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Quick Links'Law & Order' vs. 'Arrest and Trial'How 'Law & Order' Managed to Stand Out

Dun-dun! The Law & Orderfranchise has been a part of our television landscape since 1990. The original series and its spin-offs comprise a whopping 67 seasons and over 1,300 episodes. As iconic as Law & Order is, it's hard to imagine that its concept was borrowed heavily from another series. That series was the 1960s similarly titled Arrest and Trial.

If you've never heard of this show, you're likely not alone. Arrest and Trial aired for a single season on ABC and blended elements of police procedurals and courtroom dramas. To be fair, Law & Order didn't copy Arrest and Trial's premise on purpose. The similarities were only discovered after Dick Wolf pitched the series. But rather than abandon the concept, Wolf and the team chose to retool while making some distinct changes. Still, without this little-known '60s series,...

Ever since the original Law & Order debuted in 1990, there has been at least one show carrying the Law & Order name on the air, creating one of the most popular and long-lasting television franchises of all time. The original series was a riveting crime procedural that followed the case-of-the-week format with most shows broken into two sections -- the first half detailing the police investigation and arrest of the prime suspect and the second half focusing on the prosecutors taking the case to trial.

The simple formula worked for audiences, with them returning year after year, even with the rotating cast throughout its historic run. The rest of the franchise played around with the formula, taking the action to new locations, focusing on specific aspects of the police or legal departments, and crossing over with one another. While some spinoffs fell short of the original, others surpassed it, making...

The enormous world of Law & Order knows no bounds. The hit franchise has been entertaining its viewers for many years now, and it is still going strong and boasts a loyal fanbase. Some shows that came out of this legal drama include Trial by Jury, True Crime, and my favorite, Special Victims Unit (Svu). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit has been around since late 1999. I was incredibly late to the Svu train, but once I started the first episode, I can proudly say that I never looked back. There is just something about Svu that stands out from the rest of the franchise, and a part of it is thanks to the characters and their chemistry especially the iconic duo of Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni).

Ron Hale, known for his role as Dr. Roger Coleridge on the ABC soap opera “Ryan’s Hope,” has died. He was 78.

Hale, who lived in St. George, S.C. died Aug. 27, his family announced. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Hale played Roger Coleridge in more than 900 episodes of “Ryan’s Hope” from 1975 to 1989. He received Daytime Emmy nominations in 1979 and 1980 for his performance as the fictional doctor.

Hale went on to play Mike Corbin on “General Hospital” from 1995 to 2010 and also appeared as the character on the daytime soap opera’s spinoff series, “Port Charles,” from 1997 to 2000. He made guest appearances on television series such as “N.Y.P.D.,” “Search for Tomorrow,” “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” “Matlock,” “MacGyver,” “Rodney” and “Easy.”

On the film side, Hale portrayed Watergate burglar Frank Sturgis in the 1976 biographical political thriller, “All the President’s Men,” starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. His other film...

Ron Hale, who starred as Roger Coleridge during the entire 14-year run of Ryan’s Hope and had an even longer stretch as Mike Corbin on another ABC soap opera, General Hospital, has died. He was 78.

Hale, who lived in St. George, South Carolina, died Aug. 27, his family announced.

Hale worked on Ryan’s Hope from 1975-89 and received supporting actor Daytime Emmys in 1979 and ’80. As Coleridge, a doctor from a well-do-do family who often clashed with the Ryan clan, he was married to Delia Reid (Ilene Kristen/Randall Edwards), Maggie Shelby (Cali Timmins) and then Delia again.

Hale then recurred as Corbin, the father of mob boss Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), on General Hospital from 1995-2010, and he showed up on the G.H. spinoff Port Charles from 1997-2000 as well. (Max Gail played the character from 2018-21.)

Ronald Hale Thigpen was born on Jan. 2, 1946, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Furman University,...

Law & Order Svu premiered on September 20, 1999.

Since then, we have all gotten to know and love the New York Detectives who work the Special Victims Unit cases.

Those detectives have changed several times as actors have come and gone from the show. Here are the Law & Order: Svu cast members and characters we'll follow during season 26.

Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay)

More than 550 episodes of Law & Order: Svu have been produced leading up to Season 26.

Olivia Benson has appeared in all of them.

Olivia Benson's Most Memorable Moments From 25 Years of Svu

She has been there from the beginning; we have seen her grow and evolve beautifully.

