans were already accustomed to. In 1990 an opportunity came for Billy to fulfil a lifelong wish of starring in a western when he played legendary law enforcer Pat Garrett in the 80’s Brat Pack western sequel Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory directed by Geoff Murphy. Co-starring alongside Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips, Petersen did a lot of historical research totally immersing himself in the role of a law enforcer in pursuit of the youngest gun in the west, Billy the Kid (Estevez). Despite being a sequel Young Guns II was an even bigger success than its predecessor due to Emilio Estevez’s and William Petersen’s onscreen chemistry coupled with the movie soundtrack written by Jon Bon Jovi. Petersen showed his versatility in comedy roles such as in Hard Promises and Passed Away. In Hard Promises Billy played the role of a man who gets invited to his ex-wife’s (Sissy Spacek) wedding and has 24 hours to change her ways with hilarious results. Directed by Charlie Peters in Passed away Petersen was joined by Bob Hoskins, Frances McDormand and Jack Warden in a hilarious black comedy of what happens when a family gets together for the funeral of their father. Between 1990 and 1995 Billy would take part in a lot of television work that included Keep the Change supported by Jack Palance, Curacao, the western TV drama Lonesome Dove, Fallen Angels and Present Tense, Past Perfect. 1996 would be Petersen’s comeback to mainstream movies. In Fear, directed by James Foley, Billy’s performance stands out as Reese Witherspoon’s protective father whose worst nightmare comes true when a violent, obsessive boyfriend (Mark Wahlberg) develops a deadly crush on his daughter. What followed next were a string of supporting roles in TV productions such as 12 Angry Men, Gunshy, The Staircase and playing a very peculiar John F. Kennedy in The Rat Pack. Ironically he would play J.F.K’s father in the mini TV series The Kennedy’s of Massachusetts (1990). International success finally came his way in 2000 when Billy was cast as forensic investigator Gil Grissom in the CBS smash television hit CSI: Crime Scene investigation. His success was overnight as his distinct portrayal of Grissom made him recognisable to millions of viewers of all ages. On getting the part Billy said: “I so love this character of Gil Grissom. I wanted to do this show because it was an opportunity for me to learn stuff and, I figured if I could learn things, I would be thrilled by the show each week.” Set in the heart of Las Vegas, the crime series follows an elite group of forensic investigators, headed by Gil Grissom (Petersen), who use a combination of cutting-edge scientific methods, technology and old-fashioned police work to solve some of the most gruesome and chilling crimes in Las Vegas. Created by Anthony Zuiker and produced by Blockbuster legend Jerry Bruckheimer, C.S.I was praised by critics all over with The New York Times calling it, “Sexy and fascinating” and Vanity Fair saying that, “CSI purrs like a beautiful machine.” C.S.I has so influenced the public’s perspective on forensic science that faculties of forensic investigative science in universities in the US and UK have reported an increase in the number of student applications. The rise in student forensic undergraduates has been billed “the CSI effect”. Even forensic departments are using the show as a marketing ploy, making it a point to show images of the barricade yellow tape stating: “Crime scene: Do not cross” on their websites while their prospectuses emulate the CSI: first season DVD cover. When CSI was originally presented to ABC in 1999, it was dismissed as too confusing for viewers. Little did the producers know that when the show was broadcast on CBS it would shoot to the top of the ratings charts. This feat was further strengthened when NBC’s Friends came to an end in 2004. According to the Nielsen media ratings the show has an estimated audience of 30 million viewers per week If Miami Vice set the standard back in the 80s, CSI has truly improved on it. TV audiences are hooked on the show because of three distinct characteristics that were never inserted in other police shows. First there’s the catchy opening credits music theme Who are you? Performed by The Who, its cool unique guitar riffs are heard throughout CSI’s episodes. Secondly, its innovative cinematography that involves flash back sequences and computer wizardry showing how a bullet penetrates bodily organs. Last but not least, you have the spectacular neon flashy locations in Las Vegas used as the backdrop for the show’s bizarre murders. But unlike Miami Vice, CSI was not written for an MTV audience, because it goes far beyond images and guarantees a lot of emotions, plot and character. Its success spawned two spin-offs CSI: Miami and CSI: N.Y which Billy declined to produce thus ensuring CSI’s strength in script originality and