The Law & Order, One Chicago and FBI series

[OceanBlue]

Read on Geektown last night that FBI spin-offs Most Wanted and International have both been cancelled by CBS (the original series had previously been renewed up to and including a ninth season (currently in it's seventh). However, I am hoping something similar happens that has happened with Law & Order: Organized Crime (it moved to Peacock, with it's fifth season starting next month in the States (on Thursday, April 17th). The FBI shows are not made by CBS' production company, so the two spin-offs should be able to be offered to other networks.

[Shane Rollins]

I guess this is the official L&O thread, or the closest thing we have to it.

Am I the only one who thought the 3/20/25 episode "Folk Hero" sucked?

[Show spoiler]I wasn't so much bothered by anything pre-8:57 PM, so much as I was bothered by it being open-ended.

Obviously it was based on the whole UnitedHealthcare thing. Considering it went to the point that the jury was standing there, they should've just ended it with a verdict. Obviously whichever way the gavel came down, it would've divided people, but literally ending with "We the jury find the defendant...EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DICK WOLF" was just a complete kick in the stones.

Instead of pissing off those who think Thompson's a victim and Mangione's a monster, or pissing off those who view Mangione as a hero and Thompson as (for lack of better words) deserving of his own murder, they effectively sidestepped the issue, and basically wasted a whole hour producing a story with no ending. It came off like a low-rent Picnic At Hanging Rock.

To add insult to injury, a good part of the episode got silenced on my TV by a storm warning that easily silenced 7-8 minutes of the show between 8:30 and 8:55. So I really got it in both ends with this one.

Just me?

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by Shane Rollins

I guess this is the official L&O thread, or the closest thing we have to it.

Am I the only one who thought the 3/20/25 episode "Folk Hero" sucked?

[Show spoiler]I wasn't so much bothered by anything pre-8:57 PM, so much as I was bothered by it being open-ended.

Obviously it was based on the whole UnitedHealthcare thing. Considering it went to the point that the jury was standing there, they should've just ended it with a verdict. Obviously whichever way the gavel came down, it would've divided people, but literally ending with "We the jury find the defendant...EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DICK WOLF" was just a complete kick in the stones.

Instead of pissing off those who think Thompson's a victim and Mangione's a monster, or pissing off those who view Mangione as a hero and Thompson as (for lack of better words) deserving of his own murder, they effectively sidestepped the issue, and basically wasted a whole hour producing a story with no ending. It came off like a low-rent Picnic At Hanging Rock.

To add insult to injury, a good part of the episode got silenced on my TV by a storm warning that easily silenced 7-8 minutes of the show between 8:30 and 8:55. So I really got it in both ends with this one.

Just me?

There is a discussion thread in the TV Shows sub-forum that was started for the beginning of the revival of the original Law & Order (Season 21 onwards):

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...=law+%26+order

[OceanBlue]

Regarding the UK DVD releases of the original FBI show, have checked the packaging of my copies of Season Three and Five and the recent release of the sixth season. It appears they stopped including a slipcover after the fourth season (am basing this on Season Six not having one, and that was only released this month in the UK. Season Five didn't have a slipcover (that came out a year ago). My copy of the third season, surprisingly, still had a slipcover (that came out a few years ago).

Elsewhere, sadly the two spin-offs Most Wanted and International will not be getting picked up by another channel. There could be a new spin-off if a backdoor pilot planned for airing during the remainder of FBI's current seventh season is successful (it will be about the CIA).

Law & Order: SVU's current twenty-sixth season starts on Sky Witness in the UK a week on Thursday (3rd April) at 2 am - 3 am, repeated later at 9 pm - 10 pm (it's regular, weekly timeslots on the channel). Source: Geektown and TV & Satellite Week.

Finally, Law & Order: Organized Crime's new season (the fifth) starts on Peacock in the States on Thursday, April 17th. Source: EpGuides.

[OceanBlue]

When checking EpGuides/TV Maze for new synopses put up for the FBI, Law & Order and One Chicago shows in the past week, I saw that the original Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU will be doing a two-part crossover event called "Play with Fire". It will premiere in the States on NBC a week today (Thursday, April 17th), the same day that the fifth season of L & O: Organized Crime is premiering on streaming platform Peacock.

[OceanBlue]

Will probably need to change the brightness setting on my television or/and multi-region player for the UK DVD releases of Chicago Med and P.D., and German Blu-ray release of Chicago Fire, as I found the transfers to be dark at times on the episodes I watched a week ago. It has been two years since I last watched the shows, so I could have forgotten how darkly and well-lit the shows were.

