Although he’s already plotting new seasons of his upcoming Law & Order: True Crime TV series (watch a preview, below), prolific creator Dick Wolf doesn’t think he’ll return to the original Law & Order series, which ran for 20 seasons on NBC, between 1990 and 2010. The police procedural and legal drama starred S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Jerry Orbach, Steven Hill, Jesse L. Martin, Leslie Hendrix, Fred Dalton Thompson, Chris Noth, Benjamin Bratt and Michael Moriarty.
Law & Order: True Crime, premieres on NBC on Tuesday, September 26th at 10:00pm ET/PT. Julianne Nicholson, Anthony Edwards, Edie Falco, Gus Halper, Miles Gaston Villanueva, Heather Graham, Elizabeth Reaser, and Larry Cedar star. Wolf talked about the original Law & Order TV series, while promoting his new show during the TCA summer press tour.
Here’s more, from Deadline:
One critic called Wolf a “bottomless pit of programming for NBC,” qualifying quickly, lest Wolf take offense, “I mean that in the best possible way.”
“I hope it continues,” Wolf answered, taking none.
To that point, he said he’s happy to attach the Law & Order label to this new nonfiction franchise.
“In this universe … with 450 scripted projects on television last year, if I thought it would help I would run naked through the streets, which nobody wants to see,” Wolf joked. The Law & Order brand “is part of the television landscape in a positive way. I would use anything I can to get an audience, that does not lower than level of the brand.”
It’s producers of low-budget true-crime docus who should be concerned, he argued, because “what is the [aftermarket] value of that program? Everything today is done at a deficit. … It’s a big question – and why I’m still a big fan of network televisions, because it’s not going away.”
To that point, Wolf said in the scrum after the Q&A that the True Crime iteration is “endless if you get the right cases.” His wish list includes Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz and “Night Stalker” serial killer Richard Ramirez among topics he hopes to give the L&O True Crime treatment going forward.
Wolf said he would be “very surprised” if the Law & Order mothership series were to be brought back, though it’s a “nice things to think about occasionally,” saying he prefers to “push the brand’s boundaries out further at this stage.”
Law & Order: True Crime TV Series Trailer
What do you think? Were you a fan of the original Law & Order TV show? Do you plan to check out the Law & Order: True Crime TV show, when it premieres on NBC?
The original L&O was a fresh, gritty, oftentimes too true (despite the disclaimers and slight story variation) police procedudur which gave fans of weekly police dramas a new experience into the tiresome ‘whodunnit’s of previous years. That said, 20 years is a spectacular run for such a TV series and I really feel it’s best to simply enjoy all 450+ reruns while Mr. Wolf goes on to other projects. I’m looking forward to the True Crime installment very much since I’ve been fascinated by real cases and serial killers the past 45 years. And, side note, SVU is really past… Read more »
I’ve been watching since ’03 and been hooked since, please bring Vincent D’Nofrio and criminal intent back. Damm I miss Jerry Orbach…
Already a fan ! I know it’s going to be GREAT! Who doesn’t like Real life, true story’s ?!
NBC just gave Debra Messing, who couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag in Mysteries of Laura, a second season of Will and Grace, while NBC won’t spend the money to bring back L&O. Disgusting.
Not surprised. NBC is a bunch of cheap you know whats, and this show would cost money to bring back. Especially in the salaries. This station has fewer and fewer things for me to watch as time goes by. If it eventually collapses, let us hope the people who get hurt the most are at the top, not the bottom.
Looks different show where it be lawyer now new show tells two sons. Disappear and how work as family pain where they are suffering. Interesting new one out there.
What the heck are saying? English, please.