‘CSI’ series finale will be two-hour movie; Ted Danson joins ‘CSI: Cyber’

Changes are coming all across the board for the “CSI” franchise, and we begin with confirmation on what is the biggest story of the day: How the flagship show will end. At the upfronts today, CBS confirmed that they are going to have the long-running series sign off with a two-hour movie on Sunday, September 27. For this movie, original cast members including William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger will be returning, and we imagine that there will be some other familiar faces turning up, as well.

While the network did not have to do this, it feels right to give the franchise some sort of fitting end given that neither “CSI: Miami” nor “CSI: New York” had anything close to this. They just ended abruptly and really without any resolution at all. This is at least a chance to have that, and to give longtime fans something more to look forward to.

Also today, CBS did confirm that the original show is not going to be dying out entirely. Ted Danson will be bringing his character of D.B. Russell over to “CSI: Cyber,” where he will be a major part of that show’s upcoming second season. There were some creative changes anticipated for that show after it delivered only so-so ratings during his first season on the air.

CBS unveiled its fall schedule today, and “CSI: Cyber” is actually being moved to the same Sunday timeslot that previously housed the original series, which did not fare so well there in the midst of frequent NFL delays.