News

The new Matrix for Laurence Fishburne is here in the soundstages of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – an ugly world of autopsy tables, morgue drawers, drain rooms and, everywhere you look, splayed rubber corpses and various body parts. And already it feels like home.

“Look at all this incredible detail,” said Fishburne, gesturing to the sprawl of crime-lab sets and allowing a rare small smile. “It's a remarkable place to be, I think. Who wouldn't want to play here?”

We are not here to play, but to observe and engage the cast of CSI, still among the most-watched programs in both the United States and Canada. Currently midway through season nine, CSI is the original flavour in the crime-procedural franchise, and the inspiration for CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

The TV Critics' Tour moved en masse to the CSI soundstages the other day, the first in a half-day of set visits. Out came the sensible shoes.

The stop was CBS's way of introducing Fishburne to the TV press. The imposing film star is the new male lead on the show – gone is the original dour CSI boss Gil Grissom, played by William Petersen, now richer than sin and apparently intent to resume his stage career in Chicago.

Eased into the show with brief appearances in two episodes, Fishburne plays Dr. Raymond Langston, a former pathologist and academic-type. The new boss is not the same as the old boss. “Langston is a professor and has never worked directly in this world before,” Fishburne said. “His methods will agree with some CSI members, and with others it will remain to be seen.”

For the benefit of the larger group, Fishburne politely shrugged off any adjustment problems associated with moving from feature-film work into TV production. “I've heard a lot of people talk about this grind of series television,” he said flatly. “I haven't seen it yet.”

And Fishburne sounded very much like his Matrix alter ego, Morpheus, as he patiently explained, possibly for the thousandth time, his decision to join the iconic TV series.

“I was invited to come here,” he said in that serious baritone. “I have been welcomed. I have tried to do what I can do to blend in harmoniously.”

After the press session, away from the mob, Fishburne admitted that he was still finding his way into the character. “We'll learn more of Langston's personality as the story progresses and we learn where he came from. He has compassion, and we're still discovering his sense of humour, which is very necessary in this field,” he said.

The CSI set is the largest for a TV series I have ever seen, and I've been to the set of Heroes. Row after row of rooms are decorated to replicate real forensics labs. The attention to detail is astounding, right down to the tiny handwriting on the blood vials.

“This is all state-of-the art equipment, the exact same equipment used in crime labs all over the States,” said producer Rich Catalani, who came to the show after two decades spent at the Los Angeles County Crime Lab. “We buy it, rent it or it's donated to us. Real CSIs are jealous after a tour of our set.”

Our next stop was in Hollywood and the set of the new TNT series Trust Me, which will air in Canada on the pay service Superchannel, starting later this month.

The hour-long drama stars two affable Canadians: Toronto's own Eric McCormack of Will & Grace fame and Ottawa native Tom Cavanagh, who played lovable losers in the long-running series Ed, and the very short-lived series, Love Monkey.

The concept casts them as best buddies and creative partners working at a present-day Chicago advertising agency.

“We get the comparison to Mad Men a lot, which of course makes no sense, “ said Cavanagh, who plays the cocky one in the partnership. “We're in the present, and we're not nearly as serious.” Several noted critics have already picked Trust Me as one to watch.

And as the sun went down over Sunset Boulevard, our final stop was to a bar/restaurant called The Peach Pit, located in a not-so-great area of Hollywood, where The CW network had arranged for the cast of 90210 to appear.

Most of the press made an immediate beeline for Canadian actress Shenae Grimes, who plays Annie Wilson on CW's remake of the seminal nineties teen soap.

The former Degrassi: The Next Generation star looked older than her 19 years at the party, possibly an effect of the constant barrage of gossip directed toward her on the Internet.

She claimed not to pay attention to any of it and played up the positive.

“I'm still having the most incredible time in my life doing this show,” said Grimes, while The CW publicity team hovered nearby.

“Everything has been such a new experience for me; I learned to drive here. Everyone has been so amazing to me.”

And after that, the bus rolled home.