Outside of this website, I'm a teacher, and one thing that I love about April is that it's Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month.

Because much like I do for Hispanic/Black/Women History Months, where I celebrate and discuss accomplishments from each group of people, I also sometimes devote whole lessons to talking about people on the spectrum, as well as the great contributions they’ve made to society.

That's the classroom. On the internet, I talk about movies. And, one movie that I think needs WAY more attention is the 2009 romantic comedy, Adam, which is about a man with Asperger's Syndrome who falls in love with an allistic woman in his apartment complex. It's a cute flick, and I want to talk about it.

As Far As Romantic Comedies Go, It's A Sweet One

We love romantic comedies here, and mostly because we love to root for unlikely pairings. Not too long ago, I wrote about one such couple in the movie Enough Said, which sees James Gandolfini romancing Julia-Louis Dreyfus. What's great about that movie is that their relationship shouldn't work on paper (and for a time, it doesn’t), but we hope that it does because they’re cute together…even if one of them doesn't initially see it.

And, we have a similar trajectory in the movie, Adam. Starring Hugh Dancy as the titular character, and Rose Byrne as his love interest, Beth, we again have two characters who one might not suspect would work, but do…sort of. You see, Adam has Asperger’s Syndrome, so social interactions are a bit difficult for him. He also has a hard time understanding why you typically wouldn’t ask somebody if they were excited “sexually” on a first date with them.

That’s why this movie works, because their romance flourishes…until it doesn’t, but I’ll get to that later.

The Movie Handles Autism With Sensitivity

A good friend of mine keeps telling me that I need to watch the beloved Netflix show, Love on the Spectrum, and I’m sure I do. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. My friend tells me that what she really loves about it is how it shows an honest portrayal of people on the spectrum, which I feel is very important when it comes to representation.

Well, Hugh Dancy himself is not autistic, but I still feel the movie handles autism with sensitivity, which I appreciate. The humor that comes across here isn’t mean-spirited or at Adam’s expense.

Instead, it’s the situations that are humorous (and charming), like when Adam gets in a space suit and washes Beth’s windows at night, or when his deceased father’s friend, Harlan (Frankie Faison), has lunch with him, and struggles to have a conversation. It feels genuine, and…I guess fair. For the most part…

It Also Shows How The World Might Look At Somebody On The Spectrum

As I alluded to earlier, the movie swerves in a way that you might not expect. Now, I won’t spoil how it concludes exactly, but I think the movie also shows how loving somebody on the spectrum might be harder than one might suspect, and how not everybody will be okay with the relationship, mostly because they just don’t understand it.

This is why I feel diversity and representation are so important in entertainment, such as with Tal Anderson’s Becca character on The Pitt. Adam does a good job of showing what a relationship between a neurodivergent person and somebody who isn’t neurodivergent might look like.

This is why I think you should give it a watch if you haven’t seen it already. Happy Autism Acceptance Month.

Spoilers ahead for the second episode of Law & Order Season 25, available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription and viewing live with a YouTube TV subscription.

Law & Order spanned the end of Season 24 to the beginning of Season 25 with a rare serialized case, with the return in the 2025 TV schedule picking up where the spring finale had ended: the murder of the man who had assaulted and killed Maroun's sister. The evidence all seemed to point towards Sam, with Price questioning if she'd had something to do with it. That element of the crime wasn't resolved until about halfway through the premiere, and their working relationship was rocky. So, I had to wonder: would they continue to be rocky after what Hugh Dancy said about the relationship?

Well, part of Law & Order's longtime popularity goes back to the procedural style that debuted with the pilot back in 1990, which means that most cases begin and end within the span of one hour. Still, considering that Hugh Dancy as ADA Nolan Price and Odelya Halevi as ADA Samantha Maroun are the only remaining cast members who have been around from the revival's start, these characters have the longest-running relationship on the show since its return in 2022.

With Sam upset in the premiere that Price had lost the case against her sister's killer and then suspected her of murder, and with Price dealing with his loss as well as the possibility that she'd killed somebody, they weren't on the best terms. When I spoke with Hugh Dancy at NBC's Law & Order press event ahead of the premiere, he'd said this about that sense of betrayal between the two:

They did ultimately close the case by the end of the first episode back this fall, but characters' personal storylines aren't necessarily closed just because a plot wraps up, and they had some loaded personal interactions in the previous finale and Season 25 premiere. So, how do they see each other – friends, or colleagues, or mentor/mentee? Hugh Dancy explained:

Then, immediately after the premiere, the promo for Episode 2 aired on NBC with Maroun teasing her boss about being smitten with his new love interest, making me curious about whether we'd see any lingering effects from that murder case on their relationship. As it turns out, Episode 2 was not an episode that ended with Price threatening to fire Maroun or with one of their many clashes. Sam has always struggled to remain objective the most when her sister's case was involved, and that may be over after her killer was killed himself.

Basically, Law & Order wasted no time in settling my question about whether Price and Maroun's working relationship would be damaged after their conflict at the end of Season 24 and start of Season 25. All seems to be well between the duo, and the most conflict in the latest episode was actually between Price and Baxter, with Baxter determined that the 15-year-old killer would be tried as an adult, while Price wasn't so sure.

I'm definitely not mad that the procedural format applies to Price and Maroun's relationship so far, since I've enjoying seeing their usually solid but occasionally antagonistic working relationship over the years. With the question of that "betrayal" settled, I'm now curious if we'll see his new girlfriend back again this season. Their courtroom clash didn't end in a breakup, so maybe Nolan really will find lasting love this time.

Find out with new episodes on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, ahead of Law & Order: SVU at 9 p.m. ET and Law & Order: Organized Crime at 10 p.m. ET. You can also revisit earlier episodes streaming on Peacock.

Law & Order kicks off its milestone 25th season in the fall 2025 TV schedule, but not the entire cast from Season 24 is returning. Despite Odelya Halevi's ADA Samantha Maroun possibly committing murder as the cliffhanger back in the spring, Mehcad Brooks' Detective Jalen Shaw is the one who won't be back. Ahead of the new season, his former costars spoke with CinemaBlend about how he's being written out, with his replacement already set.

News of Mehcad Brooks' departure broke back in October, so Shaw's absence in the premiere on September 25 (and streaming next day with a Peacock subscription) won't come as a shock. I was fortunate enough to speak with the stars during NBC's recent Law & Order press event, and Reid Scott – who plays Detective Riley, Shaw's former partner – said:

Exits from Law & Order tend to be pretty unceremonious, with the exception of Sam Waterston as DA Jack McCoy. Anthony Anderson, Jeffrey Donovan, and Camryn Manheim were all written out between season, and Manheim is the only one who really got a detailed exit story. Maura Tierney, who plays Lieutenant Jessica Brady, agreed with her costar, adding:

That at least indicates that the Law & Order team didn't consider killing Jalen Shaw off between seasons, so the story may end in a way that he could come back if needed (and if Mehcad Brooks would hypothetically be available). Reid Scott continued:

While the absence of Jalen Shaw is going to affect Reid and Brady the most, that doesn't mean the Law half of Law & Order won't feel an impact. Hugh Dancy, who is in his fifth season as ADA Nolan Price, shared what it's like to work on a procedural show with relationships that are somewhat more serialized:

The cops losing Shaw doesn't mean that the only law enforcement officers of Season 25 will be Riley and Brady. Star Trek: Discovery's David Ajala has been cast as a new detective to parter with Riley, according to TVLine. Law & Order should certainly be a more grounded experience for Ajala than his years in the Star Trek franchise.

Details about Ajala's character are scarce other than that he'll be working with Riley, but it's good to know that Law & Order losing Shaw doesn't mean Riley will have to go without a partner. As for whether Season 25 brings back Shaw for a. one-off appearance or even just mentions him again, viewers will just have to tune in and find out.

New episodes of Law & Order Season 25 will air on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, with the premiere debuting on September 25. As usual, Law & Order: SVU follows in the 9 p.m. ET time slot, while NBC is also going to air the fifth season of Law & Order: Organized Crime that already released in full on Peacock.

Spring of the 2025 TV schedule has been an exciting time for fans of the Law & Order franchise, and perhaps never more so than when the buzz of the original's crossover with SVU has not yet faded. That said, NBC has not yet confirmed whether its two remaining Law & Order shows will return in the fall, and the wait is on for renewal news. When I recently spoke with Hugh Dancy, who plays ADA Nolan Price, about his character's position opposite Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson, he also weighed in on the long-running drama hopefully hitting the 25-season milestone.

While NBC hasn't renewed many shows at this point in the spring, Law & Order, SVU, and all three One Chicago series within the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe had all been renewed for the 2024-2025 TV schedule by this time last year. That's not necessarily a bad sign for the 2025-2026 TV season, and SVU is already said to have landed a new showrunner for Season 27. (The crossover is available streaming now with a Peacock subscription.)

Still, with Law & Order so very close to 25 seasons, I had to ask the Hannibal vet: what are his thoughts on hitting the milestone that SVU reached with great fanfare a couple of years ago? Dancy shared:

While SVU has already hit the 500-episode and 25-season milestones, Law & Order actually goes back a lot further than its first spinoff. The original series premiered back in 1990, while the SVU pilot didn't air until 1999. Hugh Dancy's show is simply behind in the total season count due to what he referred to as "the break in the middle there," between Law & Order's initial cancellation in 2010 and the revival's premiere in 2022.

Dancy has been part of the main cast since the revival kicked off, so who better to attest that the show has been "well-running" in its return? He continued:

Even procedurals have to mix things up from time to time, and I'm guessing plenty of fans can agree with Hugh Dancy's hope that the Law & Order team can keeping delivering on its format while also making "it fresh." Season 24 has already done that to a certain extent, leading to Reid Scott – a.k.a. Detective Vincent Riley – praising the occasionally "unsatisfying" endings, while the drama is still ripping from the headlines every now and then.

So, when can we expect to hear whether or not Law & Order will be back in the fall? Unfortunately, we can only wait and see. It's been more than a year since the renewal for Season 24, and Hugh Dancy also confirmed that the cast has already finished filming this season. There are still several episodes left to air before the finale, however, including one that evidently involves thirteen people found dead. Check out the promo below:

Tune in to NBC on Thursday, May 1 at 8 p.m. ET for the "Sins of the Father" episode of Law & Order. The title of the episode leads me to hope that the show might be picking up on Price's storyline with his brother after their father's death. Whatever happens, the installment will be followed by Law & Order: SVU Season 26 at 9 p.m. ET.

The long-awaited premiere of Law & Order: Organized Crime also means that fans can enjoy Law & Order Thursdays again... sort of. Christopher Meloni's series is releasing episodes streaming on Peacock rather than after SVU on NBC, but they do go live on the streamer on Thursdays.

The Law & Order world will return to the 2025 TV schedule in the aftermath of the two-part crossover that combined the original series and Law & Order: SVU for the first time in several years. The stakes were higher than usual, with a series of murders and sexual assaults vicious enough to require the talents of two different units and a case that hit close to home for Captain Olivia Benson.

It was also a huge case for ADA Nolan Price on the legal side of the situation, and Hugh Dancy opened up to CinemaBlend about Price's speech to Mariska Hargitay’s character… and he quoted a bit of the iconic SVU opening narration in the process.

Price Confronted Benson In The Crossover

When I spoke with the Hannibal alum, I’d already seen the two crossover episodes, which are both available streaming now with a Peacock subscription. Price had a number of big scenes in the event, including trying the case before a jury, but the moment that really stood out to me was when he had the unenviable task of advising Benson that she should recuse herself after the dirty cop killer went after her son to try and intimidate her. Price told her:

Considering that Price was the closest person there to an unbiased party, it was a big statement to make to Benson and seemed to win him some begrudging points with her. SVU's ADA Carisi was a bit more placating toward his longtime friend than Law & Order’s ADA was, and it made for such an interesting dynamic that I had to get Hugh Dancy's thoughts on what it says about his character.

Hugh Dancy Weighs In

While Hugh Dancy was part of the previous crossover event back in 2022 that also included Law & Order: Organized Crime, Price had a bigger part to play this time. When I asked for his take on Price’s speech about being “infuriated” by Lt. Gomez’s double life as a murderer and rapist, Dancy ended up quoting part of the SVU opening narration. He said:

Do I think that Hugh Dancy was deliberately quoting the “In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous” line from SVU’s opening narration? Not really, but “heinous” certainly applies to both the sexually-based crossover case and the kinds of cases that Price generally prosecutes on Law & Order, even sometimes leading to unsatisfying endings.

It’s also not unprecedented for his character’s personal feelings to overlap into his approach to a case, including what Dancy previously referred to as Price’s “pride in himself.” He went on to address the fine line the ADA was walking in the crossover when it came to his personal feelings vs. objectivity in the courtroom:

Honestly, for as much as Law & Order is a procedural TV show, there are serialized elements to it, and I’m going to be watching Price with a closer eye towards what he chooses to show and what he works to conceal in front of a jury. It might even come across differently after viewers saw Price and Carisi joining forces with their slightly different approaches.

Hugh Dancy only had good things to say about the “enjoyable” experience of working with Peter Scanavino as his SVU counterpart when they “hadn’t crossed paths at all” beforehand. He went on about Scanavino and SVU:

Law & Order and SVU likely won’t be crossing over again any time soon, and NBC technically hasn’t officially renewed either show for the 2025-2026 TV season yet, although SVU landing a new showrunner is certainly a good sign for that series. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye on characters in the wake of the two-parter to see if they come across any differently after the juxtaposition with SVU.

