Jim Halterman: It’s time for TV Guide’s annual fall preview issue, and CSI: Vegas star, Jorja Fox, is here to talk the hot revival and being on our iconic cover.

[promo scene]

Halterman: Alright, Jorja, it’s so good to see you. I’ve excited to see these episodes, I haven’t seen much yet, but the last time we saw Sara and Grissom, they were sailing off into the sunset. You probably thought the journey was over. But when they come back, should we expect them to be pretty much the same people? Or have they changed a lot? Six years is a long time.

Jorja Fox: You know, I think it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I think you will see Sara and Grissom the way that we remember them. At the same time, I think we both hope we have evolved in five years. Our lives have taken on this incredible journey together. Traveled the world. We’ve been involved with marine mammal conservation, habitat protection … They’re in a good place. I can say that Sara is probably more relaxed and easy going than the audience has ever seen her, ‘cause she’s been away from all that craziness in Vegas.

Halterman: When you get the call, when you find out that the CSI lab in Vegas is under threat, and you need to go help out, is there any trepidation at all? Or is more like “We gotta go!”?

Fox: As the characters … what happens is Sara gets a phone call from a beloved friend, a very dear friend, I think the audience will know very well, and that friend asks her for help. That he needs her help, and to come back to Vegas. Within the context of that, I don’t think Sara hesitates even for a beat. When a friend calls, you go if you can. She happily returns to Vegas to help him out.

I think when she gets there, she thinks she’s going to be there for about 72 hours. Maybe a week. And then, you know, all hell breaks loose, she ends up calling her husband. And they have an extended stay.

Halterman: For the fans of Sara and Grissom, their relationship is solid now right? Because over the course of the original series, as you know, they were together, then they weren’t, all that. But they’re pretty solid right now, right?

Fox: Sara and Grissom yes, have gone through so many ups and downs, it’s almost like a real Hollywood affair. They’ve been married, they’ve been divorced, they’ve had a secret relationship, they had a fling, they were on the outs. They return to CSI: Vegas married and having spent the last five years primarily together.

They’re both very independent people. They both will focus very intently on something they’re passionate about for a while. But they’ve essentially been together, and that been really new and also really fun to play. There wasn’t that many years or episodes where Sara and Grissom got to play that relationship on screen.

Halterman: I know that the show’s going to pick up a lot of new fans, but for the long time fans that are coming back, are there some Easter Eggs and nods to the original show? I know there are some original people coming back, but are there things for those people?

Fox: Absolutely. I think that the folks that love the show are going to have a really enjoyable time watching the show. We’re hoping to attract some new fans as well, you never know. It’s certainly … with Bruckheimer Television at the helm, the production value is incredible. The stories are edge-of-your-seat action/adventure. We go out there trying to applaud the heroes solving these crimes and giving people peace. And hopefully put the bad guys away.

Halterman: I don’t know if you’ve seen this yet. [Holds up the cover to TV Guide Magazine] This is out in the world now. This is you guys! Yay!

Fox: I have seen it, thank you so much. It’s such an honor to be on the cover. The cover is amazing, thank you so much. I can’t believe it that we got to do it.

Halterman: It was a no brainer for us. I think I told you before, we haven’t put a show on the cover of Fall Preview in the last four years. We have to break precedent for you guys.

Fox: I’m almost speechless about it, it’s very exciting. You know, TV Guide over the years, over 15 years you guys were always really good to us. It was always so much fun to see those stories and see everybody looking a little more glamorous than we usually do!

Halterman: Thank you so much! I can’t wait to see the episodes, though. And I’m sure this will not be the last cover or the last time we talk.

Fox: October 6th.

Halterman: October 6th.

Fox: Fasten your seatbelts. Here we go!