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Archives – 2003

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December 27, 2003 – As mentioned here last week, CSI had their Christmas party at the restaurant Pinot in Hollywood on Dec. 13th. Las Vegas coroner Dr. Gary Telgenhoff attended and took a few pictures, posting some on his cool website, Skinnerrat.com, including this one of Billy. Billy spent most of the evening in a large booth entertaining Gina, his assistant Roberta and others. Most of the cast attended, including Xander Berkeley and his wife Sarah Clarke, Archie Kao and Gerald McCullouch. A variety of food was served buffet-style, while the covered patio served as the dance floor.

December 24, 2003 – Billy is the 8th most popular personality on television according to the latest Harris poll. He made it onto the list for the first time this year! Read more here.

December 23, 2003 – The folks at Zap2it feature an article on how good characters can be better in 2004. Here is what they say about Grissom:

Grissom on “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS): Ask Sarah out, because we can’t stand her cow-eyed longing anymore. Be nicer to Nick, because George Eads needs more screen time. And that beard? How “Manhunter” of you.

Read the article

December 21, 2003 – We have added a couple of holiday wallpapers courtesy of Marja. Thanks Marja! Billy was spotted dining at the steakhouse N9NE at the Palms in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The original in Chicago is known as one of the best steakhouses in Chicago.

The cast and most of the crew of CSI are on holiday hiatus for the next two weeks. The writers and some production staff only get a week off. We wish everyone on the show a safe and happy holiday! We can’t wait for new episodes sometime in January. Among gifts to everyone on the show from the executive producers were bicycles with the CSI logo on them.

December 18, 2003 – Congratulations to Billy on his Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a drama series! (It’s about time) CSI was also nominated for best drama series! Visit the official GG website here. We have added some temporary screencaps from Coming of Rage. We’ll have higher quality images in the near future.

December 15, 2003 – As reported earlier, the cast and crew of CSI are in Las Vegas until Wednesday filming scenes from “Suckers.” Green Valley Ranch and Caesar’s Palace are among the locations featured. For more information, read Carol Cling’s column in the LasVegas Review Journal Billy did not attend the Vanity Fair party celebrating CSI last night at the Bellagio, but he did attend the CSI Christmas party held at Pinot in Hollywood Saturday night. We have added a picture of Billy signing an autograph at Pebble Beach, a picture from the 2000 CBS Upfront Party, a larger picture from his Senate Testimony in 2001, a larger picture of he and Marg in the CSI Season 4 gallery, and finally we have added a few screencaps from the CBS’s season 4 promo trailer.

It’s official – Billy has lost the tattoo bet to Rob Dibble. The best the Bears can hope to finish is 8-8, while the Cowboys have already won 9 games.

Dec. 12, 2003 – We have added some screencaps from Grissom Versus the Volcano. We’ll add more next week.

Dec. 11, 2003 – Yea! We have added the new screencaps from “Stalker” completing the CSI season 2 updates! We have also added an article about CSI from the December 19th issue of Entertainment Weekly. A little more about the party for the stars of CSI Sunday night:

Show party

Here’s a new excuse for a party: having to go back to work.

The cast of the top-rated television show “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” is returning to Vegas for a week or two of local filming. So, the stars are going to kick off their stay with a private party at Light (Bellagio) on Sunday night, sponsored by Turi vodka and Vanity Fair magazine.

Stars William Peterson, Marg Helgenberger, Gary Dourdan, George Eads, Jorja Fox, Paul Guilfoyle, Eric Szmanda and Robert David Hall and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are expected to walk the red carpet. (Source: The Las Vegas Sun)

Dec. 11, 2003 – Big news from High Horse Films:

High Horse Films, the production company of CSI star and co-executive producer William Petersen, has pacted with TNT to develop an original movie based on the James Ellroy bestseller Clandestine.

Petersen is set to star and executive produce the noir drama, one of several projects on High Horse’s growing development slate. Cindy Chvatal, Petersen’s High Horse partner, is also set to executive produce.

Also in development at High Horse is the independent feature Dogstar, written by David Klass (Kiss the Girls, Desperate Measures). Petersen and Chvatal are also developing a superhero action comedy feature with screenwriter Steve DeKnight (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) that will serve as a potential starring vehicle for Petersen.

Clandestine centers on a 1950s-era Los Angeles-based officer (Petersen) on the rise. While on the trail of a serial killer, he finds himself in alliance with some bad cops, inevitably taking the fall for their misdeeds.

Read more here

We know “Red Dragon” was released some time ago, but we couldn’t resist this sharp review of the film (Let’s face it – Manhunter is the superior film). Will those lambs ever shut up?

Dec. 5, 2003 – Check out the video clip of Billy from the To Live and Die in LA DVD special features – Counterfeit – The Making of To Live and Die in LA. (Buy the DVD – it’s great!) We have also added a holiday wallpaper (1024 X 768) in the graphics section. Over at fametracker they discuss the merits of Cold Case and it’s star Kathryn Morris. This comment is what matters to us:

“Furthermore, C.S.I. has William Petersen and Without a Trace has Anthony LaPaglia — towering acting talents, the both of them. “

Dec 2, 2003 – We have added screencaps from the new DVD of To Live and Die in LA ( a must have for every fan!), screencaps from the feature “Counterfeit World: The Making of To Live and Die in LA, as well as stills from the DVD in the To Live and Die in LA publicity section.

CSI was nominated for another People’s Choice award this year for favorite Drama. Since this is based on popularity and CSI is far and away the most popular show in the world right now, odds are pretty good they will take home another award. 😉 Final Nominations for the SAG awards were due November 19th. Nominees will be announced January 15, with the awards being held on February 22nd.

Dec 1, 2003 – Updated Felonious Monk screencaps are now up.

November 30, 2003 – We have updated the “Cats in the Cradle” screencaps.

From the National Enquirer: Waiting to board a plane in Chicago, “CSI” star William L Petersen eyed a guy sporting a fly porkpie hat – and told him he’d buy it right off his head! “Okay…400 bucks,” joked the guy. Instantly, Petersen whipped out his wallet and forked over four C-note$$! “Wow!” said Mr. Porkpie – who snatched off the hat, slapped it on the star’s head and split before he could change his mind!

What is a a porkpie hat you ask?

As you all know, the DVD of To Live and Die in LA will be released on Tuesday (Dec. 2 ) Here is a review of the film, as well as the DVD quality and extras from Film Freak Central.

November 29, 2003 – We have added a Gallery of pictures from Getty Images in the paparazzi section – miscellaneous pictures from various awards shows and events. Also, now that the holiday season is in full swing, we thought this could be your chance to send us any holiday greetings you might have for Billy. It can be a card, art, or just a simple message. Just send it to us and will post it in the “Happy Holidays” section we are creating. Send your message or artwork, along with your name (it can be your first name only if you like) and where you are from.

November 25, 2003 – We have added the picture from the TV Guide article, updated the Chasing The Bus screencaps, and added a few pictures to the CSI Season 4 publicity gallery.

November 22, 2003 – We’ve added an article from the new magazine by Men’s Heath called BESTLIFE. Also, he and Marg are on the cover of Sunday’s Parade Magazine. The article itself is about favorite cool gadgets. Billy is also featured in the Nov. 29 issue of the TV Guide Insider. There is a nice little picture that goes with it, but our scanner had a hiccup earlier, so we’ll post it soon.

November 21, 2003 – We have added some preliminary screencaps from After The Show. We’ll have better quality ones up in a few days.

November 20, 2003 – Billy made a very brief appearance on The Early Show today. The Early Show was featuring a week of wishes and one viewer’s wish was to play a corpse on CSI. Firefighter Charlene Hubenthal’s wish was granted and she and her daughter Jessica spent the day on the CSI set where Jorja Fox “broke into” Grissom’s office and showed them around, John Goodman applied some bruising and scars to her face, Robert David Hall very graciously thanked her for doing what she does because it was a fireman who saved his life years ago, and she gave Billy a hug – telling him he is even “sexier in person than he is on TV!” Then she shot her scene in the morgue, where Jessica acted as the director yelling “action” and “cut.” We have a few screencaps. Read the entire story and see the video clip here.

Also, fans of CSI and Without a Trace can look forward to a crossover episode sometime this year – probably during sweeps!

November 18, 2003 – We have updated the screencaps from Caged and Slaves of Las Vegas. Also, we ‘ve fixed the link to the Invisible Evidence screencaps. (which we’ve also updated)

SFgate from the San Francisco Chronicle lists CSI as the 4th best drama on television, acknowleding that network dramas play on an different playing field with regard to cable channels:

4. “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation.” CBS. The top three dramas here are playing in a different league with different rules. To make a truly great, compelling adult drama on network television is uncommonly difficult. Advertiser concerns, content regulations, Nielsen expectations and a more competitive landscape are hurdles to brilliance. There’s a reason this is the most watched drama on network television.

The New York Daily News mentions CSI in an article about viewers spotting little in-jokes:

This last one may be a stretch, but it’s a clever stretch. On last week’s episode of the CBS series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” Xander Berkeley guest-starred as a sheriff who visited Grissom’s lab. The sheriff inquired about the contents of a particular jar, and Grissom (William L. Petersen) replied, “It’s a pig fetus. We use it to detect radiation.”