characterisation. Having created the quintessential Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century totally committed to his job, many will agree that Will Petersen’s role of Grissom is one of the main crowd pullers for one of TV’s most talked about shows. Billy has made the Grissom character his own, with the eccentric detective often quoting Shakespeare’s most celebrated lines at the scene of a bizarre crime. Fans can’t get enough of Gil Grissom’s one-liner words of wisdom that are always inserted in the teaser before The Who opening credits. Nicknamed “The Bug Man” because of his manic interest in insects, fans watched as his hobby was put to good use in the finale, directed by Quentin Tarantino. When this episode was initially broadcast in the US it was watched by over 40 million viewers, making it one of the most watched episodes in television history. Even viewers who don’t usually watch CSI tuned in and were glued to the screen. The tagline of the episode finale was: “This time it’s personal …as one of their own has been captured.” What begins with a flip of a coin ends with the adrenalin pumping as one of detectives Nick Stokes (George Eads) is kidnapped and a reunited CSI team must race against the clock to save him. Meanwhile Nick wakes up to the realisation that he has been buried in a coffin…. Prior to the premiere of Grave Danger William Petersen said: “There was just too much good stuff in there to try and slam it into one episode with commercials”. When asked why he agreed to direct it, Quentin Tarantino said that being a big fan of the series he was delighted to finally get a chance to fulfil his dream of working alongside William Petersen, his favourite TV detective. Quentin was flattered to be able to lend his writing skills and unique film vocabulary to the already established crime series. Tarantino’s style of filmmaking has given season six a new direction with provocative new insights into the characters and making it far grittier than its follow-ups CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. After next season, Billy might surprise fans by taking a long deserved break going back to his stage acting roots playing Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There is no doubt that just as Petersen applies his research to Grissom’s handling of forensics he will thoroughly delve into Shakespearean text. One thing’s for sure, unlike younger models pretending to act, it is at 53 that his career is flourishing. Never relinquishing his humbleness Billy is adamant to not let his celebrity star status affect his judgement saying: “I’ve never been in this business for the recognition or the awards. I just want to do good work, grab a decent pay cheque, and move onto the next job.” March 5 OUT LOUD: William Petersen It's all about Prior and Wood, isn't it? That's it. It's a fairly simple thing. If they have years like last year, then forget it. If they pitch like they're supposed to pitch and stay healthy, I think they'll win their division. I don't know about Dusty, but I don't know that it matters either. If you have guys that are pitching eight innings, giving up two runs, I can manage them. I think Juan Pierre was a great pickup. He killed the Cubs. The first year they did it after Harry died, I thought it was fine. Then I thought, "They're just using this. This is getting old." Do I want to see Ozzy Osbourne singing the seventh-inning stretch? No. But then the Yankees came to town, and I said, "Hey, I'll do it." Somebody said the Sox won the World Series. I was like, "If a tree falls in the forest, does it really matter?" I felt for Kyle Orton. I was happy he kept getting through it somehow. I knew they weren't going to beat Carolina. I didn't think they had enough. I got the satellite and the football package so I can watch the games. And I have the baseball package and I get 'GN. Plus, I got a satellite in the trailer at work. The Teamsters are all sports fans, and they said, "Hey, you're the star of the show; we'll put a satellite on your trailer and you can watch the games." It's good to be king. After O.J., people were confused. There was a language going on out there that they didn't understand and justice was being tampered with somehow in their minds, I'm sure. "CSI" seemed to put some of that into perspective. There was a vernacular that they were able to attach themselves to. It started to make sense for them. And it was a smart show. We're "Quincy" with more sex and better technology. The other spinoffs, they tried to rubberstamp the thing, and of course, you can't. I think they could've waited and made them better and different instead of just rubber-stamping the thing. They'll argue and say, "No, they're all different." Well, if they're so different, why are they all called "CSI"? Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ron Santo. Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers. Guy Rodgers, Jerry Sloan. These guys were my guys. I went to the first season of the Bulls when they were at the International Amphitheater. That was a dicey neighborhood to see a basketball game on a Tuesday night. Sayers' six touchdowns, I watched that game, and I was out of my mind. Gale Sayers could do no wrong. I thought he walked on water. That game, he did. I have a Michael Jordan basketball and a Walter Payton football. But my most cherished thing is my Ron Santo baseball. Of course, the Super Bowl year was pretty fabulous. We were shooting "Manhunter" in Atlanta and the Bears were playing the Redskins in Chicago. I found out on Saturday they were going to broadcast the Atlanta Falcons game. That was back in the day where they didn't have sports bars. You got the local game. I was like, "We're going to miss the Bears-Redskins game?" Dennis Farina and I got on a plane late on Saturday night and flew to Washington, D.C., checked into the Bristol Hotel, woke up early and ordered breakfast, watched the Bears beat Joe Theismann-- they were down 10-0 and McMahon brought them back -- and Farina and I went to the airport and flew back to Atlanta. We didn't even go to Chicago. We had to fly to Washington, D.C., to see the game because they were broadcasting it in Washington. That was how insane we were then. That whole season was a moment of redemption. I'm thrilled because the U.S.curling team won the bronze medal. I got up at 4:30 in the morning and watched it live. I'm the only guy who knows anything about curling amongst the guys I know because I grew up in Chicago and my dad was a curler up in Glenview. My first hockey game I went to, I think I was 11. Pat Stapleton won a game with 10 seconds left over Gordie Howe and the Detroit Red Wings. The place just erupted. That was the old Stadium. I can't even go to the United Center anymore, because this is not right. This is not how it was. It's a mall. Why am I going to a mall? I'm so sick of the Wirtz thing. They're so bad. I can't deal with them anymore. I saw "Last Tango in Paris" when I was in college. Marlon Brando. I was blown away. I all of a sudden realized there was something really mystical about acting. I need to get back into the theater. I need to get back into Chicago in the theater. And I'm trying to. I'm doing stuff with the Victory Gardens Theater. They're moving into the Biograph in the fall. I'm helping them raise money and I intend to be in their shows. My mom is 96,almost 97. My dad died last year at 97. All of a sudden for the last 10 years, it's the old people that I'm most aware of in our culture. I'm helping raise money for a senior center. It ain't for sissies, this getting old thing. Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune February 12 The pros and cons of `CSI' spinoffs There is a debate about the aesthetic consequences of crime show proliferation. William Petersen, who is also an executive producer of "CSI," resisted the two spinoffs (Miami and New York) and still worries about the cost in quality for his own show. "I thought the Miami version came too soon and that we should have taken the time to make it something different," Petersen says. "It was just an attempt to duplicate. But `Crossing Jordan' came out a year after us, and [Executive Producer] Jerry Bruckheimer knew there would be others. `Why should we let them steal our audience?' he asked. I understand the move from a business sense, and the profits have been astronomical. "I understand greed," Petersen adds. "But they pulled our show apart. Anthony is now with `CSI: NY' full time. We have to fight to keep our writers, producers, even our best postproduction people. I wish they'd just make our show better." "I can appreciate Billy Petersen's concerns about the CSI spinoffs, but what we learned from launching them is quite the opposite," says Nina Tassler, president of CBS entertainment. "Each spinoff has had its own identity and still reinforced the brand. The original `CSI' grew stronger once the spinoffs became entrenched. Like any good franchise, when there's a great story to be told, viewers can't get enough. As for the writers, successful series attract the best in the business." She also resents attempts to lump all the CBS entries together. "I get aggravated by that," she says. "`Without a Trace' analyzes criminal behavior in the special context of a disappearance. We consider it a suspense thriller. `Criminal Minds' consists of stories told within the framework of the FBI behavioral science unit, it's about serial profiling. And `Numb3rs' is set in a family, not in a police unit, and deals with mathematics and crime." Wolf agrees with her. "There are something like seven different flavors of Crest toothpaste," he says. "`Law & Order' is a brand. Even Bravo and USA (cable channels) use it that way. It dates back to the Warner Bros. gangster movies. When you saw that Warner's logo, you knew you were in for a certain type