Ask not for whom the cha-chung! tolls; it tolls for thee. We keep hearing that NBC may finally cancel the venerable Law & Order: Original Flava due to its continued ratings slide unless drastic changes are made at the franchise flagship. One move might be to reduce costs by laying off some of the cops and lawyers (Law & Side Order?). Another, more novel idea might be to move the show over to TNT, where they already air four hours of L&O reruns a day. There, the show could continue at a reduced fee, with full 22-episode seasons and a built-in deal for the reruns. Such a deal would probably mark a first for a broadcast-to-cable series.
But I have an even more radical suggestion: let it die. I mean, would anybody miss it? The reruns are ubiquitous, and there are 17 years worth of them (about 400 episodes). The other two L&O shows are still doing fine in first run, and there’s no reason folks like S. Epatha Merkerson and Sam Waterston can’t do guest spots on Criminal Intent or Special Victims Unit. Besides, the show’s just not what it was before it lost Jerry Orbach — the jaded older cop/restless younger cop dynamic doesn’t work when senior partner Jesse L. Martin (pictured) is still a fairly young guy; the new assistant D.A. lady is the most personality-free yet; and Fred Thompson would probably rather be running for president than dispensing Southern-fried bon mots from the D.A.’s chair. Really, the only reason to keep it alive seems to be to satisfy producer Dick Wolf’s desire to break Gunsmoke’s 20-season record as the longest-lived primetime drama series.
Is that really a good enough reason to keep Law & Order going? Would you still watch first-run episodes if they trimmed the cast or moved the show to basic cable? Do you have another idea for how to save the series, or is it time to just let it go?
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Truth? Let it go, take it off life support. I love the show, I watch it in reruns but this show was on when I was in high school! I was a 13 year old freshman when the show first aired. How much longer can it continue? And the same goes for ER, seriously.
They should just end it like all the other cancelled shows: by making a pathetic movie.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think the original L&O is doing better than Criminal Intent…
Whol: Prior to American Idol coming on the air Criminal Intent was averaging 12 million viewers/week to L&O’s single digits. CI airs in a highly competitive timeslot. The original does not. The original also costs a boatload more to make.
L&O died for me when they started doing dumb “ripped from the headlines” plots and having guest stars. The problem with guest stars as villains is that you know from the get-go who dun it. I liked my L&O without the razzle dazzle, namely, with Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth as jaded cops. No-one will ever do the quip-to-opening-theme-song quite like Lenny B. (although Gil Grissom does a pretty good job).
Maybe it wouldn’t be having such a hard time if NBC hadn’t put the knife in its back by putting it on Friday night. NOTHING survives Friday night.
I love me some L&O, but I find that the best time to watch it now is on a Rainy weekend, with about 4 or 5 eps, that I haven’t seen in a while….I wouldn’t mind seeing new one’s….
Haven’t really watched regularly since Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) left the show. My favorite lineup: Steven Hill, Sam Waterston, Carey Lowell, S. Epatha M. Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt. Unbeatable. Fred Thompson. Unwatchable.
Jerry Orbach just made that show. I miss him. I’m thinking it might be time to let the show go. I think it’s gotten pretty stale and after 400+ episodes, I can’t imagine how many plots have been recycled and repackaged as new material at this point. It either needs a serious jolt to keep it alive or just let it go.
I have to agree with Stephanie. I used to LOVE L&O, but it hasn’t been the same since Jerry Orbach died. Dick Wolf shoud let the show die too and concentrate on SVU (which is still great) and CI.
I would absolutely watch: Law & Order is current. This season is the best its been in years, and there’s is FINALLY a strong, female detective who manages to make Jesse L Martin likeable for the first time since Jerry Orbach left. Letting L&O die would be tragic; it’s finally gotten good again.
The main problem is the recycling of plotlines among the three shows. All three shows this year have done storylines based on anti-gay preachers who were gay. If I saw it once then why do I want to see it again? I like the Fontana/Green pairing and hope they go back to the much older guy or bring over Logan to L&O: Original Recipe.
What they need to do is merge both the original and Criminal Intent. Bring Logan back to where he belongs!!!!!! Then maybe the ratings will climb.
I’m not a Law and Order fan, but I hope it stays on the air-for the sake of the New York based actors. Law and Order has provided Broadway actors an alternative outlet to stut their stuff over the past decade and a half, plus a little extra money to pay their bills. Outside of soaps, there are practically no other tv shows filmed in New York (I don’t think the other Law and Orders are filmed there). The cancellation of Law and Order would be a great loss to that entertainment community.
