When Law & Order returns for Season 22 in the fall, it will be without one of its most beloved stars.
Deadline confirmed Thursday that Anthony Anderson would not be renewing his contract for another season of the NBC procedural.
The star had signed a one-year deal to return for the revival in November.
The outlet states that the black-ish star wanted to support Dick Wolf with the revival of the original series in the franchise.
The plan, the site reports, was always for Anderson to move on following the first season back on the air.
Law & Order didn’t return to the highs in the ratings of the original run, but it wasn’t supposed to.
The TV landscape has changed, and NBC’s priority was finding the perfect companion for Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime.
The series performed well, and with the potential of more original stars making comebacks, keeping it around is a good idea.
We don’t know whether Sam Waterson will be coming back as of yet, but NBC will surely confirm casting details as we approach the fall.
“The iconic ‘Law & Order’ brand has long been synonymous with NBC and we couldn’t be more excited to bring back all three of these dramas for the 2022-23 season,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted programming for NBCU Entertainment and Streaming.
“It’s a testament to the brilliance of Dick Wolf’s storytelling that audiences remain compelled by these unforgettable characters week after week, year after year.”
“Dreams do come true,” said Wolf following the One Chicago and Law & Order franchise snagging renewals.
“The renewals of the entire Wednesday and Thursday night lineups is the ultimate verification of our partnership with NBC and Universal Television.”
“I personally want to thank the talented writers and casts, the producers who keep the trains running on time and the crews who tirelessly turn out outstanding shows despite a degree of difficulty never before experienced due to the pandemic.”
What are your thoughts on Anderson’s exit?
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.