Law Order

There were 456 episodes of "Law & Order," 298 episodes (so far) of "Law & Order: SVU," 195 episodes of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and a total of 35 episodes of the franchises' unsuccessful spinoffs. With a new case in every episode, it's become a resume staple for nearly every working actor in New York. And that includes celebrities. Over the franchise's 22 years on the air, a number of big-name stars have appeared for one-off spots on the show. And we're not just talking the usual stunt casting, like Khloe Kardashian or Serena Williams.

Customized TV Listings are available here: www.latimes.com/tvtimes Click here to download TV listings for the week of April 21 -27, 2013 in PDF format This week's TV Movies     SERIES Arrow Deadshot (Michael Rowe) is back, following a killing spree overseas. 8 p.m. KTLA Law & Order: Special Victims Unit As the SVU detectives investigate the alleged rape of a sorority pledge, drunken students and conflicting accounts complicate the case.

Actor Nick Nolte has put a Malibu compound up for sale that has seen a galaxy of stars come through its arched entryway. Besides Nolte, other notables to have owned the house include comedian Tommy Chong, Don Felder of the Eagles and music producer David Foster. Priced at $8.25 million and set in the Bonsall Canyon area, the two-acre retreat is covered with sycamore and pine trees. The main house, built in 1963, features 19-foot vaulted ceilings, skylights, six stone-and-carved-wood fireplaces, marble floors and mahogany French doors.

NBC's "Chicago Fire" did not exactly generate a lot of heat when it launched last fall. The drama about the truck and rescue squads of a fictional Chicago firehouse lacked the moody darkness, charismatic antiheroes and explosive violence of critical darlings such as "Breaking Bad," "Homeland," "Boardwalk Empire," "Dexter" and "Sons of Anarchy. " The show's retro vibe and focus on heroism were decidedly more "old school" than "new cool. " The template also appeared a bit too close to those of "Rescue Me," "Third Watch" and other recent series centered on emergency workers.

Law & Order: UK infobox 10/3/10 'Law & Order: UK' Where: BBC America When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14)

Note to the producers of NBC's "Today" show: To avoid embarrassment, it might be wise to give your anchors an occasional  crash course on the network's prime-time lineup. On the "What's Trending Today" segment, news anchor Natalie Morales demonstrated that one thing that's not trending for her is her knowledge of what's actually on her network. During the segment, she said that "Law & Order," a drama that has been off NBC's lineup for more than two years, was still on the air. The misstep came during a story about the new Blu-ray edition of the 1997 hit film "Titanic" which features a never-before-seen screen test with star Kate Winslet and Jeremy Sisto as Jack Dawson, the role eventually played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Though he lost out on "Titanic," Sisto moved on to a successful TV career, including a recurring role on HBO's "Six Feet Under.

KNBC Channel 4 is preempting tonight's episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" at 10 p.m. for a news special examining the manhunt of fugitive Christopher Dorner. The one-hour special "Manifesto for Murder: The Hunt for Christopher Dorner" includes accounts from several reporters that producers say will "dig into the facts and fiction of the Dorner/manhunt saga. " In-depth stories about the fallen victims will also be included. Highlighting the hour is a report by anchor Colleen Williams that will cover Dorner's first critical mistakes, and also feature an examination of news coverage of the manhunt.

I don't understand your favorable article on "Law & Order" (" 'Law & Order' Steps Out of the Shadows," Dec. 7). The show is right-wing drivel and less realistic than HBO's two comedies in the same time slot. "Law & Order" lifts stories out of the New York Times and doctors them up, so that in every criminal case we have the following: No police officers lie. The suspect is always guilty; the wrong person is never arrested for a crime. Crime labs make no mistakes. All prosecutors are ethical.

Pitted against edgy procedurals, trendy reality shows or ensemble dramas, NBC's "Law & Order" for nearly 20 years has persevered as one of TV's most recognizable and durable brands. And if it lasts a few more seasons, the hybrid cop-and-lawyer series would eclipse "Gunsmoke" as television's longest-running drama.

