There goes one of my old "friends"

Most of my friends know it... I'm addicted to the original show "Law and Order" on NBC TV.

I scoffed at NBC when they moved it to Friday nights. Then they brought it back one year, midway through the season, on Mondays. Then they moved it to 9 pm on Mondays to make way for that big hit... "The Jay Leno show". Still, it survived the year. I'd been worried that the departure of the illustrious S. Epatha Merkeson, who announced she was moving on from her role as the amazing Lt. Van Buren (she has held the role for 16 years, since the 4th season) and the not so great ratings (it dropped to 62 in series in last year's rankings) would mean that L&O would not be back. Still, who would think that NBC would pass up an opportunity to have the show run for a record 21st season ... passing Gunsmoke...as th longest running series of all time?

Especially since the network IS going to run Law & Order -- LA, for a first season (sure to fall short). Sigh. Guess I'm gonna have to rely on syndication and DVD's for my fix. Here's a recent article on it's demise:

UPDATE #2: NBC has announced the cancellation of the flagship "Law & Order" series after 20 seasons. The show's last episode will air May 24.

"The full measure of the collective contributions made by Dick Wolf and his 'Law & Order' franchise over the last two decades to the success of NBC and Universal Media Studios cannot be overstated," NBC Universal Television Entertainment chief Jeff Gaspin said. "The legacy of his original 'Law & Order' series will continue to make an impact like no other series before."
The network also announced that it was picking up another spinoff: "Law & Order Los Angeles" ("LOLA").

"'Law & Order' has been one of the most successful franchises in the history of television, which is why it is so critical that we continue this important brand and our relationship with Dick Wolf and his team with 'LOLA' and 'Law & Order: SVU,'" NBC Entertainment chief Angela Bromstad added.

The AP reports:
NBC refused to confirm multiple reports that the show was being canceled after 20 seasons on the air, one year short of an all-time record.Meanwhile, a person close to the production said talks are still going on. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because that person was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations.

People who work on the pioneering crime drama were told Thursday afternoon that the show had been canceled after 20 seasons. But there were indications late Thursday that talks were continuing and that the show might still avoid a cancellation, although NBC declined to comment.On Thursday morning, NBC appeared close to canceling the program. But talks between the network and Mr. Wolf were still under way according to three people with knowledge of the talks who requested anonymity because they were not authorized by their employers to comment on the record.

Let's hope that cooler heads prevail and L&O will get one more year.