TV Guide 01/24/2004

In a fall filled with lacklustre series and flagging ratings, one series still stands tall - Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

The third time's the charm for Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

"Creatively this is probably the best of the three seasons," says Rene Balcer, executive producer, head writer and showrunner. "The sotries are more fully realized and I think Cincent [D'Onofrio] is very comfortable in the character of Det.Rogert Goren."

Balcer, a two-year veteran of the flagship, groundbreaking drama (and a Canadian) has reason to be happy.

In a fall season that hasn't yielded many hits - The O.C. and Joan of Arcadia the notable exceptions - viewers are clinging to their favorites like a baby koala to its mother. That could have been disasterous for Criminal Intent back in september.

At that time, series co-star Kathryn Erbe was preparing to hang up her character's (Det. Alexandra Eames) gun and badge to have a baby in real life. Third Watch's Samantha Buck checked in as ambitious Det. G. Lynn Bishop to take her place. Though star Vincent D'Onofrio said at the time that "It's always nice to add some new kind of thing to the show, I want to keep the show changing all the time." Buck's addition could have sent irate viewers scurrying.

But they didn't. Criminal Intent is a solid #15 this year in the U.S. and top 10 in Canada. Erbe has since returned to the series and Buck has finished her stint.

"The character was brought in more as a counterpoint to Goren and to serve in the evolution in his character," Balcer says, pointing to a similar device mystery author Arthur Conan Doyle used with Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

Det. Goren may be a modern-day Homes, but he dresses more like Columbo. With a rumpled overcoat, ever-present stubble and dishevelled hair, it appears he can't find a hairbruch, much less a devious murderer. And though D'Onofrio is known for his perceived arrogance with the media, there's no trace of that speaking to him from New York City; he's like the character he plays.

"He's guileless and charming," Balcer says. "He lets Eames be the bad cop, which is interesting. You have this guy who is six foot four being the nice guy and this woman who is five foot two and 90 lb. wet being the tough cop."

And yet D'Onofrio says his character isn't really all that groundbreaking. "There've been a lot of famous actors who have played detectives on screen and it's hard these days to come up with anything original," he says candidly. "Nothing these days is turly unique, but you can come close."

If it's true that it's hard to come up with anything original, then Law & Order creator Dick Wolf has a huge challenge ahead: a fourth installment of the series is coming soon. Will the franchise overextend itself with another addition to the franchise?

"I think they are going to expand either in the coming season or the one after that," Balcer says. "Having the Law & Order name on it brings a certain number of eyeballs to TV screens and makes a similar number roll back in their heads.

"It helps a new show, because the marketplace is so competitive that you want to do anything to stand apart from the pack and ultimately, if people like the show for what it is, they'll tune in."

RELUCTANT STAR

Vincent D'Onofrio doesn't like being called a star.

Throughout his film career (which has spanned 52 films), D'Onofrio has played character roles, smaller memorable parts in non-mainstream movies.

And that's just how he likes it.

"There will be no leading man roles for me. Nope, nope, nope. No way. It's not as interesting.

I've always wanted to be a charater actor," he says, "in the film community. I'm still considered a character actor and always will be one. Every summer I'll be doing a film to keep my character actor career going."

The Brooklyn native is loathe to call himself a celebrity, despite the success of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

"[The series] does put me in the celebrity arena that I never wanted to be in. So far, I've been able to avoid it and I'm gonna keep trying to avoid it," he says.

SNEAK PEEK Rene Balcer revealed what's coming up for Goren and Eames in February on Criminal Intent -- Goren will do his usual question-and-answer tango with a soccer mom who moolights as a bank robber -- a large pharmaceutical company is dumping contaminated drugs into the water and Goren and Eames are looking to collar the scumbags responsible.