Dino Arfanis of Brooklyn insists that’s an Extra because, for the first two seasons of the Fox drama “24,” Berkeley played CTU agent George Mason – until he received a fatal dose of radiation poisoning and averted the original flight path of a nuclear bomb.

Megan Mullally of Will and Grace is a veteran of the Chicago theater scene. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, she remembers the good old days, as well as the the times she and other now famous Chicago thespians would gather for drinks and talk about how they would never sell out to movies or television:

We always used to hang out at the Gaslight, across from the old Steppenwolf,” she says.
When talk at the bar turned to the subject of career aspirations, “everyone was anti-TV and anti-movies,” Mullally remembers. “I mean, that’s pretty funny. I laugh about Billy Peterson.”

Peterson, co-founder of another defunct Chicago troupe, Remains Theatre Ensemble, is now a full-fledged TV star thanks to his role on the CBS crime drama, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

The Salt Lake Tribune has an article touting the BYU Cougars victory in woman’s soccer over the Idaho State Bengals, and mentions that Billy is an alum of ISU:

Idaho State might be a program on the rise, but one of the coolest things about the school is one of its alumni is actor William Petersen, who plays Gil Grissom on the show CSI. The guy can solve a 30-year-old murder with a cat hair as the only evidence.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart mocks CBS and its decision to pull the Reagans mini-series due to political pressure by saying:

CBS, the network that felt it was perfectly OK to air “Touched By An Angel” for ten years, has announced they’ll not show the mini series entitled “The Reagans” next week, because of mounting pressure from conservative groups. Conservative groups, of course, have no plans to protest another CBS mini series planned for December entitled “The Carters: Screw Them,” starring “CSI”‘s William Petersen and Jamie “Still Standing” Gertz.

November 15, 2003 – Newsday had a poll a couple of weeks ago asking why people liked CSI so much. They have a nice article and some of the responses, as well as comments by Carol Mendelsohn. Barbara Auegerot of New York City echoed the most popular reasons (a superlative ensemble cast, fresh writing, innovative special effects and an engaging mystery to solve) but added this: “And, on the shallow side, William Petersen is very yummy.”
(yes he is 😉

November 12, 2003 – We have added a bigger version of the picture on the homepage in the Billy Gallery. We have also updated the Long Gone and Contender screencaps. We got a kick out of this tongue-in-cheek look at CSI and it’s spin-offs at Dateline Hollywood.

And now for some comments about our poll asking who you would like to see Grissom romantically paired with. We have ended the poll and the results don’t matter. We tried to make the poll such that only one vote per computer would count, but unfortunately some people were able to figure out how to vote mulitple times. There is always a way around these things, but we were hoping people would play fair. After all, it was only for fun anyway – witness Doc Robbins as one of the possible pairings! It is quite clear that both Sara and Catherine have fans who feel very passionately about their ship with Grissom. We thank those of you who politely emailed with their suspicions and proof there were shennigans going on. We suspected there might be just because of the sheer number of votes. For those of you who emailed and rudely accused us of rigging the poll because we hate Jorja /Sara/Marg/Catherine we say this: The world would be a better place if you would channel the hate and negativity you harbor into positive energy which you could then direct towards things are truly important in this world. This is a fansite dedicated to William Petersen, that is all. It’s for fun. Just a note – we admire and like Jorja Fox and Marg Helgenberger very much, as well as the characters they play on CSI, so for anyone to think otherwise is ridiculous.

November 8, 2003 – We have added the screencaps for Jackpot. TV Guide Online (The Watercooler) had this to say about Jackpot

CSI
Grissom takes a solo road trip to investigate a severed head discovered in a small town outside of Sin City, where Henry Czerny (Kittridge from Mission: Impossible) does a nice turn as the standoffish local sheriff. While it was fun to focus on just Gris for almost the entire episode, the plot was pretty far-fetched. But Gris does get to play MacGyver when his evidence kit is stolen, and William Petersen confirms my theory that backwards baseball caps up any guy’s cuteness factor.

Jackpot – featuring Billy ;-), also gave CSI it’s best ratings of the season so far.

Just a note about our poll – it will close Wednesday, Nov. 12.

November 5, 2003 – Vote in our first WPAP poll on the homepage! We have added the new screencaps from Scuba Doobie Doo and Alter Boys. Back in September, the cast and crew from “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” sneaked into the Big Bear Valley to film an episode of their top-rated television show. On Thursday, Nov. 6, viewers will get a chance to see the results in the episode called “Jackpot,” at 9 p.m. on CBS, Channel 2.

Fawnskin is the substitute for the fictional town of Jackpot, Nev., a mountain town where the CSI team goes to investigate the finding of a human head. Scenes were filmed all around Fawnskin, as well as Hitchcock Ranch, Holcomb Valley and the Forest Service’s lease cabins at the bottom of Poligue Canyon. The Fawnskin Fire Department property became the sheriff’s office and a gas station that was so real an area resident tried to fill his vehicle’s tank while the set was being used.

“They spent a lot of money here,” said Kresse Armour of the Big Bear Lake Film Office. (Source: The Big Bear Grizzly)

The alternative band Goldfrapp contributed two songs to the soundtrack for last week’s episode, “Fur and Loathing”. The tracks, “Tip Toe” and “Slippage”, played over some of the furry scenes in the episode, come from the band’s latest album, Black Cherry. Head on over to CSI Files and enter their contest to win the CD!

November 4, 2003 – We have added our permanent Fur and Loathing Screencaps, as well as a picture of Billy and Gina from In Touch Magazine at the GQ Awards party

November 2, 2003 – See Billy’s handprints in tile (Thanks to Mary!)

October 31, 2003 – Happy Halloween! We’ve added preliminary screencaps from “Fur and Loathing”. Also, Newsday would like to know why you like CSI. Let them know! Thanks to Play with Fire for the tip! More from CBS’s 75th anniversary tribute.

October 29, 2003 – Fire updates – As most of you probably know, many areas of Southern California are one fire. We have received several emails asking about the threat to the Santa Clarita Studios. There is a massive fire near Santa Clarita. It is on the west side of Interstate 5. Santa Clarita is on the east side of the highway. The I-5 was shut down in both the north and south directions earlier today at Santa Clarita, but has since reopened. The studios are in the middle of town, on a hill and not in danger of burning. However, the air is thick with smoke and ash. Production was shut down early yesterday because of the extremely poor air quality, but the show was back in production today.

We have also added 4 new pictures to the 2003 Emmy awards gallery

October 26, 2003 – New pictures from the GQ Men of the Year Awards.

October 25, 2003 – We have added screencaps and video clips from the Charlie Rose Show. Sorry for the poor quality of the screencaps. Unfortunately our local PBS station is cursed with poor cable reception in our area. Billy talks about producing, the power actors have vs. producers in television, what he likes about CSI, Grissom, and flirting with the audience 😉 He also said it’s easier for him to be gregarious compared to Grissom, but that he (Billy) is enjoys what solitude he gets these days.

October 24, 2003 – Screencaps from “Feeling the Heat.” Be sure to watch CBS at 75 on Nov 2nd (check local listings for time) as Billy is one of many CBS stars scheduled to participate.

October 23, 2003 – This latest update includes screencaps and a video clip from the Oprah show. Marg and Liz Devine were two of the guests on the show. The topic was real life criminalists and medical examiners. Billy appeared briefly in the segment that included a behind the scenes look at the set with Marg. He was showing off some of the *things* found on the shelves of Grissom’s office.

October 23, 2003 – We’ve added screencaps and video clip from Billy’s appearance on Extra! Plus, thanks to Lindsay, we have the article from the latest issue of GQ.

October 23, 2003 – Okay. We (along with many others no doubt) emailed the Charlie Roseshow to find out what was going on with the interview and received this response: “We hope to bring you Charlie’s conversation with William Petersen on Friday, October 24th. Please keep an eye on our website for details as they become available.” Note the phrase “hope to bring.” 😉 We thank the folks at CR for their reply. Also, Billy gets a brief mention in the October issue of More magazine in their “67 Men We Love – silver foxes, boytoys and lots more great guys” section. He’s mentioned under Crime Fighters – “We’re happy to don a lab coat if Petersen is investigating.” Indeed.

October 22, 2003 – We have added screencaps, video clip and pictures from Wireimage from the GQ Men of the Year awards. Elyse has a transcript of his acceptance speech on her site. He thanked the 5 strong woman in his life who have helped him become the man he is – his mother,” who spent 50 years teaching him how beautiful life can be;” his friend and business partner Cindy Chvatal; Gina, “who for many years now has shown me that the things I do and the things I think and the things I feel are worthwhile and meaningful and she gives me courage every day to be myself;” his long time personal assistant Roberta Custer “who has put up with just a whole wagon full of shennanigans; and finally his daughter Maite, “Darling daughter, you are my inspiration and my hero.”

October 21, 2003. Once again Billy has been bumped from the Charlie Rose Show. No word on when his segment will be shown. Also, a big congratulations to Billy for becoming a grandfather! His daughter Maite gave birth to an 8 lb. 2 oz. baby boy last night. Best wishes to all from the WPAP. We will have the GQ awards stuff up later. It hasn’t aired in our area yet.