Put it back on Wednesday nights! Nothing lives on Friday nights.
I wouldn’t mind them shaking up the casting format a little. Maybe try having the female-lead be a cop instead of always having her as an assistant DA. Maybe try having a young-male assistant DA who is blatantly trying to get Jack’s job. I really enjoyed this show back in the day, but its format really lends itself to syndication, because you rarely need to watch every episode within a season (like CSI). I actually wish they would just merge some of these off-shoots in order to strengthen the original rather than having 3 different watered-down versions of L&O (CSI should just get rid of the other cities). Why not just bring the SVU cops onto the original?
I’d watch…but, truly, it hasn’t been the same since the passing of Jerry Orbach.
CC, all 3 L&Os are filmed in NY.
Hmmmm….supposedly L&O is on the chopping block because not enough people watch it. Yet 1) NBC put it on Friday nights at 10 pm (c’mon, who’s home watching TV at 10 pm on Friday?) and it had good numbers on Wednesdays, and 2) EW.com has another article asking, “Where are all the viewers?”. General TV-viewership is down a lot this year.
Also, what kind of lead-in does L&O get? Doesn’t NBC have the lowest number of viewers of the big 3 networks?
It’s one of the few shows shot in New York City. As a new your actor, I’d like to see it stick around.
I remember when “Will & Grace” ended after eight years (half of which sucked and were also marred by declining ratings), it got a two-hour farewell from NBC, complete with a retrospective. So when I consider just letting “Law & Order” die, it’s undignified and unfair. No, the show isn’t what it was in the Orbach days, but to cancel it so abruptly would disrespect its legacy. The show deserves a proper send-off.
They need to move it back to Wednesday night at 10pm est. Get a decent assistant DA and delve a little bit into the personal lives.
Even if they don’t I’ll still watch, I love this show.
Just moving it back to Wednesdays won’t be enough. The last few seasons they have blatantly been ripping from the headlines in too obvious a manner. When I can recognize the real life crime they’re “ripping” within the first few minutes, my interest completely diminishes. They need to shake up the format or return to originally thoughout episodes. And, no offense to Sam Waterston, but, a new asst DA is need (maybe Jack can become the new full DA?).
I used to love L&O, but it has suffered from some AWFUL casting choices. The exception was Dennis Farina, which I was sad to see go. I haven’t really watched it since.
I still watch L&O and Criminal Intent, but I prefer CI a little bit more because the cases are more interesting. The writing on L&O is down, mostly due to the tepid courtroom sequences.
And I agree – the guest stars make this show. I say keep em both – make the stories more interesting less predictable.
I still watch L&O and Criminal Intent, but I prefer CI a little bit more because the cases are more interesting. The writing on L&O is down, mostly due to the tepid courtroom sequences.
The problem with the “ripped from the headlines” stories is that by the time they get to L&O they’ve been pummled to death by cable news. L&O doesn’t add anything to the story.
I’m addicted to L&O; watch an episode at least once a day- I still watch it live when I can but seriously how many people watch TV at 10 pm on Friday?? I think they need some casting changes (the two new females are blah)-and hint at the personal lives of the characters- they started that way but stopped but I think it could help- SVU does it with Meloni’s character and CI does it with D’onfrio’s so give me some background no Martin & Waterson- that could help a bit. TNT should pick it up if NBC doesn’t it would be good partnering wtih the Closer.
If L&O DOES break the record, isn’t there a very good chance that The Simpsons will break it again the next year?
I think it’s time for a slight reboot. In the first episode of the next season, Jack McCoy challenges Fred Thompson, and wins. We need a completely fresh ADA pair. Jesse Martin is great, but needs a much better partner. That’s at least 3 open spots in which they could place completely new, riveting characters (and maybe a celebrity or 2). Since they need to cut costs, cast a couple of cheaper stars who need a comeback vehicle.
Jerry Orbach’s death = the death of L&O. The new cast is the pitts. What a shame to go out on such a low, after so many great years.
Sam, Jessie, and S.Epatha, I’ll miss you.
Move it to a decent night ( not against Lost though ) and keep it on the air. I still love this show. Will be happy to watch it on TNT as well. At the very least give it one more season for the send-off it deserves. The problem is the asst. DA role. Angie Harmon, Carrie Lowell and Jill Hennessy were first rate and I have not been drawn in by the last 2 at all.