Naren Shankar Promoted To 'CSI' Co-Showrunner

Executive producer Naren Shankar was recently promoted to co-showrunner of CSI.

According to Variety, Shankar scribed a three-year deal with Paramount Television that will allow him to oversee the production of CSI alongside veteran Carol Mendelsohn. The deal will also grant Shankar rights to create various programs for the studio.

Shankar has been working for CSI since 2002. After only two years, he was bumped to executive producer of the show. His three-year trek to co-showrunner is impressive but not surprising, as he has been working closely with Mendelsohn for the past year. The two will now share the showrunner title. Shankar's 2004 pact was broken in order to create this new one, a rare move for a studio.

Shankar is also excited about creating future shows for Paramount. "Right now we're seeing a bit of a renaissance for broadcast television, so hopefully I'll be able to do something people haven't seen before," he said.

With a PhD in applied physics, Shankar started out as a science consultant for Star Trek: The Next Generation, which was produced by Paramount. Studio president David Stapf has maintained a solid relationship with Shankar since then and described him as, "one of the smartest writers I've ever worked with. Under the tutelage of Carol, he's grown into a gifted showrunner," Stapf said. "He knows how to solve problems not only on the page but also in the day-to-day production process."

Visit Daily Variety (free subscription required) to read the original report.

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