Summary
- Law & Order season 23 will lose cast member Jeffrey Donovan who is departing due to “creative reasons”.
- The show will continue its winning formula of real-world cases and high-stakes courtroom drama, keeping viewers eagerly anticipating every episode.
- The main cast, including Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy, will be returning for season 23.
Law & Order season 23 is on the way, and news on the next chapter in the legal procedural is just as sought-after as ever. Law & Order was the show that started Dick Wolf’s entire procedural franchise and was the blueprint for many cop shows to follow. After initially ending in 2010, Law & Order returned in 2022 for its 21st season, with season 22 following shortly after. Law & Order season 23 is coming soon from NBC, and many are eager to see what awaits Shaw, Cosgrove, Dixon, and the rest of the NYPD 27th.
When the show returned after its decade-plus hiatus, it was mostly rebooted, with a new Law & Order cast taking on the roles of the NYPD detectives and attorneys. The one mainstay was Sam Waterston returning as district attorney Jack McCoy, giving old-school fans something familiar. The cases were much of the same, ripped from real-world headlines and showcasing dark stories that often kept viewers guessing. When it comes to Law & Order season 23 the Dick Wolf show is likely to keep up the same winning formula.
Law & Order Season 23 Recent News
The most pressing news regarding season 23 came in mid-November 2023 with the announcement that Law & Order would be losing a main cast member. Jeffrey Donovan, who has played Detective Frank Cosgrove since season 21, has opted not to return to the procedural for season 23. The established revival mainstay has specifically cited “creative reasons” for his departure, though those reasons were not revealed.
Law & Order Is Renewed For Season 23
NBC has confirmed that Law & Order will be returning for a 23rd season. The Law & Order season 23 renewal was announced on April 10, 2023. The show returned for season 21 in 2022, after a 12-year absence from television. The announcement came with Dick Wolfe saying he was happy to keep his four-decade relationship with NBC (via NBC Insider).
“All [the Law & Order and One Chicago shows] shows being picked up again is the ultimate accolade to our incredible casts, producers and writers. I’d also like to thank our loyal fans who have kept our NBC shows on the air for what will be a cumulative 84 seasons.”
Law & Order Season 23 Cast
Besides the departure of Jeffrey Donovan, the main cast of Law & Order season 23 should look familiar, with Mehcad Brooks as Detective Jalen Shaw, and Hugh Dancy as lawyer Nolan Pierce. Also returning for the show is Carnryn Manheim as Kate Dixon and Odelya Halevi as Samantha Maroun. Veteran Law & Order actor Sam Waterston also returned for his classic role as district attorney Jack McCoy. Waterston was happy to return to the series after such a long time and felt good taking on the role of McCoy once again (via NBC Insider).
“Obviously I haven’t really been trying hard to escape [Jack McCoy]. Because here I am after a 10, 12-year break, right back where I was before. I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have such a long run doing something of real quality that really talks to this country in plain language about what’s going on right now today. It’s just been a wonderful blessing.”
Law & Order Season 23 Story
The Law & Order season 23 story will likely follow a similar formula to previous seasons. There is rarely an overarching storyline in the procedural series, and each episode is a “pulled from the headlines” police case and mystery that the detectives have to solve. The Law & Order season 23 story focus is almost guaranteed to be on whatever case the NYPD’s 27th Precinct and the DA are tackling in each episode.
