Once Anthony Anderson heard that Law & Order was returning after a 12-year hiatus, he jumped at the opportunity to reprise his role.
“I called Dick once I found out the show was coming back. And he was excited to hear from me, to hear that I would be interested in doing it,” Anthony told Deadline.
The timing was just right for Anderson. His current sitcom, Black-ish, is ending this year. And the actor didn’t have any other projects lined up. So diving back into the Law & Order universe was an easy and exciting prospect.
“Returning to the streets of New York, returning to our sound stages and that squad room and donning that badge, Badge No. 1901, was just, like, sitting in a well-worn saddle,” he continued. “It gripped you just right and was comfortable.”
In the series, Anthony Anderson played Detective Kevin Bernard for 52 episodes of the last three seasons. And when he returns, he’ll be joined by another OG star, Sam Waterson. Notable newbies include Hugh Dancy, Jeffrey Donovan, Camryn Manheim, and Odelya Halevi.
However, Camryn Manheim isn’t entirely new to the franchise. She’s actually appeared on various spinoffs three different times. And when she did, he played three different characters.
‘Law & Order’ Will Break a 20-Season Tie with ‘Gunsmoke’
When the Law & Order reboot premieres later this month, the show will officially end its 20 season tie with Gunsmoke. And surpassing the iconic Western series has been creator Dick Wolf’s goal for more than a decade.
As Wolf told NBC per CinemaBlend, “For 11 years, it was my dream that one day the show would return and break the 20-season tie with Gunsmoke.”
Wolf had every reason to believe that the hit series would make it to season 21 during its original run. Ratings were consistently high, and it seemed to have a solid place on its network. However, in 2010, the show was “abruptly canceled” after an unexpectedly lackadaisical year.
But from the day Law & Order ended, the creator was determined to bring it back. He just didn’t think it would take as long as it did.
Wolf talked to NBC about a revival for seven years. And he even considered moving the show to AMC or TNT, according to Distractify. But because of licensing fee disputes, neither of the networks pick it up.
NBC finally gave the series the greenlight in 2020. And Dick Wolf immediately got to work.
As we type, Wolf’s dreams are finally coming to fruition. The Law & Order revival returns to NBC on February 24th at 8/7 C.