[OceanBlue]

They're starting later than normal, but at least there is now a start date. Read earlier today on Geektown that the current seasons of the One Chicago shows will premiere on UK TV on Sky Witness two weeks today (Friday 2nd May). They'll be airing on Friday nights in the usual 8 pm - 11 pm programme block, and will premiere first earlier in the early hours of the morning (the usual 1 am - 4 am programme block).

Like in the States they will air in the order of Med, Fire, then P.D., with the exception of episode 11 (which is where the three-part crossover event occurs (Med and Fire swapping round, with P.D. concluding the story).

Update: Added TV listings information for programme block on Sky Witness where each week's new episodes of the current seasons of the One Chicago shows will premiere (source: TV & Satellite Week (Saturday 25th April to Friday 2nd May, 2025).

[OceanBlue]

News has been posted on the web about the planned FBI off-shoot series CIA (credit to member "drb999", who has posted the news in the TV Shows sub-forum):

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=385047

On a separate note, no news yet on the One Chicago shows being renewed for next season (I did read recently that following the previous and current seasons, there could be further budget cuts if the shows are renewed (ie. not all of the actors will appear in every episode), so the reason for a delay on renewal news could be because of negotiations with the actors).

[OceanBlue]

Finally, news was posted on the web yesterday that the One Chicago shows have been renewed for next season, but with some predictable (and understandable) catches.

I can understand when you get long-running shows they become more expensive to make, and budget cuts need to be made in different areas (Knots Landing in it's 14th and final season, every actor in the main cast but one didn't appear in two or three episodes (and I also read that if it had been renewed for a further season, further cuts to the budget would have to have been made). The three One Chicago shows are still doing very well for NBC, but in terms of the Nielsen ratings I have read that Med has overtaken P.D., with Fire and Med looking to finish in the Top 10 for the season as a whole.

Now the shows have been renewed, they'll be negotiating with the actors for their contracts. One thing that is likely to happen next season, is the episode count will be reduced by two episodes (this doesn't include any bonus crossover episodes though).

[OceanBlue]

Not quite got the brightness settings just right yet when watching the physical media releases of the One Chicago shows from two seasons ago (compared to films that I watch on the same player). Some observations I've had:

- Chicago Med: Season Eight looks much darker in interior scenes compared to Chicago P.D.: Season Ten (a lot of Med though is shot on studio sets compared to on location)

- when the Universal logo appears onscreen, in the Med boxset you can't skip to the episode and settings menu screens, but you can with the P.D. boxset (the German Blu-ray release of Chicago Fire: Season Eleven is the same as P.D. (you can skip to the menu screens)

- with Med and Fire, when you select the episode from the menu screen it starts straight away (the NBC Presents logo), but with P.D. when you select the episode to watch, an anti-piracy disclaimer screen appears first

- Med and Fire both have a language and subtitles options, but with P.D. there is only a subtitles option.

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Checked CD Japan's website earlier and was happy to see that DVD pre-order listings have been put up for the cheaper DVD re-issue of FBI: Most Wanted's third season, as well as the fourth season in two parts (release date beside each title):

FBI: Most Wanted: Season Three (cheaper DVD re-issue) - Wednesday 6th November
FBI: Most Wanted: Season Four: Part One - Wednesday 6th November
FBI: Most Wanted: Season Four: Part Two - Wednesday 4th December.

The above titles and their release dates are subject to change. No front cover artwork is up yet on CD Japan (haven't checked Amazon's Japan website).

Hopefully someone can help with this query. Recently, I've checked CD Japan's website to see if the cheaper re-issue DVD boxsets of FBI: Most Wanted: Season Three and FBI: International: Season One are still available. Has something gone on where they're no longer selling any of the DVD releases of the FBI shows? I'm finding it says on the website they're no longer available. Were they limited edition and have sold out? Are they no longer pressing new copies and CD Japan has sold all of the copies they had?

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

A new thread has likely been started in North America, but as it's the monthly tip-toeing around before a boutique label's announcements I avoid certain sub-forums because of titles being possibly leaked.

Checked Moviezyng earlier for any new titles having been added, and saw that the most recently completed season of Law & Order: SVU (Season Twenty-Five) is getting a DVD and Blu-ray release in the States this fall/autumn (the Blu-ray release surprises me).

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

I was surprised by the blu-ray too. I believe this is the first Law & Order Blu-ray being released in the US.