October 20, 2003 – A quick update regarding Billy’s appearance on the Charlie Rose show – it appears he has been rescheduled for tomorrow. (Tuesday)

October 19, 2003 – Just a reminder to fire up those VCRs this week! Billy will be appearing on the Charlie Rose Show Monday night (check your local PBS listings for times) He will also be at the GQ Men of the Year Awards on Spike TV (9:00 PM ET/PT) on Tuesday, the 21st. Also, he will be featured, along with the other winners, in the GQ Men of the Year issue that hits newstands Tuesday as well. Finally, this little tidbit from a Las Vegas gossip column:

William Petersen on CSI and wife Gina Cirone walking down the Strip and into Paris Las Vegas when confronted by a bubbly blonde. Too bubbly for Petersen’s dark-haired spouse, who laid a protective? arm around her ebullient hubby and told the overly excited fan to bug off.

October 17, 2003 – We have added 3 more clips from the ASCP meeting – part of the Q and A session. We’ll add more soon!

October 17, 2003 – Spoiler warning. We have preliminary screencaps of Invisible Evidence, but since it wasn’t aired tonight, you might not want to peek until next week.

October 16, 2003 – Because of the Yankees/RedSox game 7, CBS and NBC have decided to show re-runs,which means we will not see “Invisible Evidence” tonight. Read the story here.

October 15, 2003 – We’ve finally added screencaps from All For Our Country and newer ones for Homebodies.

October 14, 2003 – Congratulations to Billy for winning the GQ Man of the Year Award as television actor of the year!! Well deserved 😉

NEW YORK, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ — Winners of the eighth annual GQ “Men of the Year” Awards(TM) were announced today by GQ editor-in-chief Jim Nelson.

The twenty-six men from all walks of life were judged and selected by the editors of the magazine. The GQ “Men of the Year” Awards(TM) recognize sensational men of distinction from the worlds of music, fashion and style, film, sports, comedy, and television. These awards not only celebrate the winners’ achievements but also recognize that these men have joined the league of extraordinary gentleman. The “Men of the Year” are featured in the November 2003 issue of GQ, which hits newsstands on Tuesday, October 21.

One of the magazine’s most anticipated events, the GQ “Men of the Year” Awards(TM) show will be televised LIVE at 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, for the first time on Spike TV. The show will feature ten “Men of the Year” award winners from the November issue of GQ.

The GQ “Men of the Year” Awards(TM) live on Spike TV, is sponsored by Hummer and L’Oreal.

See the entire list of winners

From the latest issue of TV guide in the letters section:

“A Hair-Raising Sight” the reader writes: “Please tell William Petersen
to lose the beard and mustache! I was shocked when I tuned in to the
season opener of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and saw the sexiest man on TV
looking like an overweight, aging hippie. — Midge Halton, Souderton,
Pa.”

All we can say to Midge is “move to the back of the line!” We think the sexiest man on TV is as sexy as ever and looking sharp, smart, and dangerous 😉

Vote for Billy at TV Guide online as part of their Greatest Moments of 2003 and register to win a trip Hollywood to see the taping of the show on ABC in December.

October 13, 2003 – Billy was on the Dan Patrick radio show again today on ESPN radio. You can listen to it on ESPN’s official site until tomorrow, Among other things, Billy was calling from the set , where he was “primping” for a photo shoot for a magazine, he IS going to the World Series (if the Cubs go of course – Go Cubbies!!) and will be in Chicago next Wednesday and Thursday for the home games, and will possibly appear on Dan’s show from Bernie’sacross from Wrigley Field. He has decided to root for the Yankees to make it because it “just so happens” he will be in New York over the weekend doing publicity and would be able to catch a game. Of course Gina will be with him not only because she’s his wife, but because she is a huge Chicago sports fan as well, and Dan had to joke with him saying “what fun is it if you bring your wife?” “She’s fun!” was Billy’s reply. He and Rob also made another bet, this one involving the World Series. If the AL team wins, Rob gets to play a corpse on CSI (Billy joked that they would even give him a couple of lines – before they kill him off) If the Cubs win, Billy gets to host Dan’s show with him one day. He’s not giving up on the Bears bet because they still have some patsy teams on the schedule, and he’s hoping they will get tired of being humiliated and rise up to the challenge of the Bear’s tradition. As far as the tattoo goes, if he loses, he’ll get the Dallas Star on the bottom of his foot and hope he “dies with his boots on.” Needless to say, Billy said that this is the first October he can remember where it didn’t matter to him how the Bears were doing. Dan also asked Billy if he could beat up David Caruso. (They had been joking about all of the CSI Spin-offs. ESPN: CSI anyone? Billy lamented that every other network had one, so why not ESPN!) Dan said his money would be on Billy, but Billy said his knees were shot.

October 8, 2003 – We’ve added an article from the September/October issue of Las Vegas Magazine.

There is an article in The Henderson Gleaner about this week’s CSI episode “Homebodies” and the importance of deductive reasoning. The importance of a simple piece of evidence is emphasized in this intense episode, as well as how fear can deter victims from helping the police.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, Billy will be involved in a documentary by Jeff Santo about his father, Ron Santo – one of the all time great Cubs as well as one of their biggest fans. Ron suffers from diabetes and has tragically had both legs amputed within the past few years, as well as suffering from other health problems. His unfailing optimism is an inspiration to all who know him, and a major theme among the players and fans during the NLCS is to win it for Ron.

Called “This Old Cub,” it will be a 90-minute film narrated by Chicago native Joe Mantegna. It includes 150 photos, archival footage and interviews with Chicago-area notables such as William Petersen, Bill Murray and Dennis Franz and baseball stars such as Johnny Bench, Brooks Robinson, Ernie Banks and Billy Williams.

The film features three story lines: his struggles to play Major League Baseball as a diabetic; his dream to get into the Hall of Fame; and his comeback from two leg amputations while working as a color broadcaster for Cubs game coverage on WGN-AM.

Read the entire story at the Chicago Tribune online.

More about Grissom and Sara from Watch with Kristen on E!: The scuttlebutt going around is that producers are planning for Grissom and Sara to hookity-hook it, but that stars William Petersen and Jorja Fox have conflicting opinions on whether they want to. She does; he doesn’t.

Just note about screencaps from “All For Our Country” – they really will be up soon. Pesky equipment problems.

October 3, 2003 – We won’t have the screencaps for “All For Our Country” up for a few days,(apologies, but we want to bring you higher quality caps) but in the meantime, we have added the permanent screencaps from “Assume Nothing.” We have also added a few more pictures thanks to Julie Fidler from the ASCP award, as well as 4 pictures from the MTR CSI screening last month. They aren’t new really, just nicer. Alas, Billy didn’t make it to the next round of Zap2it’s Showdown of the Network Stars (Although Marg did), but the Cubs won and are up 2 games to 1 on Atlanta in their division series, which we are sure makes Billy infinately happier 😉 We’re thinking he probably doesn’t even know, let alone care about the Zap2it thingy.

September 29, 2003 – From TV Guide online, we have Marg commenting on Billy’s beard:

Speaking of hair experiments, what’s up with her CSI co-star William Petersen’s new facial scruff? “Yeah, Billy Petersen has a beard this year,” Helgenberger groans. “CBS turned that into a big issue. I don’t know why. Who knows? He wanted something different, and he should be able to change his look once in awhile. I guess they don’t like facial hair.

“When we watched the season premiere, my husband asked, ‘Does the beard have something to do with his character getting his hearing back?’ It’s like [the Samson and Delilah story] in reverse or something!”

What’s Marg’s take on the beard? “I think it looks professorial,” she says. “I don’t know how much of an argument they had about it. But I think there was lots of discussion. Billy won out.”

September 27, 2003 – We have more stuff from the ASCP meeting, thanks to Julie Fidler 😉 We have video clips and a transcript of the awards ceremony, as well as screencaps from the event. Will will post more clips and transcripts from the special effects presentation and the question and answer session that took place afterwards soon. There is too much to post all at once – no one would be able to download anything! Just a couple of quick tidbits from the session: Billy is sincere about doing what he can to help the nation’s crime labs – both with money and publicity. One project he would like to do are some on-air promotions with himself as a spokesman on CBS during National Lab Week. He is also of the opinion that it would be a good thing if Viacom and Jerry Bruckheimer Productions were to donate some of the enormous profits they make from CSI to the cause. One of the reasons the cast was at the Museum of Television and Radio last week was to raise money for the California Forensics Sciences Institute and to help set up 3 scholarships at Cal-State University for under-priveledged people who would like to study forensics. Btw, if any of you would like to voice your opinion about the lack of funding for crime labs in the United States, write you local politicians and contact your representatives in the US Senate. They will listen if enough people speak up! Speaking of money, Billy also said that when he leaves CSI, is won’t be a money issue. It will be because of burnout. He said ” we are all very well paid.”

September 26, 2003 – We have screencaps of “Assume Nothing.”

September 24, 2003 – We have the exclusive article and interview with Billy from the ASCPconference on Sept. 18th. Read about Julie Fidler’s adventures and then her interview with him the following day. Billy has made it to the sweet 16 in Zap2it’s Showdown of the Network Stars. He’s now pitted against James Marster’s. Vote for Billy here.

