Carol Mendelsohn: 'We Are Not A Soap Opera'

[CSI Files]

CSI showrunner <font color=yellow>Carol Mendelsohn</font> told the Chicago Tribune that despite Grissom and Sara's union, CSI won't turn into a one giant Harlequin novel.

"We are not a soap opera. We are not a serial," she explained. "We will always be a show about science, mystery, clues, and twists and turns. And this is a twist and turn. But it's not going to be the Grissom-Sara show from now on."

But even though the show is all about the science, the writers want the fans to get a glimpse into Grissom through this new relationship, which may actually not be new at all. "I think the viewers are always able to draw their own conclusions about the relationships," she said. "It was a very private, intimate moment and I think it suggested a level of comfortability that comes from a relationship that is not so new."

Mendelsohn also had the chance to talk about ABC's move of the hit drama Grey's Anatomy opposite CSI on Thursday nights. Though CSI remains the most watched scripted show, Grey's ratings continue to increase. "I don't know what's going to happen but I do think we can both coexist on that night. And we're going to do our best to deliver the best season ever."

Grey's isn't CSI's only worry. The show's front man <font color=yellow>William Petersen</font> (Gil Grissom) has been talking about leaving, and though Mendelsohn believes the show could go on without him, some believe the damage would be irreparable. "I think the show's greatness exists apart from any one of us, or perhaps all of us. Can I say the show will go on? I think it will. Will the joy be gone in Mudville if we can't write for Billy and Grissom? Oh boy, yes."

"But at the moment the show is about Grissom and his team, and I hope it will always be about that."

To read more about Mendelsohn's take on the Grissom-Sara relationship and what makes Grissom tick, visit the Chicago Tribune.<center></center>

 

[faith666]

CSI_Files said:Mendelsohn also had the chance to talk about ABC's move of the hit drama Grey's Anatomy opposite CSI on Thursday nights. Though CSI remains the most watched scripted show, Grey's ratings continue to increase. "I don't know what's going to happen but I do think we can both coexist on that night. And we're going to do our best to deliver the best season ever."

It's not going to be the best season ever if they have a Grissom/Sara relationship. I always think it's a mistake for shows to do these things. It's ok having the idea of a relationship there, everybody's happy. Fans of the relationship can draw their own conclusions about what's going on between the two characters, and people who aren't fans are happy cos there isn't a relationship. I'm not completely happy about it. And I don't know what Carol Mendelsochn is talking about. It is kind of making it into a soap, what with the possibility of a relationship between Catherine and Warrick and Warrick getting married and now Grissom and Sara.

 

[Guest]

This interview just confirmed what I've been worried about ever since airing of the last season finale. The production is completely clueless about what fans want.

As CM said, many of the viewers are NOT tuning in for the whole 'oh my god, is Grissom going to have relationship with Sara?' but rather they want to watch the human drama each case entails and the team dynamic that's been more or less evolved into a 'family' in every sense of the word over the past years. (I personally like to think that's one of the main reason why Grave Danger was such a successful finale). But by throwing canon Grissom/Sara scene, they totally threw that delicate team balance off (isn't any supervisor-subordinate relationship going to do it in one way or another no matter how discrete?) and unless viewers have all gone blind, they wouldn't be able to ignore it from now on either.

For the most part I'm definitely not happy with the direction CSI has been heading in the last season (they missed so many chances of doing some good character study even when there was opportunity - anyone remeber the horror called Daddy's Little Girl?) and if this is going to be continued people will start to leave the show regardless of other shows such as Grey's Anatomy.

I really wish the production would abandon this whole 'shipper' thing (which I think is nothing but catering to small vocal group rather than majority of the viewers) and get on with the human drama and science that the made CSI what it is today.

 

[sissi59100]

there is something i don't get....Why people think that since sara/grissom relationship became canon, we will have a LOOOOT of sara/grissom scenes next season? this thing is bugging me, i mean it's not cause they put those two together that we will have a soapish scene on every single episode of the next season!!!! remember Warrick/Tina? do we had a soapish scene on every episode? No...Remember Sara/Hank on season3? do we had a soapish scene on every episode? no!!! and this time, even if it's grissom, the big boss and Sara, i don't think the writers will go down that road. This season , most of the case were emiotionnaly hard for the characters,and writers were focused on the cases. By the way, i found sad, really sad, that a scene of few seconds get more impact on the viewers than the whole season...everybody is talking about that scene, like there were anything else but that. Sad isn't it?

 

[faith666]

emiel said:
As CM said, many of the viewers are NOT tuning in for the whole 'oh my god, is Grissom going to have relationship with Sara?' but rather they want to watch the human drama each case entails and the team dynamic that's been more or less evolved into a 'family' in every sense of the word over the past years. (I personally like to think that's one of the main reason why Grave Danger was such a successful finale). But by throwing canon Grissom/Sara scene, they totally threw that delicate team balance off (isn't any supervisor-subordinate relationship going to do it in one way or another no matter how discrete?) and unless viewers have all gone blind, they wouldn't be able to ignore it from now on either.

Exactly. I totally agree. People keep saying that it's only a small part of the show, but it's completely different from the Warrick/Tina or Sara/Hank relationships, in that Hank and Tina are/were hardly ever in the show. Grissom and Sara are main characters, and a relationship between the two is a major part of the show. The fact that they are boss and subordinate means that there will be a pretty big reaction when people find out about the relationship.

I don't understand why people don't think this is going to affect the show. It's not gonna be like the Warrick/Tina relationship in that they're obviously going to make something of it or they wouldn't have done it in the first place.

And yeah, I know that it is a drama, but the majority is the science and the drama of the cases. That's what I watch it for, not who's going out with who and how's their relationship going. I would watch a soap opera if that's what I wanted.

Also, CM said that it's not a soap opera when in a way they've made it into a soap opera. The big talking point of season 6, and probably season 7 too, is Grissom and Sara, nothing to do with any of the cases or the lab. The writers had to know that it would have this kind of impact on fans, so it's on the writers that the whole season is being remembered by one scene. That sounds like soap opera to me.

I agree with you emiel when you say that they writers/producers or whatever don't know what the fans want. So true.