48% Of CSI Fans Agree This Is Their Favorite Character
When someone says they're a fan of "CSI" nowadays, they usually have to be more specific about which exact segment of the storied multi-show police procedural TV franchise they're talking about. Do they mean "CSI: Miami"? "CSI: NY"? "CSI: Cyber"? "CSI: Vegas"? Though the franchise has become pretty massive in terms of its scope, it's important to remember that all of these spin-off shows emerged out of one definitive series: the original "CSI," which ran for a whopping 15 years, from 2000 to 2015. This original entry in the franchise has been off the airwaves for more than a few years at this point, but the show still has plenty of devoted fans who look back on it fondly.
Over the course of its lengthy run, "CSI" constructed a large ensemble cast of lovable characters. As such, there's a pretty heated debate to be had over which one of the numerous stars of the series ranks as the best of the best in the minds of fans. As it turns out, however, there seems to be at least some consensus that one particular character stands out as the definitive fan favorite.
Who else but Gil Grissom?
A poll on the r/csi subreddit asked fans of "CSI" to vote for one out of six different main characters as their favorite from the show. Though it seemed to be a hard decision for a few fans, the show's original lead, Gil Grissom, ended up winning with a solid 48% of the vote.
As played by William Petersen, Grissom made a splash on "CSI" as an eccentric night shift supervisor that added an entertaining wild card element to the central team. His energetic spirit and off-kilter methods of investigation kept both his coworkers and the show's audience on the edge of their seats since no one was ever exactly sure just what Grissom would say or do next.
Petersen stayed with "CSI" until midway through its 9th season. After that, he made a couple of sporadic appearances across the show's later seasons and returned for the series finale. More recently, Petersen portrayed Grissom on the first season of the sequel series, "CSI: Vegas." The actor won't be returning to the role in the show's upcoming second season, though fans hopefully haven't seen the last of Grissom, considering the character's dedicated following.