Given that the L&O casting policy is pretty much 'revolving-door', I figured we needed a spot to analyze, compare and just generally sound off on the various comings and goings.

I'll start off: Reallyreallyreallyreally miss Chris Noth (thought Ben Bratt was kinda whiny), liked George Dzunda but have learned to love Jerry Orbach even better (ditto Michael Moriarty and Sam Waterson) and thought Dan Ftorek had a more interesting take on the captain than Epatha Merkerson (sp?)

Anybody else?

Chris Noth was my favorite castmember, and I really liked that Made-for-TV movie they made with him playing Logan again.

There's that whole scandal about Michael Moriarty being fired because of Janet Reno, but I liked Sam Waterson too, so that was ok.

Since Chris Noth left, I haven't really watched the show very often.

Spornan, I was not aware of the Janet Reno/Michael Moriarty scandal. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me?

I'm not sure how Ms. Reno fits into this, but Moriarty basically left/was fired as a result of his hardline stance against media censorship. He and the creators couldn't come to an agreement, so he decided (so i've heard) to make a statement by leaving the show.

I'm VERY sick today, so I may get some of this wrong, as it's just what I can remember from an Interview Moriarty did on the Howard Stern show a few years back (which interestingly enough, has some of best interviewing I've ever seen)

It seems Janet Reno was on a crusade that involved censorship in some way or the other. She and the Producer Dick Wolf had private meetings or somesuch. Eventually, because he so disagreed with Wolf's "giving in so easily" to Reno, Moriarity was fired/quit.

I tell it badly though. You can probably find out about it on the internet somewhere.

Thanks for the info, Kerriem and Spornan!

Oh, and Spornan, get well soon.

How could Chris Meloni do 22 episodes of SVU AND do eight episodes of Oz? When did he find the time?

Thanks Ben, I appreciate it.

::Goes off to hack up something that could be a Star Trek Alien, except it doesn't have a wrinly latex nose::

In a preview for next week's episode, Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) asks "Is that your final answer?" better than Regis Philbin!

Nit on kerriem's original post... It's "Dann Florek". 2 n's and 'l', not 't'.

Side note: Adam Schiff is the only character to remain throughout the entire series. Other side note re: Schiff. There is a California State Senator named Adam Schiff. There was an article about him and that name in the LA Times sometime last year.

Unfortunately, Steven Hill has left the series this season. I wonder then, is this a sign that the Law & Order's longevity is finally reaching its end? The show's still good, but I preferred the days when Chris Noth or Benjamin Bratt were in the cast. Oh well.

IIRC, the Schiff character was not in the pilot. Which would mean no character has been on the series throughout (putting aside that Hill already left)

I missed the season premier, darn it! Who's the new DA?

ScottN: It hasn't aired yet. October 18th is when L&O returns.

And might I ad that I have liked ALL the cast mebers over the past ten years, and I look forward to seeinf Dianne Weist(sp?) as the new DA.

ScottN: Thanks for catching that. I was pretty sure I misspelled a few names there.

kerriem, I had problems with it too... It's easier to read on the SVU opening credits.

Anyone else remember him from LA Law?

Him too? Sheesh, was EVERYBODY in dramatic TV-land on LA Law at some point!? (Just like everybody was on Hill Street Blues a decade ago. Guess we have to hand it to Steven Bochco, huh?)

The new DA is female? Great. Interesting situation there - the first time the women outnumber the men on either side. I'll be looking forward to seeing how the males handle it. ;)

Dann Florek played David the direct marketer who married Arnie's secretary (who's name I forget right now).

Everyone also seems to appear on Diagnosis Murder.

Dann Florek also played Lincoln in the most despised series of the '90's-"The Secret Diaries of Desmond Pfeiffer." It was lambasted months before it even aired. I watched all four aired episodes, and did not think it was all that bad. I have seen worse. ("Three's Company" is one of the dumbest, most inane and worst shows ever, but that ran eight or nine seasons. Am I getting through? I absolutely HATED "Three's Company" and detest Nick at Nite for bringing it back.) Dann Florek's Lincoln was befuddled, and Chi McBride's Desmond was the only normal character. I like Chi McBride and am glad to see that he could still find work (he was recently in Disney's "The Kid.") Dann Florek should stick to Capt. Cragen, probably his best role.

Why is Michelle Hurd out? She as in last night's season premiere, but is not in any of the new NBC promos.

