Image Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBCNow this is what I call a Law & Order twist: NBC is declining to comment on a Deadline report claiming the network has opted to not to renew the long-running procedural for what would have been a record-breaking 21st season. If true, it means Dick Wolf will have to settle for simply tying Gunsmoke‘s record as TV’s longest-running drama series. “It’s a fluid situation,” says a source close to the talks. “It’s not a done deal.” I’m told the L&O stalemate is not expected to have an impact on the likely renewal of Law & Order: SVU and imminent pickup of new spinoff Law & Order: Los Angeles. Meanwhile, don’t count on the mothership jumping to TNT. In a statement, the net — which has been home to L&O reruns for years — said it “is not in ongoing discussions about picking up the series for first-run episodes.” Developing…
May 13
2010
05:15 PM ET
Breaking: NBC cancels 'Law & Order'?
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TV Finale Highlights
Five days at a glance*
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Tuesday, May 1
- The Biggest Loser NBC, 8-9PM
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Friday, May 4
- In Plain Sight USA, 10-11PM
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Sunday, May 6
- The Amazing Race CBS, 8-10PM
- GCB NBC, 10-11PM
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Monday, May 7
- Two Broke Girls CBS, 8-9PM
- Castle ABC, 10-11PM
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Tuesday, May 8
- Last Man Standing ABC, 8-8:30PM
- The Voice NBC, 8-10PM
- New Girl FOX, 9-9:31PM
- Unforgettable CBS, 10-11PM
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Wednesday, May 9
- CSI CBS, 10-11PM
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Thursday, May 10
- The Big Bang Theory CBS, 8-8:31PM
- The Vampire Diaries The CW, 8-9PM
- The Office NBC, 9-9:30PM
- The Secret Circle The CW, 9-10PM
- Parks and Recreation NBC, 9:30-10PM
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Friday, May 11
- The Finder FOX, 8-9PM
- Undercover Boss CBS, 8-9PM
- Fringe FOX, 9-10PM
- CSI: NY CBS, 9-10PM
- Blue Bloods CBS, 10-11PM
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Sunday, May 13
- Once Upon A Time ABC, 8-9PM
- Survivor: One World CBS, 8-10PM
- Desperate Housewives ABC, 9-11PM, SERIES FINALE
- American Dad FOX, 9:30-10PM
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Monday, May 14
- Bones FOX, 8-9PM
- How I Met Your Mother CBS, 8-9PM
- Gossip Girl The CW, 8-9PM
- Two and a Half Men CBS, 9-9:30PM
- Hart of Dixie The CW, 9-10PM
- Mike & Molly CBS, 9:30-10PM
- Hawaii Five-0 CBS, 10-11PM
- Smash NBC, 10-11PM
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Tuesday, May 15
- 90210 The CW, 8-9PM
- Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
- NCIS CBS, 8-9PM
- NCIS: Los Angeles CBS, 9-11PM
- Fashion Star NBC, 10-11PM
- Private Practice ABC, 10-11PM
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Wednesday, May 16
- Suburgatory ABC, 8:30-9PM
- Criminal Minds CBS, 9-11PM
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Thursday, May 17
- Missing ABC, 8-9PM
- Community NBC, 8-8:30PM, 9-10PM
- 30 Rock NBC, 8:30-9PM
- Rules of Engagement CBS, 8:30-9PM
- Awake NBC, 9-11PM
- Grey's Anatomy ABC, 9-10PM
- Person of Interest CBS, 9-10PM
- The Mentalist CBS, 10-11PM
- Scandal ABC, 10-11PM
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Friday, May 18
- Nikita The CW, 8-9PM
- Shark Tank ABC, 8-9PM
- Who Do You Think You Are NBC, 8-9PM
- Grimm NBC, 9-10PM
- Supernatural The CW, 9-10PM
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Saturday, May 19
- Saturday Night Live NBC, 11:29PM-1AM
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Sunday, May 20
- America's Funniest Home Videos ABC, 7-8PM
- The Cleveland Show FOX, 7:30-8PM
- Harry's Law NBC, 8-9PM
- The Simpsons FOX, 8-8:30PM
- Bob's Burgers FOX, 8:30-9PM
- Celebrity Apprentice NBC, 9-11PM
- Family Guy FOX, 9-10PM
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Monday, May 21
- Dancing With the Stars (Performance) ABC, 8-9PM
- House FOX, 8-10PM, SERIES FINALE
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Tuesday, May 22
- American Idol (Performance) FOX, 8-9PM
- Dancing With the Stars (Results) ABC, 9-11PM
- Glee FOX, 9-10PM
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Wednesday, May 23
- The Middle ABC, 8-8:30PM
- American Idol (Results) FOX, 8-10:07PM
- Modern Family ABC, 9-9:30PM
- Don't Trust the B— ABC, 9:30-10PM
- Revenge ABC, 10-11PM
- Law & Order: SVU NBC, 10-11PM
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Thursday, May 24
- Awake NBC, 10-11PM
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Tuesday, May 29
- Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
- The L.A. Complex The CW, 9-10PM
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Wednesday, May 30
- America's Next Top Model: British Invasion The CW, 9-10PM
*Times are Eastern Daylight and subject to change
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Seriously?? I do not approve of this.