Both shows are taking the week off on April 24, but Law & Order and SVU will be back on Thursday, May 1 in their usual 8 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET time slots on NBC. You can also revisit past episodes streaming on Peacock.

As for the third current show in the franchise, Law & Order: Organized Crime is now back and “more realistic” than ever, according to one star, and not everything is going to be as funny as Christopher Meloni’s “most unsexy pickup line you can imagine.” Peter Scanavino weighed in on what Carisi might be like on OC; I for one would love to see Price on the streaming series as well.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 14 of Law & Order Season 24, called "A Price to Pay" and available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.

Law & Order revisited Shaw's past as a cop and the connections he made back in the day with the latest episode of the 2025 TV schedule, but "A Price to Pay" didn't focus on Mehcad Brooks' character from start to finish like I expected. The detective decided to protect his old CO, Darryl Moore, by giving him the heads up to take a Marine assignment far from NYC to avoid ruining (and possibly) ending his life with testimony, and he didn't bother concealing from Price what he'd done.

The Assistant District Attorney was more furious than I expected even after the promo that aired at the end of the previous episode with Selenis Leyva; combined with him opening up about his late brother way sooner that I would have guessed, comments from Hugh Dancy weeks ago suddenly make much more sense.

How Law & Order Revisited Price's Tragic Backstory

Shaw became less cooperative with the attorneys about the case once it became clear that Darryl was a lot more involved with the drug dealer-turned-murderer than he initially admitted. His impassioned speech about why the Marine deserved to be protected from testimony didn't land on entirely unsympathetic ears, and DA Baxter understood that Darryl wasn't using ketamine the same way that the dead movie star had been... but the law was the law, and they needed his testimony to put a killer away at trial.

Realizing that Darryl might end his own life if Price put him on the stand, Shaw crossed a line to give him the heads up to get out of town. Meanwhile, Price came clean to Baxter about why he was so determined to come down hard on the drug dealer, confessing that his brother had died due to addiction. Regular Law & Order viewers already knew that, of course, as the show focused on that family storyline less than a month ago. I definitely didn't think the death of his brother would be part of a plot again so soon, but it wasn't an unpleasant surprise!

Hugh Dancy and Mehcad Brooks are always interesting when Price and Shaw clash, and their opposite approaches to the drug case culminated in Price furiously calling out Shaw, saying:

Shaw regretted nothing, saying that he'd saved the life of a man he loved like a brother and the cost was "a little more prison time for a drug dealer." He made a choice, he's sticking by it, and the episode of course didn't end with Price having the detective arrested. But Price's fury – surely informed by what happened with his brother, after he brought it up to Baxter – that Shaw also took justice from him reminded me of when I spoke with Hugh Dancy about his character's pride in his work.

Hugh Dancy's Thoughts On Price's Pride

Hugh Dancy took the time for an interview with CinemaBlend back in January, timed to the episode that introduced Justin Chatwin as Nolan's brother Thomas. That installment was an emotional ride as he finally decided to take their father off of life support despite the baggage from their late brother, and it was a huge moment for the character. But this being the very procedural Law & Order, I didn't think Price would mention his brother again for a while, let alone in an episode that was promoted as Shaw-centric.

And when I spoke to Dancy about whether the decisions about his family would impact his character moving forward, the Hannibal alum responded at the time:

Price made some progress in dealing with his brother's death enough to say goodbye to his father, but he didn't get over all of those years of baggage in one fell swoop, and we see in "A Price to Pay" that Price is practicing what Dancy preached and burying himself in work. The actor went on:

Is it any wonder that Price reacted so extremely to Shaw going the extra mile to protect Darryl? At the same time, Shaw's actions were very understandable, and I can see why the episode ended in more of a stalemate between the pair than in any kind of escalated conflict or resolution. Will Law & Order go back to what went down in this episode by the end of Season 24 for Price or Shaw?

I won't rule anything out after how quickly the show went back to Nolan's tragic backstory, and I wouldn't mind seeing Odelya Halevi in the spotlight again after her big episode. For now, new episodes of Law & Order will continue airing on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, ahead of Law & Order: SVU. Law & Order: Organized Crime also finally got a premiere date, although Season 5 will release on Peacock instead of NBC with L&O and SVU.

Law & Order returned in the 2025 TV schedule with an ER reunion for Maura Tierney and then a family reunion for Hugh Dancy's ADA Nolan Price, which Dancy put a lot of thought into. While Season 24 is taking a break for a week before returning for a mini crossover with Law & Order: SVU, the show is coming up on the one-year anniversary of Sam Waterston's departure as the iconic Jack McCoy. When I recently spoke with Dancy, he weighed in on Law & Order moving on without McCoy and Scandal alum Tony Goldwyn stepping into Waterston's shoes as the new DA.

Sam Waterston's final episode of Law & Order after hitting the 400-episode milestone the previous season aired back in February 2024, with McCoy falling on the legal sword to tank his own career as DA but save Nolan's in the process. The longtime Distinct Attorney was alive and at peace with his decision when last seen a year ago, and it's not impossible that he'll come back as a guest even if he did scorch the professional earth when he left. (The episode is available streaming with a Peacock subscription.)

Looking back to how the drama said goodbye to McCoy almost exactly one year ago, I asked Hugh Dancy in our recent interview for his thoughts on Sam Waterston's legacy as the character. The Hannibal vet shared:

Sam Waterston was one of just two former Law & Order stars who returned for the NBC revival, and he was already an icon of the franchise from his earlier seasons. Is it any wonder that Hugh Dancy was impressed by him over their time together, even if it was only for a couple of seasons?

In fact, Sam Waterston had been the key attorney on the show for so long that there was no saying how Scandal's Tony Goldwyn would fit in as Nick Baxter, McCoy's replacement as DA. I for one was quickly a fan of how the actor fit into the cast, but Nolan wasn't initially a big fan of working with Baxter. Speaking with Dancy, I commented that it's been nice to see them increasingly trusting each other, and he shared:

Price has plenty of brother baggage even without accounting for Baxter, with the most recent episode introducing Another Life's Justin Chatwin as Thomas Price, Nolan's brother. There was also a third Price brother who died years ago, so the sibling-esque bickering between Nolan and Baxter doesn't have any tragedy to it. I noted that Nolan is certainly closer in age to Baxter than he was to McCoy, and Dancy responded:

Hopefully the series will continue to showcase Baxter not only solidifying his dynamic with Price, but also the other characters. The next new episode, called "Duty To Protect" and airing on February 13, certainly looks like it will bring plenty of drama to the courtroom portion of the plot, complete with Extended Family alum Abigail Spencer crying. Take a look:

Keep tuning in to NBC on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Law & Order Season 24, ahead of Season 26 of SVU at 9 p.m. ET. Law & Order: Organized Crime previously occupied the 10 p.m. ET hour on Thursdays, but Found Season 2 has since taken the slot since Christopher Meloni's show was moved to Peacock as a streaming original.

Spoilers are ahead for Episode 11 of Law & Order Season 24, called "The Hardest Thing" and set to stream with a Peacock subscription.

Law & Order started out its latest episode in the 2025 TV schedule with Shaw, Riley, and Baxter catching a the killer of a wealthy man, but the case got a lot more complicated once it fell to the prosecutors. The extra complication for Nolan? His brother turned up at the office to confront him about their father's failing health, leading Nolan to eventually make a difficult decision and even open up to Maroun.

When I spoke with star Hugh Dancy about "The Hardest Thing," he proved that he's put quite a lot of thought into what makes his character tick over his four seasons so far to this point.

Nolan's Family Reunion

The first episode after Law & Order's big ER reunion finally revisited Nolan's storyline with his father in the hospital, although he would have preferred to keep it far from the homicide case that was also about assisted suicide. His brother Thomas showed up at the office to talk about their dad, who just took another turn for the worse and needed to either enter hospice care or be attached to a feeding tube.

Nolan definitely didn't want to have the conversations at work, but Hugh Dancy was a big fan of getting to play such a tricky storyline for his character. Speaking with CinemaBlend, he had high praise for Justin Chatwin, who came on board to play Thomas Price:

If a show is going to film 20+ episodes for a single season, then the cast has to film at a very fast pace! Apparently, the actors playing the Price brothers had some solid conversations about their backstory, along with the writers. Dancy went on:

Most guest stars come onto Law & Order to play characters with no connections to the leads of the show; that obviously wasn't the case for Justin Chatwin, and he had a key role in the episode. Would Nolan have agreed to a plea deal if Thomas hadn't accused him of being "reasonable" but "cruel" about wanting to keep their father on life support, especially after the death of their other brother, Christopher?

Hugh Dancy, who previously opened up about the kinds of Law & Order stories he'd like to do more of, was enthusiastic about the show exploring Nolan's backstory. When I asked how much of Nolan's backstory he knew but hadn't yet shown on the series, he responded:

Considering that the first episode of the Law & Order revival was several years and more than 50 episodes ago, I think fans can appreciate how thoughtful he's been about his character in keeping Nolan's earliest backstory in mind throughout his four seasons so far. Even as Nolan went through the loss of Sam Waterston's DA Jack McCoy and a rough start with new DA Nick Baxter, the backstory was still present. So, isn't it fitting that one of Dancy's most frequent scene partners be part of this storyline?

Nolan Opening Up To Maroun (Begrudgingly)

Nolan and Maroun worked closely together on the homicide/assisted suicide case, and she was on hand to meet his brother both times he came to the office. The first meeting with Thomas was certainly friendly, but there was tension between the brothers the second time around. The ADA gently asked what was wrong when her boss was visibly shaken later, and Nolan actually opened up to her about his dad.

Would he ever have opened up to her about his personal life, if not for his brother directly showing up to the office? I asked Hugh Dancy that very question, and he said:

Maroun has shared some of her past with him, and he's well aware of the tragic loss of her sister, so Dancy and Odelya Halevi have played slightly more vulnerable scenes with each other in the past. The Hannibal alum addressed getting to play that kind of scene with his co-star in the latest episode:

All in all, it was an emotionally draining episode for Nolan Price as a character, but a fun episode for Hugh Dancy as an actor. So, what is it like for him when he gets to play very personal stories on a show that is famously procedural? He explained:

It remains to be seen if/when Law & Order will revisit Nolan's family again in Season 24. The brothers allowed their father to die peacefully rather than prolong his life with a feeding tube, so that part of their lives is over. That doesn't mean that Thomas Price can't turn up again for a reunion with his brother, right? My fingers are crossed with new episodes continuing to release on NBC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET!

As always, Law & Order is followed on Thursdays by Law & Order: SVU, but the wait is still on for when Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 debuts as a Peacock streaming original.

The Dick Wolf TV universe is comprised of an unprecedented nine shows spread across two networks, and the future looks bright. After FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International got a double renewal from CBS back in 2022, NBC finally announced renewals for Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. While it’s a mouthful to say them all in one sentence (and type them), a nine-show TV universe is more than a little impressive. With all of the renewals for the 2023-2024 TV season, it’s time to start looking ahead.

Members of the Law & Order and One Chicago corners of the franchise celebrated the renewals after the good news broke, nearly a year after the FBI renewals. Now, in light of what we know, what we don’t, and what stars have said to CinemaBlend over the course of the 2022-2023 TV season, we can ponder some big questions and start speculating. I'll get into all nine shows, but with the Law & Orders lasting the longest, let’s start there! 

Why Are Law & Order And SVU Getting More Episodes Than Organized Crime?

While all three of the Law & Order shows were renewed, Variety reports that Organized Crime will only run for 13 episodes while L&O and SVU both received orders for 22. The same report states that all three will air in the fall, which would presumably mean OC ending its season much earlier than its sister series in 2024, and/or going on longer hiatuses. There’s no confirmation at the time of writing which cast members are expected to return to OC, although Chris Meloni seems like a very safe bet. 

A Possible Explanation:

This isn’t the first time that Organized Crime received an order for a shorter season than the usual 20+ for the Wolf Entertainment franchise, as the first ran for only eight in 2021. It’s also worth noting that the third strayed away from doing just a couple of major arcs per season and became more procedural. With several changes of showrunner, I can imagine that OC might just be returning to its serialized roots and focusing on one or two arcs over the course of one shorter season. 

What Does OC’s Shortened Season Mean For Stabler On SVU?

While Organized Crime and SVU both tell compelling stories on their own, is there any denying that a healthy portion of both fandoms are invested in the Benson/Stabler relationship, in some form or other? Even mini crossovers between Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni have been few and far between in the current Season 24 of SVU and Season 3 of OC, with one extremely notable exception. Which the actors nailed, even if it wasn’t everything that some Benson/Stabler fans were hoping for! So what does OC’s 13-episode Season 4 mean for SVU?

How Stabler Could Have An SVU Presence:

A lot likely depends on how much the production schedules on SVU and OC overlap, as it’s undoubtedly easier to send Chris Meloni over to his old stomping grounds if he’s filming his own spinoff not too far away. It’s worth noting that SVU showrunner David Graziano was also recruited to serve as OC showrunner for the final three episodes of the season, which I speculated at the time could mean closer ties between the two shows. At this point, we can only wonder and hope! After a season of Benson and Stabler rarely sharing scenes, I’d be happy with just some mentions at this point.

Can More Crossovers Happen Between The Nine Wolf Shows?

