It was inevitable.

The success of “CSI” led to a spate of forensics-based imitators.

Now it’s happening to “Without a Trace.”

At least two new series set for this fall are missing-persons dramas. The first of these is “Vanished.”

Unlike “Without a Trace,” “Vanished” follows one high-profile disappearance through its entire season. (“Vanished” itself will vanish for the season in January, when “24” returns to its normal time slot.)

“Vanished” follows the FBI’s search for Sara Collins (played by Joanne Kelly), the beautiful young second wife of Georgia Sen. Jeffrey Collins (John Allen Nelson), who disappears from a banquet in her honor.

Heading up the FBI’s search is Senior Agent Graham Kelton (Gale Harold), coming back to work from leave after a traumatic previous case. Kelton finds himself butting heads with, well, most everyone, but especially an ambitious TV reporter played by Rebecca Gayheart.

As on “Without a Trace,” the missing woman and the family around her all have secrets that have an impact on the story line.

The agents on “Vanished” are a rather anonymous lot. Also, the show’s creators already are adding such name TV actors as Esai Morales (“NYPD Blue”) and Penelope Ann Miller to the cast, and such shuffling never bodes well. Still, those producers include Josh Berman (“CSI”) and Mimi Leder (“ER”), so hopefully, the series can develop further. Otherwise, “Vanished” may soon find itself banished.