
I’ve learned that NBC has closed a deal to renew Dick Wolf‘s veteran procedural Law & Order: SVU for a 14th season. Additionally, the network has given a series order to the Wolf-produced firefighter drama pilot Chicago Fire. And I also hear the producer has signed a new deal with NBC to stay at his long-time home, where he also is producing a new military competition reality series with Mark Burnett.
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Chicago Fire, from Universal Television and Wolf Films, stars House‘s Jesse Spencer and is described as a action-driven drama exploring the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. Derek Haas and Michael Brandt wrote the script and are executive producing with Wolf and
his executives Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski. Eamonn Walker, Taylor Kinney, Monica Raymund, David Eigenberg, Charlie Barnett, Lauren German, Teri Reeves and Merle Dandridge co-star.
Despite its ratings taking a hit this season following the departure of co-star Chris Meloni and with the series being stuck with an anemic lead-in, Law & Order: SVU (2.3/6 in adults 18-49, 7.6 million total viewers in most current season averages) has remained one of NBC’s strongest series, ranking third behind The Voice-boosted Smash and Parenthood among adults 18-49. SVU star Mariska Hargitay already has a deal to return next season. Wolf has been based at NBC since the 2004 NBC-Universal merger. Before that, he was based at Universal’s TV studio, where the Law & Order franchise originated. This is his first renewal since NBCUni was taken over by Comcast last year.
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SVU has been rejuvinated this season. Finally Fin and Munch are allowed to do something, new characters add to the mix, Benson is allowed to be more 3d and we don’t have Stabler’s weekly temper tantrums which were becoming tiresome. Glad it’s been renewed and Mariska has signed up.
Jesse Spencer has been amazing as Chase on HOUSE, specially this year. If the writers give him a good story line on Chicago Fire then the show will be awesome
Meh. I wish NBC would actually consider renewing Bent for a second season. It was clearly loved by critics and was not given any real promotion.
Rescue Me is the basic Standard for Firefighter drama. I can’t see how this show will add progressive and fresh take. Hopefully this show is not going steal and waterdown the plot from the movie BackDraft .
I also wondered what it would have been like if NBC had renewed “Bent” for 13 episodes and put it after “America’s Got Talent” over the summer and left it there, regardless of what happened. If half way through the run the show was clearly building an audience, however slowly, wouldn’t that have been argument for renewing it?
@Terrence & TF-You both brought good arguments against & for the demos.Just one thing-Les Moonves is the Cbs guy not the Nbc guy. You may now resume your wonderful debate
Oof, yeah, as much as I like SVU, I’ve been watching Stabler reruns rather than these new episodes. It’s time for NBC to let go (I already have), especially since it’s getting more expensive and more derivative every year.
I cannot understand people bashing Harry’s Law. How on Earth can you call it boring? It’s quirky, clever & has so much heart. It deserves another season. It defies belief when brain dead, repetitive drama like Law & Order : Blah, Blah, Whatever get season after season whilst Harry’s Law struggles to get two or three…
@Jill, I agree 100% with you regardng Harry’s Law. It is one of the few tv programs I actually enjoy watching on a regular basis.There should be room on tv for a program such as Harry’s Law.The saddest part is that if Harry’s Law is cancelled it won’t be from a lack of viewers,but,a lack of viewers in a certain demo i.e. 18-49. It’s a sad but true fact that anyone outside of that age range doesn’t seem to matter to these networks. That is very sad,very sad indeed.
I’m really looking forward to see Chicago Fire I don’t know why some people are complaining about it. Of course there will be fires just like in a crime show there are cops and guns and in a hospital show there are doctors and patients. It’s the actors that make the difference and I think that with Jesse Spencer the show has got a great drama actor who developed hugely over the last few year on House. I’m sure this show will be great!