of movie. It's just branding and, in the case of "CSI," franchising, which is similar." In conjunction with his other shows, Wolf says NBC always boasts, "from the producer of `Law & Order.'" "That's not ego," Wolf says. "That's branding, and the network will use it to help promote the product." - - - William Petersen: Life after `CSI' William Petersen can glimpse his own finish line somewhere on the horizon. Now in his sixth year with the show, he says, "The first three or four, I was dying. It was an excessive amount of stress. We were working nights and days. Nobody slept, and I developed heart problems. "The show can go on without me, and probably will, but I want to come back to act in Chicago," he adds. "My wife and I just bought a condo downtown, and I want to do theater." One role he's said to be considering: Macbeth, the most famous evildoer in all crime literature. With or without him, crime will live on in television. -- S.S. February 12 Murder, they wrote "Just look at the shelves of any bookstore in any airport, and you see how much people love crime and mysteries, how much they love solving puzzles," notes Jan Nash, an executive producer on the CBS hit "Without a Trace." "There's something about all the crime shows on TV that depict the police and other people in a search for the truth," she adds. "They let you believe that, in a world where bad things happen, justice will prevail." "It's a measure of how complicated the world has gotten since 9/11, when thousands were wiped out," says novelist Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch novels and the recent best seller "The Lincoln Lawyer." "Just because statistics tell us that violent crime is actually down, that doesn't mean that people aren't scared." Prime-time programming is certainly scary. In otherwise peaceful Wilmington, Del., an 11-year-old is kidnapped in a park on a break from soccer practice. At a swank Miami private club, a young man is hacked to death with an ice pick, the bloody letter "L" carved into the skin of his chest. Members of a racist militia in Indianapolis are abducting African-American men, torturing them and then stringing them up until they bleed to death. These are only a few highlights of a report that logged events which occurred during viewing of the bulk of crime and legal procedurals airing on the major networks during a single week in January: all the "CSI" and "Law & Order" entries, along with "Criminal Minds," "Without a Trace," "Numb3rs," "Close to Home," "In Justice," "Cold Case" and "NCIS." My unscientific count came to four murders, three abductions, one serial hate-crime streak and a poisoning by LSD. Thanks to "Cold Case," a 1994 suicide got reclassified as a homicide. Murder, they wrote. And keep on writing. And the viewing public stays tuned. The original "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" has been the No.1 show in Nielsen ratings 12 weeks out of the season so far, followed closely by the increasingly popular "Without a Trace" and regularly accompanied in the top 20 by the Miami and New York "CSI" spinoffs, "NCIS," "Cold Case," "Criminal Minds," and the "Criminal Intent" and "SVU" versions of "Law & Order." For the latest complete week of ratings available, ending Feb. 5, skewered by the Super Bowl, whose offerings snagged the top three spots, "CSI" managed to come in at No. 6, followed by "Without a Trace" at No. 8, "CSI: Miami" at No. 9, "CSI: NY" at No. 11, "Criminal Minds" at No. 16, "Numb3rs" in a tie at No. 17, "NCIS" in a tie at No. 19, followed by a tie of "Bones" and "Close to Home." Nearly half of the top 20 were procedurals. Like many observers, William Petersen, the veteran Chicago stage actor whose lead role in the original "CSI" has won him TV superstardom, cites the trial of O.J. Simpson. `O.J. hit' "People were beginning to get interested in forensics, and then O.J. hit for a year, and everybody got swept up in it," he argues. "The more they watched, they got the feeling these scientists and witnesses were speaking this DNA language they didn't get, a whole vernacular they didn't understand. When he was found not guilty, they were confused. And they wanted more information." But "the O.J. factor" might well win a not guilty verdict. The "Law & Order" franchise, while not as steeped in forensic detail as the "CSI" trio, nevertheless deals with criminal investigation and justice. "People forget," notes Dick Wolf, executive producer of the "Law & Order" lineup, "that `Law & Order' goes back to 1990. We were around a lot earlier than O.J." Indeed, as early as 1990, with the arrival of the Kay Scarpetta novels of Patricia Cornwell, set in a Richmond, Va., coroner's office, forensic fascination found its way into fiction. The "CSI" forensic emphasis has helped make microscopic, anatomical photography and geeky, scientific lingo omnipresent on TV, part of what Cornwell refers to as a `Star Trekian' age. But, Petersen, who