I don't think L & O will be worse because Steven Hill has left. Throughout the years there have been popular characters replaced and the still continued to be great. For example, Chris Noth was replaced by the equally good Benjamin Bratt. Michael Moriarty was replaced by Sam Waterston...

Although, I don't care much for Jesse Martin...

It looks like McCoy might be in for some role reversal...

Steven Hill portrayed Schiff as world-weary and tired of the politicking. Diane Weist (sp?) seems to be much more aggressive.

It looks like McCoy might be in the position of reining in his gung-ho superior instead of being the loose cannon. Could be interesting.

Chrétien's a bully, let's shove back

MICHAEL MORIARTY

Monday, November 13, 2000

The snow leopard is a magnificent creature. It haunts the landscape of the Himalayan Mountains, wandering its slopes so mysteriously that it is rarely seen. Only when the beast moves, do you know it is there.

Canadians inhabit a mountain, though they know it not, one many times higher than Mt. Logan or Mt. Everest. The mountain they inhabit is called Freedom and they inhabit it much like snow leopards. That's why the world seems to either ignore Canadians or take them for granted. The human race doesn't see Canadians for what they really are: snow leopards.

Canadians, like snow leopards, battle one another over their separate territories. However, they all agree on one thing: They hate bullies.

I suspect that on Nov. 27, the electorate will hand Prime Minister Jean Chrétien a shockingly unexpected defeat. Despite the polls, Canada will not return to another four years under a man who has increasingly behaved like a bully. This was clear when Mr. Chrétien's own Liberal party kept suggesting he step down and make way for a man who is not a bully, Finance Minister Paul Martin.

Even the liberal press can't spin-doctor Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day into looking like a bigger bully than Mr. Chrétien.

The distant memory of the PM's hands around the neck of a protester flashes before our eyes when we hear him dismiss his Liberal colleagues as a bunch of "nervous Nellies" for daring to question the timing of this federal election. Mr. Chrétien's desperate hold on power has made Joe Clark's political intransigence look almost graceful by comparison.

I suspect that Mr. Chrétien's refusal to step down is driven by the fact that if he leaves office he must return to Quebec -- the province he most bullied and baited and provoked.

When -- not if -- Mr. Chrétien is defeated, we'll hear him lament: "Canadians don't love me."

It's not that they don't love you, sir. They just don't trust you any more.

Would Stockwell Day prove to be an intolerant bully, as the Chrétien camp tries to paint him? I support the Canadian Alliance but, if the truth were known, I'd prefer a conservative Dame Edna as prime minister to eliminate fears of Albertan homophobia. As the only Catholic republican monarchist I know, my tastes are eclectic. When asked if I, as a Yankee, would have Canada become the 51st state, I reply: "No, I wish to bring the United States into the Commonwealth and the Royal Family back to Rome."

Should Mr. Day become prime minister and reveal himself to be more cowboy than Christian, there are those who will keep him in line: his mentor, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein; Paul Martin, in his new role as Leader of the Official Opposition; and myself, a profoundly concerned observer of the Canadian political scene. We will all be there to remind Mr. Day that what happened to Mr. Chrétien could also happen to him.

Actor Michael Moriarty played Ben Stone in the TV series Law & Order. He now lives in Vancouver.

***

Suffice it to say, most people find Moriarty's opinion columns to be entertaining and fun, though not in the way he intends. He's something of a paranoid nut.

Says you. I kinda like the idea of being a snow leopard - it's a BIG improvement over being a McKenzie brother (or sister).
All in all, though, listening to the man in real life does make you wonder where all those controlled, beautifully nuanced L&O performances came from.

It was this paragraph that really made me crack up.

"Canadians inhabit a mountain, though they know it not, one many times higher than Mt. Logan or Mt.
Everest. The mountain they inhabit is called Freedom and they inhabit it much like snow leopards. That's why the world seems to either ignore Canadians or take them for granted. The human race doesn't see Canadians for what they really are: snow leopards."

It's almost too hilarious to express. He wrote an even funnier article a few months ago; one where he revealed himself to be a tad paranoid.

Both articles are from The Globe and Mail, btw.

Mt Everest I understand. It is the tallest, but why Mt Logan. Logan, Logan, hmmm....