As the years passed, she went from being a detective to the head of the entire department.

The show wouldn't be the same without her.

At this point, Mariska Hargitay is so associated with Captain Benson that it's hard to think of her as any other character.

The original Law & Order debuted in 1990; since then, the franchise has grown into a massive crime-fighting universe comprised of numerous shows. Although each series has its main cast, they bring in reoccurring characters and one-off disposable characters for every single episode.

Related: The 10 Best Officers In The Law & Order Franchise

Some Law & Order series have run for more than 20 seasons and many of these shows have hundreds of episodes in their catalog. With the sheer volume of content this crime-fighting universe pumps out, many familiar actors have actually taken on the burden of playing more than one character throughout the franchise.

Dominic Fumusa

Dominic Fumusa may be more recognizable from his role as Ray Conlin in Homeland but Fumusa has made several appearances on three different Law & Order shows. While he never played a main or reoccurring character, Fumusa is no stranger to Law & Order's sets.

In fact,...

Known to horror fans for playing Marge Guttman in 1982’s beloved sequel Halloween III: Season of the Witch, actress Garn Stephens has passed away this week at the age of 87.

The wife of Halloween III star Tom Atkins at the time, Garn Stephens played a memorable role in the unique franchise installment, her character dying a very gruesome death.

Sean Clark writes on Instagram, “Got the word over the weekend from Tom Atkins that his ex-wife Garn Stephens had passed away. Many of you may remember her as Marge Gutman in Halloween III: Season of the Witch. I was lucky enough to meet her back in 2004 when I interviewed her for the Halloween 25 Years of Terror documentary.”

In addition to Halloween III, Garn Stephens also appeared in films including Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger, The Seduction of Miss Leona, Children in the Crossfire, Killer Instinct, and Something to Live For: The Alison Gertz Story...

Richard Belzer, “Law & Order: Svu” star and acclaimed comedian, has died. According to multiple reports, Belzer died early Sunday at his home in Bozouls in southwest France. He was 78. A cause of death for the actor is not yet known.

Belzer stared as the beloved Detective John Munch on 1993’s “Homicide: Life on the Streets” before taking the role to where it perhaps became most notable, “Law & Order: Svu”. Belzer starred as Munch on the long-running show until 2013. In addition to “Svu”, Belzer appeared on the original “Law & Order” as well as “Trial by Jury”, playing the role for 23 years in total, across 12 different TV series including “The X-Files”, “The Beat”, “The Wire”, “Arrested Development”, “30 Rock” and “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”. His last appearance as John Munch was in a guest spot on “Law & Order: Svu” in 2016.

While Belzer got his start as a comedian...

Photo: ‘Law & Order Special Victims Unit’ As we come into the new year, the new Season of the longest-running TV drama, ‘Law & Order Special Victims Unit’ (more popularly known as 'Svu'), continues its 23rd Season capturing the attention of more than 5 million viewers. This spin-off of ‘Law & Order’ has outlasted every other addition to the franchise, including ‘Law & Order LA’, ‘Law & Order UK’, ‘Law & Order Criminal Intent’, ‘Trial By Jury’, as well as the original trailblazing drama itself. 'Svu’ has garnered so many fans that the once lead detective of the show, Elliot Stabler played by Chris Meloni, has become popular enough to have his very own ‘Svu’ spin-off show, ‘Organized Crime’, that weaves in and out of the ‘Svu’ universe. Related article: Exclusive: 'Dune' Full Commentary, Reactions, Making Of - Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac Related article: '...

NBC is putting a pin in its plans for Law & Order: Hate Crimes, the greenlighted new Law & Order spinoff from the franchise’s creator Dick Wolf. Back in September, the network gave a 13-episode order to the project, which was supposed to be introduced as a planted spinoff from Law & Order: Svu in an episode during the latter part of the veteran drama’s current record-tying 20th season before launching next season.

That no longer will happen. Law & Order: Hate Crimes, co-created by Wolf and one of his top lieutenants, former Law & Order: Svu showrunner Warren Leight, remains in active development at the network as everyone needed more time to flesh out the concept. Svu has not been renewed yet but likely will be so it can break the record for the longest-running drama series jointly held by Gunsmoke and Law & Order, so the spinoff could be introduced during...

NBC has ordered a 13-episode first season of a new Law and Order spin-off, Law and Order: Hate Crimes, CNN reports.

