‘L&O’ spinoff will go on without Orbach
The death of actor Jerry Orbach will not affect plans for the latest “Law & Order” spinoff, “Law & Order: Trial by Jury.”
Orbach, who played Detective Lennie Briscoe on “Law & Order” for more than a decade, succumbed to prostate cancer on Tuesday. He had left the original series last spring and was to reprise his popular role on the latest, fourth edition of the NBC drama franchise, which was scheduled to debut early this year.
“While Jerry is irreplaceable, ‘Law & Order: Trial by Jury’ is an ensemble and will continue in production,” the show’s producers said in a statement. “A new cast member will join the company, announcements will be forthcoming.”
“Trial by Jury” focuses, as its name suggests, on the courtroom. The story line had Briscoe, retired as an active street cop, working as an investigator for an assistant district attorney, played by Bebe Neuwirth. Orbach appears in three of the six episodes shot so far, an NBC representative said.
The network ordered 13 episodes of “Trial by Jury” but has not announced a start date or a time slot.
Orbach’s death is a big blow to the “Law & Order” franchise, which was already having a difficult season.
After 14 years of remarkable ratings resiliency, the original series fumbled 20 percent of its audience this season compared with last, including 26 percent of its viewers in the 18-to-49 age bracket that NBC targets.
Offshoot “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” is down 14 percent among viewers of all ages and 15 percent in the 18-to-49 demographic group, compared with last season.
Both series this year face very strong freshman competition.
On Wednesdays at 10 p.m., “Law & Order” battles CBS’s “CSI: NY,” which is the third most-watched new series of the season. And on Sundays, “Criminal Intent” is broadcast at the same time as ABC’s surprise hit “Desperate Housewives,” which is the second most-watched series of the season, behind only CBS’s Thursday edition of “CSI.”
Only “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” on Tuesday night has not suffered a ratings decline this season. “SVU” is up 8 percent over last year among viewers overall, and up 13 percent in the prized 18-to-34 demographic group.