was a producer and artistic director here as well as an actor, says that, ironically, the first "CSI" came about as something original, unlike any other TV crime show to date. Now widely imitated, it began as one of a kind. "People at the network wanted nothing to do with a TV show about fingerprint dusters," Petersen says. "But this kid named Anthony Zuiker, who was running the tram at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, had a friend in CSI-type investigations in Las Vegas, and he came up with this idea." Little interest Petersen had been talking with CBS for some time about a possible series, but every script he was sent seemed cut from the same cookie-cutter mold, formulaic echoes of hits already on TV. "That's how television works, you find something that hits and you mass produce it," Petersen says. "I understand that. I just didn't want to do it myself." Instead, as Petersen sees it, "CSI" broke with TV crime in a number of ways. "Zuiker had stumbled onto this `Rashomon'-like idea to show the crime scene from different perspectives. We met with these real CSI guys, and they were kids just out of college, who could literally spend a week studying a car in detail and eventually find only a partial fingerprint. We realized if we could get their excitement of that discovery across, it would be sensational." Timing helped. "The culture had just been through this postmodern period of green tea and Buddhism, with everybody asking the big questions," Petersen believes. "People were lost. These guys had answers. You see a close-up of a broken toenail inside a shoe, and that becomes an important clue. Instead of the big things, it's about the littlest things. And they become the most important things. It's a new way of perceiving, and I think that spiritual aspect of the show is why people keep watching." `No stakes are higher' Wolf has another view. "There have been three staples of TV drama for the last 60 years, the western, the medical show and the crime drama," Wolf says. "The western has disappeared. In TV drama, the higher the stakes, the more dramatic, and no stakes are higher than life or death." In explaining the success of "Law & Order," he says, "sending people to prison is no joke, and how people do that is interesting." He refuses to see "CSI" or even "Law & Order" as anything but new clothing on an old dress form. "TV is not about ideas," Wolf says bluntly. "It's about execution. And writing and casting. That's why most of TV drama's biggest stars have been character actors, not romantic leads. Peter Falk. Telly Savalas. Angela Lansbury. They can inhabit a role for years, and that's the TV challenge. I like to say a successful movie lasts 110 minutes. A successful TV series lasts 110 hours." "I think the public has always been fascinated by crime," says Mark Gordon, the enterprising producer behind "Criminal Minds" and "Grey's Anatomy," the ABC medical soap opera many see as a crime-streak antidote. "Crime in American fiction dates from the '20s, '30s and '40s in potboiler novels and film noir, not to mention tabloid journalism. In the past few years, TV just figured out a way to capitalize on that in a different manner." Lately, others raise more serious issues, in particular questioning the growing public assumption that "CSI" is pure reality, not part scientific fantasy. "Lawyers ask would-be jurors whether they watch the shows and then change strategies depending on the answers," Linda Deutsch recently wrote in a story for the Associated Press. "Which side benefits the most -- prosecutors or defense attorneys -- is debatable. While `Law & Order' glamorizes prosecutors, `CSI' can set standards for the infallibility of forensic evidence that prosecutors can't often meet -- a science-solves-all formula that millions of viewers may bring to jury service. The justice system is now facing what legal experts call, `the CSI effect,' a TV-bred demand by jurors for high-tech, indisputable forensic evidence before they will convict." That bothers novelist Cornwell tremendously. "We have a really serious problem on our hands, and TV has made it so much worse. `CSI' is fun to watch and entertaining. "But, more and more, jury members believe that police and scientists work every case with this huge bag of tricks, and if they don't, the victim and jurors feel the case has not been adequately investigated." "Unfortunately, for many lawyers, judges and prosecutors, people expect to see `CSI' in the courtroom," Petersen agrees. "They can't always provide that. Not every case is all about DNA." Despite that heady concern and this season's ratings bonanza for crime shows, there are signs the inevitable shift in the wind is stirring. After resting at the top of the heap all fall, "CSI" actually lost the No. 1 ratings spot in recent weeks to the return of "American Idol." Tassler also says the success of the crime series helps finance more