# Casting issues on Criminal Minds



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Supramom2000 said:


> I'm still ticked at Criminal Minds for letting JJ go and bringing on the newbie that appears to be sticking around. Has anyone from the show addressed that anywhere?


Funny you should ask. Right at the moment indications are that Paget Brewster's character Emily Prentiss is going to have a reduced role. There were a number of articles on the show's casting when CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was sent out to be a target for the press two weeks ago.

According to E! Online:


> CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler faced the press today about the canning of A.J. Cook and the diminution of Paget Brewster's role on Criminal Minds and her explanation was, shall we say...strained. The good news for us Minds fans is that Tassler expressed a hope that Brewster wouldn't quit the show entirely in response to the cuts.


The story includes a bunch of BS from Tassler about why the changes?

According to another story headlined The Future of Paget Brewster on Criminal Minds:


> Kirsten Vangsness is pulling double duty [as Penelope Garcia] and working as a regular on both Criminal Minds and the spin-off Suspect Behavior.


Vangsness has some very mixed feelings about the situation as seen in comments she made to the folks at Zap2It:


> Vangsness landed the extra duty largely because of lobbying by co-star Paget Brewster, whose own "Criminal Minds" presence has been reduced this season. Also because of last year's dismissal of fellow cast member A.J, Cook, Vangsness maintains mixed feelings over currently being the franchise's representative full-time female.
> 
> "I hate it," she tells Zap2it. "That's the short answer. I can't even tell you it's bittersweet, though it is that in reality. It's like being a squatter in a house, since [the producers] have control over what they decide to do. The sweet part is that those women will rise like phoenixes.
> 
> "A.J. is going to be on [NBC's] 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' with Jeremy Irons tonight (Wednesday, Jan. 12), and I'm sure she's going to be amazing. She's great, and it's the same thing with Paget. I'm dear friends with both of them, so there is nothing shiny and sparkly to say other than ... I don't like it."


And in a story headlined CBS President Defends Criminal Minds Casting Moves, Says Paget Brewster's Return is Actress' Call:


> Echoing earlier sentiments from the network, Tassler said the hugely unpopular departure of A.J. Cook and diminished role for Paget Brewster were mainly creative calls.
> 
> "I wouldn't say it was just a budget reason," Tassler said. "I would say that over the past couple of years, many shows take a second look at adjusting their casts."


I always keep in mind that a few years ago in response to some cast contract demands CBS just dumped some key characters on "CSI" without blinking.

There is no question that A.J. Cook leaving the show really upset the fans. CBS takes some pretty big risks creating strong characters with great actors and then dumping them. I really liked this article at the time she left the show:


> The show has its work cut out for it going forward, especially after the way she shined these past two weeks. In honor of Cook's exit, here are some of our favorite J.J. moments:
> 
> In last season's "Risky Business," when we learned the painful fact that her sister took her life when J.J. was 11, after the team solves a case of teen suicide.
> In the second season, when the abduction of students from her hometown struck a chord with her, and we learned not only about her past but how she values her role.
> ...


We still like the show. And we like Kirsten Vangsness's character. But there is a risk CBS is going to run the weird, quirky female techie into the ground. I hope they have sense enough to stop with Vangsness and Pauley Perrette (NCIS) characters Penelope Garcia and Abby Sciuto. It would make an interesting crossover to have the two of them interact.

As far as Rachel Nichols as Agent Ashley Seaver, so far she's been ok. But she wasn't in the last episode. And it's obvious that they knew they'd have a problem, so they included an elaborate backstory for her. On the other hand, if she asks for Pepsi's when they only have Coke on the set we may never see her again.


----------



## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

I'll say it before, and I'll say it again... I dumped a lot of shows during the writers strike from about three years ago now. Criminal Minds and the CSIs were among them. Last year saw another pruning while I finished my degree. Did I miss 'em? No.

It sounds like the networks is trying to reign in program costs big time, and what is sounding like to me is lets replace the actors with cheaper ones. CBS is also a bit heavy on the procedural dramas, and that is likely to hurt them later. Plus, the TV landscape has changed from 10 years ago.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Getting rid of any character (for any reason) is never popular. IMHO, what CBS did to AJ Cook was rotten but that's the way things go in life. I'm sure we have all known people who were let go from their job in order to bring in someone cheaper (& at times inferior).

