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Law & Order -- News Wire (3)
WASHINGTON, DC: From a Council for Excellence in Government Study (2001): "Stephanie March, who plays the assistant district attorney on the show 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,' told participants at a New York City media forum that she gets letters from a new generation of girls who want to be tough and compassionate lawyers when they grow up, just like the character she plays on television."

LOS ANGELES, December 4, 2001 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Benjamin Bratt -- best known as the former star of the NBC drama series, "Law & Order" and as Julia Roberts' ex-boyfriend -- is causing talk with his portrayal of Puerto Rican poet, playwright and drug addict Miguel Pinero in the new movie, "Pinero."

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, November 26, 2001 -- NBC’s “Law & Order” Criminal Intent” again eclipsed ABC’s “Alias” in a battle of freshman dramas from 9-10 p.m. ET Sunday night as NBC slipped by “Alias” among adults 18-49 (4.6 rating and 10 share) but gained a larger 34 percent edge among total viewers with 14.0 million overall. In the first head-to-head face-off between the dramas last week (November 18), “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” also out-drew “Alias” with 12.8 million overall viewers. Last night’s ratings show the NBC drama’s overall viewers growing by nine percent over the previous week despite more intense competition from the conclusive hour of Fox’ “Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace” theatrical blockbuster. In addition, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” out-delivered CBS’ “You’ve Got Mail” (4.1/9 and 13.2 million overall viewers) theatrical during the same hour.

ZAP2IT, Nov. 12, 2001 -- Harmon Takes First Post-"Law & Order" Role: Former "Law & Order" star Angie Harmon has taken her first acting role since leaving the NBC show. Harmon is in Vancouver, British Columbia, filming a movie called "Video Voyeur: The Susan Wilson Story" for Lifetime, the New York Daily News reports. She left "Law & Order," on which she played assistant DA Abby Carmichael, at the end of last season. Harmon will take the the title role in the TV movie, based on the story of a Louisiana woman whose neighbor installed surveillance equipment in her home and spied on her family. She successfully lobbied for a state law making such actions a felony, and similar laws have been passed in nine other states. "Video Voyeur" is scheduled to air in January on Lifetime.

SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER, Nov. 9, 2001 -- It all began in 1990. Like a stealth relative who manages to elude family radar, "Law & Order" quietly became part of NBC's prime-time schedule, giving television viewers a balanced diet of ripped-from- the-headlines crime stories unfettered by deep character development. In time, it became one of the most popular cop shows on television, winning the Emmy Award for outstanding drama series in 1997 and persisting in daily syndication the way fallen leaves multiply on the weekend. In 1999, creator/producer/crime junkie Dick Wolf added "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," a spinoff centering on the activities of an elite New York police squad dedicated to solving the more lurid type of Big Apple crimes, notably of the seedy, sexual variety. This season, Wolf returned once more with "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," aiming to examine wrongdoing from the wrongdoer's perspective and showing a lot more violence than the original ever contemplated.

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, October 18, 2001 -- With THE WEST WING continuing to deliver substantial year-to-year growth and the newest LAW & ORDER series measuring up to the lofty standard established by its parent, NBC won Wednesday night in all key ratings categories. At 10 p.m., a special episode of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT dominated its hour with a 6.8/18 in adults 18-49 and an average of 19.3 million viewers overall – the freshman drama’s highest marks to date. LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT topped its previous highs (established this past Sunday) by 33 percent in adults 18-49 and 33 percent in total viewers. Compared to the original episode of LAW & ORDER that aired in the same time period during the fourth Wednesday of the 2000-01 season, last night’s LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT was up three percent in adults 18-49 and 16 percent in total viewers.

WASHINGTON POST, Sept. 29, 2001 -- Producer Dick Wolf, king of cut-and-dried crime shows, has cut and dried another one for your viewing pleasure. "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," the second spinoff from Wolf's "Law & Order" template, will be a viewing pleasure mainly for those who are already fans of Wolf's wares.

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, Sept. 29, 2001 -- Dick Wolf has done it again. No, seriously, he's done it again. Despite his protestations that his new show, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" has a different perspective, it's still essentially his same old "Law & Order" (though four of the five episodes I watched had a sexual element to the story, a la his other show, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"). Ostensibly, what separates "Criminal Intent" from its antecedents is that it takes us inside the mind of the wrong-doers: Well, that's more or less abandoned after the first couple of episodes. Then, the series becomes more about the usual police procedural, as we find out more or less as the police do precisely what occurred at the scene of the crime.

ZAP2IT, Aug. 27, 2001 -- 'Law & Order' Psychologists Recognized: The American Psychological Association gave its annual media award Sunday (Aug. 26) to specific episodes of "Once and Again" and "Law & Order" for their portrayals of mental health professionals dealing with serious issues, which included storylines dealing with anorexia and a teen school shooting, reports USA Today. "Law & Order" received recognition for its portrayal of an obviously unprofessional therapist and of the treatment of a school shooter.

LOS ANGELES, Aug 6, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Legacy Interactive(R), creator of the successful Real Life Games(TM) series of interactive CD-ROM simulation games, has signed a licensing agreement with Studios USA, producers of the hit television drama Law & Order, to develop a new game based on the popular show.

