Post by Patcat on Jul 28, 2005 15:14:43 GMT -5
Here's another article from the same press session.
'Law & Order' creator Wolf mad about ink
By Kevin D. Thompson
Palm Beach Post Television Critic
Thursday, July 28, 2005
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Dick Wolf is arguably the most successful producer in television history.
The last time I checked, about 38 Law & Orders were on the air. OK, there's really only three. I've never been that good at math. The point is, Wolf is a producing machine who can probably afford to buy his own island-nation.
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So, why is it that whenever Wolf comes to the TV Tour, he always appears, well, angry?
"I'm not angry," Wolf responds when the question is raised.
Then he goes on the explain why he is angry.
"What makes me angry is the lack of sophisticated business reportage," Wolf says. "I'll send you the clips. If you saw the volume of articles in the fall (about) how badly the (Law & Order) shows have been hurt by CSI: NY and Desperate Housewives, it wasn't good reporting."
Wolf isn't finished. In fact, he's on one of his legendary rolls.
"Yeah, we may get knocked around a little bit, but this is still the most profitable brand in the history of the medium," Wolf boasts. "I mean, these shows generated $1 billion in advertising revenue last year... but I'm not (ticked) off. I'm a very happy guy."
He should be — for a lot of reasons.
The most recent one is that NBC has announced a French version of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. (Just how do you say perp in French?) Anyway, it's in pre-production in Paris and scheduled to air in 2006.
"I couldn't be more thrilled," Wolf says. "Many of you, over the years, have heard me talking about this as a dream. It's now become a reality. Because of the French love of mysteries, we are in a situation that could really bear fruit. And I think if it bears fruit in France, it's a pump-primer for the rest of the world."
It's official: World domination is Wolf's ultimate goal.
And just what does Vincent D'Onofrio, who plays the quirky Detective Goren on Criminal Intent, think of the new French version?
"It means that we have a good show and a good formula," he says. "I think it would be great to see it played. I'm sure whatever actor it is, (he's) going to do it differently than I do it. I don' t know if his name is going to be Goren."
Says Wolf: "It doesn't sound very French to me."
Speaking of Goren, NBC announced last year that D'Onofrio, who had some health issues, would appear in only half of the Criminal Intent's 22 episodes while Chris Noth would reprise his hunky Mike Logan character for the other 11.
That unorthodox arrangement works fine with D'Onofrio.
"It means for the first time since the first season, I will actually be able to sit with the script in my lap for 10 days before we shoot it," he says. "As an actor, especially a film actor, that's an incredible thing for me. Secondly, I'll have a life."
That life will include more film work. D'Onofrio says he just finished shooting The Breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. He also recently produced, directed and starred in Five Minutes, Mr. Welles in which he plays the famed Orson Welles.
Mariska Hargitay, the hard-nosed Olivia Benson on Special Victims Unit, silently wishes she could cut such a deal.
"I'm not going to lie — I'm very jealous," she says. "But Vincent really needed it. I don't think he was ever not in a scene."
But getting back to Wolf.
Not surprisingly, he wasn't too pleased when NBC yanked Trial By Jury.
"I was incredibly upset, disappointed, dismayed and any other adjective that you could care to add," he says.
The move, however, was business, not personal. Nobody understands that better than Wolf.
"That the (Law & Order) brand is the most important piece of business to obviously both of us, this is much more like a long-term marriage with no possibility of divorce," he says. "We're stuck together and as in every long-term marriage, there may be hills and valleys."
On the bright side, Wolf points out that a new character-driven show about assistant district attorneys will air on NBC in the next year.
"It's going to be much more of an ensemble than the other shows," he says. "There is going to be more time spent figuring out how (the characters) are driven and what made them who they're becoming."
We all know Dick Wolf is driven. Now, if only he could be a little happier at Press Tour.
Patcat
'Law & Order' creator Wolf mad about ink
By Kevin D. Thompson
Palm Beach Post Television Critic
Thursday, July 28, 2005
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Dick Wolf is arguably the most successful producer in television history.
The last time I checked, about 38 Law & Orders were on the air. OK, there's really only three. I've never been that good at math. The point is, Wolf is a producing machine who can probably afford to buy his own island-nation.
More in Accent
•Charm & Gal Friday
• Columnists | Blog Squad
• Comics/crosswords
• Horoscopes
• TV schedules | Movie listings
So, why is it that whenever Wolf comes to the TV Tour, he always appears, well, angry?
"I'm not angry," Wolf responds when the question is raised.
Then he goes on the explain why he is angry.
"What makes me angry is the lack of sophisticated business reportage," Wolf says. "I'll send you the clips. If you saw the volume of articles in the fall (about) how badly the (Law & Order) shows have been hurt by CSI: NY and Desperate Housewives, it wasn't good reporting."
Wolf isn't finished. In fact, he's on one of his legendary rolls.
"Yeah, we may get knocked around a little bit, but this is still the most profitable brand in the history of the medium," Wolf boasts. "I mean, these shows generated $1 billion in advertising revenue last year... but I'm not (ticked) off. I'm a very happy guy."
He should be — for a lot of reasons.
The most recent one is that NBC has announced a French version of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. (Just how do you say perp in French?) Anyway, it's in pre-production in Paris and scheduled to air in 2006.
"I couldn't be more thrilled," Wolf says. "Many of you, over the years, have heard me talking about this as a dream. It's now become a reality. Because of the French love of mysteries, we are in a situation that could really bear fruit. And I think if it bears fruit in France, it's a pump-primer for the rest of the world."
It's official: World domination is Wolf's ultimate goal.
And just what does Vincent D'Onofrio, who plays the quirky Detective Goren on Criminal Intent, think of the new French version?
"It means that we have a good show and a good formula," he says. "I think it would be great to see it played. I'm sure whatever actor it is, (he's) going to do it differently than I do it. I don' t know if his name is going to be Goren."
Says Wolf: "It doesn't sound very French to me."
Speaking of Goren, NBC announced last year that D'Onofrio, who had some health issues, would appear in only half of the Criminal Intent's 22 episodes while Chris Noth would reprise his hunky Mike Logan character for the other 11.
That unorthodox arrangement works fine with D'Onofrio.
"It means for the first time since the first season, I will actually be able to sit with the script in my lap for 10 days before we shoot it," he says. "As an actor, especially a film actor, that's an incredible thing for me. Secondly, I'll have a life."
That life will include more film work. D'Onofrio says he just finished shooting The Breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston. He also recently produced, directed and starred in Five Minutes, Mr. Welles in which he plays the famed Orson Welles.
Mariska Hargitay, the hard-nosed Olivia Benson on Special Victims Unit, silently wishes she could cut such a deal.
"I'm not going to lie — I'm very jealous," she says. "But Vincent really needed it. I don't think he was ever not in a scene."
But getting back to Wolf.
Not surprisingly, he wasn't too pleased when NBC yanked Trial By Jury.
"I was incredibly upset, disappointed, dismayed and any other adjective that you could care to add," he says.
The move, however, was business, not personal. Nobody understands that better than Wolf.
"That the (Law & Order) brand is the most important piece of business to obviously both of us, this is much more like a long-term marriage with no possibility of divorce," he says. "We're stuck together and as in every long-term marriage, there may be hills and valleys."
On the bright side, Wolf points out that a new character-driven show about assistant district attorneys will air on NBC in the next year.
"It's going to be much more of an ensemble than the other shows," he says. "There is going to be more time spent figuring out how (the characters) are driven and what made them who they're becoming."
We all know Dick Wolf is driven. Now, if only he could be a little happier at Press Tour.
Patcat