The death of actor Jerry Orbach will not affect plans for the latest "Law & Order" spinoff, "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," the producers said. Orbach, who played Det. Lennie Briscoe on "Law & Order" for more than a decade, succumbed to prostate cancer Tuesday. He had left the original series last spring and was to reprise his popular role on the latest, fourth edition of the NBC drama franchise, which was scheduled to debut early in 2005. "While Jerry is irreplaceable, 'Law & Order: Trial by Jury' is an ensemble and will continue in production," the producers said in a statement.

KNBC Channel 4 is preempting tonight's episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" at 10 p.m. for a news special examining the manhunt of fugitive Christopher Dorner. The one-hour special "Manifesto for Murder: The Hunt for Christopher Dorner" includes accounts from several reporters that producers say will "dig into the facts and fiction of the Dorner/manhunt saga. " In-depth stories about the fallen victims will also be included. Highlighting the hour is a report by anchor Colleen Williams that will cover Dorner's first critical mistakes, and also feature an examination of news coverage of the manhunt.

Director-producer (and "Happy Days" and "Andy Griffith Show" star) Ron Howard, sportscaster Al Michaels, CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves, CBS newsman Bob Schieffer and "Law & Order" mogul Dick Wolf will be inducted this year into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. They will be joined in the Hall of Fame's 22nd class of inductees by someone who's indirectly responsible for all of their careers: Philo T. Farnsworth, an inventor responsible for the first all-electronic TV transmission in 1927.

There were 456 episodes of "Law & Order," 298 episodes (so far) of "Law & Order: SVU," 195 episodes of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and a total of 35 episodes of the franchises' unsuccessful spinoffs. With a new case in every episode, it's become a resume staple for nearly every working actor in New York. And that includes celebrities. Over the franchise's 22 years on the air, a number of big-name stars have appeared for one-off spots on the show. And we're not just talking the usual stunt casting, like Khloe Kardashian or Serena Williams.

Re "Beck eases LAPD deport policy," Oct. 5 Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck wants to distance himself from federal immigration law, which he says is unfair to illegal immigrants suspected of committing petty offenses. We don't understand the reluctance to enforce our laws or the attitude that we don't want to make life inconvenient or uncomfortable for those illegally in this country. While it's obvious that serious and violent criminals deserve priority, petty offenses are quality-of-life issues that affect us all. We have continued to say one thing about immigration while doing another, which only encourages illegal immigration.

Note to the producers of NBC's "Today" show: To avoid embarrassment, it might be wise to give your anchors an occasional  crash course on the network's prime-time lineup. On the "What's Trending Today" segment, news anchor Natalie Morales demonstrated that one thing that's not trending for her is her knowledge of what's actually on her network. During the segment, she said that "Law & Order," a drama that has been off NBC's lineup for more than two years, was still on the air. The misstep came during a story about the new Blu-ray edition of the 1997 hit film "Titanic" which features a never-before-seen screen test with star Kate Winslet and Jeremy Sisto as Jack Dawson, the role eventually played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Though he lost out on "Titanic," Sisto moved on to a successful TV career, including a recurring role on HBO's "Six Feet Under.

Dick Wolf, the veteran powerhouse producer behind NBC's new "Chicago Fire," at first glance seems an unlikely match for a fast-moving, large-ensemble drama filled with calamity, danger and big action sequences. Wolf, 65, is best known as the creator of NBC's "Law & Order" franchise, which started in 1990 with NBC's "Law & Order," one of the longest-running shows in television history, and spawned such spinoffs as "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," the last now entering its 14 t h season.

Michael Imperioli, who won an Emmy for his work on "The Sopranos," will temporarily join NBC's "Law & Order" to replace Jesse L. Martin while he is off making the film version of the musical "Rent." Imperioli will appear in the final few episodes of the drama this season, playing a detective who is the nephew of the character portrayed by Dennis Farina. Martin, who is in his sixth season as Det. Ed Green, will be back in the fall, executive producer Dick Wolf said.

Dick Wolf is known primarily for developing the "Law & Order" franchise. But with his series "Chicago Fire,"  Wolf is moving from the cool of the courtroom to the heat of infernos fought by dedicated Chicago firefighters. Just don't call "Chicago Fire"a procedural that will spotlight weekly fires and rescues. Wolf describes the series as an intense, character-driven drama that is a bit of a throwback to big-scale event TV. "This is not the fire of the week," Wolf said during a session about the NBC series at the TCA Press Tour.