Exit Farina

Via TV Tattle (look, indispensible is indispensible, all right?) comes the welcome news that Dennis Farina is leaving Law & Order after two seasons. The news is welcome because, while he's a fine actor and I've enjoyed him in other places ranging from Manhunter to Justice League, he just never clicked on L&O or came anywhere close to filling Jerry Orbach's formidable shoes. He had very little to work with, character-wise, and more often than not his Det. Fontana was simply written as a bully.

As for a replacement, I suggest that Dick Wolf move Richard Belzer over from SUV to the mothership -- which would be rather fitting since we learned during a L&0/Homicide crossover that Lennie Briscoe once dated one of Munch's ex-wives...