I have never been a fan of Penelope Garcia and very much would have preferred they had shown her the door over JJ. I am not exactly sure how I feel on the idea of cutting back on Prentiss but then again up until this point she has pretty much been just filler material. Let's see where the next few weeks take us with Prentiss and see..


----------



## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

What I find equally as bad is the new "formula crime-drama" format of the show. What was great about the show was that it dealt with the concepts and logistics about solving crimes by "building the profile" of the unsub. You had to try and figure things out too during the course of the episode. Now, it seems all that is needed is a few "educated guesses" at the first crime scene, a quick "Garcia-Google" capable of cross-referencing any combination of facts, theories and ideas in sinlge keystroke and then let's go get 'em. This weeks episode (the young couple on killing spree) was one of the worst in the shows history. Sadly, I think it's time has passed.


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

I watch these types of shows (CM, CSI, etc.) mainly for the process of solving, not the characters. As long as there's interesting crimes and ways to solve them, I'll be watching, regardless of who the actors are.


----------



## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

No one likes to see favorite characters leave a show, but in this case CBS may have made a correct move.

Criminal Minds suffered a drop from #11 to #16 in the 5th season.

The cast changes effect on its standing won't be known for sure until the season ends, but the average viewers is up by almost 1 million/episode. 

Rachel Nichols is the beautiful new member of the cast and she will be permanent beginning with ep 15. Fans of AJ Cook have been brutal to her though she did not take AJ's place on the BAU team.

Rachel Nichols, 31, is probably best known for her roles in "Alias" & G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

LarryFlowers said:


> No one likes to see favorite characters leave a show, but in this case CBS may have made a correct move.
> 
> Criminal Minds suffered a drop from #11 to #16 in the 5th season.


It is expected that as a show ages it's ratings will fluctuate. A drop from 11 to 16 for a given season does not warrant panic or shaking up the cast. Season 5 also saw Derek Morgan take over the BAU (for a number of episodes) in a move that also proved to be unpopular. Maybe CBS should have canned Shemar Moore instead


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

spartanstew said:


> I watch these types of shows (CM, CSI, etc.) *mainly for the process of solving*, not the characters. As long as there's interesting crimes and ways to solve them, I'll be watching, regardless of who the actors are.


You won't see that on those shows. You're seeing fiction.

If you want to see the process of solving, watch "The First 48" or "The Shift" or a couple of other similar factual shows.

Oh, and you won't see any runway models with perfect hair either. You'll see the likes of Caroline Mason, Eunice Cooper, Jo Ann Kinney and Christine Mannina.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

I was pretty PO'd when AJ was let go and even more PO'd when this new chick took her place after we were told AJ was let go for budget reasons. Once Paget's role is decreased, or she leaves, I'm done with the show I think. Shemar's overacting is getting to be a bit too much for me.


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

SayWhat? said:


> You won't see that on those shows. You're seeing fiction.


I see it every week. Doesn't matter if it's fiction, there's still interesting ways they go about solving things (whether accurate or not).


----------



## QuickDrop (Jul 21, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> No one likes to see favorite characters leave a show, but in this case CBS may have made a correct move.
> 
> Criminal Minds suffered a drop from #11 to #16 in the 5th season.
> 
> ...


The primary problem with the casting changes is that they only effected the actresses not the actors. One was fired altogether, one had her episodes reduced, the third has to pull double duty. It's the most obvious example of sexism in the television that I've seen in a while.

Rachel Nichols can't be faulted for taking a job (I'm not sure what her beauty has to do with it; it's network television, all the actors, male and female, are "beautiful.") However, it's only in the imaginary world of the show that she didn't take the previous actress's place. She was hired and Cook was fired because she would be cheaper. All the cost cutting was taken out on the women who work/worked on the show. It was a disgusting move by the network.


----------



## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Rachel Nichols was hired originally as a new cast member, then her role was reduced to a 3 episode story arc. 

Producers then came back, before the first "Cadet Agent Seaver" episode aired and reinstated the original deal for series regular.

Paget Brewster's reduced role in the series gave her the ability to exercise a "Pilot Out" clause in her contract which will allow here to pursue other opportunities if they arise.

It is unlikely Rachel Nichols was obtained any cheaper that AJ Cook, as her acting resume is more extensive (though perhaps it doesn't matter) and she was probably cast because of her work on "Alias" "The Inside" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra".


