Jorja Fox is coming back to CSI. Fine, only for one episode. (I know, that was just mean, wasn’t it?) Sara Sidle will return for the ninth season opener in the fall, according to TV Guide.

(Spoilers for the eighth season finale ahead, so if you haven’t watched yet … what are you waiting for?) The report goes on to speculate that Sara will return to Las Vegas to mourn the death of her former colleague Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan). Of course, CSI producers went on to say Gary would be back as well and “not just in flashbacks.”

Uh, wouldn’t getting shot through the neck and once more for good measure mean he’d have to be back in a body bag? Or will they let him live just long enough for his colleagues, past and present, to hold vigil by his bedside? Or will CSI take a Ghost Whisperer route with his passing? I mean, I know it’s hard coming up with new storylines after nine seasons, but Touched By a CSI is not the way to go, in my humble opinion.

When Jorja left the show in November, she left the door open for guest appearances in the future. So it looks like she wasn’t kidding. Her return will no doubt clear up some lingering questions about the whole Grissom-Sara relationship. Are they still together, but just long-distancing it, or are they separated and single? I don’t know, but I sure hope they don’t use their mini-reunion as an opportunity to break out the silk robes again. Those things were just wrong. … continue reading

Oh, Sara Sidle. All that squinting. All that eyebrow raising. All that gap-toothed grinning. How we will miss it. All of it. Jorja Fox leaves CSI tonight after eight seasons of forensic sleuthing. Oh, scarecrow, I think I'll miss that skeptical scowl the most.

Jorja told Entertainment Weekly last month that she was leaving for personal reasons, like maybe surfing around the world. To which I say, “Good on ya, mate.” As much as I'll be sad to see my favorite CSI go, I understand the inclination to get away. Daily TV is a grind, and peering inquisitively at imaginary evidence probably gets old, too. … continue reading

If you're anything like me, you have little interest in watching boys run around trying to escape from other boys and the prisons they build. That's not to say I don't like Prison Break. It's not horrible, but there's just way too much testosterone. Plus, the show is starting to look a little bit like a lost puppy during this third season.

The drooping ratings and recycled story lines do not, however, dampen my enthusiasm for the the recent news that the folks in charge of Prison Break are planning a spin-off. Now, normally I'm not a big spin-off girl, unless you're talking Star Trek. But, in this case, I think I'll make an exception. Why? Because this spin-off is all about the girls.

You heard me correctly. Think of your love for the Charlie's Angels "women in prison" episode.

Now think of your love for Bad Girls.

Now imagine something a lot less campy than Sabrina and the gang and more American than Nikki and Helen. That's what Fox is cooking up for its Prison Break spin-off. Attention shoppers! Your women-in-prison fantasies are now available on aisle 6. … continue reading

Sara Sidle has left the building. And she has left of her own free will. But don’t cry too much into your Petri dishes, forensics fans: She may be back to visit every now and then. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, veteran CSI cast member Jorja Fox said leaving the series was her decision, one that had nothing to do with money, and that she might return for guest spots later down the road.

“It’s my call — and a very, very difficult one, something I’ve been thinking about for a long, long time. It's one of the hardest decisions I've made in my life. It has nothing to do with my contract, nothing to do with money. ... It could be the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. Only time will tell. ... There are so many things I want to do! Some are personal. Some are professional. And I really need to do some of them before I get too old.”

Fans have been atwitter about Jorja’s possible exit since last season’s cliffhanger finale saw her character kidnapped and pinned under a car by the Miniature Killer. Of course she survived, only to dash her fans' hopes by announcing she would leave the show later this season. Her final episode (episode eight of season eight ... oh, the symmetry) will air in mid-November. … continue reading

As you've probably heard by now, Jorja Fox is leaving CSI after the seventh episode this season — or just sometime in November, depending on which report you read.

Sigh. Now I have even fewer reasons to watch the show. Fewer as in one (the one named Marg Helgenberger).

