The possible end of an era

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories. (bum bum)

Our chances to hear those famous lines on NBC might be coming to an end.

With the constant slip in the ratings the last few years, the following news from The New York Times doesn't come as a shock: Both the original "Law & Order" and the spinoff "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" are in danger of being canceled after this season.

It's not a done deal yet, the article reports, but they're both in danger. NBC says they're too expensive to make and aren't as profitable as their ratings slip. The other long-lived spinoff, "Law & Order: SVU" is still a hit and in no danger.

Of course, the series' creator, Dick Wolf, is in no hurry to see the original's 17-year run end. The article says he's still hoping it can pass "Gunsmoke" and become the longest-running prime-time entertainment series. That would take three more seasons to tie the record.

I know the original show just isn't the same without Lennie (the late Jerry Orbach), but I'd hate to see it go. But, as the article mentions, the show surely will live on for years with its copious reruns on NBC-owned cable networks.

Anyone else a L&O addict? Who's your favorite character?