It's looking more and more like "Law & Order" really is done after 20 seasons — despite creator/executive producer Dick Wolf's insistence that "the patient is not dead."
Wolf — desperate for a 21st season to break the tie of 20 seasons with "Gunsmoke" — has been trying to find another home for the show. But the cable channel believed to be the prime target, TNT, has issued a statement that it is not interested.
Wolf may be looking for another outlet, but because of a rerun licensing deal, TNT would have to approve a 21st season in any case. So it's not looking good.
For all the complaining about the cancellation of "Law & Order," the ratings for the series finale were a pretty strong indication that NBC made the right decision. That last episode was last in its time slot. It attracted 7.6 million viewers, trailing CBS's "CSI: Miami" (12.4 million) by 39 percent and ABC's "The Bachelor" (8.4 million) by 10 percent. "Law & Order" was also last in the advertiser-friendly 18-49 demographic.
Meanwhile, "Ghost Whisperer" has given up the ghost. Canceled by CBS, ABC (which co-produced the show) was considering picking it up.
But ABC passed, and "Ghost Whisperer" is done after five seasons.
In neither case is this a TV tragedy. The shows to feel bad about are the ones that get canceled after a promising start that's cut short at a season or two. Not the ones that run five or 20 years.
— Scott D. Pierce