The 2022-2023 TV season has delivered two mega crossovers within the Wolf Entertainment franchise, with the Law & Order shows starting the season in the fall with a three-parter and the three FBIs recently teaming up for a case that pushed some limits and involved what one star considers an “unforgivable breach” of trust. One Chicago hasn’t delivered a three-parter since 2019 (prior to COVID shutdowns), although Chicago P.D. is responsible for the very first connection between One Chicago and the FBIs. Creating a cinematic TV event is no small endeavor.

What Cast Members Have Said About Crossovers:

In honor of the global crossover event between the FBIs, CinemaBlend spoke to actors Jeremy Sisto (Jubal Valentine) and John Boyd (Stuart Scola), and both addressed the challenges of making the three-parter that involved sending FBI’s Sisto to Italy for FBI: International. Sisto weighed in on the process of creating an event:

The actor (who is actually a Law & Order alum) went on to say that he thought that watching the three-parter would carry over into fans enjoying the shows even more in the future. John Boyd also was full of compliments for how the finished product “felt like one big movie” and was “so seamless,” but it wasn’t without complications. He said:

Over on the Law & Order side of the nine-show TV universe, two of the three shows that crossed over in the fall were more than twenty years into their runs. When I spoke with Hugh Dancy about the “terrible thing” that his character did in the latest episode of L&O, he shared his thoughts on the premiere crossover:

With the level of work that goes into any crossover, fans shouldn’t rule out any further events, but also not count on them happening on a regular basis. We should probably rule out any kind of nine-part event between all the shows unless the ties would be extremely tangential, though! 

Will Any Stars Leave The Franchise?

Although the Law & Order and One Chicago shows have held on to stars for 10+ years and counting, there’s no guarantee that everybody will stick around. Chicago Med has lost and gained a number of characters over the past couple of seasons, while Chicago P.D. lost Jesse Lee Soffer back in the fall after Chicago Fire lost Jesse Spencer earlier in the year. (Taylor Kinney’s current leave of absence is expected to be temporary.) And that's not to mention SVU saying goodbye to Kelli Giddish’s Amanda Rollins! So, are all the departures from the past couple years going to be followed by more? 

The Stars Share Why There’s No Guarantee Despite Renewal:

While early renewals are great news for fans, the guarantee that a show will be back doesn’t mean a guarantee that the whole cast will be back. With shows that regularly have life-or-death stakes and sometimes kill off characters, there are still reasons to be worried in finale season, and I'm more concerned about some potential departures than others. FBI’s John Boyd shared his perspective on getting a double-season renewal: 

Jeremy Sisto echoed his co-star’s thoughts on not necessarily have job security as an actor even when the show is going to continue. He shared:

On the whole, there’s no way to say with certainty at this point if any stars are leaving. If anybody is killed off, it will presumably happen or at least be set up in the finales in May. Then again, Jesse Lee Soffer’s departure from P.D. was announced during summer hiatus, so we won’t know for sure until the fall. 

Are Any Former Stars Returning?

The good news for the Wolf Entertainment farewells over the past couple years is that only one of them involved a character being killed off. (Rest in peace, Chief Hawkins!) Jesse Lee Soffer’s Halstead did get a pretty definitive split from working as a CPD detective on P.D., and Kelli Giddish’s Rollins seemed happy to step away from her role as a cop on SVU, but the door is mostly open. Christiane Paul even already returned to FBI: International as a guest star. Plus, Jesse Spencer’s Casey originally left Chicago with the intention of returning in three years, and the clock is ticking on that after his recent return!

Why It’s Too Soon To Say:

At this point, we don’t even know if all the current Wolf Entertainment stars will return, let alone if any will be back! Jesse Spencer did say “I don’t think so” to the idea of a “long-term” return to Fire in a recent interview with TVLine, and Jesse Lee Soffer told CinemaBlend in March that a return as Jay Halstead is “not on the board right now.” 

He didn’t rule out returning in a different way, though! When asked about interest in potentially directing Chicago Med as the 8 p.m. show after spending so much time on P.D. at 10 p.m. (and then directing his old series), Soffer shared:

Brian Tee also returned to Chicago Med to direct an episode of his former show earlier this season, so there are ways for departed cast members to work again in Wolf Entertainment without necessarily reprising their roles. It’s just a matter of time to see if any will be back, in front of or behind the camera!

Will The Nine Shows Celebrate Any Milestones?

With shows as long-running as those in the Law & Order, FBI, and One Chicago franchise, milestones tend to be inevitable. Depending on the new seasons' episode counts, the renewals should mean that SVU Season 25 will hit 550 episodes, Law & Order Season 23 will hit 500, Chicago Fire Season 12 will reach 250, and FBI: International Season 3 will reach 50. Organized Crime is approaching 50 as well, and FBI will hit 100 with its upcoming Season 5 finale. While these are all impressive totals to reach, will they actually be celebrated?

What Precedent Tells Us:

It seems safe to say that NBC will celebrate Law & Order reaching 500 episodes, after all the promotion for SVU reaching that same milestone, but I’m not quite so sure about the milestones ending in 50. Plus, Chicago P.D. hit 200 episodes earlier this year without too much fanfare. I wouldn’t be shocked if Fire reaching 250 is noted, but on the whole, my best best for a milestone that will be celebrated is L&O #500. 

Is Wolf Entertainment Finished With Spinoffs?

The newest spinoff is FBI: International after its debut in fall 2021 (although L&O’s revival return happened later), and there’s no sign at this point that another entry in the franchise is on the way. NBC and CBS have a good thing going with these series, and NBC already has two full nights of Wolf Entertainment action. 

Why Nine Might Be The Lucky Number:

With the three sections of the Wolf Entertainment universe doing as well as they are, the franchise may not need to expand any further. It’s worth noting that the last time there was an attempt at adding a fourth show on another night of primetime was Chicago Justice, which lasted just one season in 2017. 

For now, you can revisit past episodes of all nine shows streaming via a Paramount+ subscription and/or a Peacock Premium subscription, as well as catch new episodes with the FBIs airing on CBS Tuesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET, One Chicago airing on NBC Wednesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET, and the Law & Orders on NBC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. 

The Law & Order franchise has clearly found the recipe for primetime success, with the original show debuting 1990 and returning in 2022 after several years off as if it had never left. There were a number of new stars joining Jack McCoy this time around, including Hannibal alum Hugh Dancy as ADA Nolan Price. The actor recently spoke with CinemaBlend about the case that made Price bend his own rules, and he shared what kinds of stories that he’d like to do again… even though they’re surprising for the norm of Law & Order. 

Price went through the wringer in the episode that featured him finding the body of a woman who he’d once been in a relationship with, and then having to testify in court about that relationship after crossing the line by doing what Hugh Dancy described as “a terrible thing.” It was of course rough for his character, and when asked what he'd like to do again in the future on Law & Order as Price, Dancy explained:

Well, at least his previous romantic outing in Season 22 didn’t involve his date as a victim! His brief moment of romance did lead into a truly horrifying hate crime with a number of victims on a subway back in the fall, however. Law & Order doesn’t often spend much time on the personal lives of its characters, even compared to spinoffs Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order: Organized Crime. 

Hugh Dancy at least finds it interesting when the long-running drama delves into Price’s romantic life! It’s just unfortunate for the character that hints of his love life tend to involve tragedy in some form or other. When I noted that Price’s on-screen romances are never just going out for coffee with nothing going wrong, the actor responded: 

Only time will tell if Law & Order does give Price more of a love life without any death, destruction, or crises, but he’s certainly not the only character who doesn’t get a lot of romance on the show. Maroun’s personal life tends to be explored in context of the loss of her sister, while the show has touched on Cosgrove as a parent. 

Shaw got a big episode in the fall finale, when he was faced with the case of a Black man who had been wrongfully imprisoned after being failed by both the law and order sides of the system. Lieutenant Dixon shared a bit of her personal life when she opened up about knowing ASL because of her son. Price has just had some serious bad luck when it comes to romance!

See what’s next for Price and the rest with the remaining episodes of Law & Order Season 22 on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC! The show has not yet been renewed for Season 22, but hopefully news on that front (as well as for SVU and Organized Crime) is on the way soon, and fans can always revisit earlier episodes streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. 

The Law & Order franchise has been around for a long time, meaning that shows have come and gone, stars have come and gone, and actors would appear who would go on to become famous. Revival star Hugh Dancy is married to Emmy-winner Claire Danes, who actually had her first-ever acting job on Law & Order. So what would it take for her to come back?

Before Danes starred in Romeo + Juliet, My So-Called Life, Temple Grandin, and Homeland (to name just some of her roles), she landed her first acting job on a little show called Law & Order back in 1992, for the Season 3 episode “Skin Deep.” Hugh Dancy, who currently plays ADA Nolan Price on the show, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about the possibility of his wife appearing on the series once again:

Not only would it be great for Claire Danes to be on an episode of Law & Order 30+ years after guest-starring, but also to act alongside her husband! While he's "entirely open" to the idea, he couldn't commit to whether or not his wife would be on board. It would be a complete full-circle moment to appear on the series that gave her her first job. 

Whether it could be a one-off guest spot as a new character, a recurring gig, or even a series regular job, I know I'd be excited to see her on Law & Order! She'd hardly be the first actor to play more than one character within the franchise, as her husband's coworker Camryn Manheim portrayed somebody other than Kate Dixon earlier in her career. Why not Danes too?

Of course, Claire Danes may be too busy to pay her hubby a visit in the courtroom. Hopefully Hugh Dancy sticks to his word and talks to Danes about it for a possible future appearances. Since the Law & Order revival has been such a success since its return in 2022, it seems like a safe bet that it will be renewed for another season. 

It would be interesting to see Claire Danes come on as a defendant or attorney and really give Hugh Dancy’s Price a run for his money. He made some questionable decisions recently for a case, so who’s to say that he shouldn’t have someone come down hard on him in the future? I need it to happen.

The couple have worked together before, having famously met on the set of Evening. It would undoubtedly be a dream come true for their fans if they work together again on Law & Order, and Hugh Dancy didn't rule it out. And who better to convince Claire Danes to sign on?

Whether or not it happens sometime in the future, it’s clear that the interest is there for Hugh Dancy, and if anyone can convince Claire Danes to take up the opportunity, it would be her husband.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Episode 17 of Law & Order Season 22, called “Bias.”

Law & Order tackled the case of a murdered defense attorney in “Bias,” and the stakes were even higher than usual due to Nolan Price’s involvement as more than just the assistant district attorney. Not only did he find the body of his friend after he was late for their meeting in a park, but he didn’t reveal that he had a romantic history with her until the truth came out when he was on the stand. While Maroun managed to close the case for him and secure the guilty verdict, Price still did what actor Hugh Dancy describes as “a terrible thing.” Read on for his breakdown of “Bias” from an interview with CinemaBlend!

Hugh Dancy spoke with CinemaBlend about Nolan Price in this week’s episode and how the case would get “personal” enough for the character to start bending his own rules. The star hadn’t seen the episode yet when we spoke, but he shared his thoughts on what it was like to play Price on the other side of the witness chair during a trial, saying: 

Nolan Price knows better than to do a lot of what he did in this episode, but he crossed lines due to his belief that he was the DA’s best hope for getting justice for Rachel Bender after her murder. It wasn’t until the defense attorney produced proof that Price had been involved with Rachel years ago that it became clear just how biased he was in wanting to try this case. When I noted to the actor that fans would be watching opposing counsel pulling the kinds of legal tricks that Price normally would, Hugh Dancy responded:

Even before the truth came out about Price’s past relationship with the victim, he and Maroun were facing an uphill battle. They were trying to put a judge behind bars for murder, which didn’t exactly put them in the favor of the judge presiding over the case. Price just made it worse when he asked the trial judge to recuse himself when the attorneys met with him in chambers. Hugh Dancy explained how it felt different than the average episode, saying:

The ADAs rarely get the news they’re hoping for if they join the judge in chambers, especially if the meeting is relatively early in the episode. Asking for a recusal pretty much guaranteed that the odds were stacked against them, and there’s no guarantee that they would have gotten their guilty verdict if not for bending the rules a bit. 

Maroun clearly wasn’t happy about how they got their verdict despite the two usually having a solid dynamic (with some notable exceptions), and the whole situation revealed much more about Price than Law & Order had given away before. So, did the actor enjoy getting to dig into his character’s backstory more than usual? Hugh Dancy explained: 

Interestingly, even though Price is Maroun’s boss, Law & Order had revealed more about Odelya Halevi’s character and backstory than his prior to “Bias.” After this episode, his backstory has been fleshed out a lot more. According to the actor, he was as in the dark about Price’s history as fans were prior to this episode. Dancy said: 

Will Law & Order continue to dig into Price’s history in Season 22 and/or beyond (assuming renewal news comes sooner rather than later)? Only time will tell on that front. This is still a procedural show, with the ensemble cast investigating and prosecuting a different case every week. Still, the show has also revisited Maroun’s unresolved feelings about the loss of her sister and Shaw’s struggles with the NYPD after leaving behind a career in law, so it's entirely possible that we’ll get more of Price’s history moving forward. 

Find out with new episodes of Law & Order on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. If you’ve msised any of Season 22 so far or just want to revisit some earlier days of the series, you can find Law & Order available streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. 

NBC’s Law & Order has been successfully telling stories split between the police who investigate crimes and attorneys who prosecute for more than twenty seasons now, but the new episode on March 30 will blur those lines for none other than ADA Nolan Price. The lawyer who is usually found within the courtroom will find himself at a crime scene under some dark circumstances, and actor Hugh Dancy opened up to CinemaBlend about how personal the case is going to get for his character! 

