CSI Tries on New Shue

Elisabeth Shue is heading to Las Vegas, but she’s not going to have a lot of time to hit the slots because she’s going to be solving crimes with the rest of the team on CBS’s CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

The networks have been trying for years to lure Shue into a regular gig on the small screen, with CBS being “particularly aggressive” in their pursuit of the Oscar nominee. The chase has finally paid off, with Criminal Complex  reporting that Shue will become the new female lead on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on February 15, replacing Marg Helgenberger’s Catherine Willows.

The set-up for the transition is already in motion, with Willows recently being offered a new gig by the sheriff. Considering that the CSI veteran recently lost her supervisor position to newcomer D.B. Russell (Ted Danson), it stands to reason that it won’t be too difficult for her move on to grander things. While Helgenberger will no longer be a regular, her character will still occasionally be popping up in guest appearances. She’ll be stepping down from full-time status in January.

Shue’s new character has the potential to liven things up at the crime lab because she apparently has a history with Danson’s character, but don’t expect the two to get all warm and cuddly with each other when they’re reunited. The new girl was supposedly fired by him when they worked together in Seattle. There’s no word on exactly what happened at the old job but it required Shue’s character to take an anger management course so it seems like there’s plenty of potential for fireworks.

This is the second time in a short period that the male lead has been changed and now a new female lead is being introduced. Will it be too much too soon for CSI fans?

Personally, I wandered away from CSI during Lawrence Fishburne’s visit because he just wasn’t doing it for me. However, I’m a loyal follower once again because I like the quirkiness added by Danson’s Russell, so I’m willing to see if Shue is a good fit.