| Tale of two Cities by Brenda Hampton As the two hit dramas head into a new season, the shows' stars speak out on their hopes for the grisly franchise. |
| (taken from TV Guide. September 27-October 3, 2003.) |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation or CSI: 90210? A fact-based drama beloved by science geeks or a crime-solving soap opera? Those seem to be the choices facing the cast and producers of the most popular show on the television right now. The evidence? Last year's season finale. Viewers watched Catherine met her long-lost casino-owning father, Grissom walked down a hospital hallway into surgery and Sara had her heart broken. As viewers learned more about the personal lives of Grissom and Co., the tech-savvy show seemed to be headed out of the lab and into the character's closets. But now if it's up to the "king of the science geeks," CSI star and co-executive producer William L. Petersen. "We cut back on [the personal information] the first year," he says thoughtfully, looking slightly dishevelled with a full beard. Even so, he's much sexier in person. "We were very concerned not to let it go that way. Any time something came into the script that you were going to do this with somebody, I was like 'No, once you kiss somebody, or open up something, how are you going to get that closed and continue to be truthful?' " CSI: Miami's David Caruso, however, sees things differently. As the spinoff enters its second season, and tries to differentiate itself from its predecessor, he thinks getting personal is inevitable. "The characters and their personal lives are going to become a factor this year," says Caruso, looking cool and relaxed in jeans, a denim jacket and black T-shirt. "now the audience has embraced us, it's natural evolution for a show to have more character moments and more relationships. At the end of the day, great television is based on the love you see characters exhibiting for each other." But that might not be the secret to great CSI-style TV. "Every time we delve into the characters' personal lives, a little voice says 'enough,' " comments Melrose Place-turned CSI executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. "So, we dole out persoanl stories in dropperfuls." Yet, at the end of CSI last season, it seemed like the characters' personal lives were front and centre. And, in Miami's first season, viewers learned more about Caruso's character, Horatio Caine, than they know about many characters on the Vegas CSI - Caine's cop brother, rumored to have been corrupt, committed suicide; he feels responsibility towards his nephew and sister-in-law, Det. Yelina Salas (played by Sophia Milos, now a permanent cast member). In fact, there seemed to be romantic tension between Caine and Salas, although any sparks were put out because of negative viewer reaction. So, are the show's producers staying true to their word? Or, will CSI and CSI: Miami follow the ER path and move out of the hospital (or crime lab) and into the characters' homes? "I think we've done pretty well so far," says executive producer Danny Cannon. "There are moments we don't go into anybody's life at all, it's all about forensics. Then there are times we want to explore." But for all the science fanatics, there are others who can't wait to learn more about personal relationships - especially the romance between Grissom (Petersen) and Sara (Jorja Fox). "It's funny because it's almost split down the middle of people who want more story and those who want more personal," says the petite Fox. And for the fans who have dedicated Web sites to the budding romance, Fox doubts they'll be disappointed. "I think the [Grissom and Sara] romance will continue in some way," she says, "but Grissom will do the chasing." For Grissom, romance will come second until his hearing problems are resolved. And, they will be resolved. "One of the reasons Grissom withdrew from the world somewhat, cocooned during the third season, was that he lost one of his five senses," says executive producer Ann Donahue. "The watchword of Season 4 is that Grissom re-engages with the world." Which presumably means he will eventually return Sara's affections. And that's OK with Petersen, as long as everything goes back to the show's roots, something he think's is key to staying No. 1. "By showing a little bit here and there what happens in the workplace., you don't know what [the characters] do on Saturday and Sunday," says Petersen. "You know when a friendship happens, an attraction happens, you've had a flirtation, but you shy away from it. That's more interesting." "The real star of our show is the evidence." |
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