It’s official. NBC released a statement saying that Law & Order is finished after 20 years—merely tying and not breaking Gunsmoke’s run as longest-running drama. But Law & Order: SVU is returning, and NBC has picked up the spinoff, Law & Order: L.A., a.k.a. LOLA. (Seriously.) And woe to the NBC employee who notes that Dick Wolf already essentially made Law & Order: L.A., as Dragnet, for ABC, where it was soon canceled.
Excerpts from the release after the jump:
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – May 14, 2010 – NBC has picked up the new drama “LOLA” (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) as well as renewed “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” for the 2010-11 season. In addition, NBC will end its historic and record-tying “Law & Order” when the mothership series concludes its 20th season on Monday, May 24 (10-11 p.m. ET).
The announcements were made today by Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios.
[Effusive executive statements to mollify Dick Wolf redacted.]
The brainchild of creator and Emmy Award winner Wolf, “Law & Order” has spawned one of the most successful brands in primetime television. It is the 1997 Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Drama Series and the record holder for the most consecutive (11) nominations in that category for a primetime series (tied with “Cheers” and “M*A*S*H”). It premiered on September 13, 1990, and eventually tied “Gunsmoke” as the longest-running drama series in television history.
The new “LOLA” (“Law & Order: Los Angeles”) is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters (“Brotherhood”), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing.
In its current 11th season, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” has delivered a 2.9 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 9.3 million viewers overall. “Law & Order: SVU” is NBC’s #1 scripted series this season in total viewers. Since moving to Wednesdays (10-11 p.m. ET) on March 3, “SVU” is #1 in the time period in adults 18-49, adults 25-54 and other key ratings categories and has improved on NBC’s average rating in the hour during the traditional 2008-09 season by 29 percent in adults 18-49.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a hard-hitting and emotional series from NBC’s “Law & Order” brand as it chronicles the Special Victims Unit of the New York Police Department, the elite squad of detectives who investigate sexually based crimes. The drama follows Detective Elliot Stabler (Emmy Award nominee Christopher Meloni), a seasoned veteran, and his partner, Detective Olivia Benson (Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Mariska Hargitay), whose difficult past is the reason she joined the unit.
Captain Donald Cragen (Dann Florek) oversees the unit while Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer, “Homicide: Life on the Street”) brings his acerbic wit and street-honed investigative skills to the team. Munch’s partner, Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola (Ice-T), adds his unique sense of humor and investigative experience. Forensic psychiatrist, George Huang (B.D. Wong) and Medical Examiner Melinda Warner (Tamara Tunie) uncover forensic evidence.
“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Wolf is creator and executive producer; Neal Baer (“ER,” “China Beach”), Ted Kotcheff (“Fun with Dick and Jane,” “Weekend at Bernie’s”) and Jankowski are executive producers.
“Law & Order: Criminal Intent” continues to air in its ninth season on USA Network.