The show will be set in New York City, which is home to the second-oldest hate crimes and bias-based task force in the country. A premiere date for the show has yet to be announced, but the new series will reportedly be introduced during the upcoming season of Law and Order: Svu.

Law and Order mastermind and executive producer Dick Wolf created Hate Crimes with screenwriter Warren Leight. NBC’s co-president of scripted programming,...

As Law & Order: Svu is heading into its record-tying 20th season, NBC is expanding the Law & Order franchise with a 13-episode order to Law & Order: Hate Crimes, from Law & Order boss Dick Wolf.

Co-created with one of Wolf’s top lieutenants, former Law & Order: Svu showrunner Warren Leight, the latest Law & Order installment is based on New York’s actual Hate Crimes Task Force, the second oldest bias-based task force in the U.S. The unit, which pledges to uphold a zero tolerance policy against discrimination of any kind, works under the NYPD’s real Special Victims Unit and often borrows Svu’s detectives to assist in their investigations.

The new Law & Order series will be introduced as a planted spinoff from Svu, with the first incarnation of the new unit appearing in the latter part of the upcoming season of the Mariska Hargitay-starring series.

This is the seventh Law & Order series,...

Doink doink: Law & Order: Svu is getting an infusion of the mothership Law & Order when Sam Waterston guest stars in season 19. He joins previously announced new and returning Svu players Brooke Shields, Dean Winters and Philip Winchester. Waterston played attorney Jack McCoy from 1994-2010 on the original Law & Order series. He last played the character on Svu in the 2010 episode "Torch." He's appeared on Svu two other times, in 2000 and 2007.  Waterston also played Jack McCoy on Law & Order: Trial By Jury in 2005. Since the original Law & Order ended, Waterston has kept busy with film and TV roles including The Newsroom and Miss Sloane. He currently stars opposite...

Fringe alum Kirk Acevedo is set to clash with Arrow, as a version of the DC Comics baddie Richard Dragon.

As reported by our sister site Deadline, Acevedo has been cast as Ricardo Diaz, an ex-con who is set on taking control of Star City’s criminal underworld. Based on DC Comics’ Richard Dragon, Diaz is described as a master in hand-to-hand combat.

Previously, Arrow announced at the San Diego Comic-Con that Person of Interest‘s Michael Emerson would recur during Season 6 as a mystery character (perhaps Helix founder Cayden James?).

Acevedo most recently recurred on At&T Audience Network’s Kingdom,...

Dick Wolf will evolve his “Law & Order” brand once again this fall with the new “Law & Order True Crime” franchise – but don’t expect a return to the mothership.

Wolf was asked on Thursday by reporters whether he’s still mulling a reboot of the original “Law & Order,” which aired on NBC for 20 seasons between 1990 and 2010 – but his answer was a resounding no.

“I’d be very surprised if we went back,” Wolf said at the Television Critics Association press tour. “If we could push the boundaries out further, I’d be more interested in that at this stage.”

Read MoreNBC Boss Remains Bullish on Jimmy Fallon Even As Rivals Get a Trump Bump

That means talk of a limited run revival of “Law & Order” appear to be dead. A 10-episode reboot was discussed in 2015, and Deadline reported at the time that cast members Chris Noth and Sam Waterston had been approached about joining in.

Pop culture comes to life in St. Louis this weeekend! It’s the Wizard World Comic Con April 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at America’s Center downtown (701 Convention Plaza – St. Louis, Mo 63101), and boy oh boy, do they have an amazing line-up of guests!

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. St. Louis show hours are Friday, April 1st, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, April 2nd, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, April 3rd, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor...

Fans may know Zoe Lister-Jones as Life in Pieces' Jen Short or Schmidt's former love interest on New Girl. Now, the actress-writer-producer is starring in the upcoming dramatic thriller Consumed which takes place in the world of genetically modified organisms and follows a single mom's (Lister-Jones) journey to uncover the cause of her son's illness. Here are five things to know about Lister-Jones: 1. She started acting as a child."I was a really shy kid, but my mom, I think to help combat my shyness, put me in an acting class in New York when I was probably 10," Lister-Jones,...

