Draft:CSI: Vegas season 1

The first season of the American crime drama television series CSI: Vegas, a sequel to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, premiered on CBS on October 6, 2021, and concluded on December 8 with 10 episodes. The season starred Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon, and Mel Rodriguez as new characters. William Petersen and Jorja Fox reprised their roles from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle. Wallace Langham, and Paul Guilfoyle also reprised their roles as David Hodges, Jim Brass respectively.

Originally branded as an epilogue limited series, the show was renewed for a second season in December 2021. For the 2021–22 U.S. television season, the first season of CSI: Vegas ranked #30 with an average of 6.8 million viewers.

Main

 * Paula Newsome as Maxine "Max" Roby, head of the Las Vegas Crime Lab
 * Matt Lauria as Joshua "Josh" Folsom, CSI Level III
 * Mandeep Dhillon as Ahalya "Allie" Rajan
 * Mel Rodriguez as Dr. Hugo Ramirez, the Chief Medical Examiner
 * Jorja Fox as Sara Sidle
 * William Petersen as Gil Grissom

Recurring

 * Paul Guilfoyle as Jim Brass
 * Wallace Langham as David Hodges
 * Chelsey Crisp as Emma Hodges, David's wife
 * Jamie McShane as Anson Wix, a corrupt civil attorney
 * Jay Lee as Christopher "Chris" Park, a CSI Level I
 * Sarah Gilman as Penelope "Penny" Gill, a CSI
 * Sean James as Will Carson, a homicide detective
 * Kat Foster as Nora Cross, an Internal Affairs detective
 * Robert Curtis Brown as Undersheriff Cade Wyatt

Development
Following the airing of the finale of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, in 2015, series creator Anthony E. Zuiker said the future of the characters would be that "Grissom and Sara ... [would still be] sailing the oceans, ... saving the environment, ... [would have] children, and they would dedicate their lives to the betterment of humanity. ... Catherine would still be running the crime lab, ... [ Brass ] probably would retire, ... and DB probably is working in the private sector in Washington DC. And I think that all these characters would still have their toe in the crime water."

Soon after the cancellation of the last series in the franchise, CSI: Cyber, in 2016, it was announced that the producers were open to reviving the franchise. The CBS Entertainment president at the time, Glenn Geller, said, "We are incredibly proud of all CSI shows. It may come back in another incarnation." On February 10, 2020, it was announced that an event series sequel to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was being discussed, from Jason Tracey, CBS Studios, and Jerry Bruckheimer Television, with Tracey, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Jonathan Littman as executive producers.

On August 10, 2020, it was announced that the series was still in development, now titled CSI: Vegas, with the original star of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, William Petersen, set to executive produce alongside Tracey, Bruckheimer, Littman, KirstieAnne Reed, Zuiker, Craig O'Neill, and Cynthia Chvatal. In February 2021, the series was nearing a formal straight-to-series order. It was also announced that although it is being billed as an event series, it could become an ongoing series airing multiple seasons.

On March 31, 2021, it was announced that CSI: Vegas had officially been ordered to series, with Uta Briesewitz directing the pilot.

Casting
On February 10, 2020, it was announced that two of the original stars of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Petersen and Jorja Fox, were in talks to potentially reprise their roles as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle. On August 10, 2020, it was announced that Petersen and Fox were still in negotiations to return, and that casting was under way for five new characters.

On February 12, 2021, it was revealed that Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, and Mel Rodriguez had been cast in the series. Lauria and Rodriguez both previously guest-starred as different characters in the franchise. It was also revealed that Petersen and Fox were finalizing their deals. On March 31, 2021, it was announced that Mandeep Dhillon had been cast in the series.

Later that day, it was revealed that Wallace Langham would reprise his role as David Hodges, and Petersen and Fox were officially announced as being cast. On May 3, 2021, it was announced that Jamie McShane had been cast in a recurring role and that Paul Guilfoyle would reprise his role as Jim Brass in two episodes. In September 2021, Zuiker hinted that additional CSI: Crime Scene Investigation characters may make appearances in the series.

Filming
On August 10, 2020, it was announced that filming was planned to start in the fall of 2020, whenever COVID-19 conditions permitted Hollywood production to resume. On January 8, 2021, it was announced that the series is set to begin production in early 2021. Filming began May 4, 2021, and was scheduled to run until November 4, 2021, in Los Angeles, California. On August 22, 2021, it was reported that Petersen had been taken to a hospital after becoming ill during filming.