BUFFALO NEWS, July 25, 2001 -- When it comes to "Law & Order," there's no such thing as overkill. That's certainly true in Western New York, where the two current editions of the NBC series ranked No. 4 and No. 8 among all network series during the May sweeps on Channel 2 and get weekly ratings well above the national average. This fall, a third edition, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" joins the original series and the sequel, "Law & Order: SVU."

WENN, June 14, 2001 -- Angie Does Dallas. TV star Angie Harmon has apparently moved from New York to Dallas. Last weekend she married N.Y. Giant Jason Sehorn and a "special request" on the registry noted, "Use Dallas address only; bride no longer in New York." The gifts - posted to the home of Harmon's chief bridesmaid, Kim Gatlin - include two silver Audubon candlesticks ($1,100), an 8-by-10 inch picture frame ($400), a silver salad serving fork and spoon ($610), a silver sugar spoon ($110), a carriage clock ($850) and a wine coaster ($250). The cheapest items on the list were 16 silver teaspoons for $75. Harmon, who left Law And Order, is returning to New York in the fall to appear in The Vagina Monologues.

WENN, June 12, 2001 --  Law And Order Actress Weds. Law And Order star Angie Harmon has wed her long-time love Jason Sehorn. The Texan beauty married the New York Giants football player in her home town of Dallas on Saturday. The 29-year-old actress accepted the quarterback's proposal live on The Tonight Show last year, after they met at a Giants game. Stunning Angie started her screen career as a Baywatch babe, after David Hasselhoff discovered her on an airline flight.

LOS ANGELES / BPI Entertainment News, July 7, 2001 -- Legacy Interactive has signed a licensing agreement with Studios USA, producers of the television drama ``Law & Order,'' to develop a PC game series based on the popular NBC show. The first game will ship in winter 2002 and be distributed worldwide by Vivendi Universal Publishing.

THE RECORD (BERGEN COUNTY, NJ), June 6, 2001 -- Tough defense lawyers, odious criminals, manipulative family members, spacey eyewitnesses: Gritty roles actors probably couldn't find in any one play by Miller or O'Neill. Which is one of the reasons stage performers are so attracted to NBC's Emmy-winning "Law & Order." Since the New York-filmed show debuted in 1990 and added its first spinoff, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" in 1998 (a second spinoff, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," premieres in September), the detective and court drama has become a prize assignment for stage pros.

TV GUIDE, April 25, 2001 -- Variety reports that producers of NBC's Law & Order have recruited British actress Elizabeth Rohm ("Angel") to replace the departing Angie Harmon. Rohm, playing a forceful young prosecutor with a Harvard background, shoots her first episode this week. The episode will air as next season's premiere.

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, April 23, 2001 -- Elisabeth Rohm has joined the cast of the long-running Wolf Films/Studios USA acclaimed drama series Law & Order as the new Assistant District Attorney, it was announced today by Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer. Rohm joins the cast beginning with the premiere of the series' 12th season, which begins production next week in New York City, and will air in the fall on the NBC Television Network. Rohm's character is an extremely gifted, intelligent and aggressive young prosecutor with Harvard Law Review on her resume and aspirations beyond the District Attorney's office. She is paired with Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston). Rohm replaces Angie Harmon, who has played A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael for the past three seasons. "I first worked with Liz four years ago and I have watched her develop into one of the finest young actresses working in television," Wolf said. "Both Barry Schindel (executive producer/head writer) and I look forward to introducing another new and unique member of the 'Law & Order' family."

TV GUIDE. March 22, 2001 -- Don't Mess With a Man of the Law. As Det. Lennie Briscoe on Law & Order, TV actor Jerry Orbach has tasted all manner of crime, from murder and kidnapping to embezzlement and fraud. So it's fairly safe to assume the man knows a criminal deed when he sees one – especially if it's staring him in the face from a Web site auctioning two of his acting contracts from 40 years ago. According to Associated Press, Orbach is suing the high-profile eBay auction Web site for unspecified damages after the actor's name and Social Security number were displayed to millions of eyeballs last week. Visitors were invited to bid on two of Orbach's 1958 acting contracts – obvious collector items for serious fans. Consquently, the 64-year-old actor insists he has suffered identity theft and credit card fraud that has hurt his credit rating along with his personal and professional reputation. Lawyers are also requesting an order barring eBay from using Orbach's name and Social Security number for advertising or bidding purposes. A spokesperson for eBay says that the online auction house has not seen the lawsuit yet.

NEW YORK (AP), March 1, 2001 -- Five years after leaving ``Law & Order,'' which she joined at the tender age of 24, Jill Hennessy is still identified with cool probity, courage and smarts as embodied by Claire Kincaid, the assistant district attorney she played on the NBC drama.

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, February 28, 2001 -- Emmy Award winner Chad Lowe ("Life Goes On") guest-stars in NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Fridays, 10-11 p.m. ET) as a sexually repressed young man who is suspected of the sexual assault and murder of a pregnant woman and whose personal history with his domineering mother (guest star Margot Kidder, "Superman") perplexes Detectives Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Stabler (Christopher Meloni. The episode, "Pique," is targeted for broadcast in May.

