Posted on 05/14/2010 6:56:11 PM PDT by Braak
NEW YORK (AP) -- The venerable police-courtroom drama "Law & Order" has been axed.
NBC announced Friday that the show would end its historic 20-season run on May 24, with a season finale that was never meant to bring the saga to a close.
The show starred an ensemble cast currently consisting of Jeremy Sisto, Anthony Anderson, Linus Roache, Alana De La Garza, Sam Waterston and S. Epatha Merkerson, who, unrelated to the show's abrupt cancellation, had already announced she was moving on.
Even as it issued a death sentence to the original "Law & Order," NBC announced a new drama in the "Law & Order" franchise called "LOLA" ("Law & Order: Los Angeles"). Premiering this fall, "LOLA" is described as a procedural crime drama "that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the 'Law & Order'-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles." Casting for the show is under way, the network said.
NBC will also renew "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" for a 12th season.
NBC's full 2010-11 schedule will be officially released Sunday.
The sudden end of "Law & Order" could be explained by sagging ratings, production expense and creative fatigue, but its renewal had been widely expected nonetheless. Then, on Thursday, a flurry of reports declared the series to be doomed. NBC refused to confirm the reports. Negotiations were said to be continuing late Thursday.
Jeff Gaspin, chairman of NBC Universal Television, praised "Law & Order" creator-producer Dick Wolf and said it "will continue to make an impact like no other series before."
But the cancellation denies Wolf his long-held dream of surpassing "Gunsmoke" from a generation ago as TV's longest-running drama. The two series are tied at 20 seasons each.
"Never complain, never explain," Wolf said in a statement.
"Law & Order" won a Peabody Award and the 1997 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.
It also became a familiar presence on the streets of New York as it went about its on-location filming.
"Over the last 20 years, 'Law & Order' became a New York City institution," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a statement. Noting that "it began filming in the city at a time when few series did," he expressed gratitude to Wolf for "helping showcase the city's depth and versatility as a setting and all of the advantages of filming here."
If you didn't watch it, what did you base your opinion on?
Have to admit I saw not one episode, whatever it was all about...........
Gunsmoke is much better. I’m renting the first season of Gunsmoke right now. It was so cool to see the very first episode ever and watch John Wayne introduce James Arness and Gunsmoke.
Ha, hubby and I enjoy the Office. It’s like Seinfeld set in an office LO
LOST and Office are the only two shows we watch now. It’s slim pickin’s out there
Not nearly enough
Thursdays used to actually be funny.
It’s a comedy wasteland now.
Bring back “Benny Hill” and “The Avengers”
I had never even heard of it (except something to do with Fred Thompson?)
Unfortunately Wolfe and NBC are in talks about “Law & Order: Los Angeles”
*facepalm*
It was interesting at first. It had a cool perspective. It started with the crime and followed through as the story went through investigation and prosecution. The criminals in the first few seasons were a fairly diverse lot. Michael Moriarty left after four seasons. He said one of the show bosses was a tyrant and I forget who it was.
They lifted many of the stories from actual crimes. After Moriarty left, the show took a strong turn to the left. Plenty of other FReepers pointed out that the show’s emphasis became, “the white guy did it. The (minority) victim just wanted some government cheese.” It became an unitentional parody and unwatchable after the sixth season.
I never watched a single moment either. I would much rather watch how baseball bats and padlocks are made. ....Or watch crab fishing in the Bering Sea. ....Or find out if it is the Daleks or the Cybermen behind the latest disturbance of the Time Rift.
When it turned into a “gotcha - we’re gonna create things to prosecute you for” show, it became unwatchable.
I’m with ya on Trial by Jury. That show did nothing for me.
There was one other L&O spinoff that I thought was worse. It was called “Conviction” and ran for about half a season back in 2006. Really lousy. It seemed to me that Dick Wolf was trying to make his own version of L.A. Law or some other melodramatic show. Lots of story time about which junior ADA was sleeping with who, etc.
They need to get rid of the 987 spin offs too.
“Cold Case (CBS)
Numb3rs (CBS)”
Really? That’s too bad. Two of the shows I like are Cold Case, Numbers and Without a Trace.
Used to watch Law and Order, I liked Jerry Orbach, and I liked Moriarity. I preferred Criminal Intent with D’Onofrio.
And for the greenies, “Law and Order SUV.”
They both may have had 20 seasons but Gunsmoke’s 635 episodes still smokes L & W’s 453. And that doesn’t include the radio program.
I suspect Sherlock Holmes was getting close.
Finally, some good news.
Ah, stories about peace loving Mexicans and evil Arizonans.
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