adventurous programming, such as pilots planned this fall about a young man who falls for a woman who's a member of a cult, and another about the professional and private lives of a community of government agents Focus on characters Wolf is monkeying with his formula with his latest, "Conviction," premiering in March on NBC and set in a district attorney's office. But the focus is on the regular characters, not the procedure, and we learn all about the personal lives and career worries of these twentysomething attorneys on the job. "`Trial By Jury' skewed too old in its audience last season, frankly, and we'd spent $2 million on the sets," Wolf noted wryly. "Younger audiences are showing an interest in ensemble dramas, where you learn a lot about the characters, as evidenced in `Grey's Anatomy,' `House,' `My Name Is Earl' and `The Office.' I wanted a show about young prosecutors. It's not so much an admission as a reality check." "I honestly don't try to do shows based on what I think the public wants, but what I like," says Gordon. "I was fascinated by the pitch that came to us with `Criminal Minds,' and I loved the stories and characters in `Grey's Anatomy.' The market place will expand for good material. I've never done a spinoff, but it's hard to resist franchising a successful idea. CBS is in the business of pleasing its viewers, and if the public wants to see seven procedurals, why not provide them?" "Crime is a constantly renewable resource," says Wolf. "Every day people continue to kill each other in bizarre and unfathomable ways. Even if murder goes down by double digits, there are still thousands of people killed in this country every year and killers who warrant prosecution." "It's part of our evolutionary wiring, evidence of it found in our oldest skeletal remains," Cornwell says. "We were inflicting violence on each other from the beginning. We're all wired for self-defense. Because, deep in our genes, we know we're all going to die." ---------- sismith@tribune.com February 10 CINCINNATI, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Prilosec OTC, the number one selling over-the-counter heartburn medicine(2), is joining the fight against breast cancer, the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55. To reach the goal of raising up to $1 million for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), Prilosec OTC will donate 10 cents for each box of the product sold between February 12 and March 12, 2006. Additionally, Prilosec OTC has offered more than one thousand Bunco enthusiasts from across the United States the opportunity to continue fundraising efforts by playing Bunco to beat breast cancer at the first-ever Bunco World Championship, an event sanctioned by The World Bunco Association, which will be held at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas February 25-2 The Oxygen Network will air a special one-hour primetime special in March featuring the Championship action and the personal stories of select players. Breast cancer research supporter Marg Helgenberger will also be on hand at the Championship to encourage participants, many of whom are playing the dice game in honor of a friend or family member with breast cancer. "I'm pleased to be able to partner with Procter & Gamble and Prilosec OTC to raise money for breast cancer. It's fantastic that they've engaged so many women to come out to Las Vegas to continue the fundraising efforts at the Bunco World Championship -- it's a positive way to get women talking and focusing on the need for breast cancer research and education," said Marg Helgenberger. For those who cannot attend the event, but want to help raise $1 million for the NBCF, Prilosec OTC is offering one-of-a-kind Bunco kits, which will be sold online at PrilosecOTC.com. A portion of the sales from these kits will be donated from February 12 - March 31. Phenomenon of Bunco Bunco may not be a household name, but it is rapidly becoming a household game. This dice game favored by women as an alternative to "poker night" has been steadily gaining popularity. In the past year, over 59 million women have played Bunco and over 27 million play regularly. Like most dice games, Bunco is based primarily on luck. However, for the women who play, it is not merely a game, but a reason to get together with female friends for a home cooked dinner, a delicious dessert, good gossip and just plain fun. Traditionally, women have also used these gatherings as an opportunity to talk with friends about health concerns like breast cancer as well as to raise money for breast cancer research. In the last five years, local Bunco clubs have raised more than $350,000 for breast cancer research and education. To help maintain the tradition, Prilosec OTC has created a one of a kind event for Bunco fans and a pledge to raise money for breast cancer research. "Each year, over 1 million women across the world are diagnosed with early