CSI: Vegas star Paula Newsome reacts to CBS’s decision to cancel the crime drama after three seasons. The show, itself a revival of the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, is the fifth series in the CSI franchise and featured the returns of several actors from the iconic show, including William Peterson, Jorja Fox, and Marg Helgenberger. Newsome played the show’s lead, Maxine Roby, the head of the Las Vegas Crime Lab. CSI: Vegas season 3 has not yet finished, but CBS has already made the decision to cancel the show.

In an interview with TVLine, Newsome discussed the shock of CBS canceling CSI: Vegas in a manner she believed to be premature, and the disappointment the cast felt. She mentioned how the news came as a surprise, especially considering the high ratings and the successful run the show was on. Check out Newsome’s full comments on the cancelation below:

I got the news from my showrunner [Jason Tracey], and I was very surprised because our ratings are so good. Our numbers were much higher than a lot of shows on other networks that had been picked up, so that was very surprising, but I know the business is tough. The truth about part of what we do as actors is we sometimes have to ‘wait in the hallway’ [between roles], and it’s about enjoying the time in the hallway.

Before I got CSI: Vegas, two minutes before that call I didn’t know a thing about it! Before I got the call for Spider-Man I didn’t know anything about it! There’s always time in the hallway, and the most important thing is to enjoy that time, because something is always coming. So make sure that when you have the time off, enjoy it. Travel, relax, work out more.

[In the past] a show with our numbers would be on for a couple more seasons, no question. But yeah, it’s a good run. It should be more. I’m very proud of what we did.

Why CSI: Vegas Could Have Been Canceled

CBS Might’ve Considered A Few Factors When Deciding CSI: Vegas’ Fate

As it was once thought that CSI: Vegas could simply be a limited series, CBS could believe it has reached its natural conclusion. Many believe the cancelation to have been premature, but the time could have been right to wrap up the show and conclude it naturally. The CSI: Vegas season 3 finale has not aired at the time of writing, so it isn’t yet clear if it ends with any sort of cliffhanger. Assuming it doesn’t, all of the current storylines could be tied up with no need for a continuation.

There is also the fact that CBS has been looking to clean house of late, and has wiped several strong shows from its roster to replace them with new titles. The drive to keep things fresh and unique, and perhaps bring more viewers to the network, could have been a key factor in this decision. CBS is one of the most popular and successful networks in the United States, and this is precisely because they have continued to evolve their output, which means the need to make tough creative decisions, such as canceling popular shows.

Though CSI: Vegas has been canceled, there is reportedly a new CSI show in development, and the direction it could take is unclear at this stage. It is possible that the franchise could see an end to the serialized format that has served it so well, and this might be just what it requires to discover a fresh and exciting new direction. Once CSI: Vegas comes to an end, there could be a break of a few years while the new show is in development, but all hope is not yet lost for this beloved property.

Source: TVLine