September 22, 2003 – Lots of Emmy updates! Unfortunately, CSI didn’t win for best drama – that honor went to the West Wing for the forth year in a row. On a critical/personal opinion note – this might have been the worst Emmy show in years. It was lacking in emotion and real humor, despite the tributes to Bob Hope and John Ritter, as well as Bill Cosby receiving the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. Goodness, the winners were scarcely allowed to thank anyone – they worked a lifetime to win an Emmy, only to be allowed to give a 30 second thank you. One kept expecting a giant butterfly net to snatch them up if they went a mere nano second over their allotted time. Anyway, we have screencaps of an interview with Billy on the red carpet, screencaps of him presenting the best mini-series (Taken) with Marg, some professional pictures, a video clip of the red carpet interview, as well as a video clip of the presentation. It’s been a very long day for those of us in the CSI fandom who try to keep everyone updated – and if we never have to see Joan Rivers again, it won’t be a moment too soon. 😉

September 20, 2003 – The booty for the presenters at the Emmy Awards: (Yes, it’s worth more than many people earn in a year)The gift bags given to presenters at Sunday’s Emmys ceremony are valued at a cool $30,000, according to organizers. The bags, described by the academy as a “generous thank-you,” will be distributed to presenters during today’s rehearsals. Gifts include a private dinner party, resort and spa visits, a portable DVD player, a year’s worth of cosmetics, a watch and a cellphone. The presenters – Alias’ Jennifer Garner, CSI’s William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger among them – also get a mattress, presumably to ease any sleeplessness for those lacking a statuette. More on the Emmy baskets from Zap2It You can also vote on your choices to win the Emmy at Zap2It. They will reveal the results of the online vote during the ceremony Sunday night. September 18, 2003 – Billy and Marg both made it to the second round in Zap2it’s Showdown of theNetwork Stars, although Billy barely squeaked by Tony Shaloub in the first round. If you are bored and have a couple of minutes to kill, vote for Billy. In the latest editon of TV Guide Magazine, they publish the results of their 2003 Emmy Poll. 43,322 readers online responded and the readers pick for best drama is……CSI! TV Guide readers have good taste, what can we say. 😉

September 16, 2003 – The Museum of Television and Radio hosted the screening for the season premiere of CSI last night to raise money for the California Forensics Science Institute. The entire cast attended. Be sure and vote Billy and Marg into the second round of Zap2it’s annual Showdown of the Network Stars. Billy is up against Tony Shaloub of Monk in the Pacific time zone, while Marg is going against Jeri Ryan of Boston Public in the Eastern time zone. Round 2 voting begins Sept. 17th.

September 11, 2003 – The Las Vegas Mercury has an article about television and Las Vegas and the impact CSI has had on the image of the town.

“Las Vegas has always been a lure for the big and small screen. But, barring “Vega$,” there hadn’t been a show inextricably associated with Las Vegas until “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” debuted on CBS in October 2000. Not only did the intense, brainy drama unleash a deluge of forensics-fixated imitators, but many credit it with sparking anew the nation’s ever-smoldering fascination with Las Vegas. And to think that Hollywood execs originally tried talking “CSI” creator and executive producer Anthony Zuiker out of locating the show in his hometown.

“Putting it in Las Vegas was always my first choice,” says Zuiker. “People did try to talk me out of it. ‘Could you try this show in New York? Chicago? Does it have to be Las Vegas?’ My answer was always yes. Why would it be Las Vegas? Because I know the town.” MSNBC has a piece on returning shows for the 2003 season with some more tidbits about CSI: “CBS has released some details about the season premiere, a two-part episode (concluding Oct. 2) called “Assume Nothing,” revolving around a serial-killing husband-and-wife team. A subsequent episode, “Homebodies,” will deal with the rape of a teenage girl, with a subplot about the murder of a retired teacher. Will Grissom’s surgery improve his hearing? Will he and Sarah Sidle start a torrid office love affair, making out amid his pupae and DNA samples? Will Greg ever make the jump to field investigator instead of lowly lab rat? CBS isn’t saying. It has, however, signed series creator Anthony Zuiker to a multi-year deal, guaranteeing that there will be at least one more C.S.I. spinoff, in addition to last season’s freshman series “C.S.I.: Miami.” (C.S.I.: Provo? New Orleans? Albuquerque?)”

September 9, 2003 – Star magazine has an article about how the stars of CSI have endured their own tragedies. Also,the September 12 issue of Entertainment Weekly has a few tidbits about the upcoming season in their fall TV preview: “We have the biggest surprise in the franchise’s history by the end of the premiere,” says creator Anthony Zuiker, who provides only one hint: “Pay particular attention to the last frame.” Among other mysteries, Grissom (William Petersen) and Willows (Marg Helgenberger) will retrace a murder victim’s trail on a vegas scavenger hunt, assist a small-town Nevada sheriff gathering evidence in a fishy death, and track a serial killer who turns his incapacitated victims into “aware vegetables” (Zuiker’s words). “Our theme this year is ‘Assume nothing,'” says Zuiker. “There’s a surprise around every corner.”In the same issue, EW previews what to watch on TV this week. The episode”Crash and Burn is spotlighted: “This episode, in which the team investigates a car crashing into a restaurant, is so awesome the folks at CBS decided to show it on Friday night! Actually, they just had nothing else to air.” Sports Illustrated (flashback) has an article about the Cubs and White Sox and what it means to Chicago, with quotes from Billy (Once again his name is spelled incorrectly). Apparently, the weather in LA is too perfect for Billy’s liking 😉 Bill Peterson, the Chicago-born star of the TV show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, is a Chicago sports fan of such intensity that he once left the film set of Manhunter in Atlanta and took a commercial flight to Washington, D.C., for a few hours just so he could watch the Bears play on TV. He is a Cubs fan and is on the April cover of Men’s Journal, sitting at a bar with other rabid Cubs nuts.

“It’s all about Fergie Jenkins and Ernie and Ron Santo,” Peterson says. “A tie to your childhood.” And, of course, dislocation makes the tie grow stronger. “I sit here in Los Angeles,” says Peterson, “and it’s just a wasteland. In Chicago you have elements to contend with. Here it’s 76 degrees, it’s perfect. And you know what? It sucks.”

September 8, 2003 – Romance on CSI? This is TV Guide’s critic Matt Roush’s take on it:Better dead than wed: CSI’s William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger

Question: Okay, what is up with CSI? In the beginning it was no romance, strictly science. Well now, all the hype is that Gil and Sara are going to fall in love, or whatever they’re saying. I mean, what about the finale? Why didn’t they have Gil tell Sara about his surgery, if the master plan is to have them together? Why would he tell Catherine if really he wants to be with Sara? It makes no sense, and they are just blowing the finale off like it never happened. Everyone makes a big deal that Sara wiped chalk off Gil’s cheek, yet Catherine hugs him, and not a word is said. I am just so confused. Can you maybe clarify what exactly the writers are trying to accomplish? — Janine

Matt: From what little I know of the situation, the producers will admit to a sexual tension between Gil and Sara, and maybe even between Gil and Catherine. But if this is why you’re tuning in CSI, I think you’re destined to be disappointed no matter who you want Gil to lean on, hug, kiss, whatever. (My mail favors Gil and Catherine, no question about it. Very little support for Gil and Sara.) But I’m all for CSI being all science, no romance. A laboratory liaison on this show would be as disastrous a mistake as showing Jack McCoy actually hitting on any of his lovely ADAs on Law & Order. I can understand why the writers would add little hints of on-the-job attraction in an otherwise just-the-facts show just to shake things up a little, but in this case it has become a real distraction for CSI fans. Which makes me think it’s dangerous territory they’re all better off just avoiding. I tune in for the weird cases, the fascinating gadgets, and the pleasure of watching some good actors play detective. If I want a soap opera, I’ve got plenty of other places to go. From Dan Patrick’s (ESPN radio) notes from the show Friday : William Petersen, CSI/Chicago sports fan On the fellas doing a walk-on..”Dibs, you look like a criminal..not a problem.” On how to attend a Cubs game..”breakfast, then to Bernie’s on Clark…to the game, a minimum of 5 beers and 2 hotdogs..then back two Bernies

September 5, 2003 – We have Billy’s radio interview with Dan Patrick and Rob Dibble. ( as with all of our video or audio clips, you need Quicktime to listen) Among other things, Billy thinks Kordell Stewart of the Bears needs to be the team MVP this year. He choose the name Gil Grissom from “a bunch of other names,” Gil being the one he chose because he likes to fish. He hasn’t been to a Bears game since CSI started, three years ago, but is going to the Bears/49ers game in San Francisco on Sunday. However, he won’t be wearing a Bears jersey because “He doesn’t like to draw attention to himself.” When asked where he would go to dinner after a Bears game, he said they don’t go to dinner – because they are “bushed” by then. They start the day going to breakfast, get to Soldier Field by noon, get “hammered” by 1:30 and are ready for bed by 4 or 5:00. As for dinner after a Cubs game, he would take Dan to Bernies across from Wrigley Field before AND after the game. Billy is not a fan of the White Sox. He doesn’t wish them any ill will, but doesn’t want them to “do better than the cubs.” Sounds like Brittany Spears can’t count Billy as one of her fans (of course, he’s not a 13 year old girl, so that makes sense 😉 “Brittany wouldn’t make the “New Kids On The Block” at this point.” Aerosmith “needs to stop doing these football games.” (He was commenting on the football game last night between the Jets and the Redskins where Brittany, Aerosmith and Aretha Franklin were part of the pre-show. Guess he wasn’t sitting around watching CSI re-runs last night huh? 😉 He made a bet with Rob Dibble that if the Bears won more games than the Cowboys, Rob would have to have the Bears logo tattooed someone on his body. (Rob makes these bets with certain guests, losing enough to have several tattoos on various body part already) If the Cowboys win more games than the Bears, Billy will have to have the Cowboy’s star tattooed somewhere. We’ve decided to keep track during the season near the top of the page!Carol Mendelsohn has signed up for 4 more years as the showrunner for CSI. As suspected, there is a 3rd CSI spin-off in the works. No comment from Billy so far.

