Nina Tassler was the third network executive of the week to take the stage at the
TCA press tour today, and she shed some light on the departure of
Moonlight, the future of
Swingtown, and what
CSI will look like sans William Petersen. Some highlights:
- To help fill the hole on CSI left by Petersen's departure later this season, Tassler said the producers plan to introduce a new character with "an interesting genetic profile" that is comparable to that found in many serial killers. His character is on something of a journey of self-discovery, she said.
CBS took its turn at the
2008 upfronts this morning, revealing a slate that boasted five new shows — and the cancellation of a couple of fan favorites. Chief among them:
Moonlight, the network's Friday night vampire drama, which in recent weeks had fans organizing a blood drive in its honor. I wonder if stakes and cloves of garlic will soon be arriving at CBS' door?
Dandelion high-fives all around for this news:
Pushing Daisies has become the newest series to
get a full-season order! It joins
Gossip Girl, Private Practice, and the Big Bang Theory as the only series guaranteed to stick around for the whole TV season.
With
the threat of a writers' strike looming, I expect we'll be hearing about more pickup orders in the coming weeks.
One of the most mysterious series of the fall is
"Moonlight," which premieres tonight on CBS. I even put it on my list of
five toss-up shows simply because it's been thoroughly overhauled since we first heard about it at the
upfronts back in May. The only constants: star Alex O'Loughlin and the basic plot, about an immortal vampire-slash-private eye.
