SATURDAY NOON: Real numbers were higher– 4.98, we’ll call it 5 million. Now we’ll see next week how fans respond to Giddish being gone.
FRIDAY OVERNIGHT REPORT: Last night, 4.88 million people watched Kelli Giddish’s exit as Detective Rollins on “Law & Order SVU.” Giddish played Amanda Rollins for 12 seasons but was written out by Dick Wolf Productions when they couldn’t come to a salary resolution.
Wolf wanted to cut Giddish’s pay because she’s older and costs more as the show ages and needs a lower budget. The fans turned out for her happy ending — a wedding and a wave goodbye as Amanda goes off to teach at Fordham University. (Terrible idea but better than killing her off.)
Meantime, this season’s Executive Producer, David Graziano, replacing the popular Warren Leight, is in hot water. The 50 year old writer and produce has been accused by more than a dozen people who’ve worked with him over the years of being really mean to his underlings: mistreating staffers, having a hair trigger temper, and making inappropriate and demeaning comments toward women and minorities.
You would think this would have come out sooner, and Mariska Hargitay would say something. But these things are slow to percolate. Last March I told you about the showrunner from “The Good Fight” finally being sacked after years of abusing the staff.
Will Graziano stay? Will Rollins ever return? (Giddish will turn up on an episode of “Law & Order Organized Crime” later this season). Will all the popular actors let go by Dick Wolf over the last 25 years start their own show? Stay tuned!