breast cancer(1). Procter & Gamble is dedicated to women's health needs, and therefore has pledged to help raise money and awareness of breast cancer. We hope people will join us in the fight against breast cancer and support our efforts this winter," said Clarissa Niese, Assistant Brand Manager of Prilosec OTC. Bunco To Beat Breast Cancer The Prilosec OTC Bunco World Championship will take place at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas February 25-26. One thousand players will compete in the Championship for the grand prize of $50,000. Prilosec OTC will make a donation to the NBCF for each "Bunco" (three of a kind that matches with the current round) rolled during the Championship event. The event will also feature a "dueling pianos" booth, where people will be able to give money to hear their favorite song or to stop a song from being played. The Oxygen Network will premiere one-hour primetime special on the
Championship on March 10 at 8:00 p.m., complete with an inside look at the
women who play Bunco. For more information on fundraising efforts and the
World Bunco Championship log on to February 8 Why not 'CSI: Kink'? By Robert Voets, As TV's most-watched scripted show, averaging 26 million viewers a week, CSI has maintained its broad fan base even as its Las Vegas crime-scene sleuths delve into the worlds of full-grown men who favor diapers; people aroused by obese sex partners, aka "chubby chasers"; and "plushies and furries," a fetish group for whom fun fur has nothing to do with fall fashions. Many CSI viewers either enjoy or don't mind taking the one-hour trips to forbidden worlds, viewed from the safety of the living room couch. Some could do without the taboo topics but still like to watch Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and his team use science to solve crimes. Others no longer watch because of the content; the Parents Television Council has named CSI one of the worst shows for families. "It's a matter of individual taste," says Miriam Smith, who teaches broadcast communications arts at San Francisco State University. This week's offering, "Pirates of the Third Reich" (a tribute to CSI and Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer), likely offers something to reinforce all opinions. It descends into the world of a serial-killing Nazi experimenter, one of whose victims is the estranged daughter of dominatrix Lady Heather (The O.C.'s Melinda Clarke). The sixth-season series walks on the kinky side more frequently than its spinoffs in Miami and New York. "It goes back to Vegas, where the show is set. In Vegas, anything goes," executive producer Carol Mendelsohn says. And Thursday's show "is one of our more out-there episodes." "Pirates" is significant for two other reasons. It marks the return of Lady Heather, whose hold on Grissom has made her a fan favorite. And it was written by Jerry Stahl, an author and former heroin addict who wrote a book about his habit (Permanent Midnight). Stahl has served as tour guide for the show's kinkiest trips into the netherworld of infantilism, underground sex-reassignment surgery, self-loathing models and sado-masochism. He introduced Heather and her fetish business in CSI's second season. "He's completely perverse," says Petersen, laughing. The star helped recruit Stahl for the show, saying people are fascinated by unknown, darker realms. "There's no place Jerry won't go. There's nothing Jerry won't look at." Stahl, who declined through a studio spokesman to be interviewed, is nothing if not a lightning rod. His episodes last season, the transsexual-related "Ch-Ch-Changes" and the infant-fetishizing "King Baby," were respectively CSI's most-watched ever, at 31.5 million viewers, and tied for second for the season, with 30.7 million. But some viewers didn't like them. "King Baby," which dealt with breastfeeding, enemas and excrement, drew protests from the Parents Television Council, whose members filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission. According to the PTC, no FCC response has been received. CSI "tends to delve into areas of kinky sexual fetishes," says the PTC's Melissa Caldwell. "They go into a depth of detail that I think is unnecessary for a show about forensic investigations." 