Why does the name Logan seem so familiar in connection to Ben Stone Michael Moriarty? ;-D

Sigh. Come back, Chris Noth! Come baaaaaaccckkk...<snif>
Although (she typed, brightening) I do like Jesse Martin a lot. He's brought back some of the edginess that Ben Bratt frittered away. (I do like Bratt as an actor, but that 'sensitive' stuff was out of place - and occasionally just silly - on a gritty show like L&O, IMHO.)

Serial Ovotypes alert:

Lenny Brisco was moonlighting as a defense lawyer during the early seasons of L&O!

OK, Jerry Orbach played a defense lawyer :-)

Likewise, S.Epatha Merkeson(sp?) (Lt. Van Buren) was cleaning office buildings near Columbus Circle until her apartment was shot up and her baby killed, and most of the partners of Donnelly, etc. of Boston (on The Practice) practiced briefly in L&O's New York.

One thing I liked about the early seasons is that some of the judges and defense attorneys (I especially remember Arthur Gold, who returned for a recent episode, and Miss Shambala Greene) had recurring roles. There was more of a sense of freindly but deadly serious, competition, like Perry Mason and Hamilton Burger, or Bobby Donnell and Helen Gamble.

They started to do that with Jack McCoy and the old school chum of his played by Ron Leibman, but in that first episode, McCoy wound up putting Leibman's character away.

Despite that, I seem to recall Leibman showing up in a later episode, presumably as a different defense attorney.

So can anyone tell me which episode was Moriarty's last? What season was it?

Not entirely certain of the date or title, Josh, but it's the one involving the Russian mafia. Stone pressures a witness into testifying, guaranteeing that she'll be safe - just before she's killed. Not unnaturally, he concludes that his job is to prevent just this sort of thing happening, and after much soul-searching he decides to resign.

I believe it was the end of Season 4, "Old Friends". Moriarty was still around in "Sanctuary", with three to go in Season 4. IIRC, Waterston showed up in Season 5.

Why is Michael Moriarty living in Canada now?

Well, obviously he's got a real thing for snow leopards. And of course, there's the chance to live right near Mount Logan.

You gotta realize that British Columbia - especially Vancouver - is more or less the Canuck equivalent of California, except with prettier gardens. A flaky actor with a grudge against the American system would be right at home.

Oh, he got all upset about Janet Reno's comments about violence on television, which led him to believe that the US was headed for some sort of mass-censorship. So, he went into self-exile, first in Halifax and now in Vancouver, and had his career go down the drain. About his most notable work since L&O have been guest appearances on "A-list shows" like PSI Factor

What about Homicide? Pretty revolving door-ish there don't you think?

Can anyone tell me in which episode of Homicide Beau (Daniel Baldwin) was killed in? I can't remember, as I only saw the episode once.
And didn't another (non-regular) character turn up murdered in the series? I seem to remember someone being found decapitated, but I don't remember who....

(I didn't really watch Homicide regularly until Court TV started re-running it, and they didn't show every episode)

Angie Harmon has announced her departure, as soon as they can find a replacement. However, she probably will still be seen for a while, as they are filming extra episodes in anticipation of the industry strikes.

They said on the radio that she'd be doing the first 6 episodes of next season.

Man, this assistant DA thing is getting ridiculous. Next thing you know we'll have a Very Special Episode in which the cops discover a suspicious fridge in McCoy's office.

I'm really depressed! I liked Abby much more than Ross, Kincaid, and Robinette.

But, since it's too late to stop it, the show should continue it's tradition of having diversity in the cast and have either a gay or jewish character replace her.

Say It Isn't So Department: According to TV Guide, Stephanie March is leaving SVU next fall. Her steely, focused performances have been one of the anchors of this series since day one. I don't know why she is constantly overlooked at Emmy time. She will be sorely missed.

I thought Ms. March started in Season 2. Didn't they go without a "regular" ADA until S2?

You're right, Scott. My bad. According to IMDB, Ms. March joined SVU in 2000. Also, she was not listed in the cast in the 1999 TV Guide Fall Preview issue. Still though, she will be very hard to replace.

According to posts at IMDB, an actress named Diane Neal will replace Stephanie March. She is signed for six episodes, with an option for more.

Bad News Dept. (also, Say it isn't So Dept.) - I heard on WCBS News Radio that Jerry Orbach is leaving Law & Order at the end of this season. He will transfer to the new Law & Order series, as a semi-retired Briscoe. Good for him, but where am I going to get my dose of smart-aleck wisecracks and world weary cynicism?