September 4, 2003 – Billy will be on the Dan Patrick show on ESPN radio tomorrow. (Sept. 5th) The show runs from 1:00 – 4:00 pm ET. Check local radio listings to see which station carries ESPN in your area. You can also listen to it online. Billy will be a guest along with slugger Matt Williams and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreet. Today Dan Patrick mentioned what a big Bears fan Billy is and he’ll no doubt talk about “Bear dignity!” Since the Cubs are in a heated pennant race, we would imagine they will come up as well. ( If you ask Billy what his absolute favorite team is, it’s the Cubs.) Oh, and Dan thinks CSI is a great show 🙂 Thanks to Elyse’s site for the reminder.Added screencaps and a video clip from the EXTRA interview!Be sure to crank-up your VCRs today as EXTRA TV is doing a segment on the season opener of CSI (“Assume Nothing.”) as well as Grissom’s “new look.” Thanks to Playing With Fire for this from the New York Post:Who’s that bushy man behind the sinister sunglasses? It’s “CSI” star William Petersen, who’s sporting a new look this season as TV’s top-rated drama kicks off its fourth season. “The beard is here because I got tired of shaving, and Grissom consequently got tired of shaving,” Petersen tells tonight’s “Extra” about his character, Gil Grissom. Petersen says Grissom’s newly sprouted facial hair provides a clue to a slew of changes Grissom will undergo this season. “Grissom, like anybody else, any other 50-year-old man, is going through a series of what one might term mid-life changes,” Petersen tells “Extra.” But Petersen says that one risk he won’t be taking is with Grissom losing his hearing. “He hears better, we find that out right off the bat,” he says. -Michael Starr, Copyright 2003 New York Post

September 3, 2003 – According the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Billy and Marg will once again be presenters at the Emmy Awards, to be telecast September 21 on Fox. CSIis nominated for Best Drama, while Marg is up for Best Actress in a Drama. The burning question is – will Billy be able to dodge Joan Rivers yet again? 😉 Fox entertainment has an article from the New York Daily News, Page Six, featuring the romance/unromance of Grissom and Sara:”Billy [Petersen] and I both love the fact that people have different takes on it,” she(Jorja Fox) said. “It’s kind of a little bit controversial. It takes on its own substance. People read into it what they want to.” The fictional Sidle, who has pretty much buried her feelings for Grissom, got rebuffed toward the end of last season when she tentatively expressed her wish that they take it further. Fox says Grissom responds by basically telling Sidle, “She ‘wouldn’t have the chance of going out with him,’ ever! He didn’t know what to do with it.” So, is Grissom a simpleton or does he suspect he might have a heart?” I think he’s very much aware of it,” Fox said.
Los Angeles Magazine has an amusing article depicting life on the LA freeways (To Live and Drive in LA) Featured are several films where the freeways play a significant role, includingTo Live and Die in LA:When French Connection director William Friedkin wanted to film yet another classic car chase, he chose one of the world’s wildest and most dangerous settings. That’s right: a Los Angeles freeway. Complain all you want about the rigors of L.A. traffic: When crooked cops Richard Chance and John Vukovich (William Petersen and John Pankow) flee on the highway, they try to drive against oncoming cars. The resulting sequence is as nerve-racking as an Adam Sandier double feature. The sight of a sliding, skidding 18-wheeler alone is worth a video rental. The chase scene, though, is pure fantasy. Chance and Vukovich not only make it off the L.A. freeway intact, they actually make pretty good time.Speaking of To Live and Die in LA – you may now pre-order the special edition DVD at Amazon for $14.99. It will be released on December 2.

August 29, 2003 – CBS has the promo clip for “Assume Nothing” up on their CSI page. Check it out! Some comments from Billy in the Australian paper, the Sunday Herald Sun:Danny Cannon a series executive producer and frequent director, says Grissom will “become more engaged with the world” as the show continues.
“You keep hearing that from writers, right?” Petersen, 50, responds when asked to explain the phrase. “I dont know what that means either, but I heard it, too. I think one thing Grissom has learned is that he either has much to learn or much to forget. I think he’s very strong but he has his limitations and he focuses on what he’s good at. It’s not that he’s never been out with a woman, it’s just that he’s never been in love with a woman, so that’s not a priority for him.There’s some change going on in him, some midlife situation he’s going to have to address, but how he addresses it I have no idea.” Petersen means, of course, that we should assume nothing. Read the entire article at Playing With Fire

August 27, 2003 – A small but exciting update. It looks as though To Live and Die in LA is finally going to be released on DVD. The release date is set for December 2 and will be a special widescreen edition retailing for $19.98. Visit myvideostore.com (you have to type in your zipcode) and videoeta for more. Thanks to Calocean at Under the Bridge for the tip.

August 24, 2003 – From the Sunday Mail in Australia: Billy said that when he decided to grow a beard,(Grissom is sporting a beard in season 4), the network “went nuts.”

August 21, 2003 – CSI has come out number 1 again – this time the Parents Television Council has deemed it the worst show on television. (Once again proving that CSI is doing something right 😉 Did you even wonder what brand of clothing Grissom wears? According to the costume designer for CSI, Eileen Cox Baker, Billy dons designer labels Tommy Bahama and Ermenegildo Zegna. “The ensemble pieces are put together to look like these characters just pull them out of their closet every day,” Cox Baker says. “But obviously they’re the best-dressed crime scene investigation unit ever.” Read the article about costumes for shows set in Las Vegas in the latest issue of Emmy Magazine.Ever want to buy the same sunglasses Grissom wears at a reasonable price? At the Sunglass Shack you can buy simulator glasses on sale for $19.95 Also, we have added a new wallpaper

August 19, 2003 – CBS has a nifty CSI screensaver to download. Unfortunately for those with Macs, even though they have links posted to download, it doesn’t seem to work. 🙁 Two of Billy’s good friends and fellow Thespians, Gary Cole (Remains Theater, Kiss the Sky) and Marc Vann (Flyovers, Eckley in CSI) have made recent appearances in the delightfully quirky detective show Monk. Gary plays Dextor Larsen, the smarmy publisher of a men’s magazine who is suspected of murder and Marc played an actor who is murdered on stage during a performance. You can still catch the episode starring Gary on Thursday, August 21.

August 13, 2003 – According to Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review Jounal, Billy’s trailer was taped off with crime scene tape on location in Henderson Monday. Henderson police, thinking they had found the trailer of the man wanted for kidnapping a doctor Monday, used crime scene tape to cordon off the trailer of “C.S.I.” star William Petersen while searching for a former officer who later was killed by police. “The suspect was believed to have been staying in a trailer that was in the area, so they taped it off,” Henderson police spokesman Keith Paul said. It was taped for about an hour until they figured out the trailer had nothing to do with the crime. Billy wasn’t there at the time, but expressed surprise when told of the incident. Fellow crew members, seeing the tape around his trailer, wondered what in the world he had done the night before. Read the entire article here.Many fans of not only Billy, but William Friedkin and other stars in the movie “To Live and Die in LA,” have been anxiously awaiting the release of the movie on DVD for several years now. Alas, we are still waiting. This petition to MGM has been posted for a couple of years now, but we figure directing people who haven’t seen it or signed it yet can’t hurt. Obviously they didn’t release it in 2002 as had been rumored. 2003 isn’t looking all the promising either. Word is that it won’t be released until William Friedkin makes time to do an audio commentary. Anyway, sign the petition if you haven’t already!Now that summer is in full swing, it’s a great time to take in a baseball game if you are a fan, or perhaps to sit back and enjoy a baseball movie – like, for instance a wonderful little movie called Long Gone. 😉 For those 2 fans who haven’t seen the film, it really is a must see for any Billy fan. Not only is it one of Billy’s favorite movies, but sportsfans enjoy it as well. Glenn A Buttkus for Listmania over at Amazon rates it as the 22nd best baseball movie ever made. Jim Buchberger of the Dearborn County Register rates it as his 18th best sports movie, and Phil Walsh from Outsports (a gay sports community) rates it as his number one sports movie for gay guys! It has also been featured at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Some trivia: Teller, (of Penn and Teller) who never talks in their act, plays a spoiled-rotten son of the owner of the team and not only talks, but speaks with a heavy southern accent. The CSI companion will be out sometime in 2004 and should be a must-have for every CSI fan. This 224 page book features episode summaries, behind-the-scenes information, exclusive celebrity interviews, and more. This official companion book to TV’s most watched drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, takes fans behind the scenes to the world behind the yellow tape.