In an interview with TVGuide.com, Jorja said it's been a good run:

Were you ever bored by the constraints of acting in a procedural?
Fox: I never was. I've been one of the luckiest people in the history of TV, getting to play the character of Sara. Almost since Episode 10 in Season 1, I've had a lot to do. My character has had a very full personal life.

Well, sorta full. Not quite as full as we wanted it to be. Jorja also noted that "the story of Sara and Grissom is a little like a fable." I agree, if she means a completely fantastical story that would never, ever happen in real life.

If Jorja's departure is terrible news to you, there's a "Keep Jorja Fox on CSI" campaign (thanks, DJSmurf!) you can join. Hey, if letters kept Cagney & Lacey on the air, maybe they can keep Sara from sidling away.

Here's a little Sara/Catherine fan video to soothe the pain (or feed the fanfic): … continue reading

Alicia Silverstone is showing skin instead of eating it. The long-time vegetarian is appearing au naturel in a new PETA campaign promoting vegetarianism. I have to say, if this is what happens when you eat your veggies, someone pass the broccoli.

The former Clueless star takes it all off in a new TV ad that began airing today in Houston and Dallas (picked because they rank among the least healthy cities in the United States; sorry, Texans) and will expand cross-country later. The spot features a naked Silverstone emerging from a pool and slinking around while extolling the benefits of meat-free living. “There is nothing in the world that has changed me as much as this. I feel so much better and have so much more energy,” she says. “It’s so amazing.”

… continue reading

To warn or not to warn, that is the question. Casting news, while potentially spoiler worthy, isn't necessarily considered warn worthy. However, for avid CSI fans, the appearance of a new female CSI might give off hints of an unhappy end for a current female CSI. While at least one person over at tvguide.com claims to have the answers, I don't.

So, I will warn you that what follows is only spoiler-worthy if you have not seen the past two season enders for CSI. If you have, nothing I'm about to tell you about plot points will come as a surprise.

If you watch CSI at all, then you are likely aware of Jorja Fox's reported contract difficulties. At the end of this past season, viewers were left with an image of her character, Sara Sidle, trapped under a wrecked sports car in the middle of nowhere. Signs of life were, shall we say, limited. For CSI fans, the debate has been raging since before the finale ever aired about whether or not Sara would survive the crash. Will the CSI cast photo look like this next season?

Well, I can't tell you if any of these faces will disappear, but for at least four episodes, an additional face will appear. That face belongs to Canadian actress Jessica Lucas.

For those of you out there, like me, who don't recognize Lucas, allow me to fill you in. Her history includes Canadian teen drama Edgemont and the films The Covenant and She's the Man, which you'll recall from She Made Me Watch This is a remake of Just One of the Guys.

Lucas also showed up as a bit player in the very beginning of The L Word episode "Losing It" (where she made out with another woman). … continue reading

TV Squad recently posted its list of the "The seven coolest geeks on television." I think this is a fun idea (and I'm all for supporting geekdom!) but none of the geeks are women! This may be because, frankly, there are fewer female geeks than male ones on TV; women on TV are supposed to be sexy or not exist at all, whereas there is more wiggle room for men to exhibit a range of behavior.

However, I think I am not alone in loving a smart — even geeky — woman. So here are my seven coolest female geeks on TV (in alphabetical order, because I am that geeky):

Samantha Bee from The Daily Show — Bee's reporting on everything from pop culture to politics presents a character who is so earnest about her (faulty) expertise I always wonder how she manages to keep a straight face on-camera. It takes a smart woman to pull off deluded with Bee's panache.

Watch a hilarious clip of her reporting on whether America is ready for a Mormon president after the jump: … continue reading

TV Guide's Michael Ausiello thinks Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) might be killed off CSI, thanks to Fox's failing contract negotiations. Sidle's relationship with Grissom (eww) is supposed to "come out into the open" in the season finale, and Sara will also go missing when the Miniature Killer returns.

I used to watch CSI, but the whole Sidle/Grissom thing is ridiculous. It really should have been Sara/Sofia (Louise Lombard). … continue reading