If Dann Florek's Captain Cregan and Richard Belzer's Detective Munch can transfer to Special Victims, I don't begrudge Orbach's Briscoe this move. (Provided he doesn't become just another face in the background.

The Associated Press story on Orbach's move.

Dennis Farina will be replacing Jerry Orbach next season on Law & Order. Farina can wisecrack well, but I'll miss Lennie.

Cool! I wonder if he'll play Mike Torello?

ref: Farina played Mike Torello on "Crime Story".

Now it's being said that Elisabeth Rohm will leave in the middle of the 15th season. She'll stick around to aid in Dennis Farina's transition.

Good. Can we get someone new based on acting ability?

Reported on the BBC website.

Jorja Fox and George Eads have been fired from CSI, after holding out for a better pay rise than the one offered and not reporting for the first day of filming on season 5.

No decision yet as to whether their characters will be re-cast or replaced, although there is an internet petition to get them re-instated. More time for Paul Guilfoyle and Eric Szmanda is another alternative being considered.

I don't suppose we can get Jorja Fox to replace Elisabeth Rohm over on Law and Order?

Don't know, but having thought about it, the only chance they have of getting back on CSI is if William Petersen sides with them, because as Exec Prod. and lead actor I would think he's got quite a bit of clout.

From what I've read, it seems that the studios are now trying to reverse the trend that got started with the casts of ER, Friends and The Simpsons holding out for more money every couple of years. Alex Kingston is fairly certain that's what lead to her contract on ER not being renewed - she was one of the highest paid actors in the cast.

Reiko Aylesworth of 24 is becoming a recurring cast member on CSI this year (NOTE; She was hired BEFORE Fox and Eads were canned). Maybe she'll be one of the replacements.

Interestingly enough, she was also reportedly on TV Guide's list of people they'd like to see repalce Rohm (alongside Sharon Lawrence and Cynthia Nixon).

Points from Elyse's CSI Site (http://members.aol.com/JRD203/csi-news.htm)
Reiko Aylesworth's only in for one episode as a DNA analysis technician, to allow Eric Szmanda to get out into the field.

Over the weekend William Petersen issued a statement saying he's "very saddened and deeply disappointed" over the firing Jorja Fox and George Eads. Petersen added that he hopes "cooler heads will prevail and everything will be rectified and restored in due course."

Sounds to me like he'd like them to come back, but he's being diplomatic over who's at fault.

The site also mentioned the holdout at Everyone Loves Raymond, which appears to have been at least a part of the motivation for firing Jorja and George (for some reason, I get a mental image of a 19th century mill owner calling in the local militia to bring the peasants back into line ), as well as the actual course of events.

Update -
Jorja Fox has apparently been re-hired (or the termination of her contract has been rescinded), and George Eads may be returning as well.

According to TV Guide.com Eads IS coming back as well.

Kim Raver is leaving Third Watch and moving to 24.
Dennis Farina's first two episodes of Law & Order aired last night. I like his character, Det. Fontana, and think he'll be a good fit.
However, Fontana is loaded. He drives a Mercedes, wears tailored suits and $300 Italian shirts, and took out a wad of bills to pay for drinks he was having with Ed. The source of his money is, for now, a mystery. Can they keep that up? I doubt it.

The New York Post reports today that Chris Noth, who reprises his Mike Logan role on an episode of L&O-CI in January, may be returning to the franchise full time. He'd actually replace Vincent D'Onofrio, whose behavior is reportedly increasingly erratic. More here.

An actress named Annie Parisse will replace Elisabeth Rohm as the ADA sometime this season. As of now, her character is unnamed.

Adam: The NY Post? *snort* Forgive me if I take that story with a 50 lb. bag of salt.

Yeah, I know, Brian. But, I thought it was worth posting anyway.
The Daily News reports that Michael Imperoli (Christopher on The Sopranos) will fill in for Jesse Martin, as Martin films the movie version of Rent.

Adam: Yeah, I saw that on the AP yesterday. Cool. I'll be looking forward to that flick.

Jerry Orbach - Det. Lennie Briscoe - 1935-2004
I wonder how his death will be handled on the series, as he was shooting Trial By Jury until recently.

According to recent news reports, Chris Noth will return to his Mike Logan role half time next season. He'll alternate L&O:CI episodes with Vincent D'Onofrio, who's workload is being reduced for health reasons.

