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May 25, 2013

NBC chief vows to renew Law and Order

by Allison Waldman, posted Jan 2nd 2010 9:00AM

law_and_order_nbcIf Dick Wolf's Festivus wish was to get Law and Order renewed for another season on NBC, he got what he wished for. NBC chief Angela Bromstad has vowed to renew Law and Order for season 21. That'll mean that Wolf's show will break the long-running record of 20 seasons for a dramatic series held by Gunsmoke.

Bromstad's vow presumably extends to Law and Order SVU, as well, especially since it does better in the ratings. Of course, nothing on the NBC slate is doing particularly well this season with the exception of the National Football League and The Biggest Loser. All the scripted series have struggled in the Nielsens. The Jay Leno Show experiment has been anything but a boon for the prime time schedule, no matter how NBC spins it.

Well, in the interview in which Bromstad leaked the pro-Law and Order renewal, she also reaffirmed that the network will be upping their commitment to production. She claims that there will be ten drama and eight comedy pilots put into production. That's the most NBC's ordered in six years.

Bromstad does not explain where the chosen series will go on the schedule. I'd love to think that the Jay Leno deal will be morphed into something else -- TV specials, weekend work, midday talk show -- so the 10 PM primetime hours, Monday through Friday, will be given back to scripted programming. Okay, if not all five days, how about three? Throw in a Dateline or a once a week Leno hour, if you must.

Unfortunately, I fear that NBC's powers that be aren't thinking that way. Would it be to much of a failure for them to admit they screwed up with Leno? Probably. Bromstad said that she wouldn't want to be the exec who canceled Law and Order, so right there that tells you something about how they think.

I will say this in regard to Law and Order SVU. Thanks to the USA Network marathon on New Year's Day, I had a chance to catch up with a bunch of episodes from the last year, and it's still an excellent show. It deserves to be renewed.

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nery

what happened to law&order criminal intent ! I am looking for the new episodes, what network are they on or have they been canceled?

February 24 2010 at 12:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lee

Love the way they preach. Maybe Wolfe should bring on his other stars Chris Mathews and Brian Olberman to really send that tingly feeling up my leg.

January 12 2010 at 1:13 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
joann

LOVE all Law & Orders...however, how about NBC picking up Boston Legal...that show was clever, humorous, and poignant. Would love to see it return!

January 12 2010 at 10:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Tripp

I think Law and Order has it's best cast in years. I won't pretend all the episodes this season have been top notch writing wise, but the acting deserves to be appreciated. I think it's beating it's younger sibling SVU for two seasons now yet they never get any credit.

But good news on the renewal.

January 02 2010 at 12:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Tripp's comment
ryan

I agree completely -- and would add that L&O (proper) has been the best procedural in the past two years -- a crowded field no doubt!

January 03 2010 at 12:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Joe stalin

Of course they need an late evening propaganda piece to keep Barry above 40% so its Dick to the rescue! Eventually they'll just run clips from their sister station, official state run media MSNBC at 10. But for now anything to reduce the amount of Leno is their number one goal.

January 02 2010 at 11:48 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Joe stalin's comment
D-Bo

You're still mad that Fred Thompson left the show?

January 02 2010 at 8:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pingles

As far as I'm concerned Law & Order is a ghost of what it once was and I wish they would let it go.

The writing on the new shows is so overwhelmingly preachy and the law involved is just so melodramatic I can't take it.

How many times do we have to hear:

"Look, you can't go after ! It's career-suicide!"
"Well, I'm gonna! We have to do what's RIGHT!"

There are lots of Law cases which are fascinating without being controversial and/or glamorous.

Can we go back to the days of good police work setting up an interesting court case without a crazy "twist" or conglomerate being taken down?

January 02 2010 at 11:45 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Pingles's comment
Pingles

That line was "You can't go after FILLINTHEBLANK" but I guess I used a hypertext bracket.

January 02 2010 at 11:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
David Gunter

It's possible this is the first indication of change at NBC inuding the Leno experiment.L&O needs a spot that isn't clear exists now unless NBC plans on less new programming.If I was in charge Leno would be reduced to two or three days a week but stay at ten.I don't agree with him on during the day or at an earlier time,I think both would fail.But having his current show on five nights a week isn't working either.2 or 3 shows would allow him to weed out the stuff not working and focus on top level guests instead of having to really stretch to fill 5 hours.

January 02 2010 at 11:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
mike butts

law and order even in its mediocre moments -- which are rare--- is still great viewing. and it deserves to break GUNSMOKES record. in 20 years it's always delivered quality drama. thanks for renewing.

January 02 2010 at 9:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gary_the_no_trash_cougar

I still love the two Law & Orders on NBC, but with out Goren & Eames I won't be watching Criminal Intent on USA. SVU is very underrated.

Also, The Office usually gets a better 18 - 49 demo than CSI. So I think it's safe to say The Office is doing as well as The Biggest Loser.

January 02 2010 at 9:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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