We'll find out in hopefully 2-3 months times whether last year's US Blu-ray release of Law & Order: SVU's twenty-fifth season was a one-off or not.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Hopefully someone can help with this query. Recently, I've checked CD Japan's website to see if the cheaper re-issue DVD boxsets of FBI: Most Wanted: Season Three and FBI: International: Season One are still available. Has something gone on where they're no longer selling any of the DVD releases of the FBI shows? I'm finding it says on the website they're no longer available. Were they limited edition and have sold out? Are they no longer pressing new copies and CD Japan has sold all of the copies they had?

These releases definitely have not sold out, but there does seem to be an issue at CDJapan and Neowing with items distributed by NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, who distribute both Paramount and Universal titles in Japan.

You can see below that most items are listed as "Sold Out" at both sites:

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/maker/1497....include_eoa=1

https://www.neowing.co.jp/maker/1497....include_eoa=1

I haven't used CDJapan for a while but I notice that there seems to be a small uptick in supposedly "sold out" items there, for example, these SACDs currently show as "Sold Out", when they are not:

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UCGD-9116

https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/UCGD-9119

CDJapan still has plenty of new and old releases as well as pre-orders, so I'm unsure what is going on. Possibly, there is a distribution issue with Neowing. I know that Amazon will no longer ship NBCUEJ, along with Disney and Sony (both now distributed by Happinet in Japan) titles internationally, so there may be some kind of clue there.

[OceanBlue]

Thanks McCrutchy for the explanation and trying to make some sense of the lack of availability of the DVD releases of the FBI shows for example on CD Japan.

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Like in the States they will air in the order of Med, Fire, then P.D., with the exception of episode 11 (which is where the three-part crossover event occurs (Med and Fire swapping round, with P.D. concluding the story).

The first One Chicago crossover event in over five years (a three-parter called "In the Trenches") will be premiering on Sky Witness a week tomorrow on Friday 11th July as expected, airing first at 1 am - 4 am, then repeated later at 8 pm - 11 pm.

Source: Sky TV listings and TV & Satellite Week (Saturday 5th to Friday 11th July, 2025).

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

These releases definitely have not sold out, but there does seem to be an issue at CDJapan and Neowing with items distributed by NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan, who distribute both Paramount and Universal titles in Japan.

Yesterday, I found out when visiting CD Japan that the FBI boxsets are available again. Hopefully, FBI: International's second season is going to get a cheaper DVD boxset release (it's been just over twelve months since season 1 had a cheaper DVD boxset release in Japan).

Wouldn't be expecting a cheaper DVD release there of FBI: Most Wanted's fourth season until November/December time.

[OceanBlue]

Read the sad news earlier that actor Julian McMahon has passed away. First time I saw them on TV was on Australian soap opera Home and Away, followed by Nip/Tuck. In the last few years, I've seen him in FBI spin-off Most Wanted (he left the show to do other things (or something along that line).

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Yesterday, I found out when visiting CD Japan that the FBI boxsets are available again. Hopefully, FBI: International's second season is going to get a cheaper DVD boxset release (it's been just over twelve months since season 1 had a cheaper DVD boxset release in Japan).

Wouldn't be expecting a cheaper DVD release there of FBI: Most Wanted's fourth season until November/December time.

Good to know. Hopefully, whatever issue was preventing the releases from being sold there has been fully resolved.

Originally Posted by OceanBlue

Read the sad news earlier that actor Julian McMahon has passed away. First time I saw them on TV was on Australian soap opera Home and Away, followed by Nip/Tuck. In the last few years, I've seen him in FBI spin-off Most Wanted (he left the show to do other things (or something along that line).

Yes, it's shocking. I guess he was working right up to the end as he has a role in the movie The Surfer, which was just released on 4K UHD in the USA and will be out next week on Blu-ray in the UK:

[OceanBlue]

Regarding the original Law & Order on 5USA, there is one Season 10 episode that these days gets shown in a later timeslot compared to the rest of the season, "Killerz"

[Show spoiler](the culprits are children).

[OceanBlue]

The most recent seasons of the FBI shows are starting on Sky Witness next week and the week after:

FBI: Season Seven (Thursday 7th August)
FBI: International: Season Four (Thursday 7th August)
FBI: Most Wanted: Season Six (Tuesday 12th August).

Like before on the channel each new episode will premiere in the early hours of the morning, repeated later:

FBI premiering at 2 am - 3 am, repeated later at 9 pm - 10 pm
FBI: International premiering at 3 am - 4 am, repeated later at 10 pm - 11 pm
FBI: Most Wanted premiering at 3 am - 4 am, repeated later at 10 pm - 11 pm.

Source: Geektown and TV & Satellite Week (Saturday 2nd to Friday 15th August, 2025).