Gil Grissom might have taken the viewers with him

As previously reported here, William Petersen, known to fans as CSI Head Gil Grissom, recently left the show stemming from Petersen's desire to not be locked into a role and to resume stage acting. This did not bode well for the show, as viewership has dropped ever since his departure. This past week, "CSI" had 17.5 million viewers making it the most watched program of that night. Unfortunately, those numbers were much higher when Petersen was a member of the cast. "CSI" now actually has to face competition from shows such as "Bones" on the Fox Network and "Grey's Anatomy" on the ABC Network.

Grissom permanently leaving CSI

William Petersen also known to "CSI" viewers as Gil Grissom will be leaving the show "CSI" permanently. His last appearance will be this Thursday alongside his replacement played by Laurence Fishburne. His departure was foreshadowed when he was replaced at the beginning of the current season by Laurence Fisburne. This Thursday will mark his final appearance on the show. Petersen states that he is leaving the show because the role did not allow him the growth that he desired and that as an actor he was going to atrophy is he stayed in the role. Petersen's plans now involve resuming his career as a theater actor. For details check

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/13/ew.petersen/index.html