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, February 7, 2001 -- Jill Hennessy (NBC's "Law & Order," "Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot") will star in a new NBC drama series pilot written by Tim Kring (NBC's "Providence," "Chicago Hope") as a tough, working-class coroner in Boston who is driven to solve crimes at any price. The one-hour series project will be produced by NBC Studios. Allan Arkush ("The Temptations," "Ally McBeal") will direct.

TV GUIDE, January 27, 2001 -- Law & Order Offends...NBC has withdrawn a Law & Order episode from public circulation. "Sunday in the Park with Jorge," which aired January 24, depicted a mob running riot at a Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City. Although the storyline was based on a real incident (a common practice for the long-running drama), Hispanic groups in the States complained that the episode distorted the real events by suggesting the swarming took place during the parade (it happened after) and that Puerto Ricans were responsible (Latinos were in the minority of those arrested). NBC's response was swift. "We sincerely apologize for offending members of the Latino community regarding the portrayal of Latinos and the Puerto Rican Day parade ... we have agreed not to repeat the episode on NBC," the network announced. "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf reacted angrily, blasting NBC for "caving in to the demands of a special interest group" and stomping on Wolf's right of free speech. "I think it sets an extremely dangerous precedent," he raged, stating that previous episodes of the show have equally offended "Jews, Catholics, Protestants, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, gays and lesbians, Italians, Russians, Greeks, conservatives, liberals, pro-life and pro-choice advocates.''

Jam! TV, January 26, 2001-- Wolf Angry Over Yanked "L&O" Episode. An episode of NBC's "Law & Order" that portrayed last summer's Puerto Rican Day "wilding" in New York has been deemed too hot for repeat broadcast, Variety reports. Producer Dick Wolf denounced NBC's decision, which came after pressure from Latino activists, calling it a "dangerous precedent." Complaints about the episode suggested the episode sensationalized the incident. Variety said the network has been acutely sensitive after a "Seinfeld" episode that showed the accidental burning of a Puerto Rican flag inspired similar criticism. In a statement released Thursday, NBC expressed regret for "offending the Latino community." "We had an extremely productive meeting with members of the Latino community, and given the context in which the program was aired, we have agreed not to repeat the episode on NBC." The statement prompted Wolf to say NBC had caved into special interest groups. He was particularly offended that he wasn't included in the discussions. Wolf told Variety that in the show's 11-year history, the program, which draws inspiration from real-life events has offended a number of different groups, "including, but not limited to, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, gays and lesbians, Italians, Russians, Greeks, conservatives, liberals, pro-life and pro-choice advocates."

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, January 23, 2001 -- Oscar and Golden Globe nominee Eric Roberts ("Runaway Train," "Star 80") guest-stars on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (Fridays, 10-11 p.m. ET) as a former sex-crimes cop who becomes a suspect in a series of murders of recently paroled sex offenders. Roberts appears in the episode "Victims," for broadcast on Friday, February 9 (10-11 p.m. ET).

JAM! TV, January 16, 2001 -- "Erbe, Vance in Third 'L&O' Series"; A second spin-off from Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" franchise has been cast, with Kathryn Erbe ("Stir Of Echoes"), Courtney B. Vance ("Space Cowboys"), and Vincent D'Onofrio ("The Cell") as the co-stars. The Hollywood Reporter said "Criminal Intent" will feature Erbe and D'Onofrio as detectives. Vance will play an assistant district attorney. The report said production is to begin Jan. 24, with the series' initial order of 13 episodes timed to be completed before the anticipated actors' strike this summer. Erbe will next be seen on the big screen opposite Kevin Costner in "Dragonfly" and alongside Bill Murray in "Speaking Of Sex." Vance, who has done guest work on "Law & Order", will next be seen with Sylvester Stallone and Tom Berenger in the cop drama "Eye See You." D'Onofrio will star in the drug-revenge drama "The Salton Sea," with Val Kilmer and Luis Guzman.

STUDIOBRIEF / IMDb, January 6, 2001 -- Wolf, NBC Tussle Over Law & Order Episode. Producer Dick Wolf on Thursday denounced the network's vow never to rebroadcast Wednesday night's episode of Law & Order, which had angered the National Puerto Rican Coalition and other Latino activist groups. "The network has caved in to the demands of a special interest group, and I am extremely disappointed with this decision, about which I was not consulted, as I think it sets an extremely dangerous precedent, " Wolf said in his statement. The episode, the highest-rated show on any network Wednesday night (12.7/19), concerned a murder that occurs at the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York. It was presumably suggested by events at last year's parade in which dozens of women complained of being sexually harassed by men in the crowd, particularly around Central Park. In fact, Dateline NBC devoted a segment of its June 13th program to the occurrence and one week later devoted the entire program to it, featuring amateur videotape of some of the assaults and accounts by eyewitnesses. In his statement, Wolf observed: "Law & Order has been ripped from the headlines for 240 episodes. ... Over the past 11 years, the series has offended the sensitivities of a variety of special interest groups." Besides promising not to repeat the episode, NBC reportedly told activists that it had directed its standards and practices department to address the issue of ethnic and racial "sensitivity" in order to prevent such programs from airing on the network in the future.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS, Dec. 25, 2000 -- Is Dianne Wiest planning on leaving Law & Order? Sources close to the show say the Academy Award-winning actress will not be returning to the Dick Wolf-produced drama next season, according to FoxNews.com Wiest was brought on to Law & Order this year to replace Steven Hill, who retired after 11 years on the series. Sources said the actress, who rarely appears in television work, is unhappy with the frantic TV schedule and would like out of the show.

SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER, December 11, 2000 -- Feature film actor Vincent D'Onofrio ("The Cell") is set to star in Dick Wolf's third installment of the "Law & Order" franchise for NBC. He will play a detective on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," produced by Studios USA, which has received a 13-episode commitment from the network, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The new show is described as a departure from the trademark "Law & Order" format and will look at the crimes from the point of view of the criminal, the police and prosecutors.

NBC ENTERTAINMENT, October 15, 2000 -- New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will appear as himself in the season premiere of NBC's "Law & Order" (Wednesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) in a scene where he introduces Nora Lewin (two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest in her new series regular role) as the city's new district attorney. In the episode "Endurance" on Wednesday, October 18 (10-11 p.m. ET), Giuliani formally introduces Lewin to veteran Assistant District Attorneys Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Abbie Carmichael (Angie Harmon) in McCoy's office. The long-running drama continues to be filmed entirely in New York.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS, Oct. 2, 2000 -- A familiar name strikes again on NBC tonight as "Deadline" debuts at 9. The newspaper drama is the brainchild of Dick Wolf, whose "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" already are dependable ratings draws for the network. "Deadline" stars Oliver Platt ("Bulworth," "Dr. Doolittle") as Wallace Benton, a crusading columnist for the Post-like New York Ledger. The thrice-divorced Benton seeks to ferret out the truth behind the headlines.

WALL STREET JOURNAL, Sept. 26, 2000 -- Michael Moriarty, though he played a liberal American lawyer on TV, is not one in real life. In fact, Mr. Moriarty is leading Canada's growing neo-conservative movement, though he isn't a Canadian citizen, either. "Moriarty's like Charlton Heston and the NRA. He's visible," says Val Ross, deputy comment editor at Toronto's prestigious Globe and Mail newspaper. Mr. Moriarty left the television show, Law and Order, after a public battle with Attorney General Janet Reno, whose threats to intervene in TV if producers didn't take steps to curb violence were enough to drive Mr. Moriarty to Canada. Saying it sounded to him like "creeping McCarthyism," the actor fled to Canada as a "political exile." The Canadians aren't quite sure what to make of him. "We don't have many celebrities in Canadian politics, let alone an American one," says Jason Kenney, a Member of Parliament for the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance.

STUDIOBRIEF / IMDb, Sept. 25, 2000 --Law & Order, The Magazine. Law & Order creator-producer Dick Wolf is in talks with Time Inc. to launch a crime-story monthly magazine, the New York Post reported Sunday. According to the newspaper, the idea for the publication, which would bear the name of the TV series, originated with magazine designer Walter Bernard and onetime Life editor Jay Lovinger.

TV GUIDE. Sept. 19, 2000 -- Where Are They Now? One season they're household names, faces we expect to see each week, characters we assume will entertain us on a regular basis in our favorite primetime shows, then suddenly they're gone. Right off the regular TV schedule. With that sobering thought, we decided to catch up with two of our favorite Law & Order cast-members who've moved on.
Benjamin Bratt: Detective Ray Curtis broke many hearts among the league of "Law & Order" fans. Since leaving the show, he has enjoyed small roles in "Clear and Present Danger" and "The River Wild." He also pursued Madonna in "The Next Best Thing." Upcoming gigs include star turns in the soon-to-be released films "Red Planet" and "Miss Congeniality." But what has really caught our attention is word from Mr. Showbiz that Bratt will portray a Latino poet in the biographical film "Pinero," to be shot later this year in New York and Puerto Rico. It is said that Pinero's urban verse laid the cultural groundwork for rap and hip-hop. Joining Bratt are Mandy Patinkin and Giancarlo Esposito.
Chris Noth: Few can forget L&O's resident hothead Detective Mike Logan. Since leaving the NBC police drama, Noth has gained an even bigger following in his titillating role as Mr. Big on HBO's "Sex and the City." Now, according to Reuters and Variety, Noth is about to sign a series deal with HBO, giving him the lead role, and it's reported that the actor will also headline and produce a four-hour sweeps miniseries on NBC titled "The Judge." On the big screen, Noth is getting ready to star in Tom DiCillo's film "Living in Oblivion" (with Elizabeth Hurley and wise-guy Denis Leary) and in Tom Hanks' "Cast Away." But before he begins work on those movies Noth is heading to Broadway in the political play "The Best Man."
Not bad at all for a couple of plainclothes cops.