NBC has been promoing Noth's return.

Michael Imperoli has joined Law & Order for the last four episodes of this season, replacing Jesse Martin (who's off filming a movie.) He's in the opening credits as a regular, and not listed as a "Guest Star."

Annabella Sciorra has joined the cast of Criminal Intent. She will be partnered with Chris Noth's returning Mike Logan, and that team will alternate episodes with Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe. More here.

---

Quote:

By Brian Webber on Monday, April 16, 2001 - 01:34 am:


I'm really depressed! I liked Abby much more than Ross, Kincaid, and Robinette.

But, since it's too late to stop it, the show should continue it's tradition of having diversity in the cast and have either a gay or jewish character replace her.

---

Stephanie March is returning to series TV. (Guess her planned movie career went nowhere.) Ironically enough, she'll return as Alexandra Cabot (how will they pull that off?) in Dick Wolf's upcoming series Conviction. (I think that's the series that will use the sets built for Law & Order - Trial By Jury.) More here.

Connie Neilsen (Gladiator, Mission To Mars) will sub for Mariska Hargitay for four episodes this season, during Ms. Hargitay's maternity leave. Wonder how they'll handle that, as Ms. Hargitay's Olivia frequently seems one step away from the dark side. But, then again, so does Chris Meloni's Stabler, especially since the writers had his wife and kids move out.

Of course, the cast changes on 24 are too numerous to mention here...

Michael Moriarty's last episode on "Law and Order" as Ben Stone was "Old Friends", which aired on May 25, 1994

Not a cast change, but a time slot one: Beginning tonight, Law & Order airs an hour earlier, at 9:00 (ET.) NBC is making room for Heist at 10.

And, NBC very quickly moved L&O back to 10 p.m., after what I assume were two disastrous runs at 9.
Also, Annie Parisse, after a season and a half of playing ADA Borgia, is leaving.
And, TNT, come June 5, is replacing their 7 p.m. reruns of L&O with repeats of Without A Trace.

Michael Imperoli returns as Det. Nick Falco in tonight's L&O episode, titled "Hindsight." He's on the wrong side of the law this time though, as a woman he's taken home the night before turns up slashed to death in his place.

After just two seasons, Dennis Farina is leaving Law & Order. More on that here

I saw, that blows. I liked him.

To your above post, Adam: Michael Imperioli is fiiine.

That's two blows to the series in one week, though, the other being the move to Fridays at 10 p.m. come fall (or maybe sooner.) SVU did OK in that time slot, but Homicide just squeaked by. And, we all know what happened when Star Trek inherited that slot back in 1968.

A thought - Maybe Julianne Nicholson's Finn from Conviction could replace Annie Parisse.

And, maybe they could make Ed Green the senior guy next year, and partner him with a rookie, or at least a younger cop. It will be Jessie Martin's eighth year with the series, after all.

Maybe the L&O producers took my suggestion. An actress named Milena Govich will replace Dennis Farina next season. So, will Jesse Martin now get top billing?

And, Miami Vice was a five-year hit for NBC in the Friday at 10 slot, so maybe L&O has a fighting chance.

Alana de la Garza will replace Annie Parisse as the ADA next season. According to Wikipedia, Ms. Parisse believed the show was about to be cancelled, which was why she left.

Annie Parisse got a much better send-off than Elizabeth Rohm.

Mariska Hargitay signed a deal that will keep her on SVU through 2009, at a reported price of $15 million (or over $300,000 per episode.) Chris Meloni signed a similar deal. More here.
I find it ironic that actors who play NYPD detectives on TV make more money per week than the real detectives make in a year (or three). Don't get me started on why NYPD officers have some of the lowest starting pay of any city.

Fred Thompson asked to be released from Law & Order, lending fuel to the speculation that he'll run for President in 2008. Sam Waterston will move into his spot, and Linus Roache (Priest) will be the new Exec. Asst. ADA.
Jeremy Sisto wil replace Milena Govich when the show returns for it's 18th season. Both these casting changes are attempts to attract a younger audience. (So, what's wrong with keeping the old folks, say 40-plus? Like yours truly!!)

Sisto should be okay--it's odd to cast him after he JUST guest starred as a defense attorney though. I was about to ask who was replacing de la Garza, then realized she was staying, bucking THAT trend.

Regarding my November 20, 2000.