The next new episode of Law & Order is called “Bias” and will see Price discovering a body and then going on to be involved in the trial, which understandably is going to cause some complications. The promo suggests that Jack McCoy will have some choice words for the ADA. With “Bias” as a big episode for Price, Hugh Dancy shared that he was “busier than usual” and got to “dip into the law and the order” this time around. The Hannibal alum went on to share how personal the situation is for Price, saying: 

Finding a body and then being active in both the investigation and prosecution means that the pursuit of justice will hit closer to home than usual for Price. Viewers saw earlier in this season with Maroun that cases can come dangerously close to being compromised if personal feelings affect prosecution… which Price himself pointed out at the time! 

In light of how their dynamic has developed over the two seasons since Law & Order was revived on NBC, Hugh Dancy previewed how Price having a personal connection to the case will affect Maroun: 

Maroun has worked closely enough with her boss to get to know him well, which evidently means an extra level of frustration with him this week. After all, bending the rules as prosecutors can lead to cases falling apart or even being thrown out, as proven across the Law & Order franchise for decades now. Price normally knows this, but will the case hit too close to home? The episode is called “Bias,” after all! 

While Hugh Dancy didn’t divulge all of the details of what’s on the way with the big episode, he did weigh in on whose bias will be affecting the case after Price finds the body. He said:

Bias “across the board” may be bad news when it comes to a good old-fashioned Law & Order trial! Under normal circumstances, Price might be able to use the bias of his opponents against them, but these will not be normal circumstances. Usually, the closest that fans have to a character who embodies both law and order is Mehcad Brooks’ Jalen Shaw, who was a lawyer before deciding to join the NYPD and become a detective. 

So, what was it like for Hugh Dancy to play both sides for this episode of Season 22, when Price is usually firmly on the “law” side? The actor shared: 

Fans shouldn’t go into “Bias” expecting ADA Nolan Price to be kicking down doors and storming buildings with a SWAT team just because he’s also involved in the investigation side of the case, but it did mean Hugh Dancy spending some time filming elsewhere than the courtroom and office sets. Unfortunately for his character, he’s going to make a grisly discovery once he does step out of his usual haunts! Take a look at the preview for a taste of what’s on the way:

Tune in to NBC on Thursday, March 30 at 8 p.m. ET for the “Bias” episode of Law & Order, and check back with CinemaBlend for more of what Hugh Dancy had to say about the experience. You can revisit earlier episodes of the hit series streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription, which also offers episodes of Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and even Law & Order: Criminal Intent. For some more viewing options while waiting on renewal news from the network, be sure to check out our 2023 TV premiere schedule. 

At long last, Downton Abbey: A New Era (which CinemaBlend’s Mike Reyes gave 3.5 out of 5 stars) is showing in theaters and we can finally see what the extended Crawley family has been up to since we last saw them in 2019’s delightful Downton Abbey, which itself continued on the story of the landmark TV historical drama series of the same name.

But, after watching the latest addition to ever-popular story about the wealthy, aristocratic family, their trusty staff, and those not-so-familiar faces on the silver screen, you may be wondering where you’ve seen the members of the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast before. Worry no more, for we are about to break it all down…

Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley)

Back again as Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham, in Downton Abbey: A New Era is accomplished film and TV actor Hugh Bonneville, who has been with the franchise from the very beginning.

When he’s not playing the distinguished head of the household, Bonneville shows up in movies like Paddington (and its sensational sequel), Notting Hill, and even Tomorrow Never Dies. Over on the small screen, Bonneville has appeared on programs like The Hotel, Twenty Twelve, and dozens of other scripted series and docuseries.

Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Talbot)

Michelle Dockery is back as Lady Mary Talbot in Downton Abbey: A New Era, once again being the voice of reason in her father’s ear.

Outside of her time in Julian Fellowes’ sprawling historical drama franchise, Dockery has appeared in movies like Hanna, Non-Stop, and The Gentleman. She has also popped up on a number of TV shows (and made-for-TV movies) throughout her career, including Red Riding, Good Behavior, Godless, and Anatomy of a Scandal. 

Dominic West (Guy Dexter)

The first of the newcomers to world of Downton Abbey is Dominic West, who steps in as Guy Dexter, the actor at the center of the film production taking place at the estate in A New Era.

Though he is new to this franchise, West is no stranger when it comes to taking on prominent roles on decorated drama series. Over the years, he has given outstanding performances on shows like The Wire, The Hour, The Affair, and most recently The Pursuit of Love. And, expect on seeing West step in as Prince Charles when the highly anticipated The Crown Season 5 debuts on Netflix later this year.

Hugh Dancy (Jack Barber)

Another new addition, Hugh Dancy shows up in the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast as Jack Barber, the film director and producer who has his eyes on Lady Mary.

Throughout his career, Dancy has appeared in everything from the Black Hawk Down cast to The Jane Austen Book Club, and Confessions of a Shopaholic to Martha Marcy May Marlene, and so much more. Over on the small screen, he’s landed memorable roles on Hannibal, The Path, Homeland, and most recently on the Law & Order revival series.

Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates)

Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt is back once again as Anna Bates, one of the Crawley’s most trusted maids in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

When she’s not playing one of the main characters in the historical drama franchise, Froggatt has shown up in movies like Mary Shelley, Filth, and In Our Name. Her TV work, however, is her bread and butter and includes shows like Coronation Street, Bob the Builder (a voice role), Robin Hood, and Life on Mars (the UK original), to name a few.

Sophie McShera (Daisy Parker)

Also back for Downton Abbey: A New Era is Sophie McShera, who once again plays Daisy Parker, the Crawley’s assistant cook.

Most of McShera’s career has been spent appearing on shows like Waterloo Road, The Job Lot, and most recently, The Queen’s Gambit. But she also landed roles in movies like Cinderella and The Personal History of David Copperfield in addition to the two Downton Abbey movies.

Robert James-Collier (Thomas Barrow)

Robert James-Collier, who has been with the franchise since the beginning, is back once again in Downton Abbey: A New Era, playing Thomas Barrow, the estate’s conflicted under-butler.

Throughout his career, James-Collier has popped up on shows like Coronation Street, Ackley Bridge, and The Level. His film work includes The Ritual, A Christmas Star, and several other productions.

Laura Haddock (Myrna Dalgleish)

Laura Haddock is another new addition to the Downton Abbey family, showing up in A New Era as Myrna Dalgleish, an actress who comes to the estate to star in a new film production.

Fans of the MCU will surely recognize Haddock from her portrayal of Meredith Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, which are two of the best Marvel movies. Her other film credits include Transformers: The Last Knight, Superbob, and Storage 24. Over on the TV side of things, Haddock has appeared on Da Vinci’s Demons, How Not to Live Your Life, and White Lines.

Maggie Smith (Violet Grantham, The Dowager Countess)

Returning once more as Violet Grantham, the Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey: A New Era is Dame Maggie Smith, who has been a part of the series since the beginning. 

The two-time Academy Award winner (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, California Suite) is probably best known for her work in the Harry Potter movies, having portrayed Minerva McGonagall in all eight movies. Her other notable works include Death on the Nile (the 1978 version), Gosford Park, Travels with My Aunt, and countless others.

Elizabeth McGovern (Cora Crawley)

Back again as Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey: A New Era is Elizabeth McGovern, who has portrayed the character since the original series kicked off more than a decade ago.

In addition to her work in the Downton Abbey franchise, McGovern has appeared in movies like Kick-Ass, Woman in Gold, and Once Upon a Time in America. Her TV work includes Freezing, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and the 2019 BBC production of War of the Worlds.

Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith)

Returning to Downton Abbey: A New Era as Edith Pelham, Marchioness of Hexham, is Laura Carmichael, another longtime fixture of the franchise.

Since landing her breakout role on the original Downton Abbey series, Carmichael has shown up in movies like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and A United Kingdom. Her TV work includes The Spanish Princess, The Secrets She Keeps, and Marcella.

Jim Carter (Charles Carson)

Jim Carter returns in Downton Abbey: A New Era as Charles Carson, the former butler at the massive estate who still has the Crawley family, and their home, in his best interests.

Throughout his career, Carter has appeared in film and TV projects like Richard III, The Witches, Top Secret!, Shakespeare in Love, Screen Two, Murder Most Horrid, and countless others going back to the early 1980s. But his career didn’t start there, as Carter was an accomplished stage performer dating back to the early 1970s.

Phyllis Logan (Elsie Carson)

Phyllis Logan returns once more as Elsie Carson, the head housekeeper of the Crawley’s estate in Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Since breaking out with her lauded performance in 1983’s Another Time, Another Place, Logan has gone on to appear in movies like Nineteen Eighty-Four, Nativity!, The Dark Sun, and a few dozen others. Her TV work is even more prolific, thanks to appearances on shows like Lovejoy, Midsomer Murders, Hope and Glory, The Good Karma Hospital, and many, many more.

Nathalie Baye (Madame Montmirail)

Nathalie Baye joins the fray in Downton Abbey: A New Era as Madame Montmirail, one of the owners of the French estate the Crawley’s visit while their home is being used as a film shoot.

Throughout her career, Baye has appeared in everything from Catch Me If You Can to Day for Night, and Strange Affair to The Assistant, with dozens upon dozens of other credits to her name.

Jonathan Zaccaï (Monsieur Montmirail)

Jonathan Zaccaï, another notable newcomer to the franchise, shows up in Downton Abbey: A New Era as the Marquis de Montmirail.

Zaccaï has spent the vast majority of his career starring in French-speaking films like Seaside, Room of Death, and With Love… from the Age of Reason, but some may recognize him from his portrayal of King Philip of France in Ridley Scott’s 2010 film, Robin Hood. 

Allen Leech (Tom Branson)

Allen Leech returns as Tom Branson in Downton Abbey: A New Era, a role he has played since the show got its start back in 2010.

Even before he landed what some would call the role of a lifetime, Leech built up a nice career for himself with shows like Rome and The Tudors, though he has found some success since then with the likes of Black Mirror (which is returning, per Variety) and The Good Doctor. His film work includes The Imitation Game and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Penelope Wilton (Isobel Grey, Lady Merton)

And back again once more is Penelope Wilton, who portrays Isobel Grey, Lady Merton on the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast.

Throughout her legendary career, Wilton has landed roles in movies like Shaun of the Dead, Match Point, BFG, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Pride & Prejudice, and the 2022 Netflix movie schedule entry, Operation Mincemeat. Her TV work includes several episodes of Doctor Who, Bob & Rose, and After Life.

Other Members Of The Downton Abbey: A New Era Cast

But, that is just the beginning of the Downton Abbey: A New Era cast, as the list of actors and actresses popping up in the highly anticipated affair could go on for days and days. Here are just a few more of the stars who appear: Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Harry Hadden-Paton, Tuppence Middleton, Lesley Nicol, Douglas Reith, and Imelda Staunton.

Downton Abbey: A New Era is currently playing in theaters. Don't forget to check out all the other great 2022 movie releases coming your way in the near future.

When it comes to relationships, these celebrity couples met on the sets of some of their most famous movies. From romantic films such as The Notebook to action movies like Daredevil, through the power of film, many of these couples were brought together. Here are 25 couples who met on the set of a movie but ended up dating in real life. 

Ryan Gosling And Rachel McAdams (The Notebook)

While you may know The Notebook as one of the best romance films out there, the two leading stars actually met on the set of the film, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. In an interview with GQ in 2007, Gosling confirmed he was thankful for the movie, as he met her through it despite the fact that their relationship ended.

While they did eventually break up in 2007, no one can quite forget this romance, both on and off screen.  

Emma Stone And Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man Series)

When Andrew Garfield was Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man series, he and his on-screen Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, ended up dating for four years after meeting on the set of the first movie. While they split back in 2015, Garfield recently said that he’s still her biggest fan during an interview with Vanity Fair’s “Little Gold Men” podcast:

Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt (Mr. And Mrs. Smith) 

On the set of the spy-movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (which is getting a reboot), Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met. In an interview with Vogue (via People) in 2006, Jolie confirmed that they developed feelings for each other while filming, but didn’t start thinking of getting together instantly. 

Jolie and Pitt married in 2014, but later filed for divorce.  

Robert Pattinson And Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Series)

The Twilight series was a huge hit for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who played Edward and Bella in the adaptation of the popular vampire series, and they began dating after the first Twilight film released in 2008, according to an interview Stewart did with The New Yorker. They did eventually break up. 

Freida Pinto And Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)

The 2011 Academy Award-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire, brought together its two stars, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, after they starred in the film together. In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, Patel talked about his past relationship with Pinto, and how close they were during their time together. 

The pair split in 2014. 

Michelle Williams And Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain)

While filming Brokeback Mountain, co-stars Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger starred as husband and wife, and that love ended up coming off screen when the two began to date. In an interview with GQ in 2012, Williams talked about meeting Ledger for the first time, and how she felt she was always meant to meet him.

The two had a child together, but later separated.

Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds (The Green Lantern)

These two are couples goals. Ever since Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively met on the set of The Green Lantern in 2010, these two have been inseparable and eventually ended up getting married. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2021, Reynolds admits they were seeing different people at the time, but their friendship slowly turned into a relationship. 

They’ve been married for several years now, and have four children. 

Eva Mendes And Ryan Gosling (The Place Beyond The Pines)

In The Place Beyond the Pines, the stars of the film, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling ended up getting together. Rumors of them being together popped up originally when they were spotted going on a date to Disneyland (via Us Weekly) in 2011, and now more than a decade later, they’re still together and have two daughters. 