Fans may know Zoe Lister-Jones as Life in Pieces' Jen Short or Schmidt's former love interest on New Girl. Now, the actress-writer-producer is starring in the upcoming dramatic thriller Consumed which takes place in the world of genetically modified organisms and follows a single mom's (Lister-Jones) journey to uncover the cause of her son's illness. Here are five things to know about Lister-Jones: 1. She started acting as a child."I was a really shy kid, but my mom, I think to help combat my shyness, put me in an acting class in New York when I was probably 10," Lister-Jones,...

One of Juliette Barnes’ former leading men is returning for an encore.

Derek Hough, who appeared in Nashville‘s third season as Juliette’s co-star in a Patsy Cline biopic, is coming back to the ABC drama as Noah West, E! Online reports.

RelatedThe CW Renews The Flash, Vampire Diaries, The 100, Reign (!) and 7 Others

Specific details about Hough’s comeback are being kept under wraps; considering Noah was M.I.A. for the biopic’s big premiere, we’re curious to see what will bring him back into the fold.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* Rick Eid,...

Senator-turned-actor actor Fred D. Thompson, a Law & Order staple who recurred for five seasons on the mothership, and also brought his character to spinoffs Svu, Criminal Intent and Trial by Jury, died Sunday of lymphoma, per the New York Times. He was 73.

Thompson served as a Republican senator for Tennessee from 1994 to 2003. During the final months of his term, he joined Law & Order as Da Arthur Branch. In May 2007, he asked out of his L&O contract so as to explore a White House run, announcing his candidacy three months later. He withdrew from the race in January 2008.

“Fred was...

Ever yelled at your TV during a courtroom scene on Law & Order? Dick Wolf’s latest venture may be just the show for you.

NBC has greenlit Law & Order: You the Jury, a one-hour live reality series from the uber-producer, our sister site Deadline reports.

RelatedFall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 44 Returning Favorites!

The courtroom docudrama allows viewers to decide the verdict on real legal cases and to vote on the veracity of witnesses and persuasiveness of evidence throughout the trial.

Wolf previously explored the subject matter in the scripted spinoff Law & Order: Trial By Jury.

Would you...

Another series regular is scrubbing into Chicago Med.

Marlyne Barrett, best known for playing Nerese Campbell on The Wire, has joined the NBC medical drama, our sister site Deadline reports. Barrett’s character, Maggie, is described as a “multi-tasking force of nature, a battle-ax with wit and sass.”

RelatedFall TV Spectacular: Exclusive Scoop and Photos on 43 Returning Favorites!

But there’s a slight catch, at least for all you continuity sticklers out there: Barrett (pictured right) has already been featured on Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the short-lived Law & Order: Trial by Jury, making this her fourth...

“Uplink underground, uplink underground. If you say that one more time, I’ll uplink your ass, and you’ll be underground!”

The Running Man screens Wednesday night December 3rd at Schlafly Bottleworks at 8pm

You never know what’s brewing at Webster University’s Strange Brew cult film series. It’s always the first Wednesday evening of every month, and they always come up with some cult classic to show while enjoying some good food and great suds. The fun happens at Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar in Maplewood (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143).

In the 1987 sci-fi spandex and cheese-fest The Running Man, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Ben Richards Aka ‘The Butcher of Baker’s Field Massacre’, who becomes a contestant on the reality TV show (hosted by The Family Feud’s Richard Dawson!) “The Running Man” where various criminals play a game in which the prize is...

Oscar-nominated cinematographer of The Passion of the Christ and The Right Stuff to accept lifetime achievement award at cinematography festival in Poland.

Caleb Deschanel is to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Camerimage, the International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography (Nov 15-22).

Deschanel will also present screenings of his films at the 22nd edition of the festival followed by Q&A’s with the audience.

His five Oscar nominations in the Best Cinematography category were for The Right Stuff, The Natural, Fly Away Home, The Patriot and The Passion of the Christ.

Other notable credits include Being There, National Treasure, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Jack Reacher.

Deschanel was also involved in creating one of the essential tools of modern cinematographers, the Steadicam.

He directed his first feature film The Escape Artist in 1982, and later Crusoe in 1989. Deschanel has also directed episodes for TV shows including David Lynch’s Twin Peaks as well...

Today’s film is the 2013 short Scripted Content. The film is written and directed by Matthew Frost, and stars Jessica Chastain. Chastain has been in the acting industry for nearly 10 years, with guest roles on Veronica Mars and Law & Order: Trial by Jury, before having a breakout year in 2011 with leading roles in Terence Malick’s Tree of Life and Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter. Her newest feature, titled The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, made its debut at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, and she is currently working on Christopher Nolan’s next feature, titled Interstellar.

