TVSquad

There's been another transfer out of the squad at NBC. Detective Chester Lake has turned in his badge. Actor Adam Beach is leaving Law and Order: SVU. He'll be on the show till the end of this season -- his one and only with Law and Order: SVU.

Adam Beach, who was also excellent in the Clint Eastwood feature Flags of Our Fathers as the troubled serviceman Ira Hayes, uncomfortable with the acclaim he received as one of the men who rose the flag at Iwo Jima, received a number of award nominations for his role on the HBO mini-series Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. It was on that project that he worked with producer Dick Wolf.

"From the first day I met him on the set of Bury My Heart, I was knocked out by his commitment, dedication and total immersion in the film's most crucial role," said Wolf.

The producer signed Beach to a one-year deal for Law and Order: SVU, with a mutual option for a second year. Either had the option to go ahead with year two or not. It's not surprising that Adam has decided to move on. He has had few opportunities to shine on SVU, and the writer's strike probably scewed up any plans for a story arc to give his character some heft. As a regular viewer, I can recall just a few shows where he was spotlighted. In a statement, the actor said, "I very much enjoyed my year on Law & Order: SVU. Now I'm looking forward to new adventures."

There's been a lot of departures in the Law and Order ranks of late. Jesse Martin's last L&O airs next week, and earlier this week, SVU announced that Diane Neal is leaving the series, too. Is it something in the water at Dick Wolf Productions? Cost cutting? Just wondering...