August 11, 2003 – The CSI gang is in Las Vegas today and tomorrow to shoot scenes for the season opener “Assume Nothing.” They are filming at locations in Henderson. Read Carol Kling’s column in the Las Vegas Review Journal for more information.

August 7, 2003 – There is an interview with Anthony Zuiker at the end of the CSI novel,Thicker Than Blood. We found these comments to be interesting:Question: When Grissom retires, does Warrick take over the lab?AZ: You know, we had this discussion about a year ago, as to who would take over. We thought maybe Nick would run the lab some day, or some day possibly Sara. We thought the most obvious choice would be Catherine Willows, who has seniority. I believe that Grissom will eventually go deaf, in the show and it’ll be really interesting to watch.Q: Horatio Caine seems to be much more emotionally intense than Gil Grissom..more likely to get involved in his cases, and with the lives of his co-workers. Was that the intention all along, or was that an outgrowth of hiring DC for that part? AZ: When you cast a DC, you are asking for the strengths that he will bring, and you play to those, the emotion and the proactive approach. Billy Petersen is a very different kind of actor, and he has different avant-garde ways of thinking and rationalizing what he’s doing. The subtlety of what Gil Grissom plays, and what BP brings to the role, is much more effective than anybody who would be more vocal and screaming. My wish is that the critics would take the time to appreciate the subtlety of what Billy does and that it would be remembered at Emmy time. (Amen to that Anthony)

August 6, 2003 – Will Grissom’s hearing still be an issue in season 4? Here is what Anthony Zuiker has to say about it: “What drives television drama are characters. We’ll have a huge evolution of Gil Grissom in terms of his hearing disability, which may or may not work out the right way. We’ll also have Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) … how will she react in terms of Grissom’s hearing disability? Will she have to take over the unit, will she not have to take over the unit?” We all know that Billy not only stars in CSI, but also is one of the Co-Executive Producers. Rob Lowe is also taking on dual responsibilties for his new show, The Lyon’s Den. “It’s an ensemble,” Lowe says. “I couldn’t do a workload like Jennifer Garner does on ‘Alias’ or even Billy Petersen on ‘CSI.’ ” Rob and Billy enjoyed a brief cameo together inMulholland Falls. Another actor Billy has worked with is Missy Crider, in The Beast and theCSI episode Burked. Missy is currently appearing the J-Lo Ben Affleck Bomb, Gigli. Reviews have been scathing, but one reviewer had this to say about Missy: “I despised every single performance except for one, and it’s by an actress named Missy Crider, whom you’ve probably never heard of. Heck, she might not have even been that good. I can’t tell. She just stood out ever so slightly from the lowly depths where Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez and the rest of Gigli dwell. So she wasn’t quite as horrible as everyone else. Dim praise. But this movie has, at least temporarily, zapped all of my goodwill and my ability to stop weeping bitterly.” Billy fans have heard of her and she is good. Really. 🙂 If you would like a good chuckle (unless you are a Jen/Ben fan) read the entire review here.

August 1, 2003 – We all know what a baseball fan Billy is. The folks who put together the Major League Baseball All-Star program know it as well. There is an article about his love of Chicago baseball in the 2003 All-Star Game program (It was held in Chicago at the White Sox home field) You can buy it in the Chicago area or at MLB’s official site. Andy Dolan fromDesipio Media Ventures attended the game between the Cubs and Yankees when Billy sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame. His comments regarding Billy that day:- William Petersen is a great actor. If you’ve never seen Manhunter you need to go rent it–right now–and if you’ve never seen Long Gone you have to see it. Just a great baseball movie. William Petersen is also a huge Cubs fan, which I love about him, and his character-Gil Grissom is one of the best on TV today. All that being said, that man did things to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” that are illegal in most southern states. (Awww, come on Andy. He was having a good time and was full of Cubbies spirit!)– Petersen compared the game to “the atmosphere of a World Series.” That’s nice, but we’re Cubs fans Bill, we don’t get to compare things to the World Series. We have no idea.- Honestly, Chip and Steve should be ridiculed for having Gil Grissom in the booth and not asking him to inspect the possible homicide of Troy O’Leary. I mean, he’s certainly playing dead right now.

July 29, 2003 – There is a good interview with Anthony Zuiker in the Ventura County Star. There are some possible spoilers about what the writers might be planning for Grissom :”Zuiker said that this season, he plans to have Gil Grissom (William Petersen), who’s pretty much a loner, get re-engaged with the world. It’s a natural progression after the investigator’s ear operation last season; the season’s first episode will resolve the issue of Grissom’s hearing loss, Zuiker said.” There might be hint of romance for Grissom, perhaps involving Grissom and Sara.

July 22, 2003 – Spike TV and GQ are co-sponsoring GQ’s annual Men of the Year Awards. Billy is one of the deserving nominees. We can’t think of another actor on television who is more important to not only his show, but key to the popularity of the franchise. (One doesn’t think of CSI and not think of Grissom) Billy has created an intellegent, intriguing, introverted, impish, intuitive, insightful character (that takes care of the I in CSI. We’ll let caring, confusing and seriously sexy cover the C and the S ) who looks darn good wearing leather jackets, silk jackets, no jackets or denim coveralls! (Can we wish for Grissom in jeans?) Besides all of that, he’s the only actor on the list to be honored by the American Society for Clinical Pathology AND to have addressed the Senate regarding funding for crime labs. Even though Billy doesn’t care about awards and such, we’ll care for him….so VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!

July 21, 2003 – Anthony Zuiker had this to say about Billy and CSI: Miami at the Television Critics tour: Zuiker says that the rivalry between CSI and CSI: Miami has been “overblown,” but adds that chief instigator William Petersen (Grissom) has “come to accept the fact that the franchise is growing… [and] has become bigger than him, bigger than us.” We think Mr. “Chief Instigator” had every right to be angry that CSI was spun-off so soon and we applaud his honesty. But yes, he’s probably moved on… Also,Look for the CSI gang to be filming in Las Vegas sometime during the second week in August. (The week of the 11th)

July 19, 2003 – New dailies clips and screencaps from Lady Heather’s Box.July 18, 2003 – Look for CSI to be in Las Vegas to shoot the season opener soon (Assume Nothing) They are scouting locations this week. Neena Louise at EntertainmentNutz has her annual TV BiteMes up. Her pick for best actor? Billy of course! Howard Rosenberg from the LA Times had this to say in his article about the Emmys:”Unlike theatrical movies, which historically carry an allure of something dreamy and almost unattainable (like that famous clip of a young Judy Garland serenading a photo of Clark Gable), TV is America’s furniture, a remote-controlled companion in your house that delivers the same old same-old around the clock. Try picturing a girl singing “You Made Me Love You” to a photo of William Petersen of Emmy-nominated “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Well, Howard, we don’t know about a girl singing “You Made Me Love You,” but we’re sure a few million WOMEN do. But, you’re a man. We know you don’t understand why women are gaga over Grissom. ;-)We found this article from the Boston Herald amusing. It’s called “Holiday of the Network Stars.” It’s a tongue-in-cheek piece about what our favorite characters are doing over the summer:Jack (Anthony LaPaglia) of CBS’ “Without a Trace” has formed a support group for bosses who love their employees. He has invited Josh (Bradley Whitford) of NBC’s “West Wing” (the poor dear wanted to know if Donna would be there) and Grissom (William Petersen) of CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (who couldn’t hear Jack the first time he called) to join him. Topics covered include “Why does she always like guest stars more than me?”Finally, we know Billy likes Italian food, and the Cucina Bella in Chicago is one of the Italian restaurants he has visited. The food looks delicious.

July 17, 2003 – CONGRATULATIONS to CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Marg Helgenberger on your Emmy nomination for Best Drama and Best Actress in a Drama!! Billy fans – don’t despair. Billy never expected to receive a nod for Best Actor, (it’squite possible he didn’t even submit a tape for himself. ) but perhaps he can take solace in the fact that the fans know who the MVP of prime time is. CSI wouldn’t be a pop-culture phenomenon without Billy’s brilliant, understated, quiet, fascinating portrayal of Grissom. Grissom has become an icon when it comes to talk about crime and forensics.

July 14, 2003 – CSI begins work on it’s 4th season today. Homebodies is the first episode to be filmed, but will be the 3RD episode aired. Look for something CSI has never done before for the season premiere (Ok, it’s a two parter – Assume Nothing)

July 12, 2003 – More Emmy news: Emmy Award winners Michael Chiklis (The Shield) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) will join Academy Chairman Bryce Zabel to announce the 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards nominations live on Thursday, July 17 at 5:38:30 a.m. at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood. The announcements are scheduled early in the day in order to reach morning viewers on the East Coast.Nominees in the top ten categories will be revealed in the four-minute live ceremony. For the thirteenth consecutive year, Douglass M. Stewart will be producing the event. The 55th Annual Primetime Emmys will air on September 21 on Fox and will originate from the Shrine.

