At today’s NBC session of the TV critic’s press tour, Law & Order creator Dick Wolf finally closed the casket on his venerable TV show.
Before discussing details about NBC’s newest incarnation, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Wolf spoke about the original series being cancelled after 20 years.
Wolf said, “I can confirm that it has moved into the history books. We were extremely disappointed that Law & Order is not coming back for a record 21st season. But that’s business, that’s life. Everything on television is born under a death sentence, they just don’t tell you the day of execution. The past is the past, and [Law & Order: Los Angeles] is a new show.”
Later, Wolf refused to discuss whether Law & Order was cancelled due to a financial disagreement with the network. He would only say that, “in the 23 years I’ve been continuously on the air, we’ve never failed to make a deal when there was a deal to be made.”
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After the panel, Wolf stressed that it was the end of the original Law & Order series and crushed the idea that there would be a movie to wrap it up.
By all indications, the new show will be closer to the original than the other spin-offs. The cast includes Skeet Ulrich, Corey Stoll, Alfred Molina, and Terrence Howard. Molina won’t be in every episode. Plans are still being shaped up and Law & Order: Los Angeles may include a bit more emphasis on home life than the original did. The opening “ching ching” and title cards will return.
What do you think? Are you sorry to hear that the original Law & Order series is really gone? How would you have wrapped up the 20-year-old TV show? Will you watch the Los Angeles version?
Image courtesy NBC.
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Go TV show like to look at law and order oh yeah lots of movie. Show
Law and Order will not funtion without Sam Waterston Please Mr Wolf bring back my show .
The original L&O from NY is simply the best. I agree when the characters started to change over the years made it a little hard to be believable. I think the years of 1990 to 2004 were the best years with the best characters(s). L&O:LA was not gritty enough, the character(s) and the story-lines were not interesting.
I’m very sad to hear about L&O. It is one of my favorite shows. I would love to see
some of the actors go to the other L&O’S . I wish they had kept this one and not started
L&O LA.
Here I am, watching L & O at 5-6:00 in the morning and I was wondering if they are going to return for at least another year and decided to look it up. After reading it has been canceled, I was like , are they serious???!! Like I had stated before, the people who decide what is “Good TV” are those who think these situation reality shows are where its at. Someone posted if its illegal, its basically TV worthy and that does not a show make! The stories are ripped from today’s headlines, the writing is fantastic and they do not always win like Perry Mason, so that is reality TV, not parents being cursed out by their children, trying to get your 15 minutes of fame, YOU CALL THAT ACTING?!? There are some good shows that do focus on talent like the cooking, fashion or auto repair show..competition shows I guess you call them that. In any case, maybe Mr. Wolf can have a holiday special where old and new can meet for a memorial for the Lenny Brisco character, maybe he was shot in the line of duty and…let me not get too ahead of myself, I have crazy ideas about this episode. In any case, its just sad that this is where we are in the face of TV, mindless, simplistic “scripted”, reality for the ADHD. Why think, its in your face…just my opinion.
Law and Order has been one of my favorites. I think L&O SVU is very good. I hope that one stays with us. I wasn’t all that thrilled with Los Angeles but will give it another try.
I also agree with others that there is so much junk on tv, I hardly watch anymore. Get rid of the reality shows!
L&O was one of the fictional shows that actually educated viewers on our legal system, from law enforcement, to the courts. It often played on real events as an attraction. It was written well, and maintained a consistent platform. It will be missed.
I loved, loved, loved the original L&O NY so I had to watch L&O LA. I really didn’t connect with the characters and thought the acting was only okay. I will watch it again and hope that it grows on me. I sincerely hope that they do not get into the lives of the characters! That is what made the original so good: They stuck to the story and that was it — it was over in 1 hour. I doubt that this will stay on as long as the original. Maybe 1 to 3 seasons. Time will tell.
The most memorable event in my life associated with Law & Order is a break-up with a boyfriend. DON’T WORRY GUYS…….no cry me a river chic story, its L & O. Simply justice. He was one of those love at first sight, can’t get enough, do you wanna marry me guys. 8 months later you’re wondering what you were drinking the night you fell for that one. Month 8 was December, it’s the night we’re spending together for Christmas and in his rush to see me before leaving town for a week, he forgot to bring whatever gift he had gotten me. After he left (gifts in tow) I began to think about that night and slight changes in behavior I hadn’t given much thought before. I already knew but I set up his voicemail when he purchased a new cordless phone and unless he had changed it, I knew the code to check his messages. STUPID, STUPID BOYS! I call his house, enter the code and hear a soft sweet message from a woman telling him her HUSBAND was outside changing HER flat tire and she was thinking of him, blah, blah….
Now, Law and Order and my eternal gratitude For Dick Wolf. When he returned after Christmas I informed him I had listened to the message and deserved an explanation. He told me everything and I told him I recorded the message and the conversation we just had. I then explained asking me to marry him and spending months making plans is considered a verbal contract. A similar scenario was part of a Law and Order episode that had aired earlier in the season. I went with it. I would have to sue for breach of contract since I never spent that much for a boyfriend and the girlfriend and her husband would be served a subpoena to testify against him. The ex-wife would probably find out, a friend might let it slip when they saw her at school or his 5 year old could tell mommy she saw daddy kissing her best friends mommy when they went for Happy Meals. That, or he could repay me for the gifts ASAP.
I received a check for $800 the next day, six months later the girlfriend is back with her husband and he is knocking on the door. After an hour of whining like a girl because I said it was time for Aikman to retire (it was true; he retired that year) I told him he had to go. If I can’t watch football without whining trying to be friends was out.
Thank you again Dick Wolf, for ALL of the Law & Order memories. You entertained me, educated me and because of you…….one more man out there may think twice before he decides to lie and cheat again!
The first 14 years were good the cast was good the stories believable but when the cast starting changing and new people were brought and the stories were not as good anymore. The endings were not good towards the ending 3 years. The new actors were not credible, I know people move on to further their careers but better choices should have been made in filling the roles. If the new series is more about personal lives and not just about a story the result will be the same. When you start including personal situations instead of just the story and the end result – viewers will do the same as before not watch the program. I am a real fan of Law & Order the original, and have been watching since the onset and watched less and less of the program toward the latter part of the series. I never cared for the other spin-offs of Law & Order – watched them once and stopped altogether. It is true there really is nothing else to watch and now I totally watch the cable programs for lack of interest in any new programs.
Networks are turning more and more to junk reality programming. Enough already, just becuase someone does something stupid, and or illegal, does not mean they need a reality TV show. I am tired of everyone doing stupid stuff just to be on TV and have their lives filmed. Put on some quality programming and get the junk off TV. L&O was ripped from the headlines, how much more real to you need.
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