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The post Saturday Shorts: ‘Scripted Content’, starring Jessica Chastain appeared first on Sound On Sight.

"Blue Bloods" is getting some new blood, from someone familiar to fans of "Oz" and "Fringe."

Now in its fourth season, the CBS police drama has cast Kirk Acevedo as the brother of Maria Baez (Marisa Ramirez) -- NYPD detective Danny Reagan's (Donnie Wahlberg) partner -- in the Friday, Nov. 22, episode, Zap2it has learned exclusively. His sudden reappearance is guaranteed to make things less than comfortable for his sister.

They have a strained relationship to begin with, since he's a longtime criminal. He's trying to leave that life behind, but a "wrong place, wrong time" situation keeps him there, likely putting an added strain on Maria's camaraderie with justice-devoted Danny as she struggles with professional duty vs. family loyalty.

The HBO prison drama "Oz" boosted Acevedo's fame through his portrayal of inmate Miguel Alvarez. He worked for the cable network again in the miniseries "Band of Brothers," then was...

I’m quite certain there is no one else in television like Richard Belzer. This man is dedicated and if you dare say otherwise than we’re going to have a problem. Belzer has been playing the same character for more than twenty years and is only now cutting down his time on Law & Order: Svu. But what’s that, you say? Svu has only been on the air for fifteen seasons and Belzer couldn’t possibly have played his character of John Munch for longer. Au contraire; Belzer first began portraying Munch on Homicide: Life on the Street back in 1993 before jumping ship to Svu. Are you starting to see the dedication?

While it’s true Belzer will no longer be a series regular on Svu, as per the Huffington Post, he will continue to make appearances every now and then in a recurring capacity because he really is...

After playing Detective John Munch in a record 10 shows since 1993, Richard Belzer leaves the force on a special episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" Wednesday (Oct. 16).

Belzer, who plays the sardonic detective, and Warren Leight, "Svu's" executive producer, spoke exclusively with Zap2it explaining why and how he will exit.

"It's painful," Leight says in the lobby of a Times Square theater, where he was overseeing a forthcoming episode. "In the real world, which we try to very hard to simulate, NYPD has mandatory retirement before your 63rd birthday. And we were trying to figure out how to deal with it. The reason NYPD does it is because you can't have 65-year-old guys running after guys. It is a hard and fast rule.

"It creates some pathos and sadness," Leight says of losing this mainstay character. "I love writing for Munch. I started out as a comedy writer and he's closest,...

Michael J. Fox had well-known TV parents during his "Family Ties" days. Now, he has a new pair.

The five-time Emmy winner returns to series work when NBC launches "The Michael J. Fox Show" Thursday, Sept. 26. Though they aren't in the debut, his new on-screen parents will turn up soon enough: Candice Bergen and Charles Grodin will guest-star as the parents of New York TV newscaster Mike Henry (Fox), with the potential for the characters to become recurring.

It won't be the first time the two actors have worked together, though it certainly has been a while. In the 1974 caper movie "11 Harrowhouse," they played a romantically involved couple entangled in a scheme to steal all the gems stored at England's Diamond Exchange -- check out the picture below for a blast from the past. Grodin and Bergen also have "Saturday Night Live" hosting gigs in common.

Of course, Bergen has...

Michael J. Fox has landed himself another set of standout TV parents.

Murphy Brown vet Candice Bergen and Beethoven patriarch Charles Grodin have boarded NBC’s new fall comedy The Michael J. Fox, Deadline reports. They’ll guest-star (and potentially recur) as the titular character’s mom and dad, respectively.

The duo follow in the footsteps of Fox’s much-beloved Family Ties folks Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross.

Related | The Michael. J. Fox Show — NBC Comedy to Find Humor In Parkinson’s

Inspired by the leading man’s real life, The Michael J. Fox Show centers on a New York-based...

Caleb Deschanel will direct BiteSize Entertainment’s Elvis Presley biopic Growing Up Graceland.

Los Angeles-based BiteSize Entertainment founder and CEO Ron Bloom made the announcement. The project is based on Robert Boris’ screenplay adaptation from David E Stanley and David Gruder’s book Conversations With The King: Journals Of A Young Apprentice.

Gene Kirkwood and Ross Elliot of BiteSize’s production arm will produce alongside Presley’s step-brother David Stanley through his Impello Entertainment.

