'CSI' cancelled, two-hour TV movie as series finale

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCBS

After 15 years, "CSI" is finally coming to an end. When CBS recently announced their slate of new shows and renewals, the hit procedural TV series was missing from the list and that's when the show's cancellation became official. However, according to a report from Cinema Blend, CBS will offer a 2-hour TV-movie to properly wrap things up. 

The 2-hour feature will resolve the cliffhanger that ended season 15 and is scheduled to air on Sept. 27.  

Series veterans William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger will also come back to reprise their roles as Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows, respectively. They were the two main characters when the show started. Grissom retired in season 9 and Willows joined the FBI in season 12. 

Both actors left the show to pursue stage acting careers although they have popped up with cameo appearances once or twice. It will be interesting to see how they will be brought back to the crime lab for one last case. 

Another "CSI" veteran, actor Ted Danson, was rumored to leave the show upon his contract's expiration at the end of season 15. However, CBS has announced that since the show has been cancelled and his contract is over, Danson will instead shift over to the last remaining spin-off series, "CSI: Cyber." 

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" began in October 2000 and would eventually run for 15 seasons. It later spawned three spin-off shows: "CSI: New York," "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: Cyber" of which only the last one survived. Both "CSI: NY" and "Miami" were cancelled after running for 9 and 10 seasons, respectively. 

"CSI" was also the most watched TV series in the world until it lost out to another crime investigative show, "NCIS." 

The cancelation of "CSI" seemed inevitable, Cinema Blend points out, when CBS shortened the 15th season from 22 episodes to only 18. This was further compounded when the show was moved from its original Wednesday timeslot to Sunday.