James Van Der Beek stars in “CSI: Cyber”

Turn if off and on again: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" has finally powered down after 15 years of crime fighting and intrigue, but that doesn't mean that the franchise is obsolete.

At its height, the crime drama was the most popular show on the planet, and it finally came to a stunning finale on Sept. 27 with a special two-hour TV movie.

Never a stranger to spinoffs -- "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY" both found audiences, though smaller ones than the parent show pulled in -- last year a fourth take on the CSI concept was launched.

"CSI: Cyber" may not have seen anything close to the incredible number of viewers that its parent show enjoyed, but evidently CBS saw enough in the show to give it a second season, albeit with a casting change. It premieres Sunday, Oct. 4.

Peter MacNicol ("Ally McBeal"), who played FBI bigwig Simon Sifter, will not be returning for the second season in what the show's producers have called a "creative move."

Fans of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" should be pleased with his replacement, though. Two-time Emmy winner Ted Danson, who played D.B. Russell in the original series from its 12th season until its finale, will be joining "CSI: Cyber's" cutting-edge Cyber Forensics Division.

The rest of the cast is returning for the sophomore season. Patricia Arquette ("Medium"), James Van Der Beek ("Dawson's Creek"), Shad Moss ("Entourage"), Charley Koontz ("Community") and Hayley Kiyoko ("The Fosters") will all be joining Danson on set.

It's a move that might be the shot in the arm that the spinoff needs. "CSI: Cyber's" first season wasn't anywhere near the ratings success of its parent program, but with that juggernaut off the air and Danson making the switch, TV watchers looking for their CSI fix may start tuning in in greater numbers.

The second season of "CSI: Cyber" premieres Sunday, Oct. 4, on CBS.

Preach it: Shows and movies based on comic books are all the rage these days, and AMC has certainly taken notice. Not only is it the home of "The Walking Dead," one of the hottest shows on television right now, but the cable channel has placed an order for a new show based on an influential 1990s comic book series -- and it's a choice of material that's bound to raise a few eyebrows.

"Preacher" has had 10 episodes on order and a cast of stars already lined up to start filming.

Dominic Cooper will star as the titular preacher, Rev. Jesse Custer. After he becomes possessed by a supernatural entity that gives him incredible powers, Custer discovers that God has abandoned heaven and forsaken his responsibilities.

Cooper is quite the familiar face in comic book adaptations. He's starred in the "Captain America" spinoff, "Agent Carter" and in 2011's big-screen hit "Captain America: The First Avenger."

In "Preacher," he'll be joined on screen by Ruth Negga ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."), Lucy Griffiths ("True Blood"), Joseph Gilgun ("Misfits") and Ian Colletti ("Rake").

There are some pretty big names behind the cameras, too. Actor/writer/producer Seth Rogen ("The Is the End," 2013) will be an executive producer, alongside "Breaking Bad's" Sam Catlin. Evan Goldberg, who frequently collaborates with Rogen, including on "This Is the End," is also on board to adapt the comic for the screen.

It may already have "The Walking Dead," but AMC isn't content to let other comic book properties pass it by. "Preacher" is expected to premiere in 2016.

Dreaming of spring: It's October, and that means that winter is coming. "Game of Thrones" fans, though -- and there are lots of them -- are having dreams of spring.

Season 6 of HBO's hit fantasy drama is scheduled to premiere once the snows start to melt, and a number of new faces will be joining the cast of heroes and villains of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

The latest additions are Richard E. Grant, who's been seen in "Doctor Who," "Girls" and "Downton Abbey," and Essie Davis, who starred in last year's Australian film "The Babadook." The two will reportedly play actors in a play, mocking the antics of Westeros' Queen Cersei (Lena Headey, "300," 2006).

Also confirmed to be joining the already huge cast for the upcoming season are Max von Sydow ("Shutter Island," 2010), Freddie Stroma ("Pitch Perfect," 2012), Pilou Asbæk ("Lucy," 2014) and Ian McShane ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," 2011).

With series author George R.R. Martin still hard at work on "The Winds of Winter," the sixth volume of the enormously popular literary series, his many fans will just have to keep waiting until spring for their next "Game of Thrones" fix.