Naren Shankar, William Petersen and Carol Mendelsohn. Photo By Lisa Klink. This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0.

MediaBlvd Magazine> For the producers, what has this last year been like?

Carol Mendelsohn> It’s been a year with a lot of change for us. We have said hello to some new CSIs, such as Dr. Ray Langston, played by Laurence Fishburne. He’s been a pure joy, and that’s been so exciting for us. When Laurence agreed to do the show, you could see every member of the crew and every writer patting themselves on the back and doing a little dance because we figured we must be doing something right. We also said hello, this season, to CSI Riley Adams, played by Lauren Lee Smith, and that was as seamless a beginning and as joyful a transition as we’ve ever had. We just love Lauren. Because we’re about to hit the milestone of our 200^th episode, and with the departure of Billy Peterson and his character, Gil Grissom, you begin to reminisce about the old times. Many of us here have been together since the pilot. I first met Marg Helgenberger at dinner on the set of the pilot, at a picnic table. I was so nervous because I was just a fan, and I thought, “Oh, my God, she hates me.” But, here we are a decade later, and we’re friends. I remember meeting George Eads on the set, in Chatsworth. He’d been hired 24 hours before we started filming. And, I remember the first time I met Paul Guilfoyle, also in Chatsworth. My goal was really always to keep Paul and (executive producer) Anthony E. Zuiker apart because every time Anthony disappeared into Paul’s trailer, the script changed. I learned, through experience, that that is the process, and that is the way the show has always gone. It is this collaboration that has kept us going. Eric Szmanda was with us on the pilot as well. I remember Robert David Hall came in during episode one, in the first season, to read and audition for the part of a judge. I recognized him from The Practice, and other shows, and I thought, “Gosh, he would make a great coroner.” And then, (executive producer) Naren Shankar and I have always been huge Wally Langham fans. He happened to have a little break in his schedule, so we got him for one episode, to play our trace tech, David Hodges, and then we just said, “Do you think you’ll be available for another episode?”

Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Raymond Langston

MediaBlvd> How much emotion did you want to put into William Petersen’s last show, and how did you decide what kind of send-off you wanted to give that character?

Naren> A long time ago, in season one, there was the episode with Grissom talking to Warrick about how, when he left the lab, he didn’t want to have a cake, he was just going to walk out the door. And, Carol and I were in a little bit of denial when we first wrote his last scene because it had a cake in it, and that caused some problems. Billy was really definitive about how he wanted to leave the show and what we got to, ultimately, was extremely moving and it felt very, very right.                                   

MediaBlvd> For the cast, what was that last day with William Peterson like, and how did you handle that?

George Eads> It was just awkward because we all wanted to have a moment with him alone, to just unzip ourselves and tell him how we felt, but he didn’t want that. He’s not that kind of a guy. So, for that week, there was almost this tension of sadness. He’ll be missed so much, by everybody.

Marg Helgenberger> Yeah, the last three weeks of it were tough.

Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows

MediaBlvd> Was there a big party or a final moment?

Paul> Billy threw a big party for all of us, which is in his character. The cast and crew all came together as one, without any hierarchy to it. He was supportive and, due to him, the ensemble really became an ensemble because he broke down the hierarchal structure that is normally in series television, where you get treated according to your number on the call sheet. It’s a testament to him that we operated like a real theatrical community -- a true acting ensemble where all of our ideas were welcomed and shared, and everybody operated from an equal base.

MediaBlvd> Is there room for him to come back for a visit?

Carol> Yes, there is. Billy Peterson will be on the set, probably sitting in his producer’s chair, but Gil Grissom will also come back, at some point.

MediaBlvd> Will he be back this season?

Carol> No, he won’t. He will probably be back on the set for the 200^th episode, sitting with his friend Billy Friedkin.

MediaBlvd> Will he be directing or writing, or anything like that?

Naren> I think some of our directors would like to torture him with that responsibility.

MediaBlvd> Are you worried about the ratings at all, with the loss of Grissom?

Carol> We’re not worried. There is change. If you talk to our real CSIs, in a real lab, people move out and people move in, and we’ve always tried to have our show reflect the reality of crime scene investigation. Would you like everybody to stay together for a decade or two? Sure. But, it’s unrealistic. And, Grissom will come back, in an organic way, to visit or to be on a case with the people that are his family. It just mirrors reality, so I’m not afraid. And, I believe that we have our ace in the hole with Laurence Fishburne:

MediaBlvd> Laurence, what was it like to come into an ensemble that has been together since the pilot? How was it to try to fit in with the group?

Laurence Fishburne> I had heard how wonderful the ensemble was. I had heard how wonderful the crew was, from Carol and Naren, when we first met in New York, maybe six months ago. I heard what a well-oiled machine the crew was, and that they had really gotten this whole thing down. You could pretty much see, from any of the advertisements for CSI, that this ensemble was very, very close knit and really solid. They’re really a striking group to look at. And, the good news is that everything that I heard was true. This is a wonderful family of people that have been working together. They’ve been doing an incredible job of storytelling, and making something that’s very interesting, from week to week, is a really, really impressive feat. So, it’s been a very harmonious meeting of the old and the new for me.

MediaBlvd> Did you feel intimidated, at first, coming into that?

Laurence> No. I was graciously invited to come to the show. I’ve been welcomed warmly, and I have tried to do what I can do to blend in, as harmoniously as I can.

