Thaindian News

LOS ANGELES (BNO NEWS) — NBC Universal on Friday announced its decision to cancel its long-running procedural drama ‘Law & Order’ after a total of 20 seasons, one season shy of a record-breaking 21st season.

The announcement comes a day after ‘Deadline Hollywood’ reported that NBC Universal, while citing unidentified sources, had cancelled the series. “This is very surprising as NBC brass had indicated lately that they would bring L&O for a record-breaking 21st season,” wrote Deadline Hollywood editor Nellie Andreeva on Thursday.

At the end of the current season - on Monday, May 24 - Law & Order will have solved countless crimes during its 456-episode run. It will tie ‘Gunsmoke’ as the longest drama on television, with both having 20 seasons.

“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,” said Jeff Gaspin, Chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment. “The legacy of his original ‘Law & Order’ series will continue to make an impact like no other series before.”

Law & Order first premiered on September 13, 1990 and is also known for spawning several spin-offs, including a new series titled Law & Order: Los Angeles which will begin next fall.

The new ‘Law & Order: Los Angeles’ is a procedural crime drama that will follow the theme and storylines similar to the “Law & Order”-brand series on the streets of Los Angeles. The series, from executive producer Dick Wolf and Blake Masters (“Brotherhood”), is a Wolf Films production in association with Universal Media Studios. Casting and pre-production work are continuing.