An overhaul made to 'Order'
Excerpted from Variety
Mary 7, 2006
By JOSEF ADALIAN, MICHAEL SCHNEIDER
Wolf preps major changes as NBC woes drag down franchise.
Law & Order supremo Dick Wolf can't wait for the Peacock to get back in fighting form. So he's readying his own plan to pump up the brand.
"There are going to be casting changes and additions on all three shows," Wolf tells Variety. In addition, he is pushing the network to make scheduling shifts to boost the "L&O" trio, which he says remains NBC's most potent -- and profitable -- primetime player.
....The "L&O" skein with the toughest task, however, has to be Sunday night's "Criminal Intent." In addition to taking on "Desperate Housewives" and young-male magnet "Family Guy," since January, the show has had to battle HBO's "The Sopranos." The results have been predictably grim. "CI" is the lowest-rated of the "L&O" bunch, with ratings down 29% over two years. To shore up "CI," Wolf is pushing NBC to take the show off the net's fall sked.
"I hope they put us on in January," after NBC's new Sunday night football franchise wraps, he says. "My fondest hope is 'SVU' and 'Law & Order' are back on Tuesday and Wednesday at 10, 'CI' is on in January at 9 on Sunday."
Wolf thinks "CI" would benefit from airing a full season of episodes without repeats, particularly since "Desperate Housewives" tends to air a fair number of reruns during the winter and spring months.
NBC Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly won't commit to anything before NBC's May 15 fall schedule announcement, but he seems poised to grant Wolf his "CI" wish.
Full article.
:: Thanks BobbyG
posted by thereel @ 6:47 AM
12 Comments:
Despite his recent comments,I hope Dick Wolf appreciates that C.I. without Vincent would mean no C.I. at all for just about everyone...
I am a little worried about this article. I guess we hold our breath until may 15. This is VDO's show not Noth.
Why can't they just move LOCI to another day. It is such a great show. Can't they just swap the air time for LOSVU and LOCI. It looks like Dick Wolf just wants to give up on the show. Can't they just change the schedule of shows.
if this is true and the show doesn't run until january, that gives them a lot of time to make most of the episodes. which could mean: vdo will have some time off to rest and be with his family OR vdo will be able to star in every episode again.
But the problem is that, if LOCI doesn't run until january they could loose a lot of viewers. It could be more harm to LOCI than being on every sunday. Seventeen weeks is a long time not to be on the air. I agree VDO needs the rest. But will the show suffer worse than what they are doing now. Swapping Vincent and Chris every week.
Vincent has clearly stated several times that he does only have the shows or none-so I think we really need to support the Chris Noth episodes as well-whether they should wait until January is not something I would be happy with but I'll take CI anyway I can get it.
call me a dunce, but do we really know if Vincent will be back next year? I haven't seen anything in writing...but I have been know to obsess over nothing! Please, someone, reassure me!
Vincent said in a radio interview earlier this year that as long as NBC keeps Criminal Intent on he will be there.
I don't understand why CI has to get battered in the Sunday 9pm slot while "Conviction" gets Friday 10pm with virtually no competition. LOCI would win that slot easily, don't you think?
I say we just call and ask Vincent if he will be back and what he thinks about the show starting in January-OK-who has the number.
While the thought of waiting until next JANUARY for a new episode is...unnerving to say the least...
This is what '24' did this season, and the ratings are the highest they've ever been. Battlestar Galactica did something similar but broke the season in half. There's something to be said about running new episodes back to back, when everybody else is running reruns every 3rd week (ABC - a BIG evil eye looking at YOU for your Lost scheduling). Yes, it means waiting, but if NBC is not willing to move CI to another night - you know, ignoring COMMON SENSE - then maybe they should try the 24 thing.
And make no mistake - that's the model they are looking at. Huge male 18 - 34 advertising demographic. Us girls are pretty much ignored by the networks because apparently we do not buy new cars and beer every week.
I certainly hope that LOCI will be changed to another major tv station and a good time slot. I enjoy the show so very much, especially with intelligent,quirky,Gorgeous, Vincent! Mr. Wolf is well known in show business,so I think he will find a way to save the program. Good luck,Mr.Wolf!!
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