It’s Dick Wolf’s world and we’re just living in it, as evidenced by the return of Law & Order” to NBC after a twelve-year hiatus.
The flagship series, which was nominated for over 50 Emmys during its first run, is returning to the small screen Thursday.
Variety reports that the formula, which spawned spin-offs like the popular “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” remains the same, but with some nuanced changes that reflect the cultural shifts that have taken place since the show initially went off the air.
In the season premiere episode, Anthony Anderson returns to his role as Detective Kevin Bernard, but his partner, newcomer Detective Frank Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan) quickly butts heads with him in the first episode over police accountability in the age of cell phones and omnipresent cameras.
On the prosecutorial side, Sam Waterston returns as Jack McCoy, who has since been promoted and oversees the work of A.D.A. Nolan Price, played by Hugh Dancy.
Waterston told Today that he is “so glad they let me be part of it coming back.” He continued, sharing that he thinks the show returned “because the audience kept watching even after we stopped making them.”
He also mused that the show inspired a generation to pursue the legal field. “I apologize but I think we made a lot of lawyers,” he teased.
Creator Dick Wolf will not helm the 21st season of the show, instead handing over the showrunner reins to one of his frequent collaborators, Rick Eid. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wolf will instead act as “creator and executive producer.”
The procedural originally aired for 20 seasons and featured a rotating cast over the course of its more than 400 episodes that included Chris Noth, Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, Angie Harmon, and Jesse L. Martin.
“Law & Order” returns to NBC on Thursday, February 24 at 8 p.m. It will serve as a lead-in to its two offshoots, “Law & Order: SVU” at 9 p.m. and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” at 10 p.m.
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