Gosling, in an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2016, gushed about his family. 

Elizabeth Taylor And Richard Burton (Cleopatra)

Famed legendary actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had a whirlwind romance after filming Cleopatra, which released in 1963. Their love was highly publicized and even turned into a limited series, called Liz & Dick. It spanned thirteen years, eleven films together, as well as two marriages and two divorces, according to Vogue. 

Natalie Portman And Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan)

While filming her Academy Award-winning movie, Black Swan, Natalie Portman met Benjamin Millepied, who is a famous choreographer and co-starred with her. Two began dating and married not that long after in 2012. 

In an interview with People, Natalie gushed about her husband and how much she loved working with him again on a new film, called Vox Lux in 2018.

Matthew Broderick And Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

While they may have played siblings in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey were actually entangled in a relationship during their time on set. Jennifer Grey spoke about her relationship with the actor in her memoir, Out of the Corner, and how it was hard to keep it a secret from everyone else. 

Once filming ended, according to the memoir, they separated temporarily before getting back together, and dated in 1988. They were also briefly engaged but called it off not that long after. 

Johnny Depp And Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands)

While they originally met in the lobby of a New York theater in 1989, according to Rolling Stone (via Cheat Sheet), Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder’s relationship only grew more after co-starring in Edward Scissorhands in 1990, so much so that Depp proposed to Ryder only five months into dating. 

However, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1993, Depp confirmed they had split up due to the privacy the media wouldn’t let them have. 

Claire Danes And Hugh Dancy (Evening)

Both Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy met on the set of Evening, according to an interview Dancy did with London Evening Standard in 2013, saying that marriage to the star, as well as fatherhood, is treating him “very well.”

Goldie Hawn And Kurt Russell (The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band)

This long-lasting partnership started way back when in 1966. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell originally met on the set of The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, but it wasn’t until Swing Shift in 1984 that they began dating. In an interview with People, Hawn admits that the two don’t see a point in marriage.  

The pair have been together for 40 years, and recently starred in The Christmas Chronicles 2 together in 2020.  

Taylor Swift And Taylor Lautner (Valentine’s Day)

The ultimate Taylor-ship, actor Taylor Lautner and singer Taylor Swift worked together on the romantic comedy Valentine's Day and were seen out together at sports games (via People). The two reportedly dated for a couple of months before breaking up in December of the same year. 

Channing Tatum And Jenna Dewan (Step Up)

One of Channing Tatum’s best movies led to him meeting Jenna Dewan, his co-star and later wife on the set of Step-Up, as confirmed by an interview Tatum did with Elle in 2013. Tatum admitted that he almost didn’t ask Dewan out because he had just gotten out of a relationship. 

While they share a daughter, the two divorced in 2019.  

Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz (Dream House)

While the two had actually first met at university together, both Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz were brought back together while filming Dream House. Weisz spoke with The Evening Standard in 2018 on her relationship, and how she never thought she would get married, until she started dating Craig. 

Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck (Gigli) 

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are back together, but their first run at a relationship was while filming Gigli, where the two became close friends, and later began to date after Lopez divorced from Chris Judd in 2003.

Vanessa Hudgens And Zac Efron (High School Musical Series)

The High School Musical series was a huge hit for the Disney Channel, and onscreen love interests, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, turned that love into a long relationship offscreen, according to Hudgens during an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast (via People) in 2019.

The two were together for five years before breaking up. 

Jennifer Garner And Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Both Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck first met while filming Pearl Harbor, but started to date after being co-stars in Daredevil, according to an interview with Playboy Magazine in 2017, saying that this set was where they fell in love.

They later married in 2005 and then divorced in 2018. 

Liam Hemsworth And Miley Cyrus (The Last Song)

While filming The Last Song together, Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus became very close, according to Seventeen (via MTV News) where Cyrus said he was her “best friend.” Their relationship was later confirmed after they walked the red carpet together. They were together for years, marrying, before divorcing in 2020. 

Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman (Days Of Thunder)

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman met at her audition for Days of Thunder, according to an interview she did with Harper’s Bazaar in 2021. The two stars co-starred, fell in love, married in 1990, and then divorced in 2001. 

Zendaya And Tom Holland (Spider-Man Series)

Tom Holland and Zendaya met while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming together, but it wasn’t until closer to the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021 that speculation about a romantic relationship between the two seemed to be confirmed. 

Since then, the two have been very public about their relationship, especially when Tom Holland shared a post on Instagram on her birthday, saying that Zendaya was “his MJ.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar And Freddie Prinze Jr. (I Know What You Did Last Summer)

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. met originally on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer, but didn’t begin to date until 2000, according to an interview Gellar did with People in 2002, saying they weren’t even originally supposed to go on a date - turned into one. 

They have been together for twenty years and have two children. 

Penelope Cruz And Javier Bardem (Jamón Jamón)

The two actually met for the first time as co-stars while filming Jamón Jamón, they wouldn’t get together until they reunited again filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a Woody Allen film, according to an interview Javier Bardem did with GQ in 2017, and started dating after filming was done. 

The two have been married since 2010, and have two children. 

There are so many celebrity couples out there - some that have stood the test of time and others that have not. And I’m sure over time, only more and more will start to pop up with even crazier romances. 

On December 28, 2001, Ridley Scott released one of the loudest, most violent, and most realistic  war movies with Black Hawk Down. The military epic, which is based on the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, is filled with some of the best actors of the time, with everyone from seasoned acting veterans like the late Sam Shepard to up-and-comers like Tom Hardy portraying actual Army Rangers and Delta Force operatives as well as characters based on the likeness of others.

A lot of time has passed since the Black Hawk Down cast provided engaging and sometimes harrowing performances in the tense and hectic war drama, and you may be curious to know what they’re up to now. You have come to the right place if that’s the case.

Josh Hartnett (Matt Eversmann)

Josh Hartnett was one of most bankable young stars in Hollywood by the time he joined the Black Hawk Down cast as Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann in 2001, with movies like The Faculty, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, and Pearl Harbor under his belt.

More recently, Josh Hartnett has continued to find success on both the big screen and small screen, with everything from Wrath of Man to Ida Red and Paradise Lost to Exterminate All the Brutes coming out since 2020. The former teen heartthrob will next appear in The Long Way Home and The Fear Index.

Eric Bana (Norm “Hoot” Gibson)

Already a massive star in his native Australia by the time Black Hawk Down came around in December 2001, Eric Bana got one of his first big breaks in Hollywood with his portrayal of Delta Force Sergeant First Class Norm “Hoot” Gibson.

In the years following the release of Ridley Scott’s gritty war drama, Eric Bana appeared in Hulk, Troy, Munich, and Star Trek, and has continued to remain a busy actor with recent movies like King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Dry, and Back to the Outback. He’ll next appear in the upcoming drama Blueback.

Ewan McGregor (John “Grimesey” Grimes)

Ewan McGregor gave a tremendous performance as Army Rangers Specialist John “Grimesey” Grimes in Black Hawk Down, a movie that came out in the middle of one of the Scottish actor’s most successful runs (the film was released between Moulin Rouge! and Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones).

No surprise here, but Ewan McGregor has remained just as successful and just as prolific in the two decades since he went from a desk clerk to combat soldier, with Doctor Sleep, Birds of Prey, and The Birthday Cake all coming out since late 2019. McGregor will also take on the role of his famous Jedi master once more in the upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Tom Sizemore (Danny McKnight)

Just a few years after Saving Private Ryan and only months following the release of Pearl Harbor, Tom Sizemore tried his hand at the military drama genre with his portrayal of Colonel Danny McKnight in Black Hawk Down. 

Despite extensive legal trouble over the years, Tom Sizemore has remained one of the busiest figures in Hollywood (he appeared in 28 movies between 2017 and 2018), and has continue to appear in multiple film and TV projects like Twin Peaks, Adam, and Central Park Dark.

William Fichtner (Jeff Sanderson)

Following successes like Heat, Armageddon, and The Perfect Storm, William Fichtner went on to portray Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson in Black Hawk Down.

Here more recently, William Fichtner has shown up in everything from 12 Strong to The Space Between on the film side of things with appearances on TV including Mom, Veep, and Corporate. At some point in the near future, Fichtner will try his luck again at the small screen with the upcoming Peacock series Joe Exotic which is to feature the actor as the Tiger King’s former producer Richard Kirkham.

Sam Shepard (William Garrison)

The late Sam Shepard, who found a great deal of success as an actor, playwright, author, and director, portrayed Major General William F. Garrison in Black Hawk Down.

In the years prior to his 2017 death at the age of 73, Sam Shepard appeared in Midnight Special, Never Here, and Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (though the film wasn’t released until 2019). He also appeared on the Netflix series Bloodline shortly before his passing.

Jason Isaacs (Mike Steele)

Jason Isaacs, who made a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s leading villainous actors with The Patriot and later the Harry Potter franchise, showed up in a less evil role in Black Hawk Down as Captain Mike Steele.

More recently, Jason Isaacs has appeared on Star Trek: Discovery, Sex Education, and Castlevania, as well as movies like Mass, Scoob!, and Hotel Mumbai. Isaacs has multiple projects in the works, including Spinning Gold and Henry VIII: Man, Monarch, Monster.

Ewen Bremner (Shawn Nelson)

One of the many actors who appeared in both Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, Ewen Bremner shows up in the latter as Specialist Shawn Nelson.

Over the course of the past five years, Ewen Bremner has appeared in T2 Trainspotting (reprising his role from the 1996 original), Wonder Woman, First Cow, and Creation Stories to name a few. He will soon appear in the upcoming HBO Max series Our Flag Means Death.

Orlando Bloom (Todd Blackburn)

Just as he was becoming an overnight sensation with the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Orlando Bloom took on another memorable role as Private First Class Todd Blackburn in Black Hawk Down.

Since the December 2001 release of the violent war drama, Orlando Bloom has become an international superstar with franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Hobbit (where he reprised his LOTR role). Bloom is currently one of the leads on the Amazon series Carnival Row.

Tom Hardy (Lance Twombly)

Not long after he found a place on the Band of Brothers cast, Tom Hardy stuck with military dramas as Specialist Lance Twombly in his feature film debut. 

Since then, Tom Hardy has become and remained one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood balancing comic book adaptations like The Dark Knight Rises and Venom with dramas like The Revenant and Dunkirk. Hardy will next appear in Gareth Evans upcoming crime thriller Havoc.

Kim Coates (Chris Wex)

Already an established name in show business by the time he joined the Black Hawk Down cast as Master Sergeant Chris Wex, Kim Coates has continued to find success in film and TV in the past 20 years.

The Sons of Anarchy and Prison Break star has recently appeared on shows like Tangled: The Series, The Crew, and Van Helsing, as well as movies like Fantasy Island, See for Me, and Donkeyhead.

Ioan Gruffudd (John Beales)

Ioan Gruffudd had already appeared in movies like Titanic and Another Life by the time he was cast as Lieutenant John Beales in Black Hawk Down, but his career would take off even more years after with Fantastic Four (and its 2007 sequel), King Arthur, and W.

More recently, Ioan Gruffudd has appeared in movies like The Professor and the Madman, Buttons, and Ava, as well as TV shows like Liar and Harrow.

Hugh Dancy (Kurt “Doc” Schmid)

Hugh Dancy made his feature film debut in Black Hawk Down as Sergeant First Class Kurt “Doc” Schmid, but it certainly wouldn’t be his last.

Following the success of The Jane Austen Book Club, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and Martha Marcy May Marlene, Hugh Dancy landed roles in more recent film productions like Late Night and the soon-to-be-released Downton Abbey: A New Era. Dancy will also appear on Law & Order Season 21 in early 2022..

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Gary Gordon)

Before he became known for his portrayal of Jaime Lannister on Game of Thrones, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau took on the role of Delta Force operative Master Sergeant Gary Gordon in Black Hawk Down.

Since completing his role in the divisive Game of Thrones Season 8, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has portrayed the titular character in a 2020 production of Macbeth, The Silencing, and A Taste of Hunger, with several upcoming projects on the way including Against The Ice and God is a Bullet.

Jeremy Piven (Clifton Wolcott)

Though more associated with comedic roles, Jeremy Piven showed up in Black Hawk Down as Clifton Wolcott, the pilot of the doomed Super 61 helicopter. 

In the years following the release of Black Hawk Down, Jeremy Piven would land one of his most iconic roles when he was cast as Ari Gold on the HBO series Entourage (and the 2015 film adaptation). Recently, Piven has shown up in Last Call, American Night, and the soon-to-be-released All-Star Weekend alongside Jamie Foxx.

Ty Burrell (Timothy A. Wilkinson)

And then there is Ty Burrell, who has a brief appearance as Technical Sergeant Timothy A. Wilkinson in Black Hawk Down.

In the years following the film’s release, Ty Burrell would find success, first in Zack Snyder’s 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake and then on a much larger scale as Phil Dunphy on the long-running Modern Family. Since the landmark series completed its run in 2020, Burrell has voiced Jack Harris on the animated series Duncanville.

This is just a little more than a dozen of the actors who appeared on the Black Hawk Down cast, as including every single name would take a very long time. If it has been forever since you watched Ridley Scott's Academy Award-winning war drama, now's the perfect time as it is one of the best movies on HBO Max.