MediaBlvd> The grind of working in series television is a little different from what you’ve been doing in film. What has that been like to adjust to?

George Eads as Nick Stokes

MediaBlvd> For the producers, with the Langston character coming in as a Level One CSI, how does that change your storytelling?

Carol> It enhanced and opened a door for our storytelling. To have a Level One CSI on his first graveyard shift, the audience can see, through his eyes, how to process a fingerprint, how to collect evidence and what to wear to a crime scene. Those are all issues that we will address in future episodes. It’s been fun for us, as writers, to be able to do that.

Laurence> It’s been great. To be a Level One CSI means that it’s a way for the audience to experience everything that they experienced with this show, all over again, with a fresh perspective. It’s almost like it’s the beginning again.

MediaBlvd> Langston seems like such an earnest soul. Is the job going to shake him or change him?

Carol> He’s a professor at WLBU. His character will be shaped by his experience as a CSI, but we have the rest of our cast. The fans have always said they love Catherine, Nick, Brass, Greg Sanders and all of our characters, and that doesn’t change. The core and the soul of our show is still there, but there have been some new additions, and that’s healthy for a show.

MediaBlvd> There’s some antagonism between Hodges and Langston. How much can you tell us about how the characters relate?

Laurence> From the things that we’ve shot, each relationship will be different. Some people will find it easier to deal with Langston’s presence than others. I’m not at liberty to say who’s having a good time with him and who isn’t.

MediaBlvd> How visibly is Catherine going to move into the leadership role in the lab? Is she ready to be in charge, or is there some anxiety?

Marg> There’s no anxiety, whatsoever. Catherine was in charge, in a lot of ways, when Grissom wasn’t around. He didn’t particularly like some of the tasks of running a crime lab, and she would just pick up where he left off, like most wives do. Obviously, we weren’t married on the show, but the relationship was somewhat like a marriage. She just did things seamlessly, without being told, and he knew that, which is why we always had a good working relationship. So far, she’s enjoying running the lab, but it hasn’t really changed a whole lot. I prefer being in the field and look forward to the episodes in which I’m given some action to do, which I haven’t had in awhile.

MediaBlvd> For the actors, one of the joys of the show has been seeing a different side of your characters, based on who you’re teamed up with on an investigation. With the new additions to the show, can you talk a little bit about different parts of your character that we might see more of?

George> For me, it just comes out. When Liev Schreiber was here, it felt like I was intellectualizing a scene, just because of the way that he went about his business. The way that he did the scene would make me do something differently. And, it’s the same thing with Laurence. I’ll be in my head about how I want a scene to go, and then I hear his voice and the way that he’s doing it. What I’m going to do in a scene is more reactive than calculated. With each person, we amend ourselves a little bit, according to their personalities. You try to stay consistent with each person, but with each actor, something different happens.

Laurence> The chemistry has changed, and we’re still discovering what our chemistry is going to be, depending upon what kinds of situations the writers put the characters in. We have an opportunity to learn something with each episode, really.

Paul Guilfoyle as Captain Jim Brass

Carol> We’ve created some new dynamic duos. Riley Adams and Greg Sanders have a lot of energy and chemistry. I’m not saying it’s anything other than plutonic, but I love to watch them work together. And, I have to say that the scenes our esteemed coroner and Riley Adams have are quite simpatico.

MediaBlvd> There haven’t been a lot of African American leads on TV dramas. Laurence, do you think your role will open the door for that?

Laurence> I haven’t really stopped to think about it. There’s Dennis Haysbert on The Unit. And, Dennis Haysbert on 24. The good news is that I was asked to join this company because of my intelligence and because of my gifts as an actor, and for that I am extremely grateful. The fact that I happen to be a man of color is what I would like to think of as a bonus, in much the way that I think of the man who is now our president. He is intelligent, capable, engaging and interested in bringing people together, and he happens to be an African American. But, it is his intelligence and his compassion, as a human being, that will make him a good president. So, I’m going to try to be a good leading man, and do that with all of my humanity, and hope that that reflects well on the show.

MediaBlvd> What is your agreement with the show? How long are you committed for?

Laurence> My commitment, at the moment, is for a season and a half. And, I see no reason why I wouldn’t want to continue, after that season and a half is up.

MediaBlvd> We’ve heard a lot about the impact that William Petersen has had on his storylines and the show. Do you want to have that kind of say as well?

Laurence> I had two responsibilities coming in. My chief responsibility was to service the show. The show has been number one for nine years, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And, I had to really try to blend in, as harmoniously as possible, with this family of people that have been working together all this time. With respect to whatever kind of influence or input I may or may not have on the character or story, I’ll earn that as I go. We have begun in a really beautiful place, and the ideas that the writers have for this character have been wonderful. I’ve shared some ideas with them, and they’ve been good enough to implement a few of those things. We’re going to discover what it’s going to be. It’s a living, breathing thing. I’m just really, really happy to be here.

MediaBlvd> How long do you envision CSI going? Is it as long as the numbers are strong, or is there anything that would happen to make you want to quit? Will you keep with it as long as people want to watch?

Carol> I will speak on behalf of the cast, the crew, the writers and the producers -- we’re not quitters on CSI. We will go as long as the show is doing well, and our friends at CBS want to keep us on the air.