NBC thinks 'Law & Order: SVU' can survive without Meloni & Mariska

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Yes, it would totally tank without them. Give them what they want, not because they want it, but because they have MADE that show and they DESERVE what they're asking for.

If you can get them to sign on for Season 11 at ANY price, count your blessings, NBC.

SVU cannot survive without CM and MH. Why? Because SVU is NOT The Mothership, it relies too much on the main characters. If DW wanted to recycle characters like he does on L&O, he should've started much sooner, because like it or not, after ten whole years, Benson and Stabler are the soul of this show. And sure, there are people out there who watch for other characters, or the cases, even (even though the plots and writing aren't what nearly as good as they used to be these days), but the fact of the matter is - if CM and MH go, so will a *very* significant portion of the show's audience, a portion the show cannot afford to lose or the numbers will tank.

I'm sure NBC knows that, too. They're playing hardball, but I think it's stupid to gamble with the future of their most successful scripted show. Then again, this is the network that gave one man the 10pm timeslot every day of the week. It's hard to know whether these execs will be stupid and let CM and MH go or give them the back-end profits they seek and deserve after all these years - the back-end profits that Vincent D'Onofrio was deemed worthy of, even though CI is on cable and is not nearly as successful as SVU still is.

L&O has had 100's of cast members come and go and is still the biggest long lasting show in TV history. I'm sure SVU will also. New blood is always good.

Yes, SVU will totally tank without Mariska and Chris. Chris and Mariska with their chemistry and acting ability have created a 10 year success for NBC plus they keep winning the demos in their hour and that draws the advertisers in, NBC should give them what they want, Mariska and Chris have earned it.No Mariska and Chris I'm gone.

No way would SVU survive without Chris and Mariska. I sure as heck wouldn't watch it. Come on, NBC! Get your head out of your *ss and sign them!!! Mariska and Chris ARE SVU.

I don't watch it anymore, but I don't see it surviving without them. It's not like the regular Law & Order where to me it never seemed to focus so solely on two people it was more of an ensemble so it made sense for it to have a revolving door like ER did. But, at least when I watched SVU it always wrapped so much around them, their personal lives etc. I don't see it making it without them. I find them a bit greedy with this deal, but maybe NBC will just cave in.

Joe, if you want to ignore the part where we argue both shows are different, it's certainly your choice. But the fact is, SVU was never handled the same way the original L&O was, and after a *decade* TPTB can't suddenly go, "Oh yeah, now we're going to yank the two main characters and replace them with new ones just like we've always done on the Mothership, 'kay?" and expect it to work. SVU and The Mothership are different - SVU, per Baer and Wolf's own admission, is a hybrid, not a procedural, and the reason a huge portion of the audience watches the show is because they care about the two main characters. When they go, especially with the way the writing sucks these days, so will go a lot of people's motivation to watch. I'm not even arguing the entire audience will go, because I am aware the peripheral characters are dear to a lot of viewers, but I am arguing enough people will stop watching that the show will tank in no time. I hope we don't get to find out if I'm right next season.

There is no way it will survive without them. They are the show. NBC needs to give them whatever they want.

Put simply, NBC has lost their f'in minds! I quit watching the mothershop once SVU came on. I'm invested in Elliot and Olivia and if they are gone then so is SVU.