Principal photography is expected to begin later this year. The story focuses on the relationship between Presley as he returns from military service and meets his young step-brother for the first time.

Deschanel’s has earned five best cinematography Oscar credits including The Right Stuff, The Patriot and The Passion Of The Christ. His body of work includes Being There, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Jack Reacher.

Deschanel’s directorial debut was The Escape Artist in 1982 and he followed that up with Crusoe...

Sneak Peek actress Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty"), posing for the January 2013 "Art Meets Fashion" issue of "W" magazine, plus a red-band clip from her film "Jolene" :

In 2011, Chastain starred in seven features including "The Debt", "The Tree of Life", "The Help", "Coriolanus", "Take Shelter', "Wilde Salome" and "Texas Killing Fields".

She recently earned a 'Best Actress' Oscar nomination for her performance as 'Maya' in the military action feature "Zero Dark Thirty".

Chastain's first professional role was in 2004 for an updated "Dark Shadows" TV pilot, followed by guest spots in "ER", "Veronica Mars", "Close to Home", "Law & Order: Trial By Jury" and the UK series "Agatha Christie's Poirot.". 

Since 2012, Chastain has represented the Yves Saint Laurent fragrance 'Manifesto'. 

"Yves Saint Laurent is a brand that inspires me deeply," said Chastain. 

"...With strong values that I cherish, such as an unwavering commitment, absolute love and feminine audacity..."

Click the...

Pan Am actor Scott Cohen has joined the cast of The Carrie Diaries. The 50-year-old star will play an "Upper East Side father" on the Sex and the City prequel, according to E! Online. Cohen currently appears on USA's Necessary Roughness and has also featured in episodes of Castle, Hawaii Five-0 and Grey's Anatomy. Earlier in his career, the actor played roles on NYPD Blue, Gilmore Girls and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. The Carrie Diaries stars AnnaSophia Robb as a (more)...

Killer Nashville is proud to launch its first Screenwriting Intensive as part of the Killer Nashville weekend, featuring Hollywood screen and television writers Heywood Gould, April Kelly, Steven Womack, and Philip Cioffari.

Heywood Gould’s screen credits include Cocktail; Rolling Thunder; The Boys from Brazil; Streets of Gold; One Good Cop; Trial by Jury; Mistrial; Double Bang; The Equalizer; N.Y.P.D.; and Fort Apache, the Bronx. Gould will kick off the event at the Killer Nashville Conference… More...

Season 5 of "True Blood" is in full swing. Someone's already come back from the dead, vampires are turning more people and "Law & Order: Svu" alum Christopher Meloni is making his long-anticipated appearance on the HBO series on Sunday.

With his supernatural debut only days away, Meloni's transition from playing a detective on the long-running NBC series "Svu" to taking on the role of the Vampire Authority Roman seems extreme. But according to Meloni, a drastic change was exactly what he was looking for.

"I don't think you could go farther afield from 'Svu' than joining the world of Bon Temps and the whole 'True Blood' werewolves, werepanthers, faeries and vampires running around. That was what it was," Meloni told TVGuide.com of taking on the role, which was announced in December. "I really was just looking for something absolutely completely different than the world that 'Svu' had."

"True Blood" isn't...

A fan favorite from NBC’s Cheers is coming to CBS’ The Good Wife.

Beatrice “Bebe” Neuwirth — who played Dr. Lilith Sternin on the long-running comedy Cheers and also appeared on its spinoff Frasier — has signed up for a recurring role on the legal drama.

The actress and singer will play Judge Friend, described as a sexy woman with a stern manner and little patience for joking around. She’s assigned to a case involving a battle for control of a large equity group and is placed in a rather awkward position when the top witnesses for both sides appear...

10 years ago, NBC programs ranked among the most watched on television. In 2001/2002, the peacock had launched successful new series such as Law & Order : Criminal Intent, Crossing Jordan and Scrubs, not knowing that in the following 4 years, they would produce only 5 successful new shows while countless failed, prefiguring the crisis they're into since 2007, a crisis they don't seem to be able to get out of.

In 2002/2003, American Dreams was the only new show that worked, all the other were cancelled : sitcoms In-Laws (15 episodes), Ausa (12 episodes, 4 unaired) and Hidden Hills (18 episodes, 5 unaired), and dramas Kingpin (6 episodes) and Minister Sterling (10 episodes). Both Boomtown and Good Morning Miami were renewed for a second season scheduled for 2003/2004 but halfway through it, they were both cancelled, they ended in December 2003.

