William Peterson to Quit as Grissom on CBS Hit Show CSI

It was announced by CNN today, that actor William Peterson will be leaving his role on CSI. CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) has been a hit show for CBS since 2000, and has led to two spin-offs in recent years (CSI: Miami and CSI: New York), but has maintained its spot as one of the 10 most watched television shows in the U.S. The show depicts how the CSI lab of Las Vegas, Nevada works to solve murders using extraordinary techniques and methodology that doesn't leave the criminals much of a chance. Though it is ramped up to provide excitement to its audience, the show strives to anchor its depiction in reality, thus creating quite a drama.

William Peterson could be seen as the lead character of Gil Grissom, who is the leader of one of the teams of investigators on the show. He has been on the show since it first started, and the character has become synonymous with CSI. It would seem like an impossibility for the show to be the same without its lead character, but this also isn't the first time that he has been away from the show. Back in the 2006-2007 season, he took some time off to star in a play, and had to be replaced by actor Liev Schreiber for a few weeks. The story arc was pretty exciting, but the show just didn't seem the same without the "main guy" giving his great deductions on what was taking place.

The other thing that Grissom became famous for, was his one-liners to end the first segment of the show. Before the credits even roll, most CSI episodes start off with a flashback to a crime taking place, and then 1 or more of the CSI team coming on scene to start their investigation. Right before it would go to the shows introduction and commercials, Grissom would give a great one-liner about the case before it would fade to black and start up the theme music. It was a trait that carried over to the spin-off shows, and one which could bring some much needed humor or sarcasm to the scene before an episode became quite serious.