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US castings: CSI, Harry’s Law, Gossip Girl, Hawaii Five-0

Ted Danson will takeover from Laurence Fishburne on CSI, and David E. Kelley is bolstering the Harry's Law cast. Plus Fringe, White Collar & more.

CBS has announced that Ted Danson (Cheers, Becker, Damages) will join CSI, taking over as the chief investigator of the Las Vegas Crime Scene Investigation team, the job first held by William Petersen and most recently by Laurence Fishburne. He comes to the team as they are still grappling with the professional and personal fallout from last season’s take-down of serial killer, Nate Haskell.

In other US casting news:

Human Target star Mark Valley joins Harry’s Law. He will be a series regular on the drama, playing one of Harriett Korn’s new hot-shot attorneys hired in the wake of her rising profile as a defence attorney. He joins Broadway star Karen Olivo, who’ll play another new member of the legal eagle team.

Meanwhile, Jean Smart is also joining for a multi-episode arc. She’ll be the prosecutor going after an accused murderer played by Alfred Molina. Christopher McDonald, who has been recurring on the drama becomes a series regular. All the Harry’s Law casting news is part of David E. Kelley’s master plan to bolster the show in its second season.

Lauren German (Happy Town) will join Hawaii Five-0 in the series regular role of a former Homeland Security officer who has been hand-picked by the new Governor, played by Richard T. Jones who replaced Jean Smart. Her character will not just help them fight crime, but also keep them in check on behalf of the Governor and serve as a potential love interest for Alex O’Loughlin.

Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe) is reportedly joining the Gossip Girl as a chef named Max.

Michelle Krusiec (Dirty Sexy Money, Secret Life of the American Teenager), is joining Fringe.

Dylan Baker will guest star on White Collar as Andy Woods, a ruthless financier who is suspected of embezzling from his daughter’s elite private school.

Source: EW, TV Line, Variety, NY Times

20 Responses

  1. @ Andy and Mitch — According to another website, Ted Danson’s deal with the network will allow him to continue his work on Bored to Death as well as CSI.

    That’s good news for both shows.

  2. Think you will find that Catherine got lead Investigator after Grissom left.

    Langston cam in as CSI level one – new kid on the block and attained level 2 but is still lower than everyone else

  3. Is there a possibility that Mark Valley will be playing his Boston Legal character? I guess Human Target isn’t getting a third season, hadn’t read that.

  4. I haven’t seen Damages but Ted Danson to me always has and always will be a very funny guy, from Cheers to Becker to his appearences on Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death – its an interesting choice that is for sure; I wonder if it will pay off. Not that I watch CSI anyway 😛

  5. I stopped watching CSI a few years ago, except for the occasional episode. However, I’m an admirer of Ted Danson, so I’ll definitely start watching the show regularly again now that he’s joining the cast.

    Bringing Danson into the fold is an inspired piece of casting.

  6. Sometimes I wish we could edit coments 🙁 due to my really bad typing I often make errors, anyhow that was meant to say The Hoff not The Hodd 😉

  7. CSI is very lucky to get someone like Ted Danson – been a big fan of his since his Cheers days and he was fantastic in Damages. Hope they utilise his talent, seems like a waste for him but i’ll tune into the new season premiere and perhaps i’ll be proven wrong.

    Very excited by the Harry’s Law news: Christopher McDonald’s character is the greatest part of the show so im glad he’s here to stay. Jean Smart is amazing and its good to have Mark Valley( joining the show – hopefully we’ll see more Boston Legal cast members pop up this season even if its only in recurring or guest roles.

  8. Well Ten Danson will certainly be easier on the eye than Laurence Fishburne. I could never work out why they went from William Petersen to L.F. Danson is more like Petersen I feel. Anyway I stopped watching it when Petersen left, but will give it a go with Danson.

  9. Ted’s been excellent in damages but I just don’t see him in CSI we’ll see I suppose. The strangest casting news I’ve heard is the The Hodd is going to guest star in one ep of Sons of anarchy as a pornstar! Lol

  10. Ted Danson on CSI – well that’s one of the most original castings I’ve seen in a long time. It may be enough to make me watch the show again just to see how they pull this off.

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