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TV of Tomorrow: Fall TV Preview 2010
'Law & Order': Cancellation about the 'overall health' of the franchise
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Reports about the cancellation of "Law & Order" say it had to do with creator Dick Wolf and NBC being unable to reach financial terms for a record-breaking 21st season. NBC executives aren't commenting on that, but the network does say that ending the original "L&O" and at the same time putting a new iteration of the franchise on the fall schedule -- that'd be "Law & Order: Los Angeles" -- is about the "overall health" of the brand.
"We had been talking to Dick Wolf about 'LOLA' for several months," NBC Entertainment president Angela Bromstad says. "... This is the decision we're going with."
"LOLA" is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET Wednesdays in the fall -- the same timeslot that the "L&O" mothership occupied for much of its run. It will pair with "Law & Order: SVU" for a two-hour, bicoastal block of crime solving.
Bromstad deflected questions on Sunday (May 16) about whether the end of "Law & Order" was about money. "It's time to move forward," she says. "It's about the future and reinventing the brand, and about the overall health of the franchise for the company."
The first script for "LOLA" -- written by "Brotherhood" creator Blake Masters -- is nearly finished, and Bromstad says news about casting should come in the next few weeks. (NBC's deal with Wolf stipulates that his projects go straight to series, which is why there's no pilot yet.) It's not clear yet whether any past "L&O" characters might pop up on the new show.
Fans of the original "Law & Order" may get a chance to say goodbye to the show beyond the May 24 finale. Bromstad says NBC and Wolf are talking about some kind of wrap-up movie or "special event," but nothing is definite yet.
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How about "Law & Order: NBC"? They can ivestigate what the hell has gone wrong there.
I agree - what is wrong with NBC. Didn't they learn anything with the Jay Leno debacle?
Alex, that's one of the best damn comments I have seen all TV season.
When a show is cancelled there seems to be this hope of a TV movie or special event to wrap things up. I have yet to see one of any caliber pop up or pop up at all. So in other words, I will believe it when I see it.
The folks at NBC are such IDIOTS. NBC truly deserves its reputation as the "loser" network. Bromstad should be fired immediately -- a developmentally-delayed tree sloth could do a better job at programming.
I have come to hate everything about NBC, and I suspect most of TV-viewing America has done the same.
I bet it won't take long for LO: LA to do episodes that blame every crime in the city to the GOP then wonder why the ratings tanked.
Why not just move the series to USA Network like they did with Law & Order: Criminal Intent? L&O is vastly superior to crap like The Office.
While we may never know what really happened behind the seen with NBC and Mr. Wolf, it is hard to believe the cancellation of Law & Order was just about the ratings. On Monday night, which is where NBC placed L&O most recently (previously it was on Friday), L&O was very close to CSI Miami, and both trailed Castle by about 1/2. So why is CSI Miami staying?
Even if one accepts NBC's reasoning, one has to wonder why they would cancel a solid performer in favor of shows that have yet to make a pilot, much less gather a reliable audience. There is a high mortality rate for television programing, and it is higher still for hour long programs. Would it not have been wiser to keep L&O until NBC had some shows that could replace it?
As I read the press results about the cancellation of L&O, it looks to me like someone at NBC threw a hissy fit that will come back to haunt them. But as we learned with the Tonight Show incident, NBC really doesn't care. It is no wonder that the peacock network is struggling to hold on to 3ard place. My guess is that one year from now, NBC will be about where it is now -- 3ard.
Dave,
I can't believe that L&O was canceled! I watch so little on the network stations - L&O was one of the few shows that I always watch and look forward to watching.I also watch the CSI's, but the L&O shows are my faves. Quality shows are few and far between. NBC - WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!!!
L&O original is still the best of the Law and Order shows. NBC, reconsider. You are making a huge mistake.
NBC execs say canceling L&O 'is about the "overall health" of the brand'. Maybe so...but what it says is that you think that the brand is in very poor health and that you think that it's about to tank. That's an interesting conclusion to draw about a show that's managed to stay on the air for 20 years in this day and age.
And for God's sake, stop referring to the new L&O show as "LOLA"...I never know whether you're talking about a TV show or the song by The Kinks!!