July 1, 2003 – The CSI gang begins filming season 4 on Monday, July 14th.

June 29, 2003 – This is what David Bianculli of the Daily News thinks about CSI’s season ending episode (Inside the Box) and what he would like to see next season: WHAT HAPPENED: Grissom (William Petersen), his hearing loss getting worse, walked bravely into emergency surgery.HOW IT PLAYED: Inevitably. The hearing-loss subplot had run its course, and should be resolved and retired next season. What should happen next: Other than restoring Grissom’s hearing, pairing him again with Lady Heather, the dominatrix who helped heat up the show for two episodes last season — and maybe having Marg Helgenberger’s Catherine spend more time with her, too.June 28, 2003 – From July 1-14, Major League Baseball and Mervyn’s will host their annual Bases to Benefit RBI auction. Many celebrities and Major League players will be signing bases to be auctioned off for the charity. Billy, Marg, Gary and Paul will be taking part from CSI. There is rumor that another CSI computer game might be in the future. Also, just a reminder for those in the UK, the first half of the 2nd season will be available July 28th. For those in the US, the complete second season will be available September 2nd.

June 17, 2003 – More details about the wedding: Billy and Gina were married in a 400 year old church. The reception was held at a nearby villa attended by 75 family members and friends. June 16, 2003 – From the San Francisco Chronicle: ” Actor William Petersen, who stars in CBS-TV’s “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” married his longtime girlfriend during a weekend ceremony in Italy. Petersen, 50, and former schoolteacher Gina Cirone were married Saturday in Petrignano, Italy, his publicist Jennifer Allen said Monday. There were no details about the ceremony. The couple was honeymooning in Europe, Allen said. They live in Los Angeles. Petersen, who is also the show’s executive producer, plays Gil Grissom on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

June 16, 2003 – More news about the Pathology Today conference Billy will be attending on September 18th at the New Orleans Riverside Hotel: at 5:15 he will accept the ASCP’s special recognition award, then from 7:30-9:00 pm, he and associate producer Brad Tanenbaum will give an inside look at how they create the special effects and graphics for CSI.

June 13, 2003 – This from the June 16th issue of US Magazine( From a piece they did featuring favorite TV shows returning in the fall – where they left off and what’s in store for next season).

June 9, 2003 – Billy and Marg have been voted Best Actor and Best Actress respectively, by readers of OnSat magazine in their annual Bandwidth Awards issue. CSI was also voted Best Drama. Those readers have good taste!Another sighting at the Chalet Nursery: Actor William Petersen, (TV’s “CSI”) turned heads when he walked into the Chalet Nursery in Wilmette. Though he just looked around and didn’t buy any plants, he made the nursery’s staff happy when he signed autographs. Petersen, who got his start in Chicago theater and who has a house in the area, can often be seen around the North Shore during his summer hiatus from filming “CSI.”More from the Sun-Times about Billy spending the day in the press box at Wrigley Field (The article was about Sammy Sosa and how people will never view him the same after the cork-in-the bat incident – EXCEPT Cubs fans): Virtually everywhere he goes, Sammy will feel a new chill. His lone sanctuary will be Wrigley, where actor and Cubs fan William Petersen rooted his lungs out for Sosa in the press box. Alas, the local chairman of the Baseball Writers Association of America had to remind Petersen of the no-cheering rule.

June 6 – 2003 – Billy sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” today during the Cubs/Yankees game. He was wearing a Cubs jersey and hat (visor turned backwards) and looked to be having a good time. We will post screencaps and a clip at the end of the week! From the Chicago Sun-Times: Actor William “CSI” Petersen, who spends a lot of time in Chicago, was spotted at the Chalet Nursery in Wilmette recently and endearingly encountered an avid female fan hobbling around on a broken foot. Chirped the fan: “I’m probably the only stalker on crutches he’ll ever meet!”

June 2, 2003 – We have received several emails asking about Billy singing during the seventh inning stretch during one of the games in the Cubs/Yankees series this coming weekend (6th, 7th, 8th) We don’t know which game it will be or if they will televise him singing, but if they do we will do our very best to bring it to you. As we will be out of town, the clip will be tardy (if there is one) but better late than never! So keep your ears and eyes open – especially you lucky fans in Chicago 🙂

June 2, 2003 – This from The Alameda Times-Star: (Seen and Heard – mentions Grissom’s hearing problems)On CSI William Petersen plays the loner Grissom. When it was revealed that Grissom’s mother was deaf and that he was starting to lose his hearing, it helped the audience better understand the character. “By having Grissom cope with this, you have a much more interesting character to play, ” says Petersen, who is hearing, in a recent interview. “We liked the idea of Grissom having a deaf mother, because it explained why he was so comfortable in a silent environment.” Grissom now copes with the reality that his hearing loss may cost him his job. “Grissom hasn’t let anyone know about this, because he is still processing what is happening to him,” Petersen says. “Since his mother is deaf, he knew there was a real possiblity that he could lose his hearing as well. But when it happens, it’s not easy for him.”

May 18, 2003 – The second season DVD, region 2, part 1 (eps 1-12) will be released in the UK on July 7th (there is some conflict here. We’ve heard both the 7th and 28th of July) Either way, extras will include trailers, the music video “Who are you,” cast and crew feature, audio commentaries by the Executive Producers, directors and cast members for Burked, Alter Boys and Ellie. Features also include a set walk through with Elizabeth Devine and behind the scenes with music,special effects and make-up.The official Emmy Awards submissions for the CSI this season are Lady Heather’s Box and The Accused is Entitled.More from theSoroptimists Fashion Show Billy attended in March, this time from a local columnist (Michele E Buttleman) who called Billy the most gracious celebrity seen at the show: “Not to gush… but what the heck…why not? William Petersen is perhaps the most gracious celebrity I have EVER seen – or met. He was infinitely patient, smiling and friendly as he signed dozens of autographs for the star-struck ladies lined up to meet him. His appearance was not billed as an “autograph signing” but the courteous star politely obliged the crowd signing his name on napkins, programs and scarps of paper.”

May 14, 2003 – One new photo in the Cousins gallery, as well as three new pictures in CSI Gallery.

May 10, 2003 – Billy is featured in a humorous piece in the May 9th issue of Entertainment Weekly, as well as an article in the June issue of Good Housekeeping.

May 7, 2003 – Billy will be honored by the American Society for Clinical Pathology at their meeting “Pathology Today” in New Orleans in September: “William Petersen, star and co-executive producer of the highly rated and critically acclaimed CBS drama, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, will appear at Pathology Today¨ The ASCP Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La., this September to accept the ASCP Special Recognition Award. ASCP President E. Eugene Baillie, MD, FASCP, will present the ASCP award to Mr. Petersen at the Society’s Opening Ceremonies at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 18, 2003, at the Riverside Hilton Hotel in New Orleans. The ASCP is honoring Petersen for his positive portrayal of forensic and investigative sciences through his work on the CSI television program and the tremendous increase in the public’s awareness of pathology and medical laboratory science that he has helped to create. Petersen and others involved with the show steered the hit program to a number one rating position in just two seasons. Part of the show’s success is attributed to Petersen’s attention to detail and his insistence on authenticity as co-executive producer. He has stocked the CSI laboratory with several million dollars worth of laboratory equipment, including a $500,000 ballistics identifier, and a morgue for the series coroner Albert Robbins, MD. Petersen’s character, Gil Grissom, is described as someone who could no more work in another profession than a fish could stop swimming. Grissom’s philosophy about his work is: If you want to learn about forensics, master everything else first. Petersen also testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2001 on increased funding for crime labs. Labs across the country are faced with a myriad of problems. Caseloads have grown faster than funding and backlogs are expanding,said Petersen in his Senate testimony. Many labs have outdated facilities and equipment and an insufficient number of qualified personnel to conduct the analyses that are so vital to our criminal justice system. In 1979, Jack Klugman, star of the TV series Quincy, received a Special Recognition Award from the California Association for Medical Technology; and C. Everett Koop, MD, the former U.S. Surgeon General, was given the ASCP Distinguished Service to Medicine Award in 1989.

May 3, 2003 – Also, Billy along with the cast and crew, attended the season ending wrap party at the Tangier restaurant and nightclub in Hollywood last night (Friday, May 2) Festivities included a gag reel of bloopers from season 3 and a raffle for prizes. According to sources, a mighty fine time was had by all! The cast and most of the crew are now on hiatus until mid-July. Billy’s plans for the summer include singing during the 7th inning stretch at the Cubs/Yankees game, getting married and spending some time in Italy. (Speaking of bloopers, here’s hoping CBS includes a few in the Season 2 DVD set when it comes out!)