----------



## astrohip (Mar 4, 2007)

Criminal Minds Exclusive: A.J. Cook Returns!

http://www.tvline.com/2011/02/criminal-minds-exclusive-a-j-cook-returns/

From Michael Ausiello and TVline.com:


> Sources confirm to me exclusively that the beloved Minds' alum - whose exit this fall triggered a sizeable viewer backlash - will reprise her role as Jennifer "J.J." Jareau for one episode this spring.
> 
> When last seen, J.J. reluctantly left the BAU to take a job at the Pentagon. It's not clear what prompts her return or when her episode will air, but I'm told Cook is due back on set this week.
> 
> ...


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

But it is only for one episode! The last show I recall doing that was CSI:NY who brought back a former CSI for one show only to have her hacked up and the CSI's working to solve her murder.
My guess is either something will happen to Prentsis (maybe that phone call she received has something to do with it) and the BAU is going to need JJ's help or something terrible will happen to JJ which will cause Prentsis to rethink her carrer and leave the BAU.

Either way, I suspect Criminal Minds will find itself delegated to bottom of my Series Links for next season. Thank You CBS for screwing up a perfectly good show!


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

fluffybear said:


> But it is only for one episode! The last show I recall doing that was CSI:NY who brought back a former CSI for one show only to have her hacked up and the CSI's working to solve her murder.
> *My guess is either something will happen to Prentsis (maybe that phone call she received has something to do with it)* and the BAU is going to need JJ's help or something terrible will happen to JJ which will cause Prentsis to rethink her carrer and leave the BAU.
> 
> Either way, I suspect Criminal Minds will find itself delegated to bottom of my Series Links for next season. Thank You CBS for screwing up a perfectly good show!


Yep, the call and the meeting with the caller where she asked "Is he coming after me?" and the reply "He's coming after us all", would lead me to believe she's gonna be whacked.


----------



## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

And let's not forget that despite claims of needing to reduce budgets, they produced a spin off with A list names as actors that will cost a fortune.


----------



## astrohip (Mar 4, 2007)

Supramom2000 said:


> And let's not forget that despite claims of needing to reduce budgets, they produced a spin off with A list names as actors that will cost a fortune.


New show, new budget.

Or maybe (let's put on our paranoid caps for this) they cut the budget to free up some money for the spinoff. :nono2:


----------



## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

astrohip said:


> New show, new budget.
> 
> Or maybe (let's put on our paranoid caps for this) they cut the budget to free up some money for the spinoff. :nono2:


I actually meant the CBS budget. They seem to be cutting a few shows casts but then they go and spend big bucks on a spin off with A list people. People I happen to not care for at all - but that is just me. Most of the people in the original Criminal Minds were relatively unknown - or at least not on top shows before. I guess Shemar Moore was on a soap? Didn't know that until Criminal Minds made it. A.J. Cook was on some show with fan fave Eliza Dushku -but the show did not make it and she was a minor character. The actor that plays Hotch was in a top comedy show, but I hadn't seen him in a long time after that show went off the air. I had never seen Garcia or Prentiss or Reid or the other female prior to Prentiss in any other show. Of course Mandy Patinkin cost big bucks and then his replacement is pretty well known as well.

Oh well - just my ramblings and my own perspective. I also thought the cuts were pretty misogynistic, but did not want to go there as it might be a personal bias.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BattleScott said:


> What I find equally as bad is the new "formula crime-drama" format of the show. What was great about the show was that it dealt with the concepts and logistics about solving crimes by "building the profile" of the unsub. You had to try and figure things out too during the course of the episode. Now, it seems all that is needed is a few "educated guesses" at the first crime scene, a quick "Garcia-Google" capable of cross-referencing any combination of facts, theories and ideas in sinlge keystroke and then let's go get 'em. This weeks episode (the young couple on killing spree) was one of the worst in the shows history. Sadly, I think it's time has passed.


I thought that show last week was very good. Probably the best CM episode I've ever seen. I've always enjoyed the show in spite of what I thought about the casting, which is odd for me. I usually don't watch shows that are poorly cast. I just can't get past Dharma's husband playing the role of Hotch, or whatever his name is. I keep waiting for Dharma to appear and drag him home......:lol:

Rich


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Supramom2000 said:


> A.J. Cook was on some show with fan fave Eliza Dushku -but the show did not make it and she was a minor character.


