Back on the scene

LOS ANGELES -- Jorja Fox, the "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" star who was fired for skipping work in a salary dispute, is returning to the hit CBS drama.

Fox reached an agreement with the network and will be back on the set next week, a source close to the production said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Co-star George Eads also lost his job when he failed to report last week for the start of production on the fifth season.

Eads' situation remained unchanged Thursday. But a public apology -- in which the actor said he merely overslept and wasn't angling for more money -- may have opened the door to talks, the source said.

"It's a big misunderstanding, straight up," Eads told the Television Critics Association on Wednesday. "I want all this to work out. 'CSI' is a part of who I am."

A CBS spokesman declined comment. Calls seeking comment from the actors' publicists were not immediately returned Thursday.

Fox and Eads, who play investigators Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes on the forensics drama set in Las Vegas, were being paid a reported $100,000 each per episode.

CBS chief Leslie Moonves said earlier this week that the firings were fair business decisions. "There comes a point where we feel a contract is a contract," he said.

Deals with Fox and Eads were renegotiated after two years and a raise was offered for this fifth season although there was no contractual obligation to do so, Moonves said.

Other actors in the "CSI" cast, including Marg Helgenberger and William Petersen, were not involved in the dispute. Petersen is also a producer on the series.

A salary holdout last year by another CBS star, Emmy-winning Brad Garrett of "Everybody Loves Raymond," paid off for the actor. But CBS' hard line on the "CSI" actors indicated the network didn't see them as crucial to the ensemble drama.

"CSI" was the top-rated drama last season and the No. 2 show just behind "American Idol." The show and its spinoffs "CSI: Miami" and the upcoming "CSI: NY" are key elements of CBS' schedule.