CBS has just released a teaser for its upcoming CSI revival, CSI: Vegas. Revealed in a tweet Wednesday, the teaser includes some tantalizing clues about the new series, as well as the confirmation of an official premiere date. CSI: Vegas will air beginning on October 6 on CBS.
The teaser also features plenty of familiar faces, with the respective returns of William Petersen as Gil Grissom, Lorja Fox as Sarah Sidle, and Paul Guilfoyle as Detective Jim Brass. But we also catch glimpses of some new members of the forensics team, including Paula Newsome, Matt Luria, and Mandeep Dhillon. Wallace Langham, Jamie McShane, and Mel Rodriguez are also set to star. Beyond the old vs. the new, the teaser also emphasizes truth vs. lies. "In the end, all you can do is tell the truth," Grissom's voiceover insists. "Hope that the evidence doesn't disagree."
At a modest 20 seconds long, that teaser may not seem like much, but to CSI enthusiasts, the evidence is already starting to add up. Previous announcements have hinted at "an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab," and the previous teaser suggested that that threat might be falsified evidence, calling into question any number of cases that relied on the Crime Lab's analysis. "Truth lies here," as the teaser says, in a delicious bit of double-meaning. But how can the CSI team bring down a criminal that can fake any evidence, and who could even pull that off that didn't have their level of expertise?
It's a timely choice for the franchise, questioning how any evidence can be trusted, and turning its attention to how science separates fact from fiction. It also introduces an intriguing serialized element to a previously heavily episodic formula, which has already been teased as capable of extending for multiple seasons. Both of these are clever moves to inject new life into one of the biggest franchises in CBS history, which generated a number of spinoffs, including CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and CSI: Cyber. "I'm excited to be bringing back the 'CSI' franchise to all our fans who have been so loyal to us for all these years," said executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "And to be back in Las Vegas where it all started over 20 years ago makes it even more special."
CSI: Vegas premieres October 6 on CBS. Check out the teaser below.