'Darker and edgier' In 2003's "Fur and Loathing," broadcast the day before Halloween, Stahl took CSI to a convention of plushies and furries, people with an affinity for stuffed animals and furry costumes. The episode related a group sexual endeavor known as a "fur-pile." "He introduces Americans to worlds that they wouldn't normally see," says CSI supervising producer Richard Lewis, who directed Thursday's episode. "It's always a little darker and edgier when Jerry writes." CSI visits such dark places to entertain viewers, Mendelsohn says, and many like the vicarious thrill. "We try to think, 'What would our fans like to see? What would be a thrill ride?' Our job is to make them want to come back next week, to create a great hour. That's the guidepost to everything we do." The taboo topics also expand the range of potential plotlines, an important consideration for a show that must produce more than 20 episodes a season. And competition from cable, with its looser content restrictions, pressures broadcasters to present edgier content, San Francisco State's Smith says. By audience measures, CSI has more than achieved its goal; it trails only American Idol. But CSI ranks fifth one spot ahead of ABC's Desperate Housewives - on the PTC's latest list of the shows it deems most inappropriate for family viewing. That high placement is a combination of subject matter and the large audience, which means more youths are exposed to the shows, Caldwell says. Some viewers confirm they like the occasional peek into unusual lives. "I watch CSI every week and haven't had any problem with the envelope-pushing subject matter. Though I found some of the stuff slightly weird, to say the least, I also find it fascinating to see other perspectives on life and how the CSI crew are able to solve the crimes," says Sam Vowell of Lennon, Mich. However, Jane Lansing, of Minneapolis, has given up on the series. "I was a CSI-aholic when it first came on ... and this year I stopped (watching) the original because the story lines are reaching too far," she says. While acknowledging that CSI episodes such as Stahl's can enter bizarre worlds, CBS is satisfied with its "time-honored system of self-policing" to make certain programs are appropriate for viewers and advertisers, network spokesman Chris Ender says. By now, viewers generally know what to expect from CSI, too, he says. Content-rating labels and advisories also alert viewers. But even CSI's producers say they have their concerns with content and sometimes pull back. "The key to this episode is restraint," Lewis says during a shooting break. And, in the post-Janet Jackson era, scenes that were once OK are now off-limits, Mendelsohn says, acknowledging that the show is concerned about being a target for watchdog groups such as PTC. The wide range of reactions shouldn't be surprising, says S. Robert Lichter, president of the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a non-profit, non-partisan, media-monitoring group. A shocking scene that one viewer finds enticing, another may find appalling. A show such as CSI will try to strike a balance, "trying to figure out how to keep the shock value without it costing them money" from lost advertising or government sanctions. Nothing 'gratuitous' For Petersen, who is also a CSI producer, any kinky subject matter has to make sense for the story. "I just don't want it to be gratuitous." As far as fans are concerned, there's nothing gratuitous about Lady Heather, introduced by Stahl in 2001's "Slaves of Las Vegas." She took Grissom, Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) and viewers into the world of sado-masochism, complete with whips, chains, leather and latex body suits, but also introduced a complex character. Lady Heather interested Clarke because of her contrasts: She was the successful operator of an upscale fetish club and the mother of a daughter attending Harvard, a woman who could give a man a whipping or, as in Grissom's case, serve him tea. "She was a multidimensional person who hadn't been seen, a dominatrix who was much more evolved enigmatic and empowered," Clarke says. What has made the character a favorite of viewers, despite having appeared in only two previous episodes, is her ability to read the usually opaque Grissom. She's his equal and a strong foil. "Their chemistry is electric. (It) reveals aspects of the Grissom character that we don't get to see with anyone else he interacts with. Tolerance. Depth. Humanity. He feels," says fan Tammy Hoganson of New Prague, Minn., who says she enjoys when CSI delves into "less-than-vanilla subject matter." Grissom, ever the student, is curious about Heather's field of work, just as he was fascinated, not put off, by the plushies and furries convention. Grissom and Heather, Petersen says during a break between scenes with Clarke, are "both anthropologists. He's fascinated by her science, (a look at) the sexual psyche of human beings." There's also a sexual tension between the characters (one that may have been acted upon, depending on how scenes are interpreted from Lady Heather's second visit). Their delicate balance will shift in Thursday's episode, which Mendelsohn says may seem disturbing not for its sexual content but for the horrible experiments of a brilliant scientist she describes as "a Grissom gone wrong." And Lady Heather, a woman who depends on her steely control, will lose it as a victimized mother. The power roles will shift in the desert, Mendelsohn says. Grissom will have "to save her from herself." Archive June 2004 to October 2004 Archive October 2004 to December 2005 |