Virginia Sherwood / NBC
Evidence is mounting that NBC will cancel Law & Order after the show’s 20th season. Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood reported so on Thursday—but other blogs immediately countered that the Deadline announcement was premature. But a source close to the show told The Daily Beast that Law & Order will indeed be canceled, and E! Online reports that the news is confirmed. NBC, which will announce its new schedule this week, had previously hinted that it would give the show another season, which would have made Law & Order the longest running show of all time. But if it is canceled, the crime drama would only tie the record previously set by Gunsmoke. NBC will keep its spinoff shows in production, and Law & Order: Los Angeles is set to launch next season. New York magazine’s Josef Adalian reports that NBC offered its producer, Dick Wolf, renewal for show so he could break Gunsmoke’s record—under the condition that the season be limited to six to 10 episodes and that he reduce the budget. Sources told Adalian that Wolf didn’t want to make any concessions.