From Jean_Jenegan: Please tell me that Jorja and George will be back on CSI!!

I wish I could! The past two days at Press Tour have been CBS, and everyone, including pres Les Moonves and EP Anthony Zucker, says they are fired, for good. Me sad. You?

From larrypigtails: What the f-k is CBS thinking firing George and Jorja?

That has been the question at Press Tour. I have a very long quote from Les Moonves with his take on what happened, just for you. Here goes:

“I’m sort of old-fashioned. I believe when you and I shake hands and we sign a deal, it’s a deal. A deal is a deal. And if by the fourth episode of the season, we had decided that George Eades, we wanted to fire him, guess what? I couldn’t pick up a phone and say, ‘You know what, I want to fire you, but the contract really doesn’t matter, so I’m not going to pay you for the other 18 episodes that I owe you.’

“We feel very important that it’s time people realize that a contract is a contract. By the way, what hasn’t been written is we renegotiated with these people after the second year of the show already once. What also has not been reported is we did offer them a raise, even though we didn’t have to. When somebody doesn’t show up for work, that says to us that, okay, they don’t want to work for us anymore, and that’s our attitude.”

He also said the difference between G. & J.’s actions and the Brad Garrett thing last season is that they didn’t show up to work “at all,” and he didn’t appreciate their “veiled threats.” And more tidbits: “We haven’t recast CSI. We are looking at certain people, and we’re talking to certain people about it.” “We are going to shut down production this week, and then we’re going to start the following week..we’re rewriting some scripts.”

From aver: **So, is it just that Dourdan, et al. weren’t pushing for more money, à la the Friends cast? **

Yes. And the problem is this, they aren’t Monica and Chandler, and there was no Friends: NY, Friends: Miami and Friends: Vegas. Personally, I think these spinoffs simply showed Les Moonves that the shows can hold up on their own, regardless of any one or two actors. And rumor has it George and Jorja were making $100k an ep. An ep. I am on the wrong side of things here…

From reddygirl: What can you tell us about Reiko’s character? Is she replacing Jorja on CSI?

No. It’s possible that Reiko could be recurring, but right now she is only signed on for one episode. She is not replacing Jorja Fox; this deal was already in place before the fallout-her character is a DNA person, so that Eric Szmanda’s character can get out in the field. She is not taking over for Jorja, I repeat, not taking over for Jorja. They’re looking for another permanent cast member for that.

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