Though it announced the details yesterday, NBC kicked off the big four network's annual upfronts today with some good news for those who like their crime-fighting television set in New York (to go along with the good news for those who care about democracy). Not only has the peacock killed the hated Law & Order: Los Angeles, which killed our beloved original flavor Law & Order, but they've also picked up a Maria Bello-led, NYC-set, remake of the British crime classic, Prime Suspect. Oh, and The Ghost Whisperer might join the cast of Law & Order: SVU.
The new Prime Suspect stars Maria Bello as a strong-willed detective in a tough New York precinct in the new remake of the Helen Mirren-led British classic. The show will take the 10 p.m. Thursday hour that was, before Jay Leno got his paws on it, once the home of the gold standard for network drama when it premieres in the fall. Only time will tell if it lives up to the timeslot's storied history, but you can check out two clips from the show here:
Meanwhile, in other NBC crime drama news, the network has given the axe to the low-rated Law & Order-killer Law & Order: Los Angeles (we always like Southland more anyway). Of course that isn't the end for the long-standing franchise. The network is in negotiations with Chris Meloni to keep him on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a 13th season and his co-star Mariska Hargitay has already has signed on, though because she has recently had a baby she'll have a lighter load. As such, the show is in negotiations to have her move up in the fictional force to be replaced by no less than the The Ghost Whisperer herself, Jennifer Love-Hewitt. We can't hardly wait!
Oh! And crime isn't the only New York drama the network is interested in for the 2011-12 season. Come January the network is launching Smash, a Steven Spielberg-produced 13-episode drama about the making of a Broadway musical (a smashing one, we presume). Here's a teaser, which looks fun, though we still think it won't hold a candle to Slings & Arrows:
