‘Cold Case’ Stars Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino Hoped to ‘Make a Comeback’ but Reboot Is Going in a ‘Different Direction’

Celebrated television series Cold Case is returning to the airwaves after a 15-year hiatus — but the original show's stars Kathryn Morris and Danny Pino won't be a part of the revamp.

The whodunit about cracking old, unsolved murders was a ratings hit for most of its original run on CBS from 2003 to 2010, but show creator Meredith Stiehm has opted to relaunch with a completely new set of actors.

"Morris and Pino hoped to make a comeback, that the old followers of the show would come back to see them solving cases again and a new generation would get interested as well," a source exclusively tells In Touch. "But they were told they were going in a different direction."

But some say CBS may regret the recasting. "They played iconic TV characters and those actors are both available," says a source. "The old viewers aren't going to recognize the show without them!"

According to reports, the untitled Cold Case reboot will be set 15 years after the original series' ending and follow a new team of detectives who investigate cases in the Southwest (the original Cold Case was set in Philadelphia).

Casting has not yet been announced for the project. The original Cold Case also starred Justin Chambers, Thom Barry, John Finn, Jeremy Ratchford, Sarah Brown and Tracie Thoms.