Now that McCoy is the DA, he wants to take the deal, and has to handle a "rogue" ADA.

I love it!

Jesse Martin is allegedly leaving L&O.

And, Anthony Anderson will replace him. He'll play Det. Kevin Bernard. (Guess K-Ville has been cancelled.) Martin filmed his last episode a week or so ago; it airs April 23.
Anyone know why Milena Govich was dropped?

Jesse Martin's last episode airs tonight (NBC, 10 p.m.) From what I understand, his Ed Greene is on the wrong side of "Law & Order", and reveals a lot about his past. So far, little of it has been revealed in his nine years, as is typical with the series. All I remember is that he hinted that he once had an affair with a married woman, and he advised against ever doing that. More here.

And, Diane Neal and Adam Beach are leaving SVU after this season. That show has suffered this year; the stories have been pretty weak.

I don't know why she was officially dropped, but I'd guess the dipping ratings and the fact she had zero chemistry with anyone was probably a factor. Jeremy Sisto has been superb (the better writing helps too).

And thumbs up to Neal and Beach leaving. Neal's Casey Novak was becoming a caricature and I want to see Beach's Chester Lake punched in the face so badly. The good news is we shouldn't need a replacement for Beach, just bring back Munch's role. I'm not sure, frankly, if we really need a regular replacement for Neal. At least recently, the legal aspects of SVU have been less interesting, and unless a new direction is taken, I won't shed a tear if the chucklehead defense of the week aspects are eliminated.

Law & Order - CI has survived for a few years without a ADA, since Courtney Vance left. Though I doubt SVU will go down that road. Maybe SVU could bring back Stephanie March as Alexandra Cabot. But, March trashed her Cabot character on the awful Conviction.
I couldn't believe that Ed Greene (Spoiler) would have gone to prison to cover for his ladyfriend's embezzlement from her employer. Something I would not do. He revealed that he had a gambling problem, which re-surfaced when Lennie Briscoe retired and then died.

Chris Noth is leaving CI at the end of the current cycle of episodes. He'll be replaced by Jeff Goldblum.

Stephanie March is returning to SVU next month. Let's see how they'll explain that. March did play Cabot on Conviction, but like I said above, the character was Alex in name only.
And, where has Tovah Feldshuh's Danielle Melnick been? I looked forward to her occasional appearances as Jack McCoy's friend/antagonist. But, she hasn't been on in two or three years.

Stephanie March returned to SVU last night, in the first of six appearances. She was sorely missed by yours truly, and stepped right back into character without missing a beat. They pretty much blew by the witness protection angle, saying that Alex has been out of it for three years.

For fans of Capt. Cragen, if you get AmLife (pardon me, the new ALN), you need to watch the next few episodes of LA Law.

Dann Florek is on as David the direct marketer. Quite a different character.

Criminal Intent is losing a good chunk of its cast. Eric Bogosian, Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe are all leaving after the ninth season's premiere. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Scarface) will be the new (and third) captain, as the focus of the show shifts to Jeff Goldblum's Zach Nichols and his new partner, played by Saffron Burrows (Deep Blue Sea.) (Looks like Julianne Nicholson has left as well.) More here. I wish they's have found room for Connie Nielsen's Dani Beck, I so liked her on SVU.

Benjamin Bratt makes a guest appearance (as Rey Curtis, of course) on the Law & Order episode, titled "Fed." It airs 12/11/09, 8 p.m. (ET). That's a must-see for me, although I liked Jesse Martin's Ed Green better. In fact, Briscoe and Green are my favorite cop duo.

S. Epatha Merkerson is planning to leave Law & Order once the current season ends. It's still up in the air if the series will go for season 21. Perhaps Lt. Van Buren's current storyline (she's battling cancer) is the key to her exit. More info here, along with a photo from March 2004 of her with my two favorite cops.

Skeet Ulrich is leaving Law & Order: LA after the first season.

Ulrich played Det. Rex Winters. Also leaving are Regina Hall (Jr. DDA Evelyn Price) and Megan Boone (Jr. DDA Lauren Stanton).

And, Alana de la Garza is reprising her L&O role of ADA Connie Rubirosa on Law & Order - LA. Once the series returns from hiatus, whenever that will be. More here.

Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe will return for L&O-CI's final season. Which begins airing its last batch of episodes on USA May 1. Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows have left.

