Ulrich Leaves ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles,’ Molina and Howard Take Center Stage

The Law & Order franchise has made a habit of changing horses midstream and the latest iteration , it seems, is no different.

Law & Order: Los Angeles will undergo its first major restructuring since the premiere by replacing Skeet Ulrich with Alfred Molina—despite the fact Molina is already one of the program’s main characters.

Ulrich, who plays police detective Rex Winters, will leave the show after just 14 episodes, along with actresses Regina Hall and Megan Boon who both play lawyers. Come episode 15 Molina’s character, deputy district attorney Ricardo Morales, will make the leap from courtrooms to crime scenes as Law & Order: Los Angeles’ new lead detective.

So, how is this possible? The show plans to reveal that Molina’s character had been a 15-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, achieving the rank of detective during his tenure. His dissatisfaction with the district attorney’s office ultimately causes him to return to police work.

The casting shakeup will essentially make leads of Alfred Molina and the man with whom he split his screen time: Terrence Howard. Howard’s character, John Dekker, also a district attorney, will now star in every episode, as opposed to alternating with Molina.

Series executive producer Dick Wolf described the situation by saying:

“We have the fortune of two world-class actors on LOLA, and it was frustrating to have one on the bench every week. It would be like having Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as your quarterbacks, playing alternate games.”

No stranger to a revolving door of cast members, the Law & Order franchise seems to thrive by pulling out its mainstays and introducing new actors every so often. This time, however, it happened earlier than most expected. NBC’s sudden overhaul of its highest-rated drama is a risky move, but one that is fueled by the show’s ratings reaching a plateau.

Fortunately, Corey Stoll, who plays Ulrich’s partner, will stay on with Molina. While there has yet to be an announcement of who will be joining Terrence Howard in the courtroom, producers are currently searching for an actress to fill Molina’s roll as Deputy District Attorney.

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Law & Order: Los Angeles moves to Tuesdays @10 p.m, on Feb. 8th.

Source: TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly

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‘Law & Order: SVU’ Showrunner Departing For CBS

Veteran Law & Order: SVU executive producer/showrunner Neal Baer is abandoning ship after eleven seasons behind the scenes of the popular NBC drama.

All told, Baer wore the colors of the peacock network for sixteen years, five of which were spent at another NBC mainstay, ER.

Following his scheduled June 1st departure, Baer heads to CBS Television Studios, where he has reportedly signed a lucrative three-year deal.

As Baer told Daily Variety:

“After more than a decade on ‘SVU,’ I felt it was time to take a breath and say, ‘What’s next?’ And those people who were there for me at the very beginning said, ‘We’re next,’”

NBC’s loss is truly a gain for CBS, a network eager to get back to business – and away from rampant, willy-nilly reality TV programming – particularly with regard to creative storytelling and solid dramatic programming.

Baer says the folks at CBS admire and respect the writing process, “and I admire their insight and passion for storytelling…I think that’s a good combination.”

Naturally, Baer’s departure begs the obvious question: will it hurt the quality of Law & Order: SVU? If we use Dexter as a model for reference, the loss of Clyde Phillips after season 4 was certainly felt by fans and critics alike in season 5. But the juggernaut Law & Order brand now seems to be at a juncture where the machine – and its corresponding established formula – can largely operate itself, despite the guiding hands on deck.

In recent months, the ubiquitous Law & Order programming has experienced a noticeable dip in ratings and viewer interest. But this is likely a function of the struggling NBC network more than a reflection of an individual program’s weakness. This big picture scenario involving NBC’s looming troubles is presumably another logical factor prompting Baer’s decision to make a fresh start at this point in his career, on another network.

While it isn’t yet clear if and how Baer’s exit will impact Law & Order: SVU, for the time being it’s business as usual at the award-winning NBC series. More than six months remain before Baer heads to the eyeball network, nd, for now, the veteran producer still calls NBC home and looks to finish strong “with great stories and amazing guest actors.”

Source: Daily Variety

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