LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT Will Face Mass Cast Exodus
USA Network, a sister cable TV network of NBC, has confirmed rumors that the cast of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT will go through a major cast revamp. Popular actors Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Eric Bogosian and Julianne Nicholson are scheduled to leave for season nine. However, D'Onofrio will star in a two hour season opener as Detective Robert Goren where he hands his job over to Detective Zach Nichols(Jeff Goldblum).
While some insiders might claim that these wholesale changes to the cast are related to cost cutting running all through the USA-NBC networks, others argue that Jeff Goldblum fits in more with the USA Network philosophy of unique characters. Goldblum has a propensity for quirky comedy, and his unusual style is much like that of the popular Adrian Monk character on MONK in some ways. And since cost cutting has forced the USA Network to end the very popular MONK series, it might be hoped that Jeff Goldblum can reinvent the LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT brand with his unique acting style and somewhat satisfy some fans of the MONK series.
All of this is something of a gamble for LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT. Will these changes make the series appear fresh, or will they only alienate long-time fans? And how far can the series go if Jeff Goldblum goes out for laughs on the series? LAW & ORDER: SVU introduced a quirky character last season who nearly made the program into a comedy at moments. The result was unusual until his character had a mental breakdown and was written out of the series. The fact of the matter is that fans of the LAW & ORDER franchise look for serious drama and not laughs. The series walks a tightrope in how far it can go looking for a little comic relief.
But overall, Jeff Goldblum is a very popular actor and extremely talented. And so far fans of the series have responded very well to his unique personality and role in the series. In fact, the revamped series will now completely revolve around Jeff Goldblum's character compared to the complex character played by actor Vincent D'Onofrio. But D'Onofrio's brilliant, but troubled character will be missed. D'Onofrio's character seemed as brilliant as he was volatile and disturbed just under the surface. Actress Kathryn Erbe's smart alecky character made a nice foil for the complex character played by D'Onofrio. It was great actor chemistry. Whether actor Jeff Goldblum can be matched with a suitable foil to match his character will be a challenge for the program. Maybe these changes might not be so bad.
Stay Tuned.
posted by Paul Hooson @ 11:20 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Oh yes, this news is very sad. LOCI fans are outraged! Check out our blog:
savinggorenandeamesblogspot.com/
We don't want Fluff, we want Goren and Eames! We are sending USA Network hundreds of jars of Fluff on Oct. 16th!
Look, if I wanted to eat a peanut butter sandwich every day, I would, but I don’t want to, because let’s face it, it gets boring, and so don’t force fed me with this “fluff” crap. While it is the network’s choice to alter their programming as they see fit, not offering variety is, as they will soon find out, be detrimental. I realize we are in the midst of suffering a bad economy, poor housing market and unemployment, but, all the “blue sky” and “popcorn” (their buzzwords) won’t remove those realities. And, if LO: CI is considered “dark” by comparison then maybe NBCU has decided for us that we should all live in their fantasy world. If I wanted that I could go pitch a tent down in the heart of Disney World and hug Mickey Mouse all day. In answer to their “lighter fare” of programming I came up with the idea to send jars of “Fluff” to the execs at USA Network and the loyal fans have responded as cases have been sent already. The bottom line is that a disservice was done to the cast and show, and is not fair to a loyal legion of fans who have followed for 8 years now. We do not feel as if a 2 hour season opener, in which Vincent will exit, will properly satisfy all of the storylines and that instead a full Season 9 would be more appropriate in doing it justice. The rumblings have been that it is a money issue and coincedentally the coffers flowed wide open when Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni wanted more, and received, what they asked for. Given that three of the major key players are departing it is highly suspect that the “budget” (NBCU is worth 35 billion, that’s with a “b”) didn’t allow them full salaries, and, the stockholders are holding the strings. This is not about Jeff Goldblum, hell I’m glad he has a job when jobs are scarce, but to try and revamp the show when all of the established characters are leaving is too little too late. We should have seen this coming with the poor excuse for a Season 8 that had uninspiring scripts, continuity problems and episodes shown out of sequence. Frankly, I don’t know how they are going to rebound from that. No matter, once they leave, we will leave and so the ratings will tell the tale. I’m thinking on the plummet down that USA Network and NBCU will be best served and cushioned by all that “fluff” and then they will know exactly what “reality” is.
I have seen all Law & Order: CI Episodes online. Its great show. Can anyone tell me that the DVD of this show has been released or not......?
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Law & Order: Criminal Intent focuses on the investigations of the Major Case Squad in a fictionalized version of the New York City Police Department set in New York City's One Police Plaza. In the style of the original Law & Order, episodes are often "ripped from the headlines" or loosely based on a real crime that received media attention.
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