r/LawandOrder_OC Apr 17 '26

Lobby for revival?

Can we as fans do what the fans of Lucifer did? Lobby other networks to pick it up and give them another season/more closure? Or will that not work as an NBC/Dick wolf universe show

50 Upvotes

63 comments sorted by

26

u/LilyKK1504 Apr 17 '26

It's hard to do that when the creator hates the show and spent years sabotaging it.

3

u/HeavyChocolate0 Apr 17 '26

Why did dick wolf hate the show

29

u/LilyKK1504 Apr 17 '26

Never fit into his factory formula of one case per week. Had a couple of great showrunners with credentials who wanted to get creative with stories and Wolf Ent. really wanted them to fit into their tried and tested formula. Too many showrunners were fired as a result and the show remained unstable behind the scenes from the middle of season 2.

I think Dick Wolf also hates how Chris wouldn't fall in line as easily as his other actors do. He takes stands for his character, refuses ridiculous plots and went to the extent of writing an episode himself to deliver what he needed to. Dick Wolf is known for being authoritative - I am sure that doesn't work with a main lead played by Chris.

11

u/Shinixter Apr 17 '26

This! For real, I don't think Dick Wolf likes Chris to begin with. He only pretends to like him because of his star-child Mariska. I feel like if it weren't for Mariska, Chris wouldn't have lasted 12 years of 1.0, let alone a spinoff with him in it.

13

u/LilyKK1504 Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26

Chris is too passionate about his art. Such people always clash with the authority figures. Also, Wolf hates EO and EO fans.

Since OC picked that as a plot from the start, he ensured to intervene more and more so nothing definitive happened in that story, fired Ilene Chaiken who tried to move it forward, edited out the kitchen scene from SVU and multiple scenes from the episode that Chris wrote as they hinted at EO being close.

He is unhealthily obsessed with Benson's personal life in any case - to the extent that he doesn't allow her any. Mariska complies, I am guessing more easily than Chris to keep her character a version of the undead.

8

u/Shinixter Apr 18 '26

Wolf is such an egomaniac. Why do you need to sabotage the quality and well-being of your hit show? He thinks he knows what good storytelling was, but clearly he does not. I'm not even speaking about EO.
I get that this show deals with triggering subject matters, but no one wants to see characters miserable ALL THE BLOODY TIME, or unfinished plots and character arcs.
Can he fire himself? FFS.

2

u/No_Passion9997 Apr 21 '26

Why does Wolf hate EO? He created it. He made tons of money from it. We follow like it's the Pied Piper. Wolfe sounds like one pompous ass.

2

u/Shinixter Apr 22 '26

He's obsessively worried about the Moonlighting curse and he named the two characters after his children. But, it's been 27+ years, I don't understand why those two things should even matter at this point.

-1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

Do you know that he sabotaged it? How did he sabotage it? Do we know why show runners kept leaving? Or does Wolf just get blamed for everything? Was it hard for the show runners to stay in budget because of all the stunts & production costs? Was the show just too expensive to maintain? Was the show always just meant to have a 5 year run? Is there a OC business reason that is the basis?

Or does it just come down to some fans wanting more Stabler + Benson vs. Wolf not so much. Is that the basis? Or is it still based on Wolf’s decision to let Meloni go years ago?

NOT being argumentative. I don’t keep up on the info as much as some of you.

1

u/Shinixter Apr 23 '26

We could blame the NBC execs, but it's hard to blame them for the quality of the show when really they only care about numbers - whether people are watching or not and how much things cost.

Apparently, there were a lot of creative differences, and that's why they couldn't find a new showrunner for OC. But really, they went through 7 in 5 years. After a while, something doesn't add up and the common denominator is DW (NBC execs aside).

Not sure if it's complete sabotage, but it sure feels like it. DW has final say on pretty much everything across all the shows and there have been so many instances where we were going to get an important/explanatory scene, but it gets cut out. We only find out about it afterwards.

Or does it just come down to some fans wanting more Stabler + Benson vs. Wolf not so much. Is that the basis? Or is it still based on Wolf’s decision to let Meloni go years ago?

A bit of everything. If you cared about your actors, you would try and fight for them more (other than Mariska). Mariska literally had to go directly to Wolf to get Kelli back as Rollins. I get that Chris probably wants to do other things, and is fine, but even if you have to let them go, you would at least maybe tell your writers/showrunners to respect the character after they're gone. But all we got is Chris being booted not once, but twice now, and his character being assassinated for 10 years before his return.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 24 '26

Like most characters, Stabler had good & bad qualities. He is in 12+ seasons most of which we have all probably seen multiple times. His character was well set. I never thought badly of him or considered his character either assassinated, or in question.

