Dear China Beach, Happy 23rd Anniversary

Today marks the 23rd anniversary of China Beach‘s premiere. The show, which first aired on ABC on Tuesday, April 26th 1988, was Marg’s first primetime series. Her portrait of prostitute-turned-businesswoman K.C. Koloski won her an Emmy for actress in a supporting role in 1990. Just like Marg, Dana Delany, the leading actress of the show, remains active on TV. She was in Desperate Housewives for three seasons before starting her current show, Body of Proof.

You can watch the opening credits of China Beach‘s first season by clicking the image below. This show is truly classic. Still awesome after two decades!

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Nov 7 2010

Marg: It’s Time To Switch It Off

By Kelly • Filed in: Career, News

Canada.com has a detailed report on Marg from CBS Studios’ international press junket on the possibility of leaving CSI after the current season ends.

CSI shocker: Marg Helgenberger considers leaving popular TV drama at season’s end

By Alex Strachan
NOVEMBER 7, 2010 5:03 AM

BEVERLY HILLS, California. — Marg Helgenberger may have cleaned up after her last body on CSI, the veteran TV actress told a handful of visiting journalists this weekend.

Helgenberger’s character, crime-scene investigator Catherine Willows, has been a mainstay of one of TV’s most-watched primetime dramas since its premiere on Oct. 6, 2000. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is now in its 11th season.

Helgenberger is contracted to appear until the end of this season. She was in a position to leave last year, but signed a one-year contract extension.

“It’s not that I feel disappointed or don’t like the show anymore, or am in any way unhappy,” said a reflective, soft-spoken Helgenberger. “It’s really just more about me, as an actor and as a person, realizing it’s time to kind of switch it off and see what else is out there.”

Read the rest of this entry

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Nov 2 2010

Will Marg Be Back for Season 12 of “CSI”?

By Erica • Filed in: Career, News

From Carita Rizzo at TVGuide.com:

The nail biter on CSI is whether or not original cast member Marg Helgenberger will really leave at the end of the season, as she announced earlier this year. “You know what, anything’s possible. But I wouldn’t consider a full season,” she tells TV Guide Magazine. Her change of heart may have something to do with Catherine’s recently improved private life. “It’s funny, I’ve said I want a love interest on the show since Season 2, and my last season I finally get one. There’s something going on there,” she laughs. “They’ve given me some more interesting things to do this season, so we’ll see where they’re going to take the character in the next few months. Like I said, anything’s possible.”

Source: TVGuide.com

What’s your take?

A Transitional Year For Catherine

By Erica • Filed in: Career, Media

In the last issue of Entertainment Weekly (September 17, 2010), there is a short preview of CSI‘s 11th season with show runner Carol Mendelsohn’s comment on how this season might turn out for Marg’s character, Catherine Willows. Thanks KayLyne for the article (contains mild spoilers)!

CSI

Returning Drama, 9-10PM, CBS

Season 11 picks up where the show left off last spring, with Dr. Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) in a pool of blood after being stabbed by “Dick & Jane” serial killer Nate Haskell (Bill Irwin). We’re guessing he’s fine, so let’s move on to bigger news: Justin Bieber makes his acting debut in the season premiere! He will play a kid who belongs to “a group who believe that our country has been co-opted by profiteers,” says exec producer Carol Mendelsohn. (Bieber will also make an appearance during February sweeps.) Also look for a new love interest for Catherine (Marg Helgenberger, who maintains this will be her final year on the hit). “It is a transitional year for Catherine,” says Mendelsohn, holding out hope that her star will reconsider. “It could be a way to end things for her—or to begin things.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly, September 17, 2010

Marg: It’s Time to Move On

By Erica • Filed in: Career, News

Express.co.uk published an article titled Marg Helgenberger Quits CSI Crime Lab After Finding New Love with a few quotes from Marg. It talks about Marg’s decision to leave CSI and how art imitates life as both Marg and her character Catherine Willows find new love.

Marg Helgenberger Quits CSI Crime Lab After Finding New Love

Saturday August 28,2010
By Mike Parker

MARG Helgenberger is to leave the hit Channel Five show after 11 years as the crime lab’s leading lady.

Viewers will see feisty crime scene sleuth Catherine Willows fall head over heels for Detective Vartann, played by Alex Carter, before disappearing into the sunset.

(more…)

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Jul 29 2010

Carol Mendelsohn Plans to Beg Marg to Stay

By Erica • Filed in: Career, Media, News

TV Guide’s William Keck who was at CBS’ TCA Summer Press Tour Party on July 28 posted scoops he got there. Here’s the part about CSI. Contains mild spoilers:

CSI show runner Carol Mendelsohn tells me Bill Irwin will be reprising his role as inmate Nathan Haskell in the show’s 11th season premiere, then return for three additional episodes in a story arc that will finally introduce the wife of Laurence Fishburne’s Dr. Raymond Langston. “Toward the end of the season, Mrs. Langston will play a pivotal role,” says Mendelsohn. Plus, hearing that Marg Helgenberger has decided to end her long run as Catherine Willows this season, Mendelsohn says she plans to “start begging on my knees as the season progresses. No one ever leaves the CSI family, so we’ll see.” Finally, Mendelsohn has been speaking with Jorja Fox (Sara) about how to explain to the audience why Sara has been apart from her husband Grissom for so long. Unfortunately, she has so far been unsuccessful in her repeated attempts to sway William Petersen back for a guest spot to explain the divide.

Source: Keck’s Exclusives @ TV Guide

Season 11 Will Be Marg’s Last Season of CSI

By Erica • Filed in: Career, News

Marg has confirmed to TV Guide’s William Keck that she will only be in 19 episodes in CSI’s 11th season and that she thinks they will be her last CSI episodes. Apart from the reason behind her upcoming departure and the possible way for Catherine to exit the show, she also talked about both her and Catherine’s love lives.

TV Guide Magazine: With a pay raise, you were in line to top Law & Order: SVU’s Mariska Hargitay as TV’s highest-paid actress, right?

Helgenberger: I did not get a pay raise this year. I asked to do less episodes, so I am doing only 19. CBS was also using the poor economy as a way to pull in the reins, so honestly all of us took pay cuts this year. Because I’m doing [fewer episodes], I won’t be making as much. Plus, I negotiated to do a few episodes in which I’m only working three days, so the salary was adjusted. Apart from the money, I wasn’t quite ready to let go of the character and the people I work with.

For full interview, please go to Keck’s Exclusives @ TV Guide:

Keck’s Exclusives: Marg Helgenberger Prepares to Leave CSI

411mania on Marg’s Contract Status

By Erica • Filed in: Career

In the latest TV Rants and Raves by 411mania.com (dated June 2nd 2010), columnist Bryan Kristopowitz did a review on CSI’s season finale and talked a little bit about the cast members’ contracts.

I read that several cast members’ contracts are up and that some of them might not be coming back. Fishburne is coming back, and it sounds like the network and producers are going to do whatever it takes to keep Marg Helgenberger happy, so who do you think can the show do without? Will George Eads be sent packing? Will Jorja Fox’s Sarah be sent back to the jungle or wherever to hang out with Grissom (and when the hell is he coming back for a guest starring bit? November sweeps?). Will Jim Brass get a pink slip?

Is it possible that CBS is tired of the show and that’s why it wants to get a cheaper cast? Can a show like CSI withstand a major cast shake up like removing half of the people on the show?

Source: TV Rants and Raves @ 411mania

Many thanks to JFO for the heads-up!

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