Tru Calling, and it was a good show. Also had Zack Galifianakis and Matt Bomer (White Collar). They killed the show when they added Jason Priestly though.



Supramom2000 said:


> I had never seen Garcia or Prentiss or Reid or the other female prior to Prentiss in any other show.


Most Notably Paget Brewster was on Andy Richter's Universe, great show, and does voices for numerous cartoons including American Dad, Family Guy, etc. She was also on Huff which was Hank Azaria's Showtime show a few years back. She played Hank's wife. The show wasn't that great but I watched just to see her.


----------



## Supramom2000 (Jun 21, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> Tru Calling, and it was a good show. Also had Zack Galifianakis and Matt Bomer (White Collar). They killed the show when they added Jason Priestly though.
> 
> I loved True Calling. Just could not remember the name. But AJ Cook was very minor and the show only lasted a short time.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

Supramom2000 said:


> I loved True Calling. Just could not remember the name. But AJ Cook was very minor and the show only lasted a short time.


It actually lasted 2 seasons. In this day and age that's a veteran tv show. :lol:


----------



## astrohip (Mar 4, 2007)

RunnerFL said:


> Most Notably Paget Brewster was on Andy Richter's Universe, great show, and does voices for numerous cartoons including American Dad, Family Guy, etc. She was also on Huff which was Hank Azaria's Showtime show a few years back. She played Hank's wife. The show wasn't that great but I watched just to see her.


I was watching an old 2.5 Men rerun some time back, and up pops Paget Brewster as one of Charlie's old girlfriends. {zip over to IMDB...} It was a 2005 episode.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

astrohip said:


> I was watching an old 2.5 Men rerun some time back, and up pops Paget Brewster as one of Charlie's old girlfriends. {zip over to IMDB...} It was a 2005 episode.


Yeah, she's done little things here and there too.


----------



## astrohip (Mar 4, 2007)

*Criminal Minds Scoop: Fates of Brewster, Moore and Gibson Uncertain*

http://www.tvline.com/2011/02/criminal-minds-contracts-brewster-gibson-and-moore/



> Paget Brewster's Criminal Minds days may not be numbered after all.
> 
> The actress - who was expected to end her six-year run as BAU agent Emily Prentiss in the spring - has been asked to return as a full-fledged regular next season. But there's a catch: Under the terms of her contract, Brewster has the freedom to attach herself to a pilot for fall - and she's taking full advantage of that opportunity. (The alum of Andy Richter Controls the Universe is circling a number of comedy projects at Fox.)
> 
> ...


----------



## The Merg (Jun 24, 2007)

astrohip said:


> *Criminal Minds Scoop: Fates of Brewster, Moore and Gibson Uncertain*
> 
> http://www.tvline.com/2011/02/criminal-minds-contracts-brewster-gibson-and-moore/


Very interesting... I had heard about her pilot clause and figured part of the reason that she was being written off was that she had found something to her liking. I guess that's not completely the case though.

- Merg


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Brewster is better off where she is. The number of stars who have exercised their "pilot" clause over the years only to regret it later on is staggering.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

So I watched last night's episode of CM today and not only am I still PO'd that they dumped AJ Cook for Rachel Nichols but now I'm more PO'd because they have had Nichols change her hair to be more like AJ's was. If you still wanted someone who looked like that why get rid of AJ????


----------



## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> So I watched last night's episode of CM today and not only am I still PO'd that they dumped AJ Cook for Rachel Nichols but now I'm more PO'd because they have had Nichols change her hair to be more like AJ's was. If you still wanted someone who looked like that why get rid of AJ????


Like most of the insanity around the cast changes of Criminal Minds... you don't have much in the way of facts.

1. AJ Cook was already out before Rachel Nichols was a factor. She was originally hired for a 3 episode arc. All 3 of her episodes had been filmed, but had not aired, when they decided they liked the idea of a sort of trainee added to the cast. She was then offered and accepted a permanent position.

2. Here is a picture of Rachel Nichols, and you are correct in that she resembles AJ... of course this picture is from the TV show "ALIAS" and is the way she actually looks, long before CM came along.

3. Before someone also blames Paget Brewster on Rachel Nichols, please bear in mind that Brewster asked for & received a "Pilot Out" option in her last contract, allowing her to search for other shows during this season. Whether she actually leaves or not is still up in the air.