Chris Meloni is leaving SVU after talks about a new contract broke down. And, Mariska Hargitay is reducing her role. More here.

Wow. And given that Munch has virtually disappeared from the series these past two seasons... What? The show's just gonna feature Fin, Cragen, Wuang and whoever the current ADA is? It's gonna be a toss up on who's gonna have a worse season next year - Two and a Half Men or S.V.U.?

Jennifer Love Hewitt is reportedly joining the series, as a new detective who's supposed to take up the slack when Hargitay's Det. Benson gets promoted. However, I doubt she'll be reprising her character from the episode she did this past season, "Behave". (Since Benson is getting promoted, does that mean that Dann Florek's Capt. Cragen is a goner as well? And, now that The Chicago Code is cancelled, maybe Delroy Lindo could return as a regular, in the role he was so good in as a guest star a couple of years ago...?? Just very wishful thinking.)
The whole Law & Order franchise appears to be winding down. From 2001 through this year, there were three L&O shows on. Heck, in early 2005, there were four, with the addition of the (quickly cancelled) Trial By Jury. The mothership was cancelled last year, CI is running its last batch of episodes now, and LOLA was recently cancelled, after a massive re-tooling. Kick me for saying this, but I think SVU's days are numbered as well. Even though the ratings are still good, its thirteenth season may be it's last.

And given that Munch has virtually disappeared from the series these past two seasons...

John Munch has retired from the NYPD, and Richard Belzer has left SVU; his last episode was "Wonderland Story", which aired 10/16/13. That episode started with a retirement party for Munch. But - the only Baltimore colleague to show up was Clark Johnson's Meldrick Lewis. Munch's two ex-wives and his brother (played by David Steinberg) did show. (Hmm. When I retire, would I want my ex-wife showing up at my retirement party? Would I even want a big bash like Munch got?) Munch still may pop up from time to time; he took a job as an investigator in the D.A.'s office. (My brother, the retired NYPD detective, said that a lot of retired cops do that. But...my brother didn't.)

Is L&O:UK still running?

BBC America ran episodes of L&O-UK in mid-summer; I think they do only four, maybe six, episodes a year. As do most British shows; the last series of Luther that aired on BBC America was only four episodes. L&O-UK has been renewed for series eight; here's a blog page with some more information.

And, Capt. Donald Cragen has also retired from the NYPD; Dann Florek's final episode ("Amaro's One-Eighty") aired on 1/15/2014.

One thing I noticed about that ep is early on, Detective Munch, who had also retired earlier in the season, was mentioned. Kinda thought it was interesting that they did that.

So Olivia Benson, now a Sgt., is in charge of the Unit? Or are they going to add a new captain to the squad later this season/next season?

I wrote, way back in 2011:

I think SVU's days are numbered as well. Even though the ratings are still good, its thirteenth season may be it's last.

SVU was recently renewed for three more seasons, which will keep it on the air until at least 2023, its 24th. So much for my "foresight".

Anthony Anderson and Sam Waterston will return to the Law & Order revival. New faces include Camryn Mannheim and Jeffrey Donovan. Season 21 will premiere on 2/24/22. More here.

Jeffrey Donovan, who played NYPD detective Frank Cosgrove in seasons 21 and 22 of Law & Order, will not return for season 23. More here.
I wonder if there's a replacement for Donovan in place, as the series is moving post-strike production through quickly, in order to get fresh episodes to return in January 2024.

Sam Waterston is leaving Law & Order after 400-plus episodes; his last episode airs 2/22/24. His replacement will be Tony Goldwyn. More here.
And, Reid Scott replaced Jeffrey Donovan; Scott plays Det. Riley.

Tony Goldwyn played the traitor friend in the movie, Ghost.

Goldwyn's character was real scum there, wasn't he?
Of course, there are no original cast members left; the last one was Steven Hill, who left in 2000, at the end of season ten. And, Hill wasn't in the pilot, "Everybody's Favorite Bagman". The DA there was Alfred Wentworth, played by Roy Thiness. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last cast member from the pilot to leave was Chris Noth. Who was gone after season five.

Well, when a show runs as long as L&O has (even wit the break caused by the Jay Leno fiasco), cast changes are common.

Camryn Mannheim is leaving Law & Order at the end of the season. She's the third cast member to leave this year, after the aforementioned Sam Waterston and Jeffrey Donovan. More on that here.

It happens, I guess.