Dick Wolf on E Online

[DiFiCult]

This is from EOnline! Watch with Wanda from this week. She had comments regarding Donald Trump, Mark Burnett, and Mr. Wolf ;D I'm not very good at links so I just copied and pasted. This is regarding the Law & Order "Brand", not specific to Criminal Intent

Silver Medal: Dick Wolf, Law & Order "brand"

Dick Wolf, Law & Order mastermind, had a few choice words for a reporter who referred to Law & Order and CSI as "franchise" shows. Wolf scolded:

"CSI is the franchise. Law & Order is the brand. I've spoken to some of you about this, but it's kind of a continuous burr under my saddle. And let me explain it quite clearly. CSI is a franchise. It's like the Palm restaurant. If you go to Los Angeles, if you go to New York, you get a great steak. The only thing that changes are the caricatures on the wall. Law & Order is a brand. Hopefully, it's the Mercedes-Benz of television shows."

Given that all three Law & Order shows are "number one in their time slots" and that Wolf is coming out with a fourth L&O this season--not to mention Mariska Hargitay's nod for Law & Order: SVU--the truth is...he kinda has a point.

And, apparently, a sense of humor. When the same reporter asked if CSI: New York is the strongest competition L&O has faced yet, Wolf shot back, "I'd be retarded if I didn't know that."

[jaquetta]

A franchise vs a brand. I don't know the difference, but I doubt DW cares, as long as I watch his shows. And I do. (Okay, I kind of get his brand/franchise point too, but it seems like a silly splitting of hairs on a TV show. Whatevah)

CSI:NY seems like a more direct rip off on L&O CI in that it has a well respected character actor as its anchor. In fact, weren't VDO & Gary Sinise both in Imposter? Not that that means anything, just my mind making connections that go nowhere.....don't mind me.

[DiFiCult]

I thought brand and franchise were fairly similar, too. I guess a franchise is more independent as long as it operates according to the terms of the franchise agreement. I took this to mean that Dick Wolf is involved in all L&Os, but his perception is that the CSIs have more independent producing, writing, etc. I actually consider both CSI and L&O "brands". I guess I think of NBC News, NBC Today, NBC Weekend Today, etc. as franchises. In other words, I still have no idea. It's probably not important.

[trisha]

;D lol

I get it. He want's to differentiate L&O from CSI while being as condescending as possible. Gotta love Dick.

[ETA] Dick Wolf, you pervs. Gotta love Dick WOLF.

[LOCIfan]

Actually, I think he's making a valid distinction. Wolf is saying that CSI is like Burger King. Go to one in Michigan or one in Florida and you get the same burger when you order it. I.e. That CSI is just like CSI: Miami, except that CSI: Miami is located in Miami. Whereas with L & O, if you tune into the mothership, you get Campbell's tomato soup, tune into L&O: SVU, you get Campbell's Minestronni, tune into LOCI andyou get Campbell's clam chowder. All very different flavors, but with the quality control linked to a brand -- instead of the same flavor over and over again in different locations.

Whether or not he's right is a different issue altogether, but the distinction is valid.

[Metella]

I love Dick too.

and Gary and D'Onofrio were ALSO in that Championship Season.

[jaquetta]

A VDO movie I've missed? Odd.

LOCIfan's explanation makes sense. Come to think of it, DW said pretty much the same thing on the DVD.

[LOCIfan]

Yep, not only does he say the stuff about a brand on the DVD, he says it in interviews all the time. The new twist is him using it to dis CSI -- which I love. Not that I dislike CSI (though I admit, I'm not an avid fan), but I just love it when Wolf comes out swinging and swaggering and bragging about the Law & Order shows. If ya gots it, flaunt it!

[DiFiCult]

Good point about Burger King vs. different Campbell's I haven't seen the DVD. I'm not scratching my head quite as much about the distinction regarding a franchise vs. a brand now. Thanks!