During the 2003/2004 season, Las Vegas was the only successful new series, the others were axed : dramas Miss Match (18 episodes, 7 unaired) and The Lyon's Den (13 episodes,...

Son of an advertising executive, Dick Wolf began his career writing commercials and producing them. He transitioned into TV crime dramas, writing for "Hill Street Blues" and "Miami Vice," and went on to create the "Law & Order" franchise that now spans the globe. From the original "Law & Order" with Jerry Orbach, S Epatha Merkerson, and Sam Waterston, Wolf developed "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," with Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, the short-lived "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" with Bebe Neuwirth and Kirk Acevedo, and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" with Vincent D'Onofrio. When the original "Law & Order" went off the air after 20 seasons, "Law & Order: La" starring Alfred Molina, Skeet Ulrich and Terrence Howard replaced it for a season. Twenty-two years after the original series debuted, its spin-off "Law & Order: Svu" and the international versions including "Law & Order: UK" continue to...

[1] Al Pacino's known for many memorable roles -- most notably, Tony Montana in Scarface and Michael Corleone in The Godfather -- but it turns out one of the parts nearest and dearest to his heart is one that few film buffs have seen. Pacino has a little-known obsession with Oscar Wilde's play Salome, and has played the part of King Herod in multiple stage productions. When he reprised the role in 2006, he brought along a film crew to collect footage for a documentary he was directing about his attempt to understand one of his favorite works and the iconic writer behind it. Five years later, Pacino's film is ready to make its debut at the Venice Film Festival. Wilde Salome follows Pacino all over the world as he explores his passion for Wilde and his work, much as 1996's Looking for Richard saw him examine William Shakespeare's Richard III.

Mehcad Brooks enjoys shooting ‘Necessary Roughness’Interview by Michael Aaron Gallagher of StayFamous.Net

Mehcad BrooksWhen it comes to having fun on set, actor Mehcad Brooks of “Necessary Roughness” (USA Television Network) isn’t afraid to poke fun at his days as a Calvin Klein underwear model.

In a recent interview with StayFamous.Net, Brooks shared a behind-the-scenes practical joke that surprised one of his fellow cast members and he talked about what he enjoys most about the new series.

Inspired by a true story, "Necessary Roughness" stars Callie Thorne (“Rescue Me”), who plays a therapist for a professional football team. Brooks, whose television credits include "True Blood," "The Game" and "Desperate Housewives," plays Terrence "Tk" King, a star wide receiver for the New York Hawks.

Michael Aaron Gallagher: “What aspect of the show is the most entertaining for you? Is there something about it that you think makes it...

Much like its fellow franchise members, Law & Order UK follows a familiar, well-worn path. The police investigate crime, find who they think is their man or woman and then hand the matter over to the Crown Prosecution Service who then prosecute the suspect. Personal lives and soap-operatic elements are left to one side – this is all about the cases.

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Law & Order UK seems to have real legs. Here we are with season 4 on DVD, with season 5 due to start airing this week on ITV (for UK viewers). Despite its slavish devotion to the established format and despite the numerous Us iterations (the original series, Special Victims Unit, Criminal Intent, Trial by Jury) it has found an audience and from the evidence of this season, rightly so. This is very much a case of “if it ain’t broke”, with this season relying upon a re-hashing of the stories from episodes of the Us series,...

USA Network is hoping to put together a "doctor in unusual circumstances" one-two punch with its new show Necessary Roughness following the new season premiere of Royal Pains. After HankMed has its way with you, Necessary Roughness will offer up a therapist who finds herself diving into less than the normal routine, and since the world of physical health doctor out of water did so well, hopefully the mental health world will perform as well.

Necessary Roughness has a few more chinks in its armor than most of the new shows that USA puts out, and what stands out most is that it is difficult to tell where it's going, and it's even more difficult to tell who exactly the show is for. The pilot sets us up with Dr. Dani Santino (Callie Thorne) as a therapist who is a fan of hypnotherapy, and the first thing that happens in...

Longtime Law & Order fans know the cha-chung, they know the signature location cards, and they most likely know Leslie Hendrix.

