Justin Bieber gets booked on 'CSI' season premiere

Justin Bieber will make his prime-time acting debut this fall on ... "CSI"?

It's true. The pop sensation will guest-star in the season premiere of the 10-year-old CBS crime drama, playing a "troubled teen," the network says. He'll also return later in the season to continue the character's story.

"Every 20 years, a phenomenon like Justin Bieber graces our world," "CSI" executive producers Anthony Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn and Don McGill say in a statement. "We'd like to believe that the phenomenon of 'CSI' has had the same impact on popular culture. The opportunity to bring them together in the premiere is a great treat for our audience and all of its new viewers. ... We're looking forward to Justin's dramatic star turn, not only in the premiere, but in a continuing seasonal arc."

Bieber will be playing a character named Jason McCann, a teenager who, according to CBS, "is faced with a terrible decision regarding his only brother -- a decision that leads him into an explosive confrontation with the CSIs." The story will begin in the season premiere and continue later in the season.

CBS is calling the "CSI" episode Bieber's acting debut -- although he did appear in a couple of sketches when he was the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" last season. He's also played himself in a couple of Nickelodeon shows.

Bieber himself tweeted that he was working with an acting coach Thursday morning (July 22): "learning 'a new craft.'"

The season premiere of "CSI" is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23 -- place your bets now on how much Bieber's appearance will lower the show's demographics.

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