Can 'Law & Order' be saved?

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?

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?

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.

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 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’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.

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.

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.