James Marsters

US, March 13, 2010 - CBS crime procedurals are big mainstream hits, but hardly the kind of shows that resonate with the geek culture. However, the new CBS pilot Hawaii Five-0 is certainly getting geek attention, thanks to the fanboy-friendly cast involved.

With Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) both among the main cast, the latest Comic-Con friendly actor to take a notable role is Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel alum James Marsters, who has now revealed, via his official Facebook page, that he will appear in the pilot, "as the nemesis of lead character Jack McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin)."

This doesn’t sound like a series regular role, but it remains to be seen if it could be a recurring or not. Marsters has been a go-to bad guy since he played Spike on Buffy and Angel, including his role as Brainiac on Smallville and his current gig as Barnabas on Caprica.

Perhaps the casting of so many genre alumni is the influence of two executive producers on Hawaii Five-0, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the writing duo whose credits include Alias, Transformers, Fringe and Star Trek.

The Hawaii Five-0 pilot cast also includes Jean Smart (24) as Governor Pat Jameson and Scott Caan (Ocean’s 11) as Danny "Danno" William, famous from the original version of the series as the recipient of McGarrett’s "Book ’em, Danno" catch phrase.