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Friday, July 30, 2010

Dick Wolf: Law & Order Officially Dead


Dick Wolf told attendees at the Television Critics Association press tour today that it is official – Law & Order won’t be returning for a 21st season.

He was quoted as saying “I will confirm that it has moved to the history books…We’re extremely disappointed, but that’s business, that’s life. Every [show] is born under a death sentence. They just don’t tell you the date of execution.”

Dick is now turning his focus on to Law & Order LA – and hopefully so will fans of Law & Order.



Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order, here.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

17 comments:

  1. BOO!

    I'll still watch LOLA thought. i don't care about CI anymore... I'm 'trying' to get Baer's 'new' SVU but I might turn it down too.

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  2. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    NO! NO! NO!

    Wow. Well, we all knew it was going to happen some day, but I don't think it was ready to quit just yet. At least there's always twenty years worth of episodes we can still watch again and enjoy.

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  3. :'(

    What is so depressing is why no one had any faith in such a wonderful, long-lasting show.

    Oh well, let's hope 'LOLA' grows into a successful show.

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  4. This is truly a sad day. Well it was a great run for a mighty fine show. I'll watch LOLA once I know it finds its footing and once I know for sure it won't be cancelled after a few eps (like "TBJ" or "Conviction"). I refuse to have my heart broken again.

    MissKittyFantastico

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  5. As sorry as I am too, at least we know for sure one way or the other.

    I'm also glad it went out on such a high note. The last season (well, the last three at least I think) was very strong, and everyone should be proud of the work they were doing.

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  6. Quite frankly, they should have let L&O get at least one more season and canceled LOCI.

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  7. Even though the series went out with one of it's greatest seasons in years, I'd still like to see a TV movie...even more wonderful would be a theatrical movie, but a theatrical L&O movie would never happen.

    Today officially stinks.

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  8. It's just a shame that it happened so unceremoniously. I know Dick Wolf said "that's life," but really, that's NBC... Oh, well.

    Law & Order had a great run, and the past three seasons really stand among its best. I think "Rubber Room" turned out to be the perfect finale, then. Just the right amount of closure regarding one beloved character, while the rest (we are left to assume) continue on "one foot in front of the other" in pursuit of truth and justice. Ultimately, that's what the show was about.

    *doink doink*

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  9. so where is the Wally with his predictions.....or is he still watching the sport!?

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  10. Please Janet...We're just happy Wally hasn't cast the "Charmed Ones" as one of the members of LOLA....LOL. Hopefully, he's enjoying speculating about yet another show.

    MissKittyFantastico

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  11. Disappointing, yet inevitable. At least we have some closure now.

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  12. I suspect at the end of the day, what happened was this:

    NBC was not able to convince ad buyers to pay sufficient rates for the mothership for it to continue to a 21st season, even if TNT was willing to pay for that season. The pay cut that NBC allegedly asked DW to take per episode may have been the difference between what ad buyers were willing to pay and what NBC needed to cover costs (it was noted elsewhere NBC could not even talk to ad buyers about those viewers 50+ and 18-49 was very weak).

    A secondary factor to me was the likelihood of not being able to "repurpose" mothership episodes on USA Network due to the TNT deal. The fact NBC can do that with the new LA version may have turned out to actually be the deciding factor, especially since it seems NBC-Universal needs to repeat its owned shows on USA Network (including "House," which airs on FOX).

    One or both of these factors I suspect will eventually be mentioned as the official reason the mothership got cancelled, but I suspect that might not come until after the sale to Comcast is officially approved and then only if (as some expect) Jeff Zucker is fired.

    I also am not surprised the AMC deal didn't go anywhere. That to me was always about being an ego trip of Cablevision head James Dolan (Cablevision is the parent of AMC), who might have wanted to grab the mothership to try and win favor with people in New York who despise him.

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  13. One other thought:

    I could see the mothership revived and the 21st season happening a couple of years from now in 2012-'13, which would be AFTER the deal with TNT for repeats expires. It would be highly unusual to do that, but at that point, the deal for repeats with TNT (done in a completely different business environment in 1998) would no longer apply, and at that point NBC would be able to "repurpose" episodes on USA Network. Given NBC's apparent obsession with "repurposing" it's owned shows, that could by then be a serious factor.

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  14. all hail the God of Sport!
    Play on....

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  15. Are petitions still active for a 21st season?

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