Law & Order is going international. NBC is working with Canadian producers for Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, a Canadian version of the iconic franchise. Now, the cast has been announced with first photographs as the series is ready to go into production.
Given its massive popularity with several spin-offs, it’s no surprise the Law & Order formula would expand to other countries. Law & Order: UK aired in the United Kingdom from 2009 to 2014. That series basically took old L&O episodes and reworked them for British viewers.
However, the upcoming Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent series will instead have brand new original stories and characters. Speaking to Variety, showrunner Tassie Cameron (who executive producers with her sister Amy) discussed how the series will have a uniquely Canadian stamp to it.
"“It’s finding the right first story to tell in a franchise this well known. You want it to be a Canadian story, feel like it’s ripped from a Canadian headline and feel like it’s highlighting Toronto. So it’s picking the right story to tell, but it’s also learning how to write these scripts.”"
A key issue will be showing the differences between United States and Canadian law that will shift up cases. To back that up, the cast is made up of Canadian actors who look to spark the series up.
Who is in Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent?
The show will keep the classic Law & Order formula of splitting each episode between two cops and their supervisor investigating a murder. The second half then has the prosecution, although it appears this will only be one Crown Attorney as Canada doesn’t have as many equivalents to an ADA.
Per TVLine, the main star is Aden Young as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff, with Kathleen Munroe (Rina Trenholm on FBI) as his partner, Frankie Bateman. Karen Robinson plays their supervisor, Inspector Vivienne Holness.
K.C. Collins plays Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester, with Nicola Correia-Damude as medical examiner Dr. Lucy Da Silva and Araya Mengesha as a tech expert.
- Aden Young as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff
- Kathleen Munroe as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman
- Karen Robinson as Inspector Vivienne Holness
- K.C. Collins as Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester
- Nicola Correia-Damude as Dr. Lucy Da Silva
- Araya Mengesha as Mark Yohannes
It’s possible the series may add one or two other characters, such as an aide for Forrester. The 10-episode season is expected to begin production with an air date in the spring of 2024, but no confirmation on where it will air in either Canada or the United States.
However, this cast promises to put a uniquely Canadian spin on the classic Law & Order setup and expand the franchise to the Great White North.
Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent is set to air in 2024 on CityTV.