VARIETY, Sept. 11, 2000 -- WOLF AT PEACOCK'S DOOR -- AGAIN. NBC is in advanced negotiations with Dick Wolf and Studios USA to launch a third installment of the incredibly successful "Law & Order" franchise -- and soon. While details of the pact are still being hammered out, the Peacock is willing to make a 13-episode on-air commitment to land the show. As with previous "Law" spinoff "Special Victims Unit," it's expected Studios USA would ask for a shared cable window with USA Network. That would mean episodes of the new series would air on Studio USA's sister cable web about a week after bowing on NBC. If all goes according to plan, production on the new "Law" could start as soon as late December, with all 13 episodes in the can by early summer -- before the start of the threatened writers and actors strikes.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, Sept. 6, 2000 -- "NBC Wants More 'Law & Order'; NBC just can't get enough law and order. Literally. The Peacock is reportedly in talks with producer Dick Wolf and Studios USA for another spinoff from the network's hugely successful Law & Order. According to studio sources and the Hollywood trades, NBC is negotiating for an initial order of 13 episodes. Details are scant, but it seems the show, tentatively tited Law & Order: Criminal Intent, will break from the traditional Law & Order format (police investigation in first half followed by trial in second half) to focus on the criminal's point of view. The project is said to be in the works for the 2001-02 season, but the producers are reportedly speeding things up because of the threat of a strike by members of the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild in the spring. Whether the new spinoff will air repeats on the USA Network is unclear. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is rebroadcast on USA after airing first on NBC. Deadline, however, will not get a second shot on the cable net. Wolf, NBC and Studios USA did not comment Wednesday on the idea of a new incarnation of Law & Order. The original Law & Order launched in 1990 and is currently the longest-running drama series on network television. With its recent renewal through the year 2005, the series is on pace to become one of the longest-running dramas in television history. Law & Order won an Emmy for best drama series in 1997 and has been nominated in that category a record nine consecutive times (it has a shot again at this Sunday's ceremony). Last season, the show ranked 12th in the Nielsen ratings, averaging more than 16 million viewers a week.

TULSA WORLD, Aug. 9, 2000 -- He's posed as a Cop Killer with his now-defunct rap-rock group Body Count, but now Ice-T is getting on the good side of the law. The rapper/actor will join the cast of the NBC police drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," reports Billboard, starring as detective Odafin Tutuola, the partner of Richard Belzer's Detective John Munch character. The show reunites Ice-T with producer Dick Wolf, with whom he previously worked on the NBC series "Players" and the Fox show "New York Undercover."

TORONTO SUN, August 8, 2000 -- Variety reports that rap pioneer Ice-T, who managed to outrage many people eight years ago with a heavy metal song called Cop Killer, is crossing the thin blue line to play a detective in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Ice-T, aka Tracy Marron, will join the cast of producer Dick Wolf's NBC legal drama this fall, portraying Det. Odafin Tutuola, a street-smart veteran cop who partners with Richard Belzer's Det. John Munch. Ice-T has become a regular player in Wolf's drama repertory. He first worked with the producer on the Fox series New York Undercover, making several guest appearances. He then starred in Wolf's NBC drama Players and later appeared in the Peacock picture Exiled: A Law & Order Movie. "Working with Ice is always a pleasure," Wolf said. "He is a consummate professional, a great actor, a terrific person and he has a great sense of humour. I am really looking forward to the chemistry (and most likely fireworks) between his character and Belzer's Detective Munch." Ice-T said he was glad to be "on board such a cool show."

THE COLUMBIAN, July 24, 2000 -- Richard Belzer is among several NBC stars portraying law enforcement figures who is scheduled to take part in the National Association of Police Organizations' seventh annual "Top Cops" Awards ceremonies in Washington, D.C., next month. The salute to real-life police heroes will be emceed by Belzer, who portrays the sarcastic Detective John Munch on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

TV GUIDE, July 15, 2000 -- Just when you thought the revolving door that is "Law & Order" was stuck, comes news that Steven Hill (D.A. Adam Schiff) is leaving the series and will be replaced by Oscar-winning actress Dianne Wiest ("Bullets Over Broadway"). "Having a female actor of this caliber is unprecedented on series television," gushed series creator Dick Wolf. "[She] has established herself as one of the finest actors of her generation."

STUDIOBRIEF / IMDb, July 14, 2000 -- Oscar-Winner Wiest Joining Law & Order. Dianne Wiest, best known for her work in Woody Allen movies, has been signed to play a district attorney on NBC's Law & Order. Discussing his decision to cast the two-time Oscar winner (for Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994)), series producer Dick Wolf told today's (Friday) Daily Variety: "I think in a strange way there is a similarity between Law and Order and Woody's movies in terms of them being so a part of the fabric of New York." Wiest will replace Steven Hill, the only member of the original 1990 cast on the series.

NEW YORK, Mar 13, 2000 (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) -- Actress Angie Harmon, who appears on Glamour's April cover, has become one of the most talked about actresses on network television. In her second season as lock-'em-up-and-throw-away-the-key assistant D.A. Abbie Carmichael on NBC's "Law & Order," Harmon works a 90 hour -plus week and struggles to find time for a personal life.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Apr 26, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Studios USA's and Wolf Films' Emmy Award-winning drama series "Law & Order" and new hit drama series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" have both received additional multi-year renewals from NBC. "Law & Order" has received an additional three-year extension from its previously announced two year renewal, and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" has been renewed for two years, adding one additional year to the one previously announced by NBC, it was announced today by David Kissinger, president, Studios USA programming.

