Peter MacNicol Joins Cast of 'CSI: Cyber'

CSI: Cyber is getting an infusion of Emmy credibility.

Peter MacNicol, who earned an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as John Cage on FOX's Ally McBeal, has joined the cast of the upcoming CSI spinoff. He will play the role of Stravros Sifter, the assistant director for the Cyber Crime Division in Washington, D.C., and supervisor of Special Agent Avery Ryan (Patricia Arquette). Sifter is described as “a shrewd and savvy networker” and “a charmer with a hint of malice.”

The show is scheduled to premiere at midseason, although a specific date has yet to be announced. However, its time slot will be on Sunday nights at 10:00 PM ET on CBS. This marks the fourth spinoff for CSI, and one of only two CSI franchise shows still on the air following the cancellations of CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. That said, the CSI franchise has been a hell of a performer for CBS over the years, so I can see why they'd go back to that well. And, if nothing else, the Cyber conceit is an interesting new twist on the standard crime procedurals we see today. But I'm not holding out much hope for its prospects.

Then again, you never know. CBS is the crime procedural network, and they've gotten surprising longevity out of their cops-and-forensics dramas.

Via: Entertainment Weekly

Credit: ABC/Danny Feld