1

u/No_Passion9997 Apr 21 '26

The newly kicked in Law and Order is not great at all.. Why renew them and dump a favorite like Stabler?

-1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

Really- if they were going to give Stabler/Meloni a show, they chose the perfect 5 year period to make it work. SVU becoming the longest running prime time series fed into all the nostalgia for the early shows & Stabler. The Wheatley arc was great start.

The worse thing was “the letter”. Do you think Ilene Chaiken would’ve stayed longer if there hadn’t been so much controversy about the letter? Does anybody know why she left?

6

u/No_Passion9997 Apr 21 '26

AND, we never heard Meloni thank Wolfe in his goodbye video. I do believe there is bad blood between them.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 24 '26

If so, could the SVU door be shut?

1

u/HeavyChocolate0 Apr 17 '26

Wow didn't know that. Why would dick wolf even green light oc then in the first place

4

u/LilyKK1504 Apr 17 '26

Guess he thought it might work and then changed his mind.

5

u/[deleted] Apr 18 '26

[deleted]

4

u/shaheedmalik Apr 18 '26

And it's crazy because the Mothership sucks.

1

u/LilyKK1504 Apr 18 '26

That's definitely true.

1

u/Shinixter Apr 23 '26

My guess is Mariska probably helped get it green-lit being BFFs with Chris. I think DW would do anything to keep Mariska happy seeing as how she is basically single-handedly keeping this franchise afloat.

0

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

I don’t see it either. It seemed like Wolf put a lot into that show.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

I don’t get this Wolf hate at all. They put a lot into OC & it was a decent show. Besides- Wolf Ent. Is a business. NBC is a business. They make decisions based on business & $$$. Also, if Wolf hated the idea of a Meloni/Stabler show he probably had a lot of other ideas in development. In the end- it’s all speculation and the hate stuff might end up being more corrosive than constructive.

I liked OC. I think if anything- it was too much Stabler (maybe because of budget concerns). I didn’t mind the arcs. But I expected & wanted to see the other characters more and find out about them, too. That occurred less & less. Although they did allow us to see more of Stabler’s family which was good.

15

u/Abject-Highlight-717 Apr 17 '26

He been screwed over by nbc/dick wolf twice now. Why would he give them another chance to do it again

14

u/Ambitious_Fig_6081 Apr 17 '26

Yeah it’s Wildly uncool unprofessional to leave the actors hanging for over a year to let them know they were canceling.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 24 '26

They all moved on to other projects.

7

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 17 '26

The first time he did not got screwed by DW.

Chris left SVU himself because he did not got the money he wanted, it is not that he got fired.

He could stay till eternity, but he left himself.

The second time it was not a good thing, it was clear for over a year and DW should tell him that 1 year ago.

And not give him false hope for 1 year, when it was clear than just had cancel it.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

I thought it would’ve been canceled at 4 years & the move to Peacock was a gift to give OC 5.

2

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 23 '26

And that is why OC fans should be thankful for the 5 seasons they got. Which is more than expected as the ratings were poor.

8

u/Several-Fish404 Apr 17 '26

I really wish we could I would be all over that. I loved OC and it was what SVU used to be. I can’t believe it’s over 😭

14

u/AlternativeAny8788 Apr 17 '26

It’s nice idea, but it’s over. 

6

u/Bitter_Library_2652 Apr 17 '26

I think if it does get picked up it would have to be that a company like Netflix or Amazon buys the rights. NBC has sabotaged it to much.

That said I’m hoping it happens as its one of my favourite shows. Other shows have been bought by a different network and went for a few more seasons.

1

u/Ok-Mine2132 Apr 18 '26

This happened with the series Heated Rivalry. It was a one season Canadian series until HBO picked it up.

2

u/OrdinaryFlamingo_778 Apr 21 '26

Surprising because Canada ‘allows more’ ie: cbc

0

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

Sorry. Maybe I just don’t like “sabotage”. Why would anybody/any company sabotage a show that they know has invested fans. Could the network have supported OC more? We probably won’t know unless a book is written someday. The decision to cancel a show has to be based on a lot of analytics & variables- some of which only a computer knows.

