NBC is not moving forward with “Law & Order: For the Defense,” which had been announced earlier this spring as the latest installment of Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order” franchise. Instead, “The Blacklist” will shift to Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET this fall, when “For the Defense” had originally been scheduled.
“For the Defense” had been announced as part of NBC’s two-night, all-Wolf lineup of “Chicago Med” at Wednesdays 8 p.m., followed by “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.,” and “Law & Order: For the Defense” on Thursdays at 8 p.m, then “Law & Order: SVU” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”
Although “For the Defense” isn’t moving forward, insiders confirm that NBC, Wolf and Universal TV are developing another title under the “Law & Order” banner. This isn’t the first time a “Law & Order” series had been announced but then didn’t move forward; a planned “Law & Order: Hate Crimes” never materialized.
Carol Mendelsohn had been set to executive produce “Law & Order: For the Defense.” Here’s how NBC announced the project, which was ordered direct to series, last spring: “In its 30-year history as the most successful brand in television, Law and Order has only ever explored the perspective of its iconic prosecutors … until now. From legendary executive producer Dick Wolf comes ‘Law & Order: For the Defense,’ the newest entry in the beloved franchise that takes an unflinching look inside a criminal defense firm. Every week, the series will put the lawyers – and the criminal justice system – under the microscope like only Law & Order can, delivering hard-hitting, ripped-from-the-headlines stories that provide a new vantage point on justice.”
(Excerpt) Read more in: Variety