When Law & Order returns to NBC in 2022, fans of the police procedural will be happy to see a couple of familiar faces returning in their beloved roles. It was previously reported that black-ish star Anthony Anderson is returning as detective Kevin Bernard, and he'll be joined in some capacity or another by fellow Law & Order alum. Sam Waterston, who played the beloved District Attorney Jack McCoy for 16 seasons in the legal drama’s original run, has been confirmed to be returning for its 21st season.

Law & Order premiered on NBC in September 1990 and ran for 20 seasons before the network announced the canellation, with its last episode having aired on May 24, 2010. But with the continued success of its spinoffs, including the long-running Special Victims Unit and the newer recruit Organized Crime, the flagship series will return, as will the legendary creator Dick Wolf and the series' signature format that first showcases the police investigation and then leads into the DA’s prosecution. Along with the familiar faces, Law & Order Season 21 will introduce some new characters to keep things interesting. Let’s take a look at an updated cast list for NBC’s upcoming Law & Order revival.

Sam Waterston (Jack McCoy)

A star of the stage and screen, Sam Waterston played Jack McCoy for 16 seasons in Law & Order’s original run, earning three Emmy nominations in that time. Although the show has been off the air since 2010, Waterston has made a handful of appearances on its spinoff Law & Order: SVU, with his last guest role as McCoy coming in 2018 for Season 19. The actor currently stars as Sol, husband to Martin Sheen's Robert, on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, which is in its last season. Known as well for his work on HBO's The Newsroom and Netflix's Godless, Waterston will also spend 2022 recurring in the Hulu limited series The Dropout, based on the podcast of the same name. 

Anthony Anderson (Kevin Bernard)

Like Sam Waterston, Anthony Anderson has signed a one-year contract to reprise his original character, Detective Kevin Bernard, on Law & Order Season 21. Anderson has starred in black-ish since 2014 as Dre Johnson, with the eighth and final season of the ABC sitcom set to premiere in early 2022. Since Law & Order's original run ended more than 10 years ago, Anderson has appeared in movies including Scream 4 and Barbershop: The Next Cut, as well as TV shows including Guys with Kids and Treme. And you can also catch him hosting the ABC game show To Tell the Truth.

Jeffrey Donovan (Unnamed NYPD Detective)

You likely know him best as the death-defying Michael from Burn Notice, but now Jeffrey Donovan is going to get a taste of handling things above-board (presumably) as an NYPD detective on the Law & Order revival. There’s not much information on his new role in the franchise, but hopefully he’ll bring his dry humor to the streets of New York. Donovan, who previously appeared in two episodes of the drama as unrelated characters, has also had memorable roles in Season 2 of Fargo and two seasons of the Hulu drama Shut Eye.

Hugh Dancy (Assistant District Attorney)

Hugh Dancy is another new face to Law & Order, the Hannibal vet thankfully doesn't have to worry about that face being eaten through his new role as an Assistant District Attorney. Details about Dancy’s new character are being kept mum for now. Dancy’s kept pretty busy on the small screen, playing John Zabel on Season 8 of Homeland and "not-a-cult" leader Cal Roberts on The Path, on top of the aforementioned Hannibal. He’s also no stranger to the theater, most recently appearing in the 2018 run of Apologia in New York, and he'll pop up on the big screen in 2022 via Downton Abbey: A New Era.

Camryn Manheim (Lieutenant Kate Dixon)

After playing three different small roles in Law & Order during its first 20-season run — with one of them being her very first TV performance ever — Camryn Manheim is officially joining the cast for Season 21 as Lieutenant Kate Dixon. This new character serves as the successor to Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, who was played by S. Epatha Merkerson, who was unable to return for the revival due to scheduling issues. Perhaps best known for her Emmy-winning role as Ellenor Fruit on The Practice, Manheim has also appeared in Extant, Ghost Whisperer and Stumptown.

Odelya Halevi (Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun)

Odelya Halevi will play Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun when the NBC courtroom drama returns next year. Halevi doesn’t have the extensive resume of her co-stars, but has enjoyed recurring roles on the third season of the Freeform drama Good Trouble and on Prime Video’s Good Girls Revolt. She’s also had guest roles in recent years on MacGyver, Midnight, Texas and NCIS.

Law & Order Season 21 is set to premiere on NBC on February 24, 2022, and will air on Dick Wolf Thursdays (not an official branding) alongside its spinoffs Law & Order: SVU and Law and Order: Organized Crime. Check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other shows are coming in the new year.

There has never been, nor will there ever be a show like Hannibal. A total of 39 episodes aired between April 2013 and August 2015, and each one is both elegantly beautifully and also nightmarishly horrific – to the point where you unanswerably question how any of it managed to find its way on to network television. It’s a remarkable work of art that ended far too soon on NBC, but thankfully it is now finding a whole new audience thanks to the fact that it is streaming on Netflix.

Much of Hannibal’s greatness derived from the special vision of showrunner Bryan Fuller, his awesome team of writers, and the excellent directors employed, but it also has a stellar cast that has continued to do amazing work in the years since the show ended. So what exactly are they up to? We’ve put together this feature to dig into that very question, and we’ll begin with the series’ titular monster:

Mads Mikkelsen (Dr. Hannibal Lecter)

Anthony Hopkins starred in a trilogy of films as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, his performance in the first one earning him an Academy Award, and many believed that he perfectly defined the role and that nobody could ever put on a comparable iconic turn. Then Mads Mikkelsen came along and totally redefined the sociopathic, cannibalistic serial killer for a new generation. Since then, his excellent work has continued in a high profile way, playing characters in the 2016 blockbusters Doctor Strange and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Switching things up in terms of medium, he plays a key role in the 2019 video game Death Stranding, and while also making films in his native Denmark, he has a supporting role in the upcoming Chaos Walking starring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley.

Hugh Dancy (Will Graham)

In a television age full of investigator characters who have the ability to solve cases in non-traditional ways, Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham still managed to stand out as a remarkable character in Hannibal – both when operating as his serial killer friend’s puppet, and as his hunter. In the years since the show ended Dancy has done some feature work, namely starring opposite Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson in 2019’s Late Night, but he has primarily stuck to the small screen. His time playing John Zabel on the Showtime thriller Homeland came to an end in April, but he now has a recurring role on CBS All Access’ The Good Fight.

Laurence Fishburne (Jack Crawford)

At the start of Hannibal, Laurence Fishburne was definitely the biggest name in the cast, having played roles in film and television going back to the late 1970s, and his career has in no way slowed since the end of the NBC drama series.

In addition to being one of the few major actors to have a role in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe (as Dr. Bill Foster and Perry White, respectively), he is also part of the John Wick franchise (expected to return in the developing John Wick: Chapter 4), and still has his recurring role on ABC’s Black-ish. Quibi subscribers can see some of his most recent work on the series #Freerayshawn, and he has a number of features in the works – including The Ice Road with Liam Neeson, The Blacksmith with Nick Jonas, and Crimson Blues with Tom Jane.

Caroline Dhavernas (Dr. Alana Bloom)

Caroline Dhavernas went into Hannibal as a Bryan Fuller veteran, having played the lead role in Fuller’s Niagara Falls-set comedy Wonderfalls from 2004, and as Dr. Alana Bloom she plays one of the most complex and vital roles in the show – really becoming a totally different person from who we meet in the pilot to who she is at the end of Season 3. Since 2015 most of her work has been in the Great White North (where she comes from), including multiple Canadian shows such as Les Beaux Malaises, Blue Moon, and Mary Kills People (which Hannibal fans should note appropriately features Dhavernas as the titular Mary – though the series isn’t really what you think).

Scott Thompson (Jimmy Price)

The Kids In The Hall fans were extremely well-aware of Scott Thompson long before his time playing crime scene investigator Jimmy Price, and by extension he provided a bit of comfort with his affable spirit in Hannibal, as his light energy helped balance the true nightmares of the show. Since the end of the crime serial drama he has had a few recurring roles on series like What Would Sal Do? and The Simpsons, but most of his work has been doing single episode spots on a variety of shows. His most exciting upcoming project is a revitalization of The Kids In The Hall, which will reunite him with old cohorts Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Mark McKinney.

Aaron Abrams (Brian Zeller)

Looking at Aaron Abrams’ filmography, he’s very clearly a “no gaps in the resume” kind of guy. Hannibal fans will best remember him as Brian Zeller, the fellow crime scene investigator who provided plenty of excellent banter with Jimmy, but he has had plenty of roles in the last few years including on TV shows like Masters of Sex and Grey’s Anatomy, and in movies like The Open House starring Dylan Minnette and The Lovebirds with Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. He can presently be seen playing Congressman Matthew Weitz on ABC’s Blindspot, which is a role he has been playing on and off since Season 1 of the show in 2016.

Gillian Anderson (Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier)

Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier was a particular standout on Hannibal because she was one of the few original characters created for the show – and Gillian Anderson played the part to perfection, particularly her drive to survive under horrifying circumstances, and the duplicitousness that emerges as a result. Having already been a genre legend prior to the NBC horror series, Anderson’s career didn’t really take much of a hit with the cancellation, as she has kept very busy – her work including a return to the role of Dana Scully for two new seasons of The X-Files.

More recently she has become a big presence on Netflix, as she not only has a major part on the comedy series Sex Education, but will also be playing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the upcoming season of The Crown.

Hettienne Park (Beverly Katz)

Few major Hannibal characters faced a grisly end quite like that experienced by Beverly Katz, who was cut into slices by the titular killer and displayed on a series of glass slides. It was both gruesome and sad to see, given that Hettienne Park was a wonderful presence on the show, and she has continued to get steady small screen work since. Like Aaron Abrams, Park also plays a recurring role on Blindspot, and also has episodes of The Blacklist and Prodigal Son on her resume. In 2020 she played the role of Tamika Collins on the HBO Stephen King adaptation series The Outsider (it remains unclear if it will be getting a Season 2, or will simply exist as a miniseries).

Kacey Rohl (Abigail Hobbs)

The life of Abigail Hobbs in Hannibal is an exclusively tragic one, as she went from being forced to help her father murder young women so that he wouldn’t murder her, to helping Hannibal Lecter cover up his crimes after presenting himself as an ally. Kacey Rohl does excellent work in the role, and has picked up a number of significant parts in notable projects in recent years. She’s played recurring characters on shows including Wayward Pines, Arrow, and Fortunate Son, and can now be seen playing Marina Andrieski on SyFy’s The Magicians.

Lara Jean Chorostecki (Freddie Lounds)

The Freddie Lounds depicted in Hannibal by Lara Jean Chorostecki is quite different than the one in the book and previous adaptations, starting with the fact that she is written as a woman instead of a man, but what remains consistent is that the actress, like Stephen Lang in Manhunter and Philip Seymour Hoffman in Red Dragon before her, put on a memorable turn as the journalist. Between 2015 and 2017 Chorostecki starred in two television shows, ABC’s Designated Survivor and CBC’s X Company, and most recently she has appeared on two episodes of Condor on the Audience Network.

Raul Esparza (Dr. Frederick Chilton)

It seems fitting to follow Freddie Lounds with Dr. Frederick Chilton, as the moral-less psychiatrist notably winds up facing the fate in Hannibal that Lounds experiences in Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon novel (which is to say disfigured by Francis Dolarhyde and set on fire).

As Chilton, Raul Esparza makes you grind your teeth, but that’s just proof that he does his job perfectly. The actor, who was also a Bryan Fuller veteran prior to the NBC show thanks to a pair of Pushing Daisies episodes, has mostly kept to the small screen in the last few years, with recurring roles on Hulu’s The Path and Netflix’s Bojack Horseman. He’s also continued to play Rafael Barba on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (a character he has been playing since 2012), and he recently did an episode of The Good Fight (reuniting him with Hugh Dancy).

Once you are all done checking out everything that the Hannibal cast is currently up to, head back to Netflix to catch Seasons 1 through 3 of the show again, and join us in keeping our fingers tightly crossed hoping that someday Bryan Fuller will get to continue the show and execute his own vision for Thomas Harris’ The Silence of The Lambs.

Hugh Dancy has joined the cast of Homeland for its final season. That’s right, the actor will star alongside his real-life wife, Claire Danes, for the Showtime series’ eighth bow. It is going to be a family affair! Who is Dancy playing? Here is what you need to know.

The Path and Hannibal actor will make his Homeland debut for what is set to be an arc spanning multiple episodes. That suggests this should be a rather pivotal role in Season 8. Hugh Dancy will star in a recurring capacity as John Zabel. How Zabel fits into things is intriguing, so prepare to speculate.

Hugh Dancy’s John Zabel is a “savvy consultant” in Washington D.C. As you may have predicted, he will be joining the staff at the White House. His role will be that of a foreign-policy adviser to Beau Bridge’s President Warner. While he is seemingly good news for the president, he is not for Mandy Patinkin’s Saul Berenson.

Hugh Dancy’s Zabel will reportedly be an opponent for Saul and a “formidable” one at that. Saul will be involved with the White House too, acting as the National Security Advisor to the president. It sounds like Homeland fans should expect their share of clashes between Zabel and Saul.

Hence, Saul will have to remain sharp, and that is where Carrie will come in. Details on the plot for Homeland’s final season reveal that he will recruit Carrie for one last mission. Do last missions ever turn out well? In a sign that Carrie's might be difficult for her, the mission teased is going to be an intense one.

Homeland creator Alex Gansa previously revealed Season 8’s action would take place in Washington D.C. and overseas. The latest two castings have been for characters whose stories should unravel in the former destination.

