What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T10 WHATS UP! October 3 - 9, 2021 happening, and it's great to be grounded with William Peters- en and be back as Sara and Grissom. Boy, what a thrill that is, and that's what kept my feet on the ground a little bit." Another possibly pleasing tidbit for audiences: the lab threat had already been identi- fied, meaning "CSI: Vegas" may well be intense from the very beginning. The show's creator and producer, Jason Tracey ("Elementary"), has noted that the attack on the lab involves beloved character Jim Brass (Paul Guilfoyle, "The Morning Show"). "CSI" fans will remember Brass's departure from the se- ries after 14 seasons. Having him back, if even to just be "at- tacked," is a major callback to the original series — he's also the catalyst for something much bigger as the trailer for "Vegas" shows someone myste- riously typing out, "Jim Brass is just the beginning." While this warning could sig- nal the potential loss of some major franchise characters, it is a good indication that "CSI: Ve- gas" has some major plans in place for its 10-episode first sea- son. And as wonderfully famil- iar as the basic plot may seem, the show is getting a major up- grade in both storytelling and gear. In just six years, a lot has changed in the world of sci- ence, forensics and the technol- ogy used by crime labs, and the show's writers have not forgot- ten to update their scripts to match these latest practices. After all, the franchise was first launched more than 20 years ago, and two decades in the world of forensic technology is no small tweak. "It's an enormous challenge and responsibility," Tracey said of updating the lab technologies and jumping into the procedural game in 2021. "Fortunately, this franchise that Anthony [Zuiker] devised has always been about evidence and science and fol- lowing the evidence. ... It's a solving story ... and we take the responsibility of entering the criminal justice realm really se- riously. We're trying to tell some really thoughtful stories about getting justice for victims." It's clear the return of the CSI franchise is more than just a fun idea from producers; it's a celebration of sorts. "CSI: Vegas" was originally meant as a special 20th-anni- versary gift to audiences, though, as with just about ev- erything last year, it was de- layed due to the pandemic. Las Vegas is where it all began — before spinoffs were launched in Miami, New York and Cyber- space — and now, in a sense, both the characters and the viewers are going home. So don't miss the premiere of "CSI: Vegas" when it airs on CBS this Wednesday, Oct. 6, as well as for streaming on Para- mount+. And hey, fans, wel- come home. William Petersen in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" continued from page T2 A third decade of 'Crime': 'CSI' hits Vegas for sequel series TV FEATURE Celebrations 5 x 5