NBC has given the greenlight to a live reality series spinoff of “Law & Order,” TheWrap has learned.
“Law & Order: You the Jury,” from Dick Wolf Productions and Magial Elves Productions, was originally picked up in May, though it was not originally sold as a “Law & Order” branded series.
The live, one-hour primetime show will allow viewers to vote on the verdict in real-life civil cases. Wolf will serve as executive producer along with Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz and Tom Thayer.
NBC has bet big on live programming recently. The network premiered live variety series “Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris” Tuesday night, and will relaunch comedy “Undateable” as a live show in October. Come December, the network will premiere a live production of the musical “The Wiz,” its third live musical in as many years.
“There’s more of an energy to these shows when they’re done live,” Brad Adgate, senior VP of research at Horizon Media, recently told TheWrap of the trend toward live TV. “They’re always of looking for something that’s going to stand out.”
Wolf has a long, storied history with NBC. He famously created the “Law & Order” franchise for the network, which has inspired four spinoffs to date. The original show ran from 1990 to 2010, making it one of the longest-running dramas in television history.
NBC also airs Wolf’s shows “Chicago Fire,” Chicago P.D.” and the recently greenlit “Chicago Med.” His move into live programming follows a trend with NBC, which has produced several major live programs of late, such as “Peter Pan Live!” and sitcom “Undateable,” which will be live for every episode of its second season.
This is the third project jointly produced between Wolf Reality and Magical Elves. The two produce the hit TNT non-fiction series “Cold Justice” as well as the spinoff “Cold Justice Sex Crimes,” which launches in July.
Wolf Reality and Magical Elves are represented by WME.