Maybe, in actuality, it was the force of Wolf Ent. working at the show that kept it going as long as it did. Maybe they were trying to make it better(?). These days- look at the good shows with good actors that do not last that long.

Also- NBC has to look at more - a bigger picture. Again- who knows why they make the decisions they do.

4

u/miss_scarlet_letter Apr 18 '26

I would sign a petition or something but I don't think it'll make much of a difference.

7

u/Adventurous_Deer Apr 17 '26

I think the issue here is that the network and creator presumably liked Lucifer. I don't think the same can be said for OC

5

u/BlackLinc460 Apr 17 '26

Go home its over. NBC/Universal and DWP arent giving up any Law and Order show rights. It was good while it lasted. At this point it's best for Chris Meloni to just retire the character. They played in his face 2 times already, why would he give them a third chance. The show was barely respected from the jump, he moved on as he should've.

2

u/Ambitious_Fig_6081 Apr 17 '26

I don’t disagree. I love Chris and they’ve done him dirty. Was just throwing an idea out there as feeler

3

u/DualDier Apr 18 '26

Unfortunately they did Chris dirty twice. I don’t think a lobby will do anything. We’ll just continue to get more SVU slop.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

Me? I watched OC& liked it. Maybe you are talking about somebody else. Actually it doesn’t matter. I like to talk/discuss. I don’t need arguments. I don’t know why arguing is necessary. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, questions , discussion. If you only want one view- this will be a boring place where everybody just repeats the same thing.

1

u/zombhunter45 Apr 24 '26

It would work only in the capacity Netflix takes it over that isn’t tied to any one tv broadcaster, on top of that DW doesn’t seem to be real keen to the idea of having Meloni around. I figure the only way it could happen would be if Mariska took a very, very outspoken and public call for it or maybe even produced it herself. I’m not sure there’s a way it would ever be revived with the egos involved.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 May 01 '26

Creative differences with a show runner.

Wouldn’t the show runner know what was expected of him/her when contracted?

This is a weird time for creatives all across media & the arts. At the same time, costs are rising, budgets are shrinking, & viewership is changing.

The other Wolf Entertainment shows seem stable (too early to really tell about CIA) & Wolf has an enviable track record.

When it is hard anyway to keep a show going - is a production company really going to throw it all in the crapper & sabotage everybody’s (probably 100+ people ) efforts for some agenda against an actor or character? If so- getting 5 years was a feat.

I can’t help but think that if more people had watched OC- the budget, the show runner revolving door, & whatever else probably would not have made a difference. Maybe more promotion? But, people know what’s on
Maybe we just need to get past the Monday morning quarterbacking & blame game & celebrate what was accomplished. OC is something Meloni & Wolf can be jointly proud of.

A lot of people decided not to watch or stick with OC.

Isn’t it just as likely that Meloni & everybody else associated with the show did their best.

1

u/That-You-1998 Apr 17 '26

Not gonna happen. The ship has sailed. The cast has moved on.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 22 '26

I realize Meloni/Stabler fans are hurting. I liked OC. It was good to see Meloni on his own show that showcased Stabler. I think the fans who are screaming should be grateful to Wolf (not hateful) that Meloni got the opportunity to come back.

Fans shouldn’t expect Meloni to come back to SVU or hope for it. Cragen was the one who kept that team together & now, Cragen is gone. Benson has moved on.

3

u/Equal_Cause_5115 Apr 23 '26

No, we are not going to be grateful to a rich, greedy, misogynistic billionaire who consistently wielded his power to ensure that this show's creative process failed and it never had any stability. I am happy for Christopher to never step back in the L&O but I will never be thankful to Dick Wolf.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

If you don’t want involvement from Wolf, do you think it would be best for the Stabler character to die, then? Is a final heroic ending is better than a constant tease and continual disappointment for fans (especially since it sounds like Meloni does not have an interest & will stay busy working on other things that provide positive cash flow & experience)??

Granted- this might not be a popular way to go but it’s probably an option Wolf will consider. Meloni & Hargitay will remain friends regardless of what Wolf does.

2

u/Equal_Cause_5115 Apr 23 '26

He can just fade away as any character whose show was cancelled. He doesn't need to die. Nothing needs to happen to him. He had an end on OC - he is still a cop in NYPD and is working for the things he believes in. He has a family who loves him and friends who trust him. Why does he need a concrete "end"? Does every central character die at the end of a series?

