Ted Danson joins 'CSI' after Fishburne exit

Actor Ted Danson arrives for the Christie's Green Auction: Bid To Save The Earth event in New York March 29, 2011.[Photo/Agencies]

"Cheers" star Ted Danson is joining TV forensic drama "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", replacing departing star Laurence Fishburne, broadcaster CBS said on Wednesday.

Danson, 63, will join the hit series in September, playing the new CSI supervisor for the graveyard shift when the show returns for its 12 season.

"You can create a new character on the page, but until the perfect actor comes along and breathes life into it, it's just words," said executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. "We're very excited Ted Danson came along."

The Emmy-award winning actor, best known for his role as skirt-chasing bar owner Sam Malone on the 1980s comedy "Cheers", will also keep his role on the HBO series "Bored to Death."

Danson will replace Fishburne, who played former pathologist Dr. Raymond Langston for two years but who decided last month not to renew his contract with "CSI".

"CSI" is the most-watched television show in the world, according to CBS. It is licensed in more than 200 countries and is one of the top drama series on U.S. television.