Neither do I. This season has been surprisingly fresh. I was hoping for more.
Then again what do you expect from the morons remaking a classic like “The Rockford Files”?
@Donna, I don’t agree. I stopped watching Crimnal Intent when the two orginal stars left last season/start ofthis season. Jeff is a fine actor and he does a fine job but he was and is not the reason I watched CI, so in all I am done with all of the L & O.
@Nicotine
I think the problem with this season is that it was basically held hostage by the Jay Leno/Conan debacle. I honestly can’t tell you what night new episodes are supposed to air. I thought it was Friday, but now I see episodes on Mondays. Leno monopolizing NBC’s once-profitable 10pm slot was a mistake, and it’s unfortunate that Law & Order is potentially suffering because of it.
CI stopped being interesting when D’Onofrio left the series. Goldblum and the new lineup just makes it a meandering echo of its former self. SVU has, throughout this season, left me at the end of each episode with my jaw on the floor saying some variation of “That was the stupidest plot I’ve ever seen.” NBC should at least give Wolf the dramatic series record and renew the show for one more season.
nbc cannot be this dumb…
right?
20 years is a long time for a show to be, people. Relax. It’s time for L&O to finally be put to bed. The entire cast has completely changed about 20 times, it’s so lazy that it “rips” stories “from the headlines”, and there are about 15 other crime procedurals on the air for you to choose from. Thank god and good riddance.
And the rest of those crime procedurals suck. L&O deserves at least one more season to be the longest running primetime drama! I will seriously be heartbroken if it ends. It’s been the best season in years!
L&O has run it’s course. For fresh Law and Orders, switch to USA on Tuesday nights at 10:00 and catch Jeff Goldblum on CI. This is a great show. I wasn’t sure how it would go after D’nofrio’s & Erbe’s departure, but Jeff is definitely watchable.
I can’t get into CI without Goren. I tried but, as great an actor as Goldblum is, he is a poor man’s Goren.
I would have to disagree with Alan, one of the reasons I enjoy the show so much is the fact that the stories and straight from the headlines. It makes the story more realistic, we can identify with the situations.
AS DO I….Seriously, Law & Order is like one of the few shows that’s usually got a fresh story to tell every week. So sometimes they do take things from headlines, but they make it even more interesting when they interpret it fictitiously. We see how the detectives and attorneys do everything to help put the bad guys away. The show works because there’s no drama amongst the characters or there are no “personal issues or relationships” going on. Although, they seem to have focused a lot on Van Buren’s “personal” fight against cancer. Yes, it is a very serious issue, but the show’s focus is on cases itself. Hence, the title “Law” and “Order”, that’s the way I’ve always remembered it to be and that’s the way it should stay. There are a lot of stories to tell and it goes to show why it works! So—why cancel it? Ratings can’t be bad, can they? What is going on at NBC??? O.o
another dumb nbc move
What???????? NBC, if you cancel L&O I am officially done. DONE!
New York Magazine is reporting that it’s DICK Wolf’s fault. He refused to bring down costs (seeing that the show only gets 6 million viewers these days and needed to cut costs to stay profitable).
So there you go.
What???????? NBC, if you cancel L&O I am officially done. DONE!
Every time I watch a show for 20 years NBC cancels it on me.
I know! They wait and make sure you’re addicted- then, YANK!
Seriously no one has any right to complain, so many quality shows never make it past their first season let alone 20.
LOL! Amazing.
New York Magazine is reporting that it’s DICK Wolf’s fault. He refused to bring down costs (seeing that the show only gets 6 million viewers these days and needed to cut costs to stay profitable).
So there you go.