Hugh Dancy’s character is one of the latest new additions to Season 8. He joins True Blood’s Sam Trammel in a previously announced part. Trammel will take on the role of the vice president, which means he and Dancy should share some screen time on Homeland. That should be fun!

Whether Hugh Dancy’s John Zabel and Claire Danes’ Carrie share the screen is another question. It would not be the first time the husband-and-wife co-starred. They previously starred in the 2007 movie, Evening together, although they weren't yet married at the time.

Homeland marks Hugh Dancy’s first television role since the Hulu series The Path. It got cancelled after three seasons. He may still be best-remembered for his role on Hannibal. Dancy gets to head into his Homeland stint knowing it will be a short-lived one. Time to seize the moment!

A premiere date for Homeland’s final season on Showtime has not gotten set yet, so stay tuned.

Though most people may think of Netflix when asked about the best original streaming series, Hulu has been doing a damned fine job of building its reputation in the world of scripted dramas. It's proven best in the wildly addictive and suspenseful The Path, led by the powerhouse trio of Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy. And Hulu's powers-that-be know not to let a good thing go, as The Path has been renewed for Season 3 on the very day that Season 2 is ending.

The Path's Season 2 finale was released in the early Wednesday morning hours, and dedicated viewers who watched immediately -- myself included -- were left wondering how life could possibly go on without another season to follow, and Hulu has graciously already answered those desperate pleas for more. We definitely can't knock the timing of this Season 3 renewal, since Hulu was clearly making some strategic decisions with that announcement. Of course, I would have cheered for more of The Path's quasi-religious twists and turns no matter when the announcement came.

Understandably, creator Jessica Goldberg likely hasn't done much writing for Season 3 just yet (though the ideas are presumably numerous), so there aren't any meaty details about what fans can expect. One notable detail, however, is that Season 3 will get 13 episodes to further the Meyerists' complications, implying Hulu's execs liked how things played out with Season 2 getting that three-ep bump up from the premiere season. Sure, it means another year of even more of that douche Russell, but there's always the chance that he could die!

The Path serves as Aaron Paul's Breaking Bad follow-up, Michelle Monaghan's True Detective follow-up and Hugh Dancy's Hannibal follow-up, and it somehow stands up next to all three of those acclaimed shows. The drama centers on a community of seemingly charitable and good-natured people called the Meyerist movement, which has a whole host of seedy incidents in its decades-long history. Season 1 followed the fracture of the relationships between Eddie and Sarah Lane (Paul and Monaghan) and Cal Roberts (Dancy) as the movement's much ballyhooed leader falls ill, while Season 2 explores the consequences of everyone's earlier decisions. And not to get spoilery, but Season 2 ended in such a way that will only lead to more dark and ill-formed decisions from Cal and his dedicated flock.

Just as a reminder, if you didn't realize it already, you can currently catch the entirety of Season 1 and Season 2 of The Path streaming on Hulu right now. And for everything else currently set to debut or return to the small screen in the near future, head to our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV guide.

We finally have confirmation that Albus Dumbledore will be appearing in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 2, and we're hopeful that means he'll have an even bigger presence as this budding series moves forward. But who will play him? That has yet to be determined, so what better time to speculate over who might snag the role of Dumbledore in the anticipated followup for the upcoming Harry Potter spinoff.

It's worth noting a couple of things before we get to the list. The first is that we're going to assume that whoever plays Dumbledore will be from somewhere in the United Kingdom. That's yet to be confirmed, but we're going to ride with that assumption. Dumbledore is British, so hopefully he'll be played by a British actor.

The next is that Dumbledore would've been in his mid-forties in the 1920s, so (factoring in Hollywood's typically flexible view on actor/character ages) we're assuming they'll cast someone within the range of late thirties to early fifties.

Finally, we don't really know what Dumbledore's personality was like in his younger years. Maybe he was really just a 40-something version of the Dumbledore we came to know and love in the Harry Potter books and movies, but I'm inclined to think life-experienced shaped him into the eventual Hogwarts headmaster. So we can't really pinpoint an actor by personality type.

All of the above in mind, here's a list of (mostly) British actors who could fit the part of Albus Dumbledore.

Damian Lewis

I'm dropping this name first, because he's among my favorite choices for the part. At 45, Damian Lewis is the perfect age to play 1920's Dumbledore. Though he's spent a lot of his career on the small screen (Homeland, Life, Billions), he's no stranger to feature work, and certainly has the talent to take on a role like this. It's not hard to picture Damien Lewis playing the kind and compassionate side of Albus Dumbledore, and then easily shifting gears to be the formidable magical force if and when the time calls for it.

Jude Law

My initial reaction to the thought of Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore is that he'd be distractingly handsome, but that may just be due to my recent viewing of The Holiday. That said, I imagine Dumbledore was an attractive man in his youth, so I don't think looks should disqualify Law entirely. At 43, Jude Law is close enough to the right age. And he does have a certain spark to him that might work nicely for a younger Albus Dumbledore.

Daniel Craig

Can James Bond also be Albus Dumbledore? It's entirely possible that Craig's Bond presence might be too big to be ignored (not to mention his potential commitments to the franchise, whatever they may be), but I don't want to rule him out entirely. If they're aiming for a more serious Dumbledore, Daniel Craig seems like a contender.

Martin Freeman

If playing James Bond doesn't rule Daniel Craig out for the possibility of tackling another iconic role, then the same should apply to Martin Freeman, who boasts two pretty massive literary character credits in Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) and Dr. John Watson (Sherlock). That said, I adore Martin Freeman, and there's something in his nature that makes me think he could be the perfect Albus Dumbledore.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor knows a little something about playing the younger version of an iconic white-bearded character, having played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels. Assuming his Scottish origins (and accent) don't disqualify him from the role, Ewan McGregor is another great option for this part. We want our Dumbledore to be a bit serious and a bit mischievous, and it's easy to see McGregor filling those shoes.

Simon Pegg

If younger Albus Dumbledore is more playful than he is serious, who better to play him than Simon Pegg? He's age-appropriate for the part, and has a bit of that humor and warmth we've seen in Albus Dumbledore. If this isn't the right role for him, then hopefully he'll pop up in some other part in Fantastic Beasts. Pegg in the Potterverse is long overdue.

Michael Fassbender

I have a few reservations about Fassbender as Dumbledore, including that he's not actually British (he's technically born in Germany and raised in Ireland). For another at 39, he's on the young side for this part. Too young to have been the teacher of a character played by Eddie Redmayne? Eh, that's debatable. Much like Daniel Craig, I see Michael Fassbender as a more serious Dumbledore, and though I'm not sure I can picture it, I don't think it should be ruled out.

Hugh Dancy

Hugh Dancy is another one who may be a bit too young for this role, but just as I don't think that alone should rule Michael Fassbender out, the same applies to Dancy. Though he's currently on Hulu's series The Path, the Hannibal star seems ripe for a major movie role.

Benedict Cumberbatch

He's on the young side for Dumbledore, and he just took on a major Marvel role. And still, I refuse to leave Benedict Cumberbatch off this list. He's serious when he needs to be serious. He's funny when he needs to be funny. And I bet he could throw down in a wizarding duel if it ever came down to it. Plus, well we know he's got magic in him, thanks to Doctor Strange.

Tom Hardy

If there's a truly oddball choice for the role of Dumbledore, I have to believe Tom Hardy is it. Partially because he's a bit young, but mainly because even I couldn't picture it at first. And then I could, and I kind of liked it. Hardy has proven perfectly able to disappear into a role, and a bit of makeup could certainly age him up if necessary. It'd be interesting to see what he'd bring to this part.

There are other well known and talented actors out there. Among our runner-ups were Christian Bale, Dominic West, Tom Hiddleston, Matt Smith, Hugh Laurie and James McAvoy, but due to age and other factors, they didn't quite make the cut on our list. That's not to say we won't see their names floating around when the casting rumors start flying. At this point, it seems like the floor is open and this is a big opportunity, and anything is possible. While we might assume that Fantastic Beasts will cast a big name to match the fame and talent of Johnny Depp, who's reported to play Gellert Grindelwald, it's just as possible that some lesser known talent will snag the role. We'll have to wait and see.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them arrives in theaters November 18. And J.K. Rowling's screenplay book for the film will be available the same day.

Bryan Fuller's brilliant Hannibal series might have come to an end on television this past weekend, but it's possible that we have not yet seen the end of the show's impressive continuity. As we learned back during San Diego Comic-Con, one of the options being pursued for the future of the story is the idea of making a big screen movie - and apparently producers are already out talking to people about making that idea a reality.

With the Hannibal series finale airing last night on NBC, The Hollywood Reporter recently spoke with Bryan Fuller about the show's present, past and future, and it was during the conversation that the showrunner revealed progress for a possible feature follow-up to the series' three season run. At this stage, executive producer Martha De Laurentiis is apparently looking into financing for the project, and Fuller already has a specific idea of the story that he wants to tell in the feature format. He said, careful not to give away too many details,

Moving forward with a movie based on the Hannibal series is just one direction that the continuity can move in, but it seems as though it is the one that Bryan Fuller is most excited about pursuing. It's true that he doesn't actually have any feature experience at this point in his career, but he sees stars Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen as "movie actors," and says that the approach to the show has always been more like independent cinema than normal television. Plus, he acknowledges that the franchise had a great deal of success in the film medium long before it went to the small screen.

It's this last part of his argument that makes the idea of a new Hannibal movie sound like a totally reasonable idea. With the exception of 2007's Hannibal Rising, the Thomas Harris-created franchise has had great success in the feature film world, and one can imagine that audiences wouldn't have much of a problem seeing the characters return - especially given the critical acclaim that the show has received. The only real concern is that movie-goers may avoid it thinking that they will be lost without having seen the series, but people are so familiar with Hannibal Lecter's story that that might not really be an issue.

Do you think that Hannibal should make its way back to the big screen, or do you think that Bryan Fuller should be looking into either a miniseries or a new season somewhere other than NBC? Hit the comments with your thoughts!

After a terrific first season and (what felt like) a terribly long wait, Hannibal returns to NBC tonight with a highly anticipated second helping. Fans of Bryan Fuller’s take on Thomas Harris’ iconic characters have been starving for more ever since the first taste of his inspired adaptation left their mouths. And two episodes into Season 2, Hannibal is just as delicious as ever. Maybe more.

As I said in the primer for the premiere, it's hard not to use puns when writing about the decadent series, but I'm going to do my best to to pass on the opportunities because Hannibal is no joke. It's still the best drama on network television. Of course, that's not to suggest the show's without levity; Fuller infuses the horror with a sense of fun. I mean, he gives his episodes food related titles. Last season it was all French cuisine. This year, Japanese.

Anyone familiar the source material — be it Harris' "Red Dragon" (and subsequent novels) or the feature films — are likely to get an extra kick out of Fuller's winking nods and reversals. At the same time, everyone will appreciate a version so unique and compelling. The small screen adaptation always feels playful and it shines through in otherwise nightmarish scenarios. That's largely what the series is about: showing the audience what a nightmare it is to be Will Graham.

But as dark as his dreams become they are still beautifully photographed and full of rich characters constantly sparring with witty dialogue. The returning cast continues to shine in their respective roles with Mads Mikkelsen deserving special mention for continuing to make a role performed by four other actors feel so fresh — especially considering Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his portrayal. Having said that, Mikkelsen's Lecter is the best take on the cannibal yet, able to bring everything that his predecessors had as well as an imposing physical presence.

I don't want to diminish the wonderful work Hugh Dancy is doing as Graham, but he doesn't face as big of a challenge as Mikkelsen in making the tortured character his own. As a pair they are fantastic. The other members of the ensemble are also great in their roles, especially Laurence Fishburne as Jack Crawford and Gillian Anderson as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. However, since Hannibal is really about the relationship between the two leading men they deserve most of the praise.

And Bryan Fuller, of course. Everything ultimately boils down to his brilliant vision filled with luscious production design and beautifully macabre dreamscapes. The way the characters are drawn and how every case not only adds a horrific tale to tell each week (and boy, is the first one horrific) but deepens the relationship between Hannibal and Will, is impressive. They are so alike and yet so different. Each brilliant but both with their weaknesses. It's a thrilling dynamic and this is only the beginning of their chess match.

It's scary to think how close we potentially came to not having a second season of Hannibal. NBC could have easily not renewed the under-watched series, yet the show made it by on critical acclaim. It's a rare feat and something that shouldn't be taken for granted. I don't want this series to be another great that needs a 'save the show' campaign. Savour this show while it's on the air. And look, it's dinner time. Oh, right. The puns.

Hannibal returns for its second season premiere, "Kaiseki," on Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC. Created by Bryan Fuller and based on the novel 'Red Dragon' by Thomas Harris, the series stars Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Cynthia Nixon, Gillian Anderson and Laurence Fishburne.

Need more convincing? Watch the opening scene...

Turns out our poor, mentally addled Will Graham’s real-life counterpart, Hugh Dancy, has a bit of a sense of humor about the absolute horror show his Hannibal character has endured (and will likely continue to endure) thus far. As the star of the NBC/Bryan Fuller drama, a lot of the emotional heavy lifting is on the actor’s shoulders — and often some of the most intense scenes live and die at his feet. Especially now that Will Graham — season one spoilers, kids! — is locked up for the crimes creepy Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) has committed.