4. The uproar of the cast changes on this show is out of control... here are some recent twitter comments which I have heavily edited for this forum:

@RachelNichols1 im not insane b***h, u f***in messed up w**re. ur charater is unwanted on the show and just do the world a favor and QUIT.

@RachelNichols1 ON the behalf of the criminal minds fans, please convince the writers to make ur charater commit sucide and ... just leave.

@RachelNichols1 wanna be aj.hate to break it 2 u sweetie but that aint nvr gonna happen so just QUIT or i will find you and do it for you.

@RachelNichols1 LOL u only have less then 10,000 followers & ur 'FAMOUS' i swear if u show up on the opening credits you WILL regret it

Additionally there is an online petition to get rid of her.

All of this over someone who wasn't even around when AJ was axed?

Rachel Nichols has been working as an actor for over 10 years with multiple TV series and movies to her credit. With last night's airing of Criminal Minds I believe the producers made a point... they put her in the opening credits.

All of this over a TV show?


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

LarryFlowers said:


> Like most of the insanity around the cast changes of Criminal Minds... you don't have much in the way of facts.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> All of this over someone who wasn't even around when AJ was axed?


AJ was released because of "budgetary cuts" yet all of a sudden the budget allows someone else? Yeah, right... Someone at CBS owed Rachel a favor...


----------



## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

RunnerFL said:


> AJ was released because of "budgetary cuts" yet all of a sudden the budget allows someone else? Yeah, right... Someone at CBS owed Rachel a favor...


Perfectly possible that the combination of AJ Cooks salary & the reduction in Padget Brewsters participation provided enough budgetary change that Rachel Nichols came on board at a lower price allowing CBS to still save money.

Who Knows...

Blaming Rachel Nichols for it is ridiculous... she was offered a contract for a series, what was she supposed to do, say no?

Like I said all this fuss over a TV show?


----------



## Jimmy 440 (Nov 17, 2007)

I see Garcia is doing double duty.She was on thw new CM show last night doing her computer thing.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

LarryFlowers said:


> Perfectly possible that the combination of AJ Cooks salary & the reduction in Padget Brewsters participation provided enough budgetary change that Rachel Nichols came on board at a lower price allowing CBS to still save money.
> 
> Who Knows...
> 
> Blaming Rachel Nichols for it is ridiculous... she was offered a contract for a series, what was she supposed to do, say no?


And it's also "perfectly possible" that someone at CBS owed Rachel a favor too. We'll never know the truth.


----------



## astrohip (Mar 4, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> Like most of the insanity around the cast changes of Criminal Minds... you don't have much in the way of facts.<snip>
> 
> All of this over a TV show?


"All of this over a TV show?" Well, yeah, this is a TV forum. The mods get p*ssed when I bring up political issues, so I stick to TV whining.:lol:

I disagree with most of your analysis. I'm sure some of the twitter feeds are crazy talk, but the underlying premise is accurate. The producers are changing the creative direction of the show by changing the characters.

More than most, CM is *very* character driven. If you watched the lame spinoff CM:SB, you can see that a poor ensemble will take these plots nowhere, whereas the strong group on CM can take weak stories quite far.

As far as PB's "pilot out" clause, it's been there and had nothing to do with the producers decision. They just wanted AJ and Emily out. Save money, new direction? Who knows, they won't say. But after all this uproar, all of a sudden they want to keep Emily in the show. But after the way she was treated, her desire to test the new pilot waters is not surprising at all. Who wouldn't, after being kissed off like she was?

And you can say the JJ/RN is unrelated, but that's not believable at all. They fire JJ, then *surprise*, bring in a trainee who looks just like her--hot blonde--a few eps later. Coincidence? Not in my book. I agree it's not Rachel Nichols fault she looks the way she does, and agree she didn't change her looks for this show. That's not the point. She was HIRED because of how she looks, and us long-time viewers resent it.

Here's the bottom line for me. The spinoff is dead. I gave it a try, it was terrible. No chemistry among the cast, FW is the wrong guy for that role (and I love FW, but not in this role). I'm one and done. As far as the mother ship, I will continue to watch Criminal Minds. But if I feel it slip in any way, I'm gone. Usually when a long time show slips, I stick it out, out of respect for what they've done. And I'm often rewarded as the cast & writers pull it together (Medium comes to mind). But when they start dismantling the cast, AND the show slips, there's no reason to stay.

