TVSquad

Wait, there are "sexy" detectives and lawyers on L&O now? I should start watching again. They really should have advertised this fact.

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I think they will renew both for at least some kind of ending. I heard rumours last year that Law and Order would stay on the air until at least it's 20th season because NBC wanted that milestone.

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I think they should keep all three, but only give them one time slot. It's not like the storyline(s) is really something that needs week to week viewing, so, why not rotate them out weekly? Heck, you could either pay for 1/3rd a season for all three, or pay for a whole season and just show new episodes all. year. long (or at least more than they do now).

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More D'Onofrio and less Chris Noth would fix CI.

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Milestone issues aside, very few cop/legal dramas pull you in like the original Law & Order. Unlike SVU, you aren't inundated with raped six year-olds. Unlike CSI, you aren't inundated with CGI renderings of bullets piercing intestines.

I'd put the quality of the acting on Law & Order--especially Sam Waterson & Fred Thompson--and Criminal Intent right there together. Both are top notch.

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Dick Wolf has become famous for getting rid of costly or disobedient actors throughout the run of "Law & Order." So if he's talking about really trimming costs now, it must mean he's planning on making these shows super-cheap, with inexperienced actors and (according to one article) worse-looking film stock.

But the real reason it's time for "L&O" to go is that we're wise to all its tricks. After umpteenth episodes, we know all the twists, and how the person they think did it really didn't (although it's usually obvious who really did). And it's become tiresome watching supposedly competent cops and prosecutors realizing they should find out a bit of information 40 minutes it that they should have looked for right at the start of the investigation. Meanwhile, with nothing new to say, the writers simply put every well-publicized real-life case through their meat-grinder, changing some details but not actually saying anything new about it.

Personally, I'm ready for "SVU" to go, too -- not because of the actors, who are fantastic, but because I can't watch yet another depiction of violence against children. After a while, it makes you long for the unrealistic depiction of crimes in shows like "Shark."

Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all the "Law & Orders" now, but bring them back fresh in five years with new casts, new writers and new hot-button issues for them to argue about. Maybe then-President Fred Thompson could even make a cameo appearance.

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I really hope they don't cancel Law & Order. It's really one of my favorites. Sam Waterson is great.

Is 9.3 million viewers really not sufficient to keep a show afloat?

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With every year the cost of the shows go up and NBC needs to have as many new shows as possible to get the next big hit which they really need... badly.

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L&O actually has been decent (after a couple of clunker episodes at the beginning of the season). I would argue that for crime procedural fans, it is more enjoyable and consistent than L&O:CI. I like both shows, but I think CI needs to go. D'Onofrio's absence has been felt on CI since he went down to a half season and Noth's eps have been kind of crazy bad with poor writing.

CI has a really bad timeslot. If NBC would consider moving L&O to Sunday at 10 or Monday at 10 I think it would do better than CI or L&O's current slot.

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If they intend to keep the current cast, then I'd say yes, cancel the series. The same actors have been on forever and it's getting old. I'd like to see a totally different assistant DA. And how about a corrupt cop or lawyer that works against everyone?

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The original is definitely looking pretty bad right now. After somewhat of a rebound last season, the show has gone back in the gutter with cases that have no emotional resonance and that tend to be overly predictable (a white business man did it? shock!) Some blame also rests on the decision to cast Milena Govich. Dennis Farina did an admirable job in Jerry Orbach's old shoes, but Detective Cassidy is such a non character that the episodes live or die by the trial portion alone.

I think SVU is about to start a ratings crash as well. The past two seasons have been pretty bad save for the brief arc with Stabler's new partner. And next year they're adding in that awful Adam Beach character to the main cast and apparently someone is going to turn up pregnant. Either one of those alone would be enough to signal a show is about to jump the shark.

As for CI, it's a shame that it's always up against the hottest shows in prime time. This season has been their absolute best. I'm guessing that is mainly due to the new executive producer. THere have been all sorts of unique directorial decisions, and some actual character development for once. I suggest anyone who hasn't tuned in recently to give it a chance, because it's the best crime procedural on tv right now.

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Keep Law & Order but kick old man Sam Waterson off. He has been there too long. We know all his opinions, reactions and he just looks tired. Go back to the beginning and and lets look at a young D.A., not the top of the heap. Only one or two "ripped-from-the-headlines" episodes a season would help too.

Of the other 2, I'll watch C.I. but I hate SVU. Either or both could go, but since NBC is a waste wasteland why would they cancel and of them?

(Justme Wolf bought the rights to a book about the 2 cops that were killers for the mob and is making a series about it)
http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/04/18/dick-wolf-may-develop-series-based-on-real-life-rogue-cops/

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But of course Law and Order is too expensive.

Do you know how much it costs to pay for Sam's eyebrows?

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I agree, get rid of Chris Noth, but keep Vincent D'onofrio. And no don't get rid of Waterston on original, he's great. But PLEASE get rid of Farina & his new partner. It's going to be hard to replace Orbach, but someone else could do it much better (with his dry wit & sarcasm) who can forget his character?

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My wife and I watch all three of the L&O shows, and as much as we like CRIMINAL INTENT, it's pretty clear that the writing on that particular program has gone down the tubes. What's more, Vincent D'Onofrio is vocally unhappy about being there and even his performance has grown tired.

That said, we still love Chris Noth, and have said to each other that if CI has to go (as seems likely to be the case) then Noth ought to head back to his old stomping grounds on the parent show. Awkward "ripped from the headlines" episodes notwithstanding, the original program still has some life in it, and we find ourselves enjoying its old-school charms more than CI's these days.

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I love the Law and Orders. I don't like either women on Law and Order. Jessie Martin and Dennis Farina made a good team. Those 2 women bore me. I don't think any of the series should be canceled. SVU is my favorite. I'm a follower of Chris noth so I wouldn't want to see that end unless they put him on one of the others. All tv stations are putting on garbage anymore. I don't watch half the tv I used to because of it.

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NO!!!!! don't cancel any L&O they are the only shows with the CSI's I watch, I think they are great! Not only that my daughter is in court reporting school and she practices to L&O. I agree with some of the others, I don't watch most of the other garbage that is on. I really miss Jerry O God rest his soul!

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You'd think that the cost of production would be paid just from the price of putting them into syndication a year later. All three should keep going.

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They only ever needed one show. It has gotten so watered down in the past few years, I don't even attempt to watch it anymore. I thought the early episodes were powerful, but the revolving door of "pretty" assistant ADA just irritated me.

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Funny how some things attract some viewers but detract others. I find D'Onofrio barely palatable and less so the more Goren has taken over CI especially to the detriment of Eames. I found it very refreshng when they bought in the characters of Logan and Barek. Sadly, the powers that be and Annabella Sciorra didn't gel. I hadn't gotten back into CI because of her character. When she left my enthusiasm for CI declined again.

Whilst the LO series are formulaic it doesn't necessarily make it mundane. Good writing, good direction, good acting is generally all that is required to keep my attention. The worst you can say about any of the LO episodes is that it was average and average for LO is generally a much higher calibre than average in some of the 'hit' shows.

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