The return of the mothership is almost here.
NBC has unveiled the first full promo for the upcoming Season 21 revival of Law & Order, which features the entire cast of the show and the promise of continuing the drama that made the franchise so successful.
Law & Order’s long road to a return
It’s forgotten that when Law & Order premiered in 1990, it wasn’t an instant hit. It took a few years for the series to really catch on with viewers and rise to become one of NBC’s most popular shows.
The series hit its height in 1997, winning the Emmy Award for Best Drama and, despite numerous cast turnovers, still retained a loyal audience.
In May of 2010, everyone (including the show’s producers and cast) expected a renewal, which would allow Law & Order to break the record set by Gunsmoke of 21 seasons. Instead, shockingly, NBC canceled it for the Law & Order: LA spin-off.
That spin-off ended up being not nearly as popular, with an attempted retool failing to save it. This, combined with the cancellation of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, left Law & Order: Special VIctims Unit the only remaining part of the franchise.
That’s changed now as, at long last, the original Law & Order is coming back. Rather than a full reboot, the series is simply continuing as if this is Season 34 and not Season 21, with the mix of “ripped from the headlines” storylines and personal drama firing it up.
NBC has already been building to this with the release of a poster featuring the cast and the tag line “The original returns.”
NBC has now revealed the first full promo for the show, which already captures the Law & Order flavor.
What’s happening in the Law & Order trailer?
The promo, which will officially air during the Super Bowl on Sunday, opens with Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) intoning how he was told, “I need someone who sees the world through a different lens. Someone with the guts to make hard decisions.”
He’s answered by Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) with “I still feel that way.”
The promo then shows the other key players of the revival: Detective Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson), Detective Frank Cosgrove (Jeffrey Donovan), Lieutenant Kate Dixon (Camryn Manheim), and Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun (Odelya Halevi).
Bernard is shown intoning “it’s a new world we have to adapt to” as the characters handle both a tough case and the following trial.
It ends with McCoy solemnly stating that “making a statement isn’t enough. We need to win.”
The premiere episode “The Right Thing” has the police investigating the murder of an entertainer that leads to a complex murder trial.
The promo doesn’t give away much in the plotlines but instead sells the return of the iconic series to the NBC lineup.
With a prime airing position in the Super Bowl rotation for more attention, this promo sets the stage for the original Law & Order to make a fantastic return.
Law & Order: Season 21 premieres Thursday February 24 at 8/7c on NBC.