Wow. I like SVU better tho.
Why??? Cause it is all about SEX??
Wow. I like SVU better tho.
If this is true, I’ll be gutted!!
If this is true, I’ll be gutted!!
So, NBC is deliberately trying to destroy itself or they are just really really REALLY clueless???
Considering the ratings for L&O and the fact they are getting ready to start up L&O: Los Angelas will NBC really be destroying themselves. Hardly.
As for tying Gunsmoke. Considering that classic series produced more than 600 episodes, I don’t think you can compare the two.
How many epsiodes of L&O are there?
It typically takes about 5 seasons to reach 100 episodes, so I’m guessing L&O has just gone past the 400 mark. Not as many as Gunsmoke but still very impressive.
635 30 minute episodes vs 450 60 minute episodes. So L&O has roughly 132 more hours of screen time
At least Gunsmoke had basically (with the exception of one or two) the same cast for those 20 years. L&O has gone through so many cast shakeups I don’t think you can compare.
Well Jerry Orbach passed away…can’t go and blame them for that. S. Epatha Markinson’s been on the show for 16 years, Waterston for 15. That’s a lengthy time. Waterston was on for 333 episodes in a row up until the 19th season I think?
So, NBC is deliberately trying to destroy itself or they are just really really REALLY clueless???
Considering the ratings for L&O and the fact they are getting ready to start up L&O: Los Angelas will NBC really be destroying themselves. Hardly.
As for tying Gunsmoke. Considering that classic series produced more than 600 episodes, I don’t think you can compare the two.
How many epsiodes of L&O are there?
It typically takes about 5 seasons to reach 100 episodes, so I’m guessing L&O has just gone past the 400 mark. Not as many as Gunsmoke but still very impressive.
Ratings haven’t been that bad this season.
635 30 minute episodes vs 450 60 minute episodes. So L&O has roughly 132 more hours of screen time
So there were more episodes per season back when ‘Gunsmoke’ was on?
I just want Jimmy to explain why you can’t compare Gunsmoke to L&O. If the record is years running, it’s years running. Not to diminish Gunsmoke’s legacy, but what’s your point, Jimmy?
For 14 of the 20 seasons ‘Gunsmoke’ was an hour long show. Yes there were more episode per season for Gunsmoke. They would do about 40 per year
At least Gunsmoke had basically (with the exception of one or two) the same cast for those 20 years. L&O has gone through so many cast shakeups I don’t think you can compare.
Well Jerry Orbach passed away…can’t go and blame them for that. S. Epatha Markinson’s been on the show for 16 years, Waterston for 15. That’s a lengthy time. Waterston was on for 333 episodes in a row up until the 19th season I think?
Considering that there are more regular tv stations, plus cable, and so many options that did NOT exist during Gunsmokes run it is a great accomplishment regardless. If Gunsmoke had the same amount of competition maybe it wouldn’t have lasted. All we can go by is what DID happen, which is that BOTH made it 20 years. No reason to minimize either
there were 233 30 minute episodes of gunsmoke. there were 400 one hour episodes.
New York Magazine is reporting that it’s DICK WOLF’s fault. He refused to bring down costs (seeing that the show only gets 6 million viewers these days and needed to cut costs to stay profitable).
So there you go.
Oh, NBC…
Oh, NBC…
WHAT?!?!? Noooooooooooooo!!!! I need Law and Order!!! This is not a final word yet, right?
It’s not enough that you have 2 other versions of L&O and about 15 other crime procedurals to choose from? You’re really going to panic so much over the cancellation of this one?
There may be other spin-offs, but L&O is the ORIGINAL. I say give it one more season to satisfactorily tie up any loose ends and to give it proper closure…it’s only right.
WHAT?!?!? Noooooooooooooo!!!! I need Law and Order!!! This is not a final word yet, right?
It’s not enough that you have 2 other versions of L&O and about 15 other crime procedurals to choose from? You’re really going to panic so much over the cancellation of this one?
There may be other spin-offs, but L&O is the ORIGINAL. I say give it one more season to satisfactorily tie up any loose ends and to give it proper closure…it’s only right.
I don’t think it needs proper closure. This is show that has unceremoniously fired cast members right left and centre without warning or explanation. The current cast were probably going to get dumped next season anyway. What loose ends are there to tie up?
NO!!!! That would be horrible!! Is there anything we can do to prevent it?!?!
NO!!!! That would be horrible!! Is there anything we can do to prevent it?!?!