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, March 16, 2000 -- Angie Harmon, star of "Law & Order," said "yes" to a surprise marriage proposal from her football player-boyfriend, Jason Sehorn, on "The Tonight Show." Jay Leno, the show's host, asked Harmon whether she was dating someone special, and Harmon replied that she never talked publicly about her personal life. Then Leno called Sehorn's name, and the New York Giants defensive back walked on stage, knelt down, proposed and was accepted. Sehorn recently told Glamour magazine that he was drawn to Harmon for more than her looks. "You can't complain when you meet a woman who can talk football with you," he said.

SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER, Feb. 17, 2000 -- "Law & Order" and its spinoff, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" are not exactly shows you can warm up to. They're terse, brittle, cryptic crime dramas laced with dark, cynical, humor. But darned if they aren't also among the most compelling dramatic shows on TV. They're tight ships, both of them, reflecting the no-frills storytelling style favored by executive producer Dick Wolf. Tomorrow night, the ships meet in the night in a special two-part NBC drama called "Entitled" that begins as an episode of "Special Victims Unit" (SVU) and then continues as an episode of "Law & Order."

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec 1, 1999 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Studios USA Domestic Television has given a firm production commitment to Arrest and Trial, a compelling new fall 2000 syndicated dramatic reality strip from Law & Order creator/executive producer Dick Wolf and Maury Povich's MoPo Entertainment, after securing access commitments on the Chris-Craft stations in New York (WWOR), Los Angeles (KCOP) and Baltimore (WUTB).

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, Nov. 26, 1999 -- Jesse L. Martin, halfway through his first season of "Law & Order," says he's been too busy working on the series to worry about how he's being accepted. Turns out the onetime Calista Flockhart love interest on "Ally McBeal" has been gaining a fan following of his own - in addition to a "Sexiest Newcomer" title from People magazine. Martin tells this column that if he hadn't become an actor, he would probably have been a teacher - and if it hadn't been for the help he got in school, he might have remained bashful and timid.

TV GUIDE, November 11, 1999 -- Homolka case inspires "Law & Order"; Law & Order is going ahead with an episode inspired by the crimes of Canada's Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. According to the CBC, writers of the NBC drama are interested specifically in Homolka's role in the rapes and murders of Southern Ontario teens Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy -- and the controversial deal she made with the Crown. Homolka received a 12-year sentence in return for testifying against Bernardo, her husband, while Bernardo is serving a life sentence and has been declared a dangerous offender. Authorities eventually came to realize Homolka's role in the disturbing crimes was not as minor as they had been lead to believe. Law & Order...will air a fictionalized account of the Homolka/Bernardo case later this season.

THE PATRIOT LEDGER, Oct. 23, 1999 -- On a recent episode of the new NBC drama "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," a male character referred to "getting a Lewinsky." Most of the audience instantly understood what he was talking about. Although the epilogue to the sordid impeachment scandal is still being written -- Monica Lewinsky has accepted a $1 million weight loss challenge from a fitness chain; Linda Tripp awaits trial in Maryland; and Kenneth Starr exited the national stage in recent days -- there are constant reminders of our long national nightmare in Americans' everyday speech. Every era has its popular terms, but the impeachment scandal -- with its overheated mixture of sex, lies, power and audiotapes -- provided a bounty of material for Americans searching for phrases and symbols that fit the cynical weariness of the times. It is not surprising that the people whose names are being invoked are touchy about being portrayed as caricatures for behavior deemed "not appropriate," to borrow the often-used phrase invoked by President Clinton. For example, Dr. Bernard Lewinsky, the father of the former White House intern, demanded an apology last week from the "Law & Order" producers for using the unseemly phrase. "Why didn't they say he got a `Clinton job' rather than use my name, and see how the White House responds to that?" Lewinsky told Variety, the entertainment-industry trade magazine. "I deserve an apology and so does Monica." Dick Wolf, the producer of the show, refused to apologize, but he issued a blunt written statement: "Res ipsa loquitur," a legalistic Latin expression that means, "It speaks for itself." An NBC spokeswoman also defended the program's use of the Lewinsky name: "Some words are borne out of national news events, which is the case with this particular word. This word has been used many times before on television." It has joined a slew of other terms and metaphors from the scandal now in the American political and cultural lexicon.

BOSTON HERALD, Sept. 20, 1999 -- Producer Dick Wolf calls "Law & Order" his mothership, but NBC nearly committed matricide when it considered canceling the low-rated series four years ago. Then A&E began airing episodes and the series developed an enormous fan base that translated into solid first-run ratings plus a bushel of Emmys. "It's addictive," he said. "`Law & Order' is on A&E four times a day and has yet to reach a saturation point."