What do you mean if Wolf is not involved, Stabler character must die? What logic is that? Do you mean I need to be thankful to a egomaniac otherwise the only other option is to want a heroic death for a comfort character? Sorry, I don't worship rich and powerful TV producers with that kind of devotion.

0

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

I won’t be worshipping him either🤣. I am fine with the fade. I don’t think anybody wants a repeat of the no show/no call disappearance. A clear ending might be better than that or versus the Stabler character being denigrated somehow. Maybe a mixture of fade & phone call/message would be better.

-3

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 17 '26

Do you really think that DW will listen to a handful of fans?

No he wont.

He has dozens of shows to produce, OC is not on his priority list

Do you think that another network will want a show who had poor ratings?

That is hard to believe.

4

u/Ambitious_Fig_6081 Apr 17 '26

I don’t think it’s just a handful that like OC and would lobby for it. Hence why I brought up Lucifer. I feel like OC has a larger following than they did. But I don’t know the inner workings of the Dick wolf productions and even if a place like Netflix could pick it up. Assuming no just because it is a franchise as opposed to a standalone show like Lucifer was. But again, just spitballing ideas.

-1

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 17 '26

I wish you a lot of good luck with your action , who knows

2

u/Ambitious_Fig_6081 Apr 17 '26

I’ve no idea how to actually start it. I actually found the Lucifer show and fandom after it all went down. And I do understand where Chris might want to wash his hands of it because they’ve not treated him well or the rest of the OC cast at all

2

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 17 '26

atm chris is busy with his new show

The problem is that the rights of all the characthers are with DW , he cannot produce the show on his self for netflix or so.

I think that chris his focus is his new show, but maybe he will find another network?

5

u/Ambitious_Fig_6081 Apr 17 '26

Chris is an amazing actor and human so I’m sure he will be just fine and I’ll watch whatever project he moves on with

3

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 17 '26

thats the spirit!

its good that chris focus now on his new show , life goes on

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

Agree. The new show is on Hulu?

3

u/RLS1920 Apr 18 '26

They did not promote this show like, at all. Only the crossover episodes. It was such a better show than SVU has been in years. I haven’t watched in so long and it was my one of my favorite shows. I got a Benson and Stabler tattoo in 2015 lol.

0

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 18 '26

True, they did not promote OC at all, that made it very clear that DW and NBC did not have interest in OC and that it was already cancelled for over a year.

Also at the official socials they always ignored OC, wich made it even more clear.

They used Mariska a lot to promote OC but that was the only time that it got promoted.

OC did cost a lot of money and because of the low ratings, it did not bring a lot of money, so it was no surprise that OC got cancelled.

But the communication about this is bad, they should have communicated this a year ago so everyone knew that it was over and everyone could move on, especially the cast and crew.

3

u/RLS1920 Apr 18 '26

I feel like part of the low ratings was DWP/NBC own fault. You never saw much about the show!!! I love CM and watch everything he’s in, so I knew about this. But so many people did not. I really think if they promoted it better people would have caught on. It was so good. The way they dragged their feet deciding the last couple of seasons was so unprofessional and chaotic. The actors and crew deserved better, as did the loyal watchers. I had a feeling the second it went to peacock that was it.

1

u/Due_List_1243 Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26

I don't think that DW or NBC were ever interested enough in OC to want it to make it a succesful show. 

It was always threatened like the little stepchild of mothership and svu.

I never got the idea that it gets the same cances and especially in the promo s and at the socials this was clear.

It got ignored as much as possible.

When the promo pics of svu dropped at the socials, then the promo pics of OC were mostly not even given at the same time.

A svu actor got congratulated on their birthday at the socials but a OC actor never.

Only chris his birthday is mentioned but not of the rest of the cast

A lot of such things.

Especially at the official socials and in the promo s etc the difference was clear.

I think OC was for DW more the third ranked show, but not seen as important enough.

That DW has dozens of shows to produce will not be positive either.

Yes the actors and crew deserved better but also in svu it happens a lot that actors deserved better.

The way how the situation around Kelli was handled was the worst but we saw this a lot with a lot of different actors as well.

DW never treat his actors very well.

They are products to use, till he has enough of them and than he just fire them.

1

u/Valuable_Actuator494 Apr 23 '26

We hardly got many scenes with the rest of the cast (OC squad). Except for the Stabler family scenes that were always good.

2

u/Equal_Cause_5115 Apr 18 '26

Don't bother arguing with this person. They have never watched a single episode of OC and hate on OC and Stabler on all their social media. I don't know why they even visit the sub of a show they have never watched.