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'CSI' Rehires Fox; Eads Waits to Hear

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) “CSI” will resume production next week with, at most, one fewer regular than in past seasons.

Television’s top-rated drama brought Jorja Fox back to its cast Thursday (July 22), the AP reports. George Eads, the other cast member who was dumped late last week in an apparent salary dispute, remained out of a job.

Fox’s rehiring ends, at least for her, a well-documented week in which she was booted from the show in an apparent salary dispute. CBS let her and Eads go after the two didn’t show up for their first day of work on “CSI’s” fifth season.

Eads offered a mea culpa to reporters Wednesday, saying he simply overslept for his first day on set and was told not to come to work when he called to apologize for being tardy. The whole affair was “a big misunderstanding,” he says.

Neither CBS nor representatives for the two actors are commenting, but a source tells the AP that Eads’ apology could help resolve the dispute and allow him back on the show.

Defending the firings before the Television Critics Association on Sunday, CBS boss Les Moonves said, “There comes a point where we feel a contract is a contract,” and Eads and Fox violated theirs by not showing up for work.

Each actor makes a reported $100,000 per episode on “CSI,” a drama about Las Vegas forensic investigators that’s CBS’ top-rated series. Moonves says the network renegotiated their contracts after the show’s second season and offered them a raise this year as well.