NBC Press Release January 6, 2012
EMMY AND GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING HARRY CONNICK JR. TO GUEST-STAR IN NBC’S ‘LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- January 6, 2012 -- Three-time Grammy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Harry Connick Jr. will have a multi-episode, guest-starring turn on the Wolf Films/NBC drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (Wednesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET).
Connick will guest-star as Executive ADA David Haden, a dedicated, straight-shooting prosecutor who is assigned a case with Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay). Although Benson is at first wary of Haden, they are both surprised to find they work well together. As the case develops, so does their relationship. Connick’s first episode will air January 18.
“This is a home run on so many levels,” said Hargitay. “The show is very fortunate to have Harry's extraordinary talent, and I'm lucky because I get to work with my friend. I think Olivia couldn't have asked for a better companion to take her through a new stage in her life and career.”
A star in music, theater, film and television, Connick recently won his second Emmy for musical direction of his live concert television special, “Harry Connick Jr. in Concert on Broadway.” He currently is starring on Broadway in the musical “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” about which USA Today said: “Harry Connick Jr. has never sung or acted more powerfully.” The musical is directed by Tony Award-winner Michael Mayer, who also is the director of NBC’s upcoming Broadway-themed drama “Smash.”
This year Connick starred in the hit film “Dolphin Tale” which debuted at #1 at the box office with Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman and Kris Kristofferson. He also added author to his credentials with “The Happy Elf,” his beloved song and children’s Christmas stage musical turned into a keepsake children’s book with an accompanying instrumental jazz CD released by Marsalis Music. On television, Connick is best remembered as Dr. Leo Markus on NBC’s “Will and Grace.”
A proud New Orleans native, Connick and longtime friend Branford Marsalis opened the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in The Musicians’ Village in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans last summer, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. From music to dance, theater to film, the goal of the Center is to harness the exceptional talents of the residents and students of the surrounding Musicians’ Village in a collective effort that will provide an invaluable resource to New Orleans.
“Law & Order: SVU” is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Television. Dick Wolf, Warren Leight and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.
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No pandering to shippers please, Mr. Leight!
ReplyDeleteI hope this relationship lasts, Olivia needs someone. She seems too lonely this season and with Elliot gone; a love interest is just the thing.
ReplyDeleteFinally. Olivia deserves love. And Mariska is so beautiful ..
ReplyDeleteSo Harry Connick Jr. is coming on board as a new Executive ADA? I don’t know, but it seems awfully similar to when they had Sharon Stone for four episodes back in 2010. And we all know how that went. I think I know what’s going to happen, too. They’re going to write out Alex and have Connick be her replacement. (They don’t seem to even be bothering with Casey anymore, and I heard Diane Neal’s on a new show now anyway.) I think it’s a safe bet considering that Stephanie March is billed in Wednesday’s episode but isn’t listed on next week’s. And once they do that, I really don’t think I’m going to watch anymore.
ReplyDelete@Laura- Because of that , and no they aren't going to write out Alex. Harry's only slated to be in four episodes.
ReplyDeleteThere was information about this... How do you know that Casey won't be in this episode or the next, judging on the fact that she's not listed. You don't, they don't list everyone..
I'm just sick of hearing people saying that they aren't watching the show anymore because of certain people who are no longer on the show. To me a real fan sticks to the show no matter what, that's just me of course; no offense
@Icy: I’m just going by what they’ve done in the past. They had Alex written out of the show in season 11 so they could bring in Sharon Stone as the new ADA for four episodes. Of course I hope they don’t pull the same stunt again, but come on, this is SVU. They’re the masters of the bait-and-switch. Remember back in ’09 when they hyped up the finale because “a major character” was going to die, and they ended up killing one of the lab techs? They pulled the same thing with last season’s finale, hyping it up with the exact same claim, and ended up killing off Sister Peg. (That’s not even mentioning the fact that both finales were truly awful episodes.)
ReplyDeleteThis season they made a big deal out of the return of Stephanie March and Diane Neal, only to barely use them. I will give them credit for having a couple episodes that gave Alex a decent amount of screen time. At least they gave her a couple court room scenes. I just feel bad for the people out there who really like Casey, because they’ve barely had her on at all this season. Yes, the season’s not over yet, but why would they start featuring her more now? Since the beginning of this season when they announced Alex and Casey coming back, I thought they had a great opportunity to have both of them in the same episode. It looks like they’re going to let that opportunity go to waste.
And if I do decide that the show is no longer worth watching, it won’t only be because they don’t have Alex anymore. That really will just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. They’ve changed the show so much that it is nothing like what it was even a year ago. The show’s format is no longer that of an SVU episode. It’s basically turned into a Criminal Intent reboot. I will agree that the writing is better than last season’s (although it’s still not consistently good), but it just doesn’t feel like SVU anymore.
@Laura- I still can't agree with you. No it doesn't feel like Criminal intent at all.
ReplyDeleteBesides the actress who play Alex and Casey could be doing something else which prohibits them from appearing on this show.
It's not the show that pushing them away, you have to realize that.
Also wasn't always these two ADA's there were others before and after them..