#CSI Revival: Plot Details, New Characters Revealed

The CSI revival has still not officially been announced by CBS, but development is moving along. 

Just one day after we learned that William Petersen (Gil Grissom) and Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) are in advanced negotiations to return for the limited series, comes some new details. 

If you watch CSI online, you know the series wrapped with Gil and Sarah together on his boat, so something must have happened to bring them back to Vegas to solve some murders. 

“Facing 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,” the first plot details, courtesy of Deadline tease. 

It’s certainly an interesting hook that suggests this revival will actually be a self-contained story. 

The original series had a lot of procedural elements, but the show could be getting rejuvenated for the streaming era. 

No word on who those other friends might be, but we do have some insight into some of the new characters about to arrive in Sin City. 

Leading the Crime Lab in Vegas is Maxine, who is described as “a top-flight scientist and a leader in the field of genetics.”

Usually leading investigations is Level III CSI Josh, who “has a knack for crime scene reconstruction” and “a family of small-time crooks and scammers.”

Level II CSI Allie, “an immigrant who followed her dreams to Las Vegas,” is described as “a bonafide genius — a double Harvard whiz kid with a PhD in forensic archaeology.”

We also have Chris, the “up-and-coming Level II CSI,” is “a lab rat set free,” after making the transition to field work.

Then there’s Hugo, who is now the head medical examiner, with “an endless fascination with the bodies that find their way onto his slab.”

The only way the potential series will be a success is if it blends some old and new in terms of characters, and that appears to be the direction the series will go. 

The series would come from  Jason Tracey, CBS TV Studios, and Jerry Bruckheimer TV.

Tracey is on board to serve as executive producer with Jerry Bruckheimer TV’s Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, and KristieAnne Reed, and CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker.

The CSI franchise was huge for CBS, spanning four shows: CSI (2000-15), CSI: Miami (2002-12), CSI: New York (2004-13), and CSI: Cyber (2015-16). 

Additionally, the franchise has spawned videogames and novels, among other things. 

Given that CBS has not confirmed the project, there’s a good chance it is waiting to find out which other cast members would be interested in returning before pulling the trigger. 

Negotiations since the series was confirmed to be in the works could have stalled somewhat due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Still, even when CSI concluded, it was still a decent performer in the ratings, and could be a big performer internationally. 

What are your thoughts on these new details?

Hit the comments below. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.