‘CSI: Vegas’ star Paula Newsome ‘surprised’ over cancellation despite strong ratings

Paula Newsome, star of the recently cancelled ‘CSI: Vegas’, is surprised by CBS's decision to pull the plug on the show.

Newsome, who played head crime lab technician Maxine Roby, spoke to TVLine about the show’s cancellation. “I got the news from my showrunner [Jason Tracey], and I was very surprised because our ratings are so good.”

She continued, “Our numbers were much higher than a lot of shows on other networks that had been picked up, so that was very surprising, but I know the business is tough.”

‘CSI: Vegas’ premiered in 2021 and brought new characters to the established CSI universe. Though the show garnered nearly 6 million viewers in its third season, it was the least-watched original drama on CBS.

Newsome ultimately conceded, reflecting on her filming experience. “But yeah, it’s a good run. It should be more. I’m very proud of what we did.”

The actor also spoke about enjoying downtime between roles. “The most important thing is to enjoy that time, because something is always coming. So make sure that when you have the time off, enjoy it. Travel, relax, work out more.”

Newsome is also known for her roles in shows like ‘Chicago Med’ and ‘Barry’, as well as the blockbuster film ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. In the ‘CSI: Vegas’ finale, her character hunts down a villainous tech boss using AI to manipulate DNA evidence.

The cancellation of ‘CSI: Vegas’ is part of a larger trend at CBS. Shows like ‘NCIS: Hawai'i’ and ‘So Help Me Todd’ were also recently axed.

While the CSI franchise seems to be closing a chapter, CBS remains open to future spin-offs.

According to Us Weekly, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach said, “I definitely think that franchise is alive and well and we continue to be in discussions.”