ST. LOUIS DISPATCH, Sept. 20, 1999 -- The name's the same - almost. The opening's familiar: "In the criminal justice system ...." But "Law & Order" fans may be taken aback by the much-anticipated spin-off, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," making its debut at 8 tonight on Channel 5. "Special Victims," as we'll call it for short, is darker and edgier than its parent show, and much less orderly. It's all about sex crimes, from the heinous (tonight's pilot involves rape and mutilation) to the laughable (a politician who exposes himself) to the simply perverted (someone molesting a dead body).

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, Sept. 20, 1999 -- Deceptively simple and frankly brilliant, the arrest-and- prosecution formula for Dick Wolf's evergreen crime-drama procedural, "Law & Order," marks its 10th season with the birth of a sibling: "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." "SVU" basically offers more of the same, but if it can maintain the quality of its predecessor, then it's certainly welcome. "Special Victims Unit" is a euphemism for the new show's original subtitle, "Sex Crimes." The portentous narrator who opens "Law & Order" reappears here, explaining, "sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous." This first episode is a particularly grim and grisly affair, concerning the murder and castration (or as a cop cynically quips, "Whoever did this sliced off his cigar and took it with 'em") of a Serbian war criminal who had raped 67 women in his homeland.

THE FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, Sept. 18, 1999 -- Two street-sharp, suspect-stalking, sexy hunks of tailoring in well-fitted suits. Two screen-scorching actors of great depth. Christopher Meloni and Jesse L. Martin are prime time's latest Wolf-men, producer Dick Wolf's newest recruits for his expanding Law & Order empire on NBC. Meloni: 37, ironic and implosive. Plays principal male ogle Det. Elliot Stabler on Law & Order spinoff Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, premiering at 9 p.m. Monday.

ACCENT, April 1999 -- Jerry Orbach and Benjamin Bratt, the crime-fighting duo of the NBC TV show, Law & Order were honored by the Nobel Watch Company for their performances in the popular long-running series. Each member of the cast received a stainless steel Nobel watch with the "Law & Order" logo imprinted on the Sunray black dial. "People who are not TV personalities can also acquire this watch," says Barry Fink, president of Nobel, the company that offers a large selection of high-fashion, quality watches for $245-575 retail. "A limited number can be purchased from authorized Nobel dealers for a retail price of $495* each." Models are available for men and women.

ALBERTA REPORT, Feb. 8, 1999 -- Michael Moriarty's words have a familiar ring. Asked if he is serious about aspiring to become Reform Party leader, the 57-year-old actor replies, "Yes, sir," in the characteristic drawl of Ben Stone, the New York prosecutor he portrayed on the TV series Law and Order. "I know I can be of great assistance if anyone is interested."

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, Nov. 8, 1998 -- The newest newbie on "Law & Order" is Angie Harmon, who joined the crime drama this season as Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael. It's the eighth cast change in nine seasons. The series' key positions (three at the precinct house investigating each week's crime, three at the courthouse prosecuting the suspect) have thus far been filled with no fewer than 14 actors.
NBC's world premiere broadcast of "Exiled: A Law & Order Movie" gave America's most-watched network its highest overnight rating for a two-hour Sunday made-for-television movie since January 7, 1996 ("Jack Reed: Killer Amongst Us"), based on measurable in-home viewing data provided by Nielsen Media Research. "Exiled" averaged a 13.7 rating and 20 share from 9-11 p.m. last night, the highest overnight rating for any movie last night. The NBC Research Department estimates that 28 million people watched at least a portion of the movie. In addition, "Exiled" scored NBC's highest overnight rating for a November sweep Sunday broadcast of a two-hour made-for-television movie since November 28, 1993 ("Bonanza"). Executive produced by Emmy-winner Dick Wolf, creator and executive producer of NBC's "Law & Order," "Exiled" reintroduced "L&O" fans to Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth) three years after he was exiled to a Staten Island precinct. As Logan yearns for his old job as a Manhattan homicide detective, a murdered prostitute found floating in New York Harbor leads him back to the 27th precinct where he is reunited with "Law & Order" cast members Jerry Orbach (as Detective Lennie Briscoe), Benjamin Bratt (as Detective Rey Curtis), S. Epatha Merkerson (as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren) and Sam Waterston (as Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy). "Exiled" is a Wolf Films production in association with Studios USA Pictures for NBC.

FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, Nov. 7, 1998 -- Three years ago on Law and Order, when New York Detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth) punched out a contemptible politician in a fit of rage, District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) said the cop would be lucky to be allowed to walk a beat on Staten Island. That's where we find Logan in Exiled, a new movie airing at 9 p.m. tomorrow on NBC that brings back arguably one of the most heartfelt of all the show's characters.

THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER (SPRINGFIELD, IL), Nov. 5, 1998 -- The last time viewers of "Law & Order" saw Det. Mike Logan, he was punching out a city councilman who had lied on the witness stand and gotten off scot-free after murdering a gay council member. Though it may have been justified, Logan's action was not good for his career. Three years after that incident, Logan finds himself cast off to that remote and most un-New York-like borough -- Staten Island -- working burglaries and car thefts instead of the high-profile homicides Manhattan's 27th precinct.

