I have an unconfirmed report that NBC's Law & Order has been given an order for 4 more episodes this season (which would bring the season total to 20 episodes). I am attempting to confirm this with NBC now.
If so, I think there's now a chance NBC keeps it around for a 21st season. If this proves to be true, I'll have to change it to orange in the Renew / Cancel Index.
I gave up on Law and Order last season. I only watch SVU now.
That’s a step closer to a 21st season pickup for this great series.
“Law & Order is already dead.”
-Bill Gorman, circa 10/21/09
It would also prove that despite your little index and fussy calculations, you really don’t know much about how the TV business actually works.
Don’t like the new cops on L&O so I stopped watching it.
Bryan Bell, if those “fussy calculations” prove wrong and L&O does return next fall on NBC, the appropriate crow will be eaten. But if it’s not on the NBC schedule announced in May, I’m sure you’ll be long gone.
If you’d like sunshine and rainbows showered upon you about all your favorite shows, this is not the place to look.
Might also be that these were ordered to fill in developing gaps that have already developed in the schedules from the craters some shows have already made in NBC’s financial books and programming schedules. If it is steady enough to merit being on the schedule, then, renewal or not, a few more episodes won’t hurt much (L&O is an old reliable for this network), it will keep the L&O crowd happy, and they can rerun it several times to keep the accountants happy (to a point) since L&O flavored shows seem to be the designated rerun hitters anyway.
I gave up on L&O over a decade ago, btw… just for the record… so this news is neither here nor there with me. The rumor (possible fact) they ordered more hints at plugging a few holes and having more options for reruns from something that, while not great, is at least a recognized brand with longevity that *might* shore up a few nights in the future.
Law & Order is like Julio Franco.
More like Generalissmo Franco, JR… :p
It’s performing well enough for Friday that this doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure they make enough in syndication that they don’t really need much in the way of ratings to justify it from an accountant’s viewpoint. The way I see it, when they do their overhaul for next season, which they of course will, since everyone listens to me
this means they can ignore Friday while they are ignoring 10 pm for one season. After their brilliant overhaul and ridiculous amount of money spent in development pays off for 8-10 Monday – Thursday in the 10-11 season, they can worry about Fridays along with 10 pm in the 11-12 season.
Hmmm…. given the massive amounts that is made by the L&O shows in syndication, this seems to make sense
My guess is that these 4 episodes were given to help wrap up the series. But I can’t imagine a world without Law and Order. I was born September of 1990 so Law and Order has always been here.
Law & Order’s strength has always been its attention to procedure and its reluctance to delve into the characters’ private lives. As much as i love S. Epatha Merkerson’s character, i am appalled at the show’s resorting to a cancer subplot (possibly in an attempt to feminize the waining audience). These guys are best when they’re doing their jobs. Nobody wants to watch a major character slowly die or suffer each week in a subplot that has nothing to do with anything else.
I hope they come to their senses.
Law and Order is 2 years older than I am lol
LAW & ORDER is still the best cop/legal show on all 5 networks (and even cable).
I Love Law & Order and even though the show isnt nearly as good as the Lenny Briscoe Years, I still watch the show and enjoy it. I would LOVE for this show to be renewed for a 21st season(that would set the record for Longest running Drama surpassing Gunsmokes 20 years) but I just dont see it happening. The show is doing terrible in its 8pn Friday Slot. My Prediction, The Show wont be renewed for a 21st season But I hope I am Wrong!
I agree Sarah, they dont make em like Law & Order anymore!
For some reason, maybe it’s because I was born in the 90′s, but I can’t get into the original Law and Order. The only crime shows I watch are CSI, SVU, Crimal Minds and The Mentalise.
NBC’s only good drama. If they can keep the costs same as they are now — and the ratings stay the same as they are now — it has a pretty decent chance of another season. It’s turned the lights back on for NBC Friday, and it’s helping give “Dateline” (guess who helped develop that?) the best ratings that show has seen since Reilly yanked it off Friday. It’s also the kind of programming that works on Friday. The old-skewing kind.
law and order id the best show on tv today! season 20 is amazing!!
I’m with Julia on this. The extra episodes are not surprising, and I’ve already argued that L&O should be orange on the renew/cancel. It’s been getting a 1.5, which is about as much as could be expected with the move to Friday. I can also see them renewing it just because it’s a utility player that they know can at least survive in nearly any slot. No, it will never get great ratings again, but it’s an easy place-holder while they fix the much bigger problems in their schedule. (That, and if Dick Wolf really wants to break the record instead of just matching it, they might be able to work out a cheaper licensing fee. Wolf can get a lot of the extra back in syndication.)