2. Replaced a Leading Man (Drama Edition)
Contenders: CSI vs.
Law & Order: SVU
The Setup: Laurence Fishburne chose not to renew his
CSI contract after two seasons, while
Christopher Meloni walked away from
SVU after 12. Both Fishburne's Ray Langston and Meloni's Elliot Stabler figured prominently into their respective shows' cliff-hangers: Langston was accused of killing serial murder Nate Haskell and Stabler shot and killed a young woman who opened fire in the precinct.
How the Shows Handled It: On both shows, the characters conveniently chose to walk away from the job.
CSI hired
Ted Danson to play quirky new Graveyard Shift Supervisor D.B. Russell.
SVU made two new hires:
Danny Pino plays Nick Amaro, who moved into the unit from narcotics while
Kelli Giddish plays Amanda Rollins, a transfer from Atlanta's sex crimes squad.
Advantage: CSI. The new blood on
SVU is doing just fine, but the show hasn't really reinvented itself. (The sooner Benson gets over Stabler, the better.) Meanwhile, Danson's got the chops to be both light and serious depending on the situation, and he jells with the cast in a way Fishburne never did. He's the best thing to happen to the show since the end of Grissom's run.