Law & Order - The Original is Cancelled After 20 Seasons (1 Viewer)

[John Stell]

It's all over the internet now - goodbye Jack McCoy and Company


http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2010/05/14/nbc-cancels-law-order-2/

 

[todd s]

Surprised they didn't bring it back....Even for a 13 episode season just to break the record.

 

[Michael Harris]

While I consider the Briscoe years to be the golden age, "L&O" was solidly reliable. I knew that if there was nothing else to watch, "L&O" could deliver. Unfortunately this show dropped of my radar due to it being moved all over the schedule during the dark time of "Leno". Once it came back at 10, my habits had changed. Oh well, there is always TNT to catch up.

 

[Malcolm R]

I can't figure out why they canceled this just to pick up L&O: Los Angeles.

 

[mattCR]

LOLA is seen as fresh, maybe more likely for higher ratings, and the cost per episode is less. I'm just surprised in some ways because SVU has turned into one of the craziest, non-LO type shows on TV, it's been completely over the top irrational this last two years.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Originally Posted by mattCR /forum/thread/300621/law-order-the-original-is-cancelled-after-20-seasons#post_3691532

 

[mattCR]

I just find it interesting that the same year "The Bill" gets cancelled, they cancel Law & Order. Just.. kind of an interesting twist on both sides of the pond.

 

[Ken Chan]

Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood

But couldn't they have just had some characters from the original move to LA and keep the same title?

It does seem bizarre to cancel a show and introduce a spinoff at the same time.

You can't plausibly move more than one character to L.A. (I'm trying to think of all the Joey-style spinoffs where one character moves away somewhere, only to get cancelled.)


But the bigger point is that the existing talent has an existing contract. The bottom line is the bottom line: it's cheaper to start a new show with new actors. And there's the X-factor of it maybe taking off.


The weasels at NBC have demonstrated that at best they have a passable grasp of arithmetic, but not much else, like managing schedules and talent. In fact, actual weasels have a fifty-fifty chance of doing a better job of running a network.

 

[Walter C]

It is disappointing that the show will not get a proper sendoff, which it should get, for a show that has lasted this long. But no surprise, coming from Jeff Zucker.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

Originally Posted by Ken Chan


You can't plausibly move more than one character to L.A. (I'm trying to think of all the Joey-style spinoffs where one character moves away somewhere, only to get cancelled.)

People move to another city in real life all the time.


I don't recall CSI: NY or CSI: Miami getting canceled, even though they started with characters appearing on the original show.

 

[Malcolm R]

Originally Posted by Walter C

It is disappointing that the show will not get a proper sendoff, which it should get, for a show that has lasted this long. But no surprise, coming from Jeff Zucker.

There is some talk of a TV movie wrap-up sometime next season.

 

[Mary_P]

Nikki Finke is reporting that negotiations are underway to move the show to TNT -- not reruns, a 21st season:


http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/toldja-law-order-heading-to-tnt/


So nothing firm set yet, but maybe not quite dead yet either.

 

[Ken Chan]

Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood .)

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I used to watch this show religiously. . .now I couldn't even tell you what night it's on (and not because I don't *want* to watch it). I think Criminal Intent's been great recently. . .I *think* it's on Tuesdays, but I'm not sure. Now they'll have a new show move around and around, and I may or may not notice.

 

[mattCR]

While that list is interesting, there have also been quite a few "people move, and the show succeeds"


See: Frasier. The Jeffersons. Boston Legal. Those would be two examples that fit your: main cast does something else, some completely leave and the show succeeds.


Some have middle level success (see: Private Practice),

 

[Aaron Silverman]

EDIT: Never mind; misread that post.

 

[Ken Chan]

I did say "rarely"


Frasier qualifies, but barely. The character became a regular (right?) although he wasn't initially. But it was just him that moved to Seattle, not him and someone else like Woody.


The Jeffersons? I didn't watch All in the Family, but my impression is that George was not a regular on it. He was a side character they really did spin off. It wasn't a case of, "We're canceling the show, but we're going to try and 'keep the magic alive' by keeping this main character and transplanting them somewhere new," like After-MASH or Joey.


Private Practice is also a "legit" spin-off.


Boston Legal is a special case because the show had already transformed in place. Kinda like L&O in a way: the lead actors/characters had started swapping out. And not that it really mattes, but everyone stayed in Boston.