During the actor’s Reddit AmA we learned heaps not only about the show, but about Dancy’s homelife with fellow seriously-addled type (Homeland’s Carrie Mathison, played by his wife Claire Danes), the genius that is Bryan Fuller, and why actress Nina Arianda could've ended up on the show. (Which would've been AMAZING, for the record.) Turns out? Hugh Dancy is a funny man. We've compiled his 11 funniest moments as he danced around the conversation of swiggity swag the nightmare stag (really: we just wanted an excuse to type that).

For those of you that need a refresher on what’s happened leading up to Friday night’s premiere, check out our very own Jesse Carp’s impressive write-up here. Otherwise sit back, relax, and let a little bit of levity wash over you.

1. On Will Graham’s excessive bodily fluid make-up: “There's so many different types [of sweat]. But that's nothing compared to the blood. There's clothes blood, hair blood, eye blood, mouth blood, prosthetics dept blood and on and on. For some reason it's never quite the right consistency or colour so we end up creating a cocktail with everyone chipping in their opinions - bit darker, no no that's too arterial. And then they cover me in it.”
   
2. Regarding what flowers Mads Mikkelsen’s breath smells like: “Not any I’ve encountered.”
   
3. On his favorite moment inhabiting Will Graham’s illness: “I liked when Will started sleepwalking except that it required me to walk around the country roads outside Toronto in sub-zero temperatures in my underwear. ... Lots of fun. Like, 'this week you get to have aural hallucinations'. Great!”
   
4. On a particularly noisy moment (of the bodily variety) during season two: “I had to join those good people on the floor (as you'll see) and I can tell you all bodily noises were being emitted.”
   
5. Answering the question “How does Mads Mikkelsen smell like?”: “With his nose like everyone else.”
   
6. He even had culinary suggestions for Friday night’s premiere: “I would try something vegetarian for dinner. Or just watch Hannibal we'll eat for you.”
   
7. As to whether or not Hannibal would survive a zombie apocalypse (always gotta have a zombie question on Reddit): “He would be their God. But I think he'd find it a little trying, I've never heard of a zombie with a passion for cooking their food.”
   
8. On the tousled perfection that is Will Graham’s hair: “I have a professional tousle who travels with me at all times.”
   
9. Regarding his convincing American accent: “They can do amazing things in post though so its possible they put me through some kind of American filter.”
   
10. On cannibalism and whether or not humans would realize they were eating humans: “Absolutely. There’s no way you can recognize something you haven’t already encountered. Unless there’s something you’re trying to tell me..?”
    
11. On his favorite Will Graham line from season one: “I like the smell of urinal cake.”

Hannibal returns for a second helping Friday, February 28th at 10PM on NBC.

The first season of Bryan Fuller's Hannibal wasn't just one of the best new series last season, it was one of the best series on the small-screen, period. Although some were not initially taken with the idea of Thomas Harris' 'Red Dragon' being adapted for network television, it was clear from the very first serving that Hannibal was something special. And shame on the doubters, those familiar with Fuller's body of work would have known that the brilliant (yet twisted) mind behind Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies could deliver a unique, compelling and oddly beautiful take on the iconic villain. Oh, and the lesser known, but equally important, troubled hero as well. Here's a tidy recap of Season 1...

The first season did an exceptional job weaving the episodic and serialized storylines, with the case of the week really just serving as a way to explore the budding 'bromance' between Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham (portrayed to perfection by Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy, respectively) as well as weaken the latter's state of mind with each dead body. An ongoing nightmare that pushed the boundaries of the procedural and brought horror with a delicious wit to network television.

Most of the creative team that made the first season such a treat will be back to ensure the quality doesn't slip, including Fuller (of course) and co-writers Andy Black and Scott Nimerfro in addition to exciting staff newcomers like X-Files alum Jeff Vlaming. Hannibal's aesthetically stunning style is also sure to continue, with Hardy Candy director David Slade (an executive producer on the show) one of a few filmmakers returning for seconds. And, as was the case with the writers, there are also exciting fresh eyes behind the camera including Vincenzo Natali (Cube) and Tim Hunter (Twin Peaks).

The first preview for Season 2 suggests that they assembled the right ingredients. And things are heating up. Sorry, I'll try to lay off the puns from here on out, they're just so tempting. Take a look...

The use of the MONA cover of Ben E. King's 'Stand By Me' was an inspired choice for the promo, a little bit haunting and a little over the top. As gruesome as Hannibal can get, and as you can see, it's only going to get bloodier, Fuller always keeps that tongue close to the cheek. I mean, just look at the charming Cooking with Hannibal tease made for the upcoming season. Or how he's named all of the second season's episodes after Japanese cuisine. (The first batch were all classical French.) Wonderful. The words and images that accompanied the eerie, bordering on cheesy, song were similarly powerful, especially those striking close-ups of our surviving characters.

Those that did make it out of Season 1 alive — Laurence Fishburne's Jack Crawford, Caroline Dhavernas' Dr. Alana Bloom, Hettienne Park's Katz, Scott Thompson's Price, Aaron Abrams' Zeller and yes, Lara Jean Chorostecki's Freddie Lounds — are all reprising their roles, however, the returning guest stars and several new faces are likely much more interesting. As far as the returning guest stars, Eddie Izzard will be back to terrify as Dr. Gideon, the murderer mistaken Chesapeake Ripper, and you can get a glimpse of both Gillian Anderson's Dr. Du Maurier, Hannibal's psychiatrist, and Raúl Esparza's Dr. Chilton, the man in charge at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, in the latest trailer. Here is another one from Sony Pictures Television for their South African channel that contains pretty much all the same footage without the annoying, bordering on parody of movie trailer narration. Just ignore the premiere date mentioned at the end...

The preview shows Dr. Chilton being as snively as ever, dying to get inside Will's mind, while Dr. Du Maurier seems to be coming to our trapped, but now clear headed hero's aid. Cynthia Nixon's Kade Prurnell has probably the biggest arc of all the new characters coming to Hannibal, overseeing the investigation into any oversights concerning Will's situation, however, she is hardly the most exciting. Sorry. It's just that new crime fighters are boring. Villains and canonical figures are what audiences care about! And there are a few doozies. Now I feel bad. Nixon is a doozie! She always does great work and will be a great addition to to series' rad array of female characters.

Jeremy Davies and Chris Diamantopoulos also have guest spots this season, the former playing an animal rescue worker slash suspect with the latter as his social worker who's possibly pulling the strings. But by far the most intriguing additions to Season 2 are MIchael Pitt and Katharine Isabelle. The Boardwalk Empire star is set to play the sadistic socialite Mason Verger with Isabelle as his younger sister Margot, who's forced to seek out counselling because of her brother's abuse. Can you guess who she sees for therapy?

Hannibal returns for its second season premiere, "Kaiseki," on Friday at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC. Created by Bryan Fuller and based on the novel 'Red Dragon' by Thomas Harris, the series stars Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen, Caroline Dhavernas, Cynthia Nixon, Gillian Anderson and Laurence Fishburne.

Fine. Here's the premiere's fantastic cold open flash-forward fight scene even though I recommend waiting to watch it as part of the actual premiere. Who am I kidding, I didn't. Have at it...

Last year, NBC’s drama Hannibal closed out its freshman season on a note that was so horrifying—and so well scripted—I wasn’t sure how the show would move forward into Season 2. Nonetheless, Hannibal found itself with a second season renewal, with the contracts for leads Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen left intact. If you’ve been dying to see what direction the characters are headed in, you’re in luck. On Sunday, NBC released our first look at Hannibal's new season, which will begin airing on the network this winter.

I’m rarely vociferous about TV trailers, but this one’s a must-watch, giving us an intense look at the episodes to come. The trailer begins with a voiceover from Laurence Fishburne’s Jack Crawford, a man who has seen a lot of murder and darkness in his time. We then see Dancy’s Will Graham behind bars after getting arrested for the murderous acts investigated during Season 1. He proclaims his innocence, declaring Mikkelsen’s Dr. Hannibal Lector to be the real root of evil. Graham’s actually pretty calm when he says, “I am not the intelligent psychopath you are looking for,” but it doesn’t seem to matter. He’s stuck behind bars and people aren’t sure if he’s crazy or the most dangerous man in the room--maybe both. At least he still looks adorable in a jumpsuit.

Of course, we know he’s a little imbalanced, but he’s also a man with incredible vision who didn’t commit the crimes he is being accused of. NBC has set up what looks to be yet another high stakes game of cat and mouse for Season 2. Since Will is behind bars, it looks like Hannibal is taking on a more integral role with the FBI, much to our anticipation. We’ll have to see how this all plays out, but despite Graham’s claims that “a reckoning” is coming, I still get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Unlike many TV trailers, the Hannibal Season 2 sneak peek really gives us a lot of information concerning where the show will be going. Even though the FBI still looks to be investigating murders, Lector hasn't slowed down. He's hiding in plain sight, with poise and control. Additionally, there is a lot of emotionally unhinged beauty in the trailer, as bodies are stacked up and Lector continues to live a very big lie. The sneak peek is intense, but it does give us a lot of hints about what is to come.

Hannibal is finally on the cusp of returning to NBC’s schedule. The new season will begin airing in February, and just like last year, the show will be getting 13 episodes. I know a lot of us would like to see the show on for a larger chunk of the year, but on the bright side, the writing is definitely crisper this way. At least it should continue to be. We can weigh in when the show hits NBC’s schedule on February 28 at 10 p.m. ET.

In the meantime, enjoy the official poster for the season, below.

One of the more promising projects coming to television is NBC's series about the pre-incarcerated years of Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The character often voted as the most iconic villain of all-time is coming to the small screen courtesy of Bryan Fuller who, after his great but unappreciated work on Pushing Daisies, couldn't be better suited for the assuredly macabre series simply titled Hannibal. The script from Fuller and Gaumont International Television must have impressed the NBC brass since a pilot quickly turned into a 13 episode order. Trying to stay step for step with his other high profile project at the National Broadcasting Company - a remake of The Munsters called Mockingbird Lane, which just cast Eddie Izzard to star - Hannibal has also announced its own leading man. No, not the cannibal, the other lead.

TVline is reporting that Hugh Dancy has been cast in the role FBI Agent/Profiler Will Graham. The role was previously played by William Peterson and Edward Norton in the two cinematic adaptations of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill but where the films focus on the aftermath and traumatic fallout of the Graham and Lecter working relationship, Hannibal will feature a slightly more idealistic Graham since he's only beginning his dangerous partnership with the twisted and brilliant psychologist. That's not to say the profiler won't still be disturbed and tortured by his empathetic connection to the psychopaths he hunts, but at least he won't have the additional baggage that comes with a near fatal knife wound at the hands of your mentor. Yet.

Hugh Dancy seems like a great fit for the relatively straight-laced and brooding part since he got his fair share of dealing with the mentally disturbed in last year's Martha Marcy May Marlene opposite Elizabeth Olsen. Of course, the question of who will play his mentally disturbed counterpart in the series still remains. I won't stop pushing for Cillian Murphy until the official Dr. Hannibal Lecter casting comes through but it was brought to my attention that he's probably too young, especially since he's younger than Dancy. Well, how about David Hyde Pierce for an age appropriate and interesting choice? What actor could you see as the fourth incarnation of the iconic character?

We let you know a few months ago that another take on The Wizard of Oz was coming, and unlike all the other big ones in development, this one was going to be animated. At the time Kelsey Grammer, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi and Martin Short had signed on to provide voices, but there was still no one to voice Dorothy in this new, musical take on the story.

Today we heard again from the producers behind the film, and it seems they've struck casting gold: Lea Michele, of Glee fame and Broadway pedigree, will be making her feature voice acting debut as Dorothy, and will contribute vocals to several musical numbers as well. Also signing on recently are Hugh Dancy, Oliver Platt, Patrick Stewart and Broadway's Megan Hilty. They've also decided to produce the film in stereoscopic 3D, an announcement that really should not come as a surprise. Earlier we reported that a release date was planned for next April, but now it seems production won't even finish until the end of 2011. It may be a while before we see Dorothy of Oz in theaters, but with casting this spot-on, it may just be worth the wait.

Check out the full press release below.

Amid a season full of loud blockbusters, and going directly up against the third film from comedy titan Judd Apatow, Max Mayer is quietly presenting his small, touching dramedy Adam, a movie that debuted at Sundance earlier this year and has become another in a long line of small jewels picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight. For Mayer, though, Adam isn't just another Searchlight indie-- it's a project he was willing to make his passion for six years.

"I look for a strong personal reaction to something, that feels like it will sustain me," Mayer said about writing the romance between a young man with Asperger's and a schoolteacher. "I thought that this was an opportunity to give people a window into something that was strange and yet universal at the same time."

Adam, like all movies about people with mental disorders, walks a fine line between schmaltz and truth, never making Adam the kind of mystical, Forrest Gump figure with lessons to teach the world. Mayer credits lead actor Hugh Dancy with a lot of the character's success. "He listens with a certain intensity and an active mind that's amazing, and that is unbelievably helpful. His performance was revelatory to me every day on the set."

Dancy in real life, with his posh British accent and striking good looks, doesn't immediately make one thing of a quiet recluse, and Mayer admits that, when he first met Dancy, he thought he might not be right for the role. "At the beginning he came in and he was so social and so easy and charming and all this stuff that I thought, maybe this guy isn't the right guy at all for this. But getting to know him a little bit more exposed the fact that that was all a mask," Mayer said with laugh.

In the clip from our interview below, Mayer talks about the experience of screening Adam at Sundance in the gigantic Eccles Theater. I also asked him about being daring enough to make a romantic comedy, at a time when the common assumption is that all the good stories have been told. Adam is out in limited release this weekend.