Lots of high fives today among “Law & Order SVU” fans. Kelli Giddish is coming back for Season 27.
Giddish played Amanda Rollins for 12 years but got caught in a budget crunch at the end of Season 24. She was replaced by new, younger, and less expensive actors.
But Giddish held on, and came back for guest appearances in Seasons 25 and 26. The Fans love her, and on top of that, her character is married to ADA Dominick Carisi, played by Peter Scanavino. The fans again loved seeing them together.
So now Giddish is back but it’s at the expense of the newer cast members. Last week, NBC announced that Octavio Pisano — who came in strong but was never used effectively — and Juliana Martinez — were leaving the series. No reason was given, but I’m told it was budget.
As shows age the budgets get tighter and more expensive actors are cut. This has happened year after year on “Grey’s Anatomy,” for example. Giddish was just too popular to ignore, plus star Mariska Hargitay loves her
Pisano and Martinez will go on to good things on new shows, and we’ll all say, Oh, look, I know her/him!
Meantime, welcome back Amanda Rollins. Season 27 is going to be a good one!
