William Petersen & Jorja Fox in talks to star in CSI event series

Once upon a time, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was one of the biggest franchises on television, with the flagship series spanning fifteen seasons and spawning three spin-offs — CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and CSI: Cyber. While the franchise has been absent from our screens for close to five years, it was reported earlier this year that CBS was developing a revival which could see the return of several members of the original cast.

Well, it seems that the CSI project continues to move forward as William Petersen (Gil Grissom) and Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) are in negotiations to star in what they're calling CSI: Vegas. CBS hasn't officially ordered the series, but they're said to be looking at kicking off production in the fall assuming COVID-19 allows them to get underway. The series is said to open a "brand new chapter in Las Vegas, the city where it all began" as the city faces an "existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City." Casting is also underway for a handful of new characters who will be joining Petersen and Fox in the sequel series, and Deadline has the breakdown on a few of the characters:

• Maxine: "The new head of the Vegas Crime Lab. A former basketball coach, she is a top-flight scientist and a leader in the field of genetics. Recently divorced, she struggles with her son’s opioid addiction."
• Josh: "Level III CSI who is typically the lead investigator on cases, and has a knack for crime scene reconstruction. Vegas born and bred, he comes from a family of small-time crooks and scammers."
• Allie: "An immigrant who followed her dreams to Las Vegas. She is a young Level II CSI with a bright future and a sunny disposition. Allie is a bonafide genius – a double Harvard whiz kid with a PhD in forensic archaeology."
• Chris: "An up-and-coming Level 2 CSI. He’s a private school kid who started out in a white coat and worked his way into the field. Now, he’s a lab rat set free."
• Hugo: "Took over as Head Medical Examiner three years ago. He has an endless fascination with the bodies that find their way onto his slab, and the morgue is his happy place."

CSI: Vegas comes from Jason Tracey (Elementary), and while nothing is official just yet, it would be a blast to to get a little more CSI in my life. It'd also be great to see a few characters from the other CSI spin-offs pop up as well.