'CSI' Is Officially Ending After 15 Years

By
CBS

It’s the end of an era.


CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
the groundbreaking crime procedural that paved the way for countless others, is ending after 15 years and more than 300 episodes.

CBS will give CSI, which concluded its 15th season back in February, a worthy send-off with a two-hour series finale TV movie on Sunday, Sept. 27 – and the network will be bringing back the original stars too!

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William Petersen,
who exited the series in the ninth season, and Marg Helgenberger, who left a few years later in season 12, will both return for the special farewell.

"We actually got a little misty-eyed about this one," CBS entertainment chief Nina Tassler told press early Wednesday morning, promising that fans will get an “epic” series closer.

There had been recent speculation that the long-running drama may be hanging up its lab coat for good, and now that it’s official, we can only hope some of its past stars will return to make one final appearance.

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Over the past 15 seasons, CSI has amassed a large ensemble with the likes of Petersen, Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Eric Szmanda, Jorja Fox and Paul Guilfoyle among the series’ original castmembers. The most recent season was led by Ted Danson and Elisabeth Shue. CSI was a boon for CBS when it debuted in 2000, helping boost the network’s place among the broadcast networks and launching numerous spinoffs, including CSI: NY and CSI: Miami.

Though the mothership will no longer be an anchor for the CBS schedule, CSI will still have a presence with the just-renewed CSI: Cyber off-shoot starring Patricia Arquette. Danson will join the spinoff as a new regular.


Are you sad about CSI ending?


CSI
’s final two-hour swan song airs Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS.

ET was on the set with Marg Helgenberger in 2011 as she filmed her final episode as a regular on CSI. Relive the emotional moment below.