The 51-year-old actress has been playing medical examiner Elizabeth Rodgers on the legal franchise for almost two decades. After first appearing on the original tentpole in 1992, she has since recurred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, the short-lived Law & Order: Trial By Jury and even the 1998 Law & Order TV movie, Exiled.

Ice-t inks two-year deal with Law & Order: Svu

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Former Law & Order star Sam Waterston has reportedly joined the cast of Aaron Sorkin's new HBO pilot. The project, currently titled More As This Story Develops, will focus on cable news anchor Will McCallister (Jeff Daniels) and his team. Waterston has now signed up to play McCallister's boss, according to TV Line. The actor is best known for playing Jack McCoy on NBC's Law & Order from 1994 until the show's cancellation in 2010. The actor also appeared in episodes of spinoff series Law & Order: Svu and Trial By Jury and was nominated for an Academy Award for (more)...

The news that Christopher Meloni won't return to "Law & Order: Svu" next season blindsided fans of the long-running series. The question now is: Who fills Elliot Stabler's shoes?

NBC and "Svu's" producers are reportedly searching for a "big name" to take over for Meloni, who's been with the show since its debut in 1999. In addition to being well-known, though, the guy (and we're assuming it will be a guy, so as to preserve the male-female dynamic between the lead detectives) who takes over for Meloni will need to have chemistry with co-star Mariska Hargitay and, if not match the intensity Meloni brought to Stabler, at least command attention in a similar way.

We don't know if any of the six actors below are "big" enough for NBC, but we think they'd all do fine work on "Svu."

John C. McGinley: He's known more as a comedic actor thanks to "Scrubs,...

Cannes, France — Jessica Chastain may be the busiest actress in Hollywood people haven't heard of yet. With as many as half a dozen films rolling into theaters in the coming months, she's about to become famous fast.

A veteran stage actress, Chastain's big-screen career has been largely in a holding pattern, with only two of the 11 films she's made in the past four years released so far.

That changes Friday as the Cannes Film Festival winner – Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life," in which she co-stars with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn – opens theatrically after a long delay while the director continued to tinker with the film.

Some of her other films, among them the Holocaust-revenge thriller "The Debt" with Helen Mirren, were delayed because of distribution troubles, so they now are coming to theaters around the same time as dramas she shot more recently, including this summer's best-seller adaptation "The Help.

Friday the 13th turned out to be rather unlucky for a pair of low-rated NBC dramas: "The Event" and "Law & Order: La" won't live to see another season.

On the other hand, several more comedy pilots got good news: "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea," "Bent," "Free Agents" and "BFFs" all were picked up to series on Friday, Deadline reports.

As for the cancellations, neither one is a big surprise. "Law & Order: La" merits a mild raise of the eyebrows only because of the "L&O" brand's long history at NBC, but it's not even the first one-and-done show in the franchise's history: "L&O: Trial by Jury" lasted only one season in 2005. Its ratings were nothing special either: Although it's averaging 8 million viewers for the season and a 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic, it's been well below that since its April 11 return/cast shuffle -- most episodes have...

The big news that fans of the hit Starz original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, have been following since the first season ended long ago was the loss of star Andy Whitfield after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and his eventual replacement with Liam McIntyre.

What many fans might not be so aware of, is that another popular actor from the first season also departed from the show during the lengthy delay. Lesley-Anne Brandt, who played top slave girl to Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), Naevia, decided during the delay to accept a job on CSI: NY. Now it's being reported that Starz has found their new Naevia with the casting of Cynthia Addai-Robinson.

Addai-Robinson has mostly done TV work with gigs on Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, CSI: Miami, Numb3rs, CSI: NY, ironically, and FastForward. She's also set to appear in the upcoming movie Columbiana with Zoe Saldana,...

Before the days of Lost, 24, Battlestar Galactica, It’s Always Sunny and Mad Men, there was one thing everyone could agree on. The cop was king. Dragnet, Jag, Magnum, P.I., Miami Vice. These are shows that defined their generations and set the bar of quality programming. Maybe it was the fact that the characters were witty jerks who just can’t get enough out of pissing each other off. Maybe it was the fact that characters in the genre were always in search of that one defining moment in their lives. Maybe it was just the eternal battle between good versus evil. Whatever it was, cop shows held a special place in many people’s hearts. With the exception of a select few, the genre as a whole went down hill in the last two decades, but after seeing what the last two years had to offer, I think that the once beloved genre is getting...