‘Law and Order’ Casting Doozy: Linus Roache Onboard
Fans, Get Ready for a Stellar Eighteenth Season
NBC just made my day. This afternoon, the network announced that the original Law & Order has a shiny new executive assistant district attorney. The latest head litigator in Manhattan’s dusty halls of justice will be played by English actor Linus Roache, the source of my great joy upon hearing the L&O casting news. Roache’s character will take over now that Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) has been promoted to top dog following the departure of District Attorney Arthur Branch (Fred D. Thompson, a career politician in real life who left the series at the end of the most recent season to consider a 2008 U.S. presidential run).
The weekend before last, I did myself the enormous favor of watching the entire thirteen-episode DVD set of NBC’s Kidnapped in a couple of sittings. Also based in bustling New York, New York, the unforgivably canceled crime drama features a dizzyingly talented ensemble cast led by Jeremy Sisto (himself a recent addition to the Law & Order family, where he’ll portray the new partner of the detective played by eight-year veteran Jesse L. Martin), Carmen Ejogo, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Hutton, Dana Delany, Mykelti Williamson, Michael Mosley, Giancarlo Esposito, and, of course, Roache. My conclusion after those marathon viewing sessions was that I had just experienced the best new drama of the Fall 2006 season, hands down. Two weeks later, I still feel the exact same way, in large part due to Roache’s performance as an FBI agent.*
In addition to Kidnapped, Roache has appeared in numerous television and film projects, both in the United Kingdom and the United States, including the well-received Hollywood release Batman Begins and the controversial British movie Priest (my first significant encounter with his work). On American television, he earned a Best Supporting Actor Satellite Award for the 2002 HBO movie The Gathering Storm, as well as a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for the 2002 FX movie RFK. He also appeared in the pilot of the forthcoming Fox series Canterbury’s Law, and it’s still unclear if he will remain with that midseason drama, too.
There’s no question that Roache has a lot to bring to any television or film project he joins. So, critics can continue ragging on the mother L&O ship all they want; this fan literally cannot wait for the eighteenth season to begin.
* In fact, I encourage anyone who appreciates gripping, high-octane crime dramas to check out Kidnapped. Although NBC—Bad network! Bad network!—hastily canceled the series last year after broadcasting just five installments, it’s currently in the middle of burning off the remaining eight produced episodes at 12am EST on Monday mornings. Since the airings are presently at the tenth episode, I highly recommend either renting or buying (believe me—the show is worth the money) the DVD set that NBC at least had the common sense to release back in April.
Related News: ‘Law and Order’ Casting News: Milena Govich Out, Jeremy Sisto In | Sam Waterston Promoted to Head Honcho on ‘Law and Order’
Linus Roache photo courtesy of Steve Granitz/WireImage.com