BOSTON HERALD, Sept. 23, 1998 -- "Law & Order," which returns for its ninth season on NBC (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on WHDH, Ch.7), is currently TV's longest running drama - yet it offers actors the shortest tenure in the business. In an era when actors are demanding and receiving million dollar-plus paychecks (think Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt, Tim Allen, Anthony Edwards), "Law & Order's" secret to longevity is that everyone's replaceable. Angie Harmon, stepping onto this ever-shifting turf as Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael, is the latest replacement part. Harmon, who said her experience includes "Forty-four episodes of acting lessons on `Baywatch Nights,'" replaces Carey Lowell's Jamie Ross, assistant district attorney/single mom. Unlike previous cast members given their walking papers, Lowell asked to leave. The series, she said, was taking a toll on the time she could spend with her daughter.

NEW YORK TIMES, July 23, 1998 -- Chris Noth, who appeared on the television series 'Law and Order' for several seasons, is recreating his old role as Mike Logan in a film called 'Exiled.' He and the scriptwriter, CHARLES KIPPS, decided to film one scene at a restaurant they both frequent, Da Marino on West 49th Street near Eighth Avenue. 'It's a place that Chris likes quite a bit,' Mr. Kipps said, 'and it's in my neighborhood.' He sounded pleased with the scene between Mr. Noth and Nicole Parker. 'They come walking out of the place,' he said. 'They look like they're in Times Square.'"

ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 9, 1998 -- Cast members leaving seems to be the Law and Order of things. Carey Lowell has joined the flock of cast members who have departed the NBC show over the last eight years, TV Guide reported Wednesday. The actress, who plays assistant district attorney Jamie Ross, is being released a year early from her three-year contract to spend more time with her seven-year-old daughter, Hannah. Lowell, who is romantically involved with actor Richard Gere, will leave the drama after the May 26 season finale. The show will have her character meeting a new romantic partner while her former husband tries again to win custody of their small daughter, TV Guide reported in its April 25 issue. Other Law and Order cast members who have left the show in recent years are Jill Hennessy, George Dzundza, Dann Florek, Michael Moriarty and Paul Sorvino.

LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS, Jan. 24, 1998 -- If all goes according to plan, Chris Noth, who left NBC's "Law & Order" in 1995, is expected to reprise his role of Detective Mike Logan in a series of TV movies. "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf, Universal Television and NBC are developing the series of occasional movies around the character. The films could air next season.

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD, Sept. 15, 1997 -- The highbrow series, spun from controversial legal cases making national headlines, finally received an Emmy for best drama series after six straight nominations. "This is an amazing surprise in the seventh year of a show. We are unbelievably grateful," executive producer Dick Wolf told the audience at the 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

STUDIOBRIEF / IMDb, August 4, 1997 -- Will Code Cloak Censorship? Advertisers are likely to reject TV shows that carry the new content labels for sex, language, and violence that the major networks -- NBC excepted -- agreed to last month, producer Dick Wolf ("Law & Order" (1990), "Players" (1997), New York Undercover), claimed today (Monday). Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Wolf asked, "What networks will stand behind the next generation of hard-hitting, issues-oriented adult dramas if, by their ratings, they become the focus of special-interest groups?" Noting that he has experienced first-hand the wrath of these groups, Wolf charged that their goal is "economic censorship. It is not content identification; it is content control."
BOSTON HERALD, May 18, 1997 -- Smoldering Carey Lowell couldn't get arrested during the year between shooting the feature film "Fierce Creatures" in England and being cast in the dramatic series "Law & Order" in July, 1996. Scraping the bottom of the acting barrel and ready to give up on the craft, Lowell decided to return to New York University at the age of 34 to study documentary filmmaking. In terms of financial security, it would be about the equivalent of throwing a drowning person a brick.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1996 -- Producer Dick Wolf is planning a little joke on Chris Noth, whom he tried and failed to cast in his new drama, "Feds," a midseason entry for CBS. When Noth was dumped from Wolf's "Law and Order," his Mike Logan character was sent to Staten Island to walk a beat. On an early "Feds," Wolf said with an evil glint in his eye, a TV news broadcast will report the death of Patrolman Mike Logan in a drive- by shooting while walking that very same beat. (Uh . . . Dick? Chris Noth fans aren't going to think this is funny.)

STAR-TRIBUNE, August 7, 1995 -- All right, David Hasselhoff and crew, you've had your slo-mo day in the sun. Even though "Baywatch" reruns now face off against "Law and Order" in the battle of the network-news alternatives, Chris Noth out-hunks the beach B.U.M.s any day of the week as detective Mike Logan. He's a pretty boy on the outside, jaded-but-dedicated homicide cop at heart. And since he won't be back for the show's sixth season on NBC - they couldn't afford him - this is your only chance to catch him. "Law and Order" consistently turns out the best just-before-bedtime drama on TV. The plots can get preachy - in a gritty, city, sort of way - but restrained writing and heavy doses of deadpan sarcasm keep a lid on the smarm factor. Tonight, Logan and his partner, Lennie Briscoe (Jerry Orbach), pursue a serial killer.
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