Les Moonves, CBS's CEO, discussed the surprise firings of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation stars Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) and George Eads (Nick Stokes) at the Television Critics Association press tour claiming that he felt Fox and Eads "veiled threats" to not show up for the first day of filming on the shows fifth season put them in breach of their contracts.

According to Zap2It, Moonves had been in contact with the stars' lawyers prior to his decision to fire the pair. "There comes a point where we feel a contract is a contract," he said. "We had been having discussions with their lawyers. There were certain veiled threats about their not showing up, and there comes a point where we all have to look out for the future of the network television business."

Ultimately, Moonves feels the stars broke their contracts with the network. "I'm sort of old-fashioned. I believe when you and I shake hands and we sign a deal, it's a deal," he said. "And if by the fourth episode of the season we had decided that George Eads, we wanted to fire him, guess what? I couldn't pick up a phone and say 'You know what, I want to fire you, but the contract really doesn't matter, so I'm not going to pay you for the other 18 episodes that I owe you.'"

TV Guide's Insider reported that despite initial reports, both Fox and Eads were offered more money. "By the way, what has not been reported is that we did offer them a raise, even though we didn't have to," Moonves commented.

When asked about who might replace Fox and Eads, Moonves said they were looking at potential actors, but did not name any specific names. He also declined to comment when asked if there was a possibility that the situation with Fox and Eads might be worked out, and the two actors might be return after all.

Moonves does predict that Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders) and Paul Guilfoyle (Jim Brass) might see their roles expanded in the upcoming season. But Moonves clearly feels CSI will survive the loss of two of its main cast members. "CSI has wonderful actors, but if we make a change here and there, I don't think it will hurt the show," he said.

CSI creator and CSI: New York showrunner Anthony Zuiker expressed his regret over the departure of the two actors when he took the stage for the CSI: New York segment. "I was saddened by the news," he said. "[But] it is show business, and the show must go on."

CSI: New York star Carmine Giovinazzo (Danny Messer) was eager to answer a question posed to the CSI: New York stars about whether at some point down the road they might be equally as hardlined about negotiating their contracts, "The reaction I had to that," he said, "was I'd shine Moonves's shoes and caddy for him every weekend if I was making that much money. I hope I'm not stepping on... biting my tongue here."

Moonves also dismissed the notions of a CSI: New York and Law & Order competition, though he acknowledged that L&O creator Dick Wolf's comments last week (story) reveal that Wolf is nervous about the face-off. "Clearly, he showed that he is a little worried about the CSI franchise by those remarks," Moonves said. Though Moonves claimed that CSI: New York is "not going to beat Law & Order," he does predict success for the second CSI spinoff. "However, CSI: New York is going to do better than we've done in that time period in decades," he commented.

To read the original stories, please visit Zap2It and TV Guide.

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