May 2, 2003 – Marg Helgenberger mentions in Lifetime Magazine that she convinced Billy to take up Yoga to help with his aching knees and hips. He had been considering surgery for his knees, but Marg’s advice seems to be helping. April 28, 2003 – Billy, Marg, Gary and Paul are in Las Vegas today through Wednesday shooting scenes from the finale: (from the Las Vegas Review Journal) Today finds the crew at work at the Jean dry lake bed, which plays the scene of a shooting to be investigated by the “CSI” team. On Tuesday, the action shifts to the northwest — at the Rampart Casino and the adjacent J.W. Marriott hotel — for office and casino scenes, according to Kim Houser-Amaral, the show’s Las Vegas location manager. Wednesday’s shooting begins at a private residence in the southeast end of the valley, then moves downtown to the Sun State Apartments and an alley at First and Lewis streets. The alley provides a convenient parking spot for a getaway car, featured in the show’s primary bank-robbery plot. (The bank robbery itself, of course, will be filmed in Southern California, “CSI’s” primary location — despite the show’s Las Vegas setting.) “We love to shoot in Vegas during the finale, to reacquaint (cast and crew) with what the show’s about: Las Vegas,” according to “CSI” creator Anthony Zuiker, who scripted “Inside the Box” with Carol Mendelsohn, his fellow executive producer. “It’s always an inspirational thing for the cast and crew.”

April 24, 2003 – Just an update on CSI’s shooting schedual (as of now): Today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday, April 24th and 25th) are the final two days of shooting at the studios in Santa Clarita this season. April 28th, 29th, and 30th will be shot on location in Las Vegas, marking the end of filming for season 3. – What is Billy’s biggest personal challenge on CSI?“Trying to get that hair fiber in focus for the camera…”- Billy told Marilyn Beck recently about his advice to actors who dream of being in an hour long drama: “Be careful what you wish for.” (We take that to be in reference to the long hours and the difficulty of doing an hour long televison drama. As it says on the back of the T-shirts he gave out to the crew in season one: “TV ain’t for sissies”- From the Chicago Sun-Times (Friday, April 18th): CSI MEETS CUBS: Proud Chicagoan and avid Cubbies fan William Petersen is excited to be coming home the first weekend in June to lead the singing for the seventh-inning stretch when the New York Yankees face off at Wrigley Field for the first time since the era of Babe Ruth. “I can’t wait,” Petersen told me during a visit to his “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” set in Santa Clarita, Calif., Wednesday. “Right now–as we’re talking–I’ve got someone going to check on the Cubs score!” The well-known Chicago sports “nut” says it’s following the “Bulls, Cubs, Bears that keeps me going … gives me something fun to think about,” while he spends those grueling long hours both starring in and helping produce the top-rated CBS series (Actually, Petersen is making a quick, two-day trip to Chicago this weekend, but he won’t catch a game, since the Cubbies are on the road.*But don’t look for Petersen to keep playing the intense Gil Grissom on “CSI” for years and years. “I think a couple more will do it. … This season we’re dealing with his hearing loss. Maybe next we’ll have him lose his sight. … Then he’ll fall apart altogether,” Petersen said, only half-kidding, with a great deadpan glance.The actor didn’t confirm anything one way or another, but strongly hinted that after his five-year commitment to the series is up, he would move on to other things–including “the chance to get back and do plays in Chicago.”- CSI will be in Las Vegas starting April 28th to film location shots for the season finale – Inside the Box.

April 13, 2003 – From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, read what Billy has to say about the glut of reality shows on television:”It’s the time of reality television,” says William Petersen, star of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” At some point, I think, people get sick of it. I think you will have to go back to stories at some point. It’s a cheap way for people to produce television, and it gets huge numbers…It’s not very fun for us. We’re actors. And we are also friends with actors who don’t get paid because these shows are on the air. They can’t get jobs. So for us, it’s personal on a different level.”

April 5, 2003 – Billy commenting to Marilyn Beck about his engagement to Gina and trying to balance his private life with his professional life: “Suffice it to say I’m happy. The trick is to blend your personal and professional lives – and my goal is to achieve that while I’m making an hour-long series.”

April 3, 2003 – Second update. As reported here last month, Billy took part in the Soroptimists Fashion Show on March 16th. It was sold out of course 🙂 The fashion show ended in style with Cheri Fleming, escorted down the runway by actor William Petersen. Fleming looked to be having the most fun of all the models as she grinned ear-to -ear on the arm of the handsome Petersen. Petersen attracted a large crowd of autograph seekers who sought his attention before the fashion show began. He said he enjoyed participating in an event “in a community where I do alot of work.” CSI has filmed numerous episodes in the Santa Clarita Valley. The star of the crime drama said he enjoyed the fashion show experience. ” This is a great event, normally I’d be at home watching basketball, instead – here I am with 400 beautiful women and it’s all for a good cause.”

March 31, 2003 – Also this little blurb in the latest People Magazine from Jorja Fox: ” We shot a scene with an actress who was strapped on a gurney and couldn’t move,” says Fox. “William Petersen and I started tickling her. The victims really have to watch out for us.”March 26, 2003 – For those fans who live in the LA area and have always wanted to see Grissom/CSI on the big screen and possibly meet the executive producers of the show, including Jerry Bruckheimer, the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd. is doing a tribute to Jerry Bruckheimer March 26 – 30th. They will show the CSI pilot episode Saturday, March 29th. Mike Seate, who writes for the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, wrote an article about locals getting starry-eyed from brushes with Hollywood. This what he had to say about Billy:” Most of you probably know my sister’s former suitor. Or almost suitor might be a more appropriate description. His name is William Petersen, the current star on the top-rated CBS TV series ‘CSI.’ Petersen was in town back in 1992, filming ‘Passed Away,’ a drama about an East Coast union family, when he encountered my sister, Mirette, a local TV host and radio producer.Their eyes met on a sound stage one day, and the rest, as they say, was, well, kinda silly.Petersen called my sister frequently during his stay here, and try as he might, she didn’t buy his star-crossed promises of long-term romance. My sister’s friends all told her she was crazy not to get involved with the handsome movie star. In fact, several of them lined up to, shall we say, take her place with Petersen when she declined.”

March 23, 2003 – WP is featured in the April issue of Biography MagazineMarch 20, 2003 – Billy was in New York City last night (March 19) to attend the Gold Medal Award reception for Les Moonves (the CEO of CBS) It was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

March 16, 2003 – Just a reminder that the entire 1st season of CSI will be out on DVD for those in the US and Canada on March 25th. Also, Return to Lonesome Dove will be out on DVD May 20th. We found this mildy amusing:From the Focus Forum in the Times Picayuune -Hairpiece investigation: Is Grissom wearing one?Question: I’m very curious about the main character in “CSI,” the actor Petersen. I notice that in every episode his hair is either a different color or in a different style. Even in the same episode this occurs. I’m thinking rug or hairpiece. Am I right or wrong? Also, I enjoy the show 10 times more than “CSI: Miami.” I also enjoy Petersen in the role and hairpiece, bowlegs or not, he is stilll good.Answer: We’re thinking maybe it’s your TV’s picture. Comparing several photos of William L Petersen, who plays Gil Grissom on the wildly popular CBS drama ” CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” we saw nothing that screams *toupee.* But, we called CBS anyway and a very patient spokeswoman said “That’s his real hair.”

March 7, 2003 – Billy is on the cover of The Magazine of Santa Clarita. He is going to appear in person at the Soroptimist’s Fashion show on March 16th. Profits from the the fashion show go to the Soroptimist Foundation of Santa Clarita Valley, which then utilize the monies to benefit women’s outreach programs and organizations like COC, the Senior Center, The Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, The Domestic Violence Center, child and family centers, and the single mother outreach program. The event is titled “Lights, Camera, Fashion” It will be held at the Hyatt Valencia. Tickets are $55.00 or preferred seating is available for $750.00, which accomodates 10 guests. Call 1-661-259-2696 for information. (Thanks to Marie!)

February 12, 2003 – CSI’s Petersen blasts awards shows, by Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenal Smith.As the days dwindle down until the March 23 Academy Awards, William Petersen wants us to know he’s fed up with awards shows.Though there’s no comparing the Oscars in prestige and commercial importance to the other competitions, the “CSI, Crime Scene Investigation” star points out there’s no way of escaping the fact, “It seems we have another awards show every other week.”He blasts, “It’s supposed to be about giving people kudos, but it’s really about cameras and lights and publicity. If it’s not publicized, it’s not happening – it’s the red carpet concept.”Petersen did attend the Emmys “kicking and screaming,” and was also at this year’s People’s Choice Awards, but he gives the impression he won’t be attending many more such productions and will do as little as he can to focus on his celebrity rather than his acting.”I understand it’s all about business, but as an artist I have to keep my ideal together and believe there’s another purpose to what I’m doing than fattening corporate bank accounts.”The bottome line is, he simply feels “Way too much attention is being paid to people like me, and I don’t understand it. I don’t understand the appeal of awards shows or the need of at least 10 magazines that give you all you need to know about celebritites. And who really needs to know it?”

February 7, 2003 – Billy is playing in the AT&T National Pro-Am Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach this week with Marg’s husband, Alan Rosenberg.

January 28, 2003 – Congratulations to the cast of CSI for being nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for best ensemble acting in a drama!!

January 25, 2003 – Billy predicts the Oakland Raiders will win the Superbowl: “Oakland. Because Al Davis is still the toughest man in football. 24-20.

The William Petersen Appreciation Page - www.billypetersen.com

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