Ted Danson Replaces Laurence Fishburne on 'CSI'

That didn't take too long! Just about a month ago, we reported that Laurence Fishburne was leaving "CSI" after two and a half seasons on the sciencey crimey show. Now, it looks like CBS has found his replacement: Ted Danson.

Yes, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning star of "Cheers" will be the one to analyze DNA samples and bust criminals now that Fishburne has departed. It's a fair trade, taking one veteran actor off of the show and replacing him with another, even though I'm not sure that Danson has done any Shakespeare.

The big question, though, is whether bringing Danson on will revive interest in the show. The ratings for "CSI" have been in decline since 2008, which was when William Petersen left the cast. The addition of Fishburne didn't end up helping in the long run, as last season's finale was the lowest-rated in the series' history.

Then again, the show is about to enter it's 12th season. That's a long run for any show, and ratings are bound to rise and fall when you're on the air for more than a decade. And that lowest-rated finale still drew 11.4 million total viewers...the 2.4 in the demo isn't great (and Ted Danson probably won't help that cause), but over 11 million watching a show isn't a bad thing.

Oh, and for those who are worried about Danson's role on "Bored to Death," don't worry: he remains a series regular on the HBO comedy.

Season 12 of "CSI," starring Ted Danson, will premiere on Wednesday, September 21 at 10pm.