Law & Order Fans Rejoice! The Beloved Series Is Coming Back For Another Season
Before the MCU took over the big screen, before "Game of Thrones" or "Stranger Things" redefined water cooler shows, there were ... crime procedurals. It's hard to overstate just how weirdly comforting it was for channel-surfers (remember when that was a thing?) to have seemingly endless episodes of "JAG" or "Law & Order" to resort to on late nights when there was nothing else on television. Yes, they were formulaic and unsubtle and the definition of "You know exactly what you're getting" programming, but people could not get enough of it. Unfortunately for fans, however, that didn't stop NBC from pulling the rug out from everyone and canceling the show with little warning back in 2010.
But in a twist worthy of a courtroom drama, "Law & Order" is being brought back — not as a reboot series, but as a continuation of the original.
The Return of Law & Order
Sometimes, 20 seasons just aren't enough. "These are their stories" was the famous catchphrase spoken at the beginning of every episode that focused on the boots-on-the-ground police work and the subsequent court hearings for each installment's central case, and now those stories will continue to be told. Longtime fans may have given up hope of ever seeing the original Emmy-winning series revived, but that's precisely what's about to happen. According to Deadline, "Law & Order" is being brought back for its 21st season after a decade of being off the air. Creator Dick Wolf and writer/showrunner Rick Eid are both returning to the classic show all about "the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders." As Wolf expressed in a statement, "There are very few things in life that are literally dreams come true. This is mine."
The numbers speak for themselves. The consistently high ratings for "Law & Order" after its 1990 debut helped launch an entire franchise of spin-offs and tie-ins: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," "Law & Order: Los Angeles," "Law & Order True Crime," and "Law & Order: Organized Crime." Yet there was always something special about the original show led by Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe, Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green, S. Epatha Merkerson as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy, and Steven Hill as the D.A. Adam Schiff. No premiere date or cast members have yet been announced, though it's probably safe to assume some sort of reunion of at least a few of the original (and now much older, obviously) characters. Deadline reports that Sam Waterson's Jack McCoy is the likeliest to be asked to return.
Chairman, Entertainment Content of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Susan Rovner said in a statement:
"Law & Order is quite simply one of the most 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. This is great news for NBC as well as TV fans everywhere."