The originalLaw & Orderis returning to television. Nearly twelve years after the iconic crime drama was given the boot at NBC, the network has decided to resurrectLaw & Order- the one without a subtitle. A new season has been greenlit, which will serve as the 21st season overall for the show, but the cast has yet to be finalized at this time.
Reportedly,Dick Wolfand writer-showrunner Rick Eid will develop the returningLaw & Order. The show will carry over the same format seen in the firstLaw & Orderand its spinoffs, following “the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.” Like the recentCSIrevival,CSI: Vegas, it seems likely that theLaw & Order21st season will feature a mix of new and returning characters.
Sam Waterston, who played Jack McCoy inLaw & Order, is believed to be at the top of the wish list to star in the returning season. Deadline also reports that producers from Universal TV and Wolf Entertainment will soon reach out to former cast members about potential negotiations to bring them back. Some may be easier than others, as a couple of stars fromLaw & Orderare still collaborating with Universal TV and Wolf Ent., including S. Epatha Merkerson onChicago Medand Alana De Le Garza onFBI.
“Law & Order is quite simply one of themost iconic shows in television history, and the idea of continuing its legacy and partnering with Dick on an all-new season is nothing short of exhilarating” said Susan Rovner, Chairman, Entertainment Content, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, “This is great news for NBC as well as TV fans everywhere.”
“The return of the flagship Law & Order series for a pivotal 21st season is a proud moment for Dick and a proud moment for us, his studio partners,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, Universal Studio Group.
As it stands, the spinoff seriesLaw & Order: Special Victims Unithas become the flagship show for the franchise}, as it’s now in its 23rd season and still going strong. Even so, Dick Wolf always felt that there was some unfinished business left with the originalLaw & Order, a problem left behind by NBC’s sudden cancelation of the series. Of revivingLaw & Order, Wolf said, “There are very few things in life that are literally dreams come true. This is mine.”
Rick Eid is writing the newLaw & Orderseason and will serve as showrunner. Eid previously worked onLaw & Order,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, andLaw & Order: Trial by Jury. He is also the showrunner on two of Wolf’s other shows,FBIandChicago P.D. Wolf and Eid are executive producing with Wolf Entertainment’s Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski.
NBC hasn’t set a premiere date for the 21st season revival ofLaw & Order, so it’s not clear when fans can expect to see the show return. Meanwhile, another spinoff series,Law & Order: Organized Crime, is also moving forward. Featuring Chris Meloni reprising hisSVUrole as Elliot Stabler, the show was renewed for a second season after premiering earlier this year. News ofLaw & Ordergetting revived comes to us fromDeadline.
