NBC’s last “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago PD” and “Law & Order: SVU” mega-crossover was a big ratings hit, so naturally
Wolf’s production company president and executive producer on all three shows, Peter Jankowski, told
“In any crossover you have to up the ante a bit, because business as usual doesn’t quite suffice,” Jankowski said. “You have all these great actors together, you want to make sure it’s entertaining and yet still believable.”
All of that ambition adds up to “The Good Wife’s” Dallas Roberts playing an “absolutely mesmerizing” serial killer across the three-hour story arc, supplying the violence and the through-line for the three procedural series.
“You could write a serial killer into a show, [but] Dallas brings an interpretation and a depth of understanding that is rather disconcertingly great,” Jankowski said.
Another element that fans of the shows will be looking for is the budding romance between “Chicago P.D.’s” Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and “SVU’s” Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay). But Jankowski played coy about a potential hook-up.
“I’ll never tell, how’s that?” Jankowski joked to TheWrap. “I’ll say the two of them on screen are very comfortable … and you feel like they’ve known each other for a long time — there’s a shorthand.”
Though protective over exact story elements and potential spoilers, here’s what Jankowski would promise about the coming three hours: “It’s … very emotional — there’s some wonderful interpersonal goings-on between our cast that I think viewers of both ‘SVU’ and the ‘Chicago’ shows will very much enjoy.”
Jankowski stayed mum on specific plot points but was happy to talk about another potential Chicago series, “Chicago Med,” which the executive called, “The third spoke in the wheel.”
“We’re very proud of it — it’s going to be up to NBC,” he said of the potential spinoff’s spinoff, which was set up earlier this season during a backdoor pilot episode of the popular “Chicago Fire.”
No final decision has been made yet about the potential standalone series.
Whether or not “Chicago Med” ultimately makes the network’s lineup, Jankowski would be happy to see his other shows keep playing together, and hopes fans are looking forward to this week’s example.
“How many NBC wants, we’ll do ’em,” he explained. “I could see us doing this a number of times a year — and doing it quite well — and still keeping it grounded and believable.”
The crossover kicks off Tuesday with “Chicago Fire” at 10 p.m. The two-night event continues on Wednesday with “Chicago PD” at 9 and “Law & Order: SVU” at 10.
See TheWrap’s exclusive first look at the crossover.
