TV

Strong leading men aren’t hard to find on television dramas. They’re hard to hold onto.

Such is the case for NBC’s successful franchise procedural “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” which recently lost actor Chris Meloni after 12 seasons. Celebrated actor Laurence Fishburne, 49, left CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” after headlining the show for nearly three years.

NBC announced this week it will be replacing Meloni, 50, with actor Danny Pino of “Cold Case” fame. Kelli Giddish (“Chase”) will also be joining “Law & Order: SVU,” which is entering its 13th season.

But CBS has yet to replace Fishburne for the 12th incarnation of “CSI.” The show, which has suffered low ratings as of late, will also be moving to a new Wednesday night time slot. In a perfect world, Meloni, 50, would start work over at the Eye network, but we all know that’s not going to happen.

That said, the talent pool is vast and ripe with possibilities. Here are some men and women who could replace Fishburne:

Tony Danza

It is debatable whether Danza’s character was the boss on his once highly successful sitcom “Who’s the Boss?” In spite of this, the 60-year-old actor and Brooklyn, N.Y., native could give “CSI” the swagger and humor it needs.

Terry O’Quinn

This Newberry, Mich., native wowed fans for six seasons on “Lost” and O’Quinn, 58, could be just as compelling and versatile on “CSI.”

Katherine Heigl

Yeah, all those romantic comedies Heigl keeps making aren’t the blockbusters she had hoped for when she left “Grey’s Anatomy.” If Heigl, 32, really wants to reinvent herself, she should come back to the small screen and try solving crimes with Marg Helgenberger. Seriously, what does Heigl have to lose?

Andy Garcia

If CBS isn’t too gun shy after misfiring with a big-deal actor like Fishburne, Garcia could be just the right fit. Like Fishburne, Garcia, 55, is an intense actor who would bring a lot of depth to the screen.

Wesley Snipes

Capable of pulling off scenes packed with action or emotion, Snipes, 48, could give the show’s fictional forensics team the jolt it needs. Snipes could also use the

work.

Chuck Norris

If he could be a Texas Ranger, why couldn’t the 71-year-old fitness fanatic be a crime scene investigator? Besides, CBS has had luck with Norris before and could do so again.

Jennifer Beals

She’s as smart as she is easy on the eyes. Beals, 47, did a fantastic job and held her own as the top cop on Fox’s “The Chicago Code.” Now that the police drama is dead, she could pump new life into “CSI.”

James Saito

Of all the names we’ve mentioned, Saito’s is the least known. But the 56-year-old actor impressed as an acupuncturist with a heart on the defunct “Eli Stone” and can do the same on this CBS procedural.

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