The Law & Order franchise has been going strong in some form or other since all the way back in 1990, with Law & Order: SVU keeping the format alive even when the original was off the air for more than a decade. Now, another spinoff is on the way, and one of the biggest questions is simply how it hadn’t already happened before in the 30+ years of the franchise. The format is crossing borders north of the usual NYC for Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent!
A take on Law & Order has been greenlit by Canadian television network CityTV, according to THR, with an order for ten episodes of detectives chasing down high-profile criminals in cases of corruption in Toronto. The descriptions sound more like a Canadian version of Christopher Meloni’s Law & Order: Organized Crime, but the title obviously recalls Vincent D’Onofrio’s Law & Order: Criminal Intent more than any other installment.
In a fun twist, this Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent news comes just days after D’Onofrio expressed enthusiasm for reprising his CI role, and that show was successful enough that he and several of his CI co-stars ranked on the list of the 25 Law & Order franchise actors who have been in the most episodes. Development on the new show reportedly began in partnership with Universal television in 2022, and production will begin this fall.
As a Canadian production, it shouldn’t face the same difficulties that are facing American television networks in light of the WGA writers strike. There is no precise premiere date set at this point, but Citytv is already hyping when Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is expected:
DUN DUN 🚨LAW & ORDER TORONTO: CRIMINAL INTENT, an adaption of the legendary #LawAndOrder brand is coming to CANADA! The series will follow an elite squad of detectives who investigate high-profile crime and corruption in metro #Toronto ⚖️ Coming Spring 2024 on Citytv! pic.twitter.com/z8NBjahretJune 5, 2023
At the time of writing, there’s no confirmation whether or not Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent will be set in the same world as the three Law & Order shows that air on NBC as part of Dick Wolf’s current nine-show TV universe. Those nine shows already span two networks with the FBIs airing on CBS while the Law & Order and One Chicago shows are on NBC, but ties to Citytv in Canada might be trickier.
This new show isn’t the first time that Law & Order has expanded beyond New York City, however. Law & Order: UK ran for eight seasons on British broadcaster ITV, although with British TV seasons running for far fewer episodes than American TV seasons, that only totals 53 episodes from 2009 - 2014. Law & Order: LA took the action to Los Angeles, but that NBC series lasted for just one season. Will the Toronto-set spinoff be successful enough for a multi-season run?
Only time will tell on that front, but Citytv has broadcast the Law & Order shows in Canada over the years, so there’s certainly going to be name recognition with the Canadian audience. Personally, I just want to know what the opening narration will be! For now, though, fans of the franchise can head to a Peacock Premium subscription for a Law & Order fix, with episodes from the original, SVU, Organized Crime, and Criminal Intent all available now.