INTERVIEW: "LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT" EXECUTIVE PRODUCER WALON GREEN

Futon Critic } 3.30.10
By Jim Halterman

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" kicks off season nine tonight on USA with a few departures - original cast members Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe - and some notable arrivals - Saffron Burrows and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - within the Major Case Squad of the New York City Police Department. What isn't changing is its ripped-from-the-headlines plots and its special guest stars, including Lorraine Bracco, Tracy Pollan and a soon-to-be-cast big name actor to play Jeff Goldblum's father on the show. Showrunner/executive producer Walon Green told our Jim Halterman yesterday that despite the changes the show has gone through "Criminal Intent" is still the same show fans have stuck by through thick and thin. Green also talked about making the cast changes work for the show, what prompted the quirkiness in Goldblum's character and he didn't mince words about why he's more than happy to not be working for the broadcast networks any longer.

Jim Halterman: With the cast shake-ups taking front and center in the season opener, is it safe to call this season a 'game-changer?'

Walon Green: Inevitably, these are different people playing different characters so, yes, that part of it is a game-changer. The DNA of the show is not any different. It's still a show that's more about the 'why' than the 'how' of crimes and still very, very slanted to the exploration of these apparent behaviors that tend to mystify and upset us. It's a different show but it's the same show.

JH: How did the decision come about for Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe to depart? Was it a mutual decision since they'd been on the show from the start?

WG: It was mutual. It came over a period of time and didn't just land on the end of last season. Vincent had considered moving on prior to this last season and his contract was up. He originally did the show and did 22 episodes. I wasn't on it then but it had to have been a nightmare for him to carry a show like that. Then they split it into two-12 episodes where he shared it with Chris Noth. Then it went to USA and it was eight and eight sharing it with Jeff. I think the feeling was that he had done it. There was also a feeling that doing 16 episodes it could have been two detectives and didn't need to be four and that would be a way to go. They can do 16 episodes and it's hard but 22 is a real killer.

JH: Cast changes aren't anything new to the 'Law & Order' franchise but how did you and your fellow writers/producers approach it?

WG: The only time I did it before was when Jerry Orbach came onto the original 'Law & Order.' I was showrunner at that time and he replaced [Paul] Sorvino but that was done mid-season. It's much easier to do it at the beginning of the season except everyone felt, and rightfully, that you couldn't just open the season and Vincent and Katy would be gone so we thought 'Let's do a two-parter that explains the story.' Their departure is, in fact, the story of the show and they would pass the baton. Then it was just a matter of coming up with a story where you could peel so much of the onion in one episode and there's still a lot left to peel.
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Thanks Linda!