CBS Unveils Official 'Miami' & 'New York' Premiere Info

CBS's new season begins less than three weeks from now and the Eye network is starting to release the official details of its anticipated premieres, starting with CSI: Miami and CSI: New York.

Miami's season premiere might prove deadly for Horatio Caine, CBS revealed. In "From The Grave," Miami's fiercest gang seeks revenge on a rival gang member and opens fire at his mother's funeral. When the gang discovers that Horatio plans to find them and destroy their illegal smuggling operation, they put out a hit on Horatio. Meanwhile, Horatio takes confession with a New York City Cardinal who is one of only a few people who know of the deadly crime he committed in his past. The episode was written by series veterans Ann Donahue and Elizabeth Devine.

Miami will also see two new additions to the main credits this season. Actor Rex Linn, who has portrayed stern Detective Frank Tripp since the first season, has finally been given star billing. The move may be an attempt to fill the void created by the departure of Sofia Milos, who played resident detective Yelina Salas. Actress Eva La Rue will also join Miami as Natalia Boa Vista, a new DNA analyst brought to the lab with a grant to work exclusively on cold cases. La Rue was originally contracted for 13 episodes but recently signed a deal that will promote her to series regular, according to her official website. Her character is set to miss a few episodes early on, but her screen time will increase as the season progresses.

A couple of recurring characters will also make their first appearance in the season premiere. The Sopranos's Jerry Adler will grace Miami as Cardinal Benedetti, who will try to help Horatio deal with the mistakes of his past. Brendan Fehr will also join the show as Dan Cooper, the lab's new A/V tech. Fehr is best known for his role in the sci-fi series Roswell.

CBS has also released the official details of the CSI: New York premiere, "Summer In The City." According to the Eye network, Stella and Danny will investigate the murder of a New York fashion designer killed while wearing an eight million dollar diamond bra from his own collection, while Dr. Hawkes will abandon the morgue and join Mac in the field to investigate why an expert skyscraper climber plunged to his death while scaling the Empire State Building. The key to the case is the CSI's smallest witness ever -- a mosquito. The episode was written by Pam Veasey.

CSI: New York will see a few cast changes as well, starting with the departure of Vanessa Ferlito (Aiden Burn). Ferlito is rumoured to have left the series to pursue a movie career. Her character will last been seen in the second episode "Grand Murder At Central Station." In lieu of her departure, Anna Belknap will join the cast as Lindsay Monroe, a CSI from Montana who has a lot to learn about New York. However, fans may not get the chance to meet Monroe in the first episode of the season, as her name appears to have been left out of the credits.

"From The Grave" will premiere Monday, September 19th, while "Summer In The City" airs two days later on Sept. 21st. Visit the Futon Critic to read the official episode releases.

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