I came incredibly late to Law & Order. I’d seen a few random episodes over the last 20 years, but I was never a regular viewer. Not until two years ago did Matt and I start TiVo’ing it and watching it… during the show’s 18th season.

One night we saw a Broadway revival of Come Back, Little Sheba starring S. Epatha Merkerson, and I thought, “You know, I’ve always liked her.” So when we got home, I recorded the next upcoming episode of Law & Order, and we totally got sucked in. It’s so much fun to see familiar locations (twice in the last two years they taped scenes near our old apartment), and the ripped-from-the-headlines stories, and the guest stars from the theater community. The bio section of every Playbill is filled with L&O shout-outs.

And now it’s been officially canceled, and an L.A. version will take its place. (Just like what happened to the Brooklyn Dodgers.) I’ve never watched the spinoffs, and I don’t know if I will. But I might take a glance. Not that there’s not enough shows on TV, of course.

So a final BUM-BUM for Law & Order.