It’s looking like the end is near for “Law & Order: Trial by Jury.”
NBC is poised to cancel the midseason series, the showbiz trade papers report. If so, it would be the first time a “Law & Order”-branded series has failed to earn a second season.
This comes as a shock to many in the industry. Though the original “Law & Order” series has taken a ratings hit this season, it’s the longest-running drama on TV and remains a top 25 show. Successful spinoffs “SVU” and “Criminal Intent” are finishing their sixth and fourth seasons, respectively.
“Trial by Jury,” though, hasn’t been a hit with viewers the way the other shows have. After a good start in early March, the show has faltered in its 10 p.m. ET Friday spot. It averages 11.2 million viewers per week and has traded timeslot victories with CBS’ drama “Numb3rs.”
The show departs from its “L&O” predecessors by focusing more on the law than the order. It stars Bebe Neuwirth and Amy Carlson as prosecutors and Kirk Acevedo and Scott Cohen as D.A.’s investigators. Fred Thompson, also a regular on the “Law & Order” original, portrays the Manhattan district attorney.
Credit: Zap2It