We'll see. It's just a TV show, after all. :grin:


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

This situation reminds me of "CSI."

After the big fight over money a few years back that lost us characters, I stuck it out. When William Petersen left, I tried to stick it out as Laurence Fishburne is certainly a good actor and supposedly he and Marg Helgenberger were going to make it all right.

But my enthusiasm waned. I'm still recording the show. But I have episodes piled high on my External Hard Drive. Maybe I'll watch them, someday....


----------



## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

I would suspect that the a major reason behind the cost reductions were to provide some of the budget for the new spin-off. In order to attract a top name like Forest Whitaker, they very likely had to sacrifice some budget form the main show. At that point it just becomes who's most expendable, that unfortunately was AJ.

As for the show, this season has been a HUGE letdown, beyond the lack of AJ. The writing and creativity is really poor. This weeks "misery" episode was only slightly better than the "natural born killers" episode a few weeks ago. last weeks is still on the DVR, but it might not get watched.


----------



## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

phrelin said:


> This situation reminds me of "CSI."
> 
> After the big fight over money a few years back that lost us characters, I stuck it out. When William Petersen left, I tried to stick it out as Laurence Fishburne is certainly a good actor and supposedly he and Marg Helgenberger were going to make it all right.
> 
> But my enthusiasm waned. I'm still recording the show. But I have episodes piled high on my External Hard Drive. Maybe I'll watch them, someday....


Same here, I was actually kind of happy when William Peterson left. But I just didn't realize how much balance he gave the show. We watched the first half of the first "post-Gill" season but quickly lost interest.


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

phrelin said:


> This situation reminds me of "CSI."
> 
> After the big fight over money a few years back that lost us characters, I stuck it out. When William Petersen left, I tried to stick it out as Laurence Fishburne is certainly a good actor and supposedly he and Marg Helgenberger were going to make it all right.
> 
> But my enthusiasm waned. I'm still recording the show. But I have episodes piled high on my External Hard Drive. Maybe I'll watch them, someday....


Ever notice how much Larry Fish****** has changed the spelling of his name? In _Apocalypse Now_ I think it was Fishborn, now, it's Fishburne, and I'm pretty sure I saw credits in one film for Fishbourne. In any event, he doesn't seem to suited to that role.

Rich


----------



## Rich (Feb 22, 2007)

BattleScott said:


> Same here, I was actually kind of happy when William Peterson left. But I just didn't realize how much balance he gave the show. We watched the first half of the first "post-Gill" season but quickly lost interest.


I've been watching CSI:NY from the beginning on NetFlix DVDs and Gary Sinise seemed to be aping Peterson's role in the first few episodes of season 1. Then he began to assert himself and took the role to new levels. I almost gave up on watching the whole series during the first season, then it became better and better. I'm up to the third season and it's really good.

Peterson is a really good actor, just didn't seem to be in many movies for some reason. I'll be watching the whole series as soon as I finish the NYC series. Interesting to watch the evolution of characters and the series as a whole.

Rich


----------



## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

From Deadline Hollywood:


> Paget Brewster will continue on CBS' crime drama Criminal Minds next season, while new series regular Rachel Nichols won't return. Meanwhile, co-star Thomas Gibson still doesn't have a deal for next season, with negotiations ongoing.
> 
> ...With Brewster and original cast member and fan favorite A.J. Cook returning to the crime drama alongside Kirsten Vangsness, there wasn't much room left for Nichols, whose character Ashley Seaver was introduced last season in part to fill the void left by the departure of Cook's JJ. As for Gibson, I hear Criminal Minds producers want him back. He got warm reception by international buyers at the L.A. Screenings this week where he appeared with other cast members of the veteran CBS crime drama. Co-star Shemar Moore, whose deal was also up at the end of this season, signed a new one earlier this month.


----------



## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

phrelin said:


> From Deadline Hollywood:


Good, it looks like they realized their mistake and are working to correct it. I was on the fence about keeping my Series Link but I think I'll keep it now.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

IMHO, Gibson would be a fool not to sign.. While the show could continue without him, it would not be the same. I am happy to see both Cook and Brewster return as Nichols just did not fit in for me.


----------

