Amy Poehler will return to "SNL" temporarily before the non-"Office" spinoff
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time comedy on NBC, which will be the next project of the creative
team behind “The Office” but is not now expected to be a direct
spinoff of that series.
William Petersen is leaving CBS’s long-running hit drama “CSI” after
the 10th episode of the coming season, though he will remain as an
executive producer, and his Gil Grissom character will return to the
show on occasion. Meanwhile two new actors will join that series.
Jay Leno is still officially scheduled to leave NBC’s “Tonight” show
next year, and ABC’s top entertainment executive, Stephen McPherson,
acknowledged that his network would likely be in the mix to acquire
Mr. Leno’s services, but he expressed doubt that NBC would really let
him go.
Ms. Poehler’s new plans were first reported in the Hollywood trade
papers and on deadlinehollywooddaily.com on Wednesday. NBC declined
any official comment on Ms. Poehler’s status, saying the contract
details had not been finalized. But an executive involved in her
decision said she had indeed agreed to star in the new show, from Greg
Daniels, creator of the American version of “The Office.”
But the executive involved in Ms. Poehler’s decision, who requested
anonymity because NBC has been holding back details of the show to
announce them itself, said the new comedy was not likely to be a
traditional spinoff of “The Office,” as NBC announced last April. It
may have some stylistic similarities, but none of the characters from
“The Office” will be moving to the new series.
Ms. Poehler, who is pregnant, will continue to perform on “Saturday
Night Live” through November or at least until her baby is born. She
has become one of that show’s essential performers, especially for her
impersonation of Hillary Rodham Clinton, which she will revive for a
planned series of “SNL” election specials in prime time starting in
October.
The news of Mr. Petersen’s decision to pull back from full-time work
on “CSI” was first reported in Entertainment Weekly magazine.
The producers of “CSI” have drawn up a detailed story line for the 10
episodes that will lead up to the departure of Grissom from his job
leading the investigative team in Las Vegas. The plan has been in
effect since last season, which ended with another character, Warrick
(played by Gary Dourdan), shot and apparently (though not officially)
killed. Jorja Fox, who played Sara on the series, and was the love
interest for Mr. Petersen’s character, had already left the show, but
she will return for some episodes at the start of the new season.
"I don't think anybody knows exactly what's going to happen," Mr.
Petersen said on Wednesday. "All I know is there are no plans to kill
Grissom. We're trying to create this as if this is how real people in
real life would act." He said the circumstances in the show have
pointed to the Grissom character looking for a change in his life, but
that did not mean he was abadoning the show "or especially the
audience," he said.
The break at 10 episodes was timed so that Mr. Petersen could begin
rehearsals in October for a run in Chicago over the Christmas holidays
in the Conor McPherson play, "Dublin Carol." After that he will be
available again to appear in "C.S.I." though not as the weekly star.
He will remain an executive producer, however, and said he may also
direct some episodes.
“CSI” will also add two new characters next season, one male and one
female, though a CBS spokesman, Chris Ender, emphasized that the new
male character, who has not yet been cast, will not be a replacement
for Mr. Petersen.
Mr. Leno’s plans continue to be one of Hollywood’s most intensely
followed guessing games. He playfully added some fuel to the fire this
week in a joke he made on his show. After showing a magazine cover
that pictured him but mistakenly labeled him “ABC’s Jay Leno” Mr. Leno
looked wryly into the camera and said, “Like a headline from the
future.”
Wednesday ABC’s own late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, who presumably
would be displaced from his 12:05 a.m. show to a 12:35 start time if
Mr. Leno signed on (and if Mr. Kimmel agreed to the later time slot)
turned up at a news conference here with Mr. McPherson and pretended
to be a reporter, asking Mr. McPherson if ABC was really interested in
Mr. Leno (and also how Mr. McPherson managed to get his hair looking
so fine).
The joke set up Mr. McPherson to address an issue that ABC expected
reporters to pursue: the growing speculation that ABC will jump into
the race to win Mr. Leno once he is allowed to negotiate his exit from
NBC. That would not be until November 2009. Mr. Leno could not start
at a new network until January 2010.
Mr. McPherson said questions about Mr. Leno were more fitting for NBC
at this point, and, stirring the pot a bit, he added, “I can’t believe
they will let this guy go at the top of his game.”
If NBC does go through with its long-established plan to give the
“Tonight” show to Conan O’Brien, Mr. McPherson said that ABC would
likely be a player in seeking to land Mr. Leno, but that Mr. Kimmel
“will be involved” in any future late-night plans at ABC.