NBC Might Revive Law & Order! Here Are 7 Reasons Why It Should

It's a very good week to be a Law & Order fan. One day after Law & Order: SVU was renewed for Season 17, Deadline broke the news Friday that NBC might revive the flagship series for a limited 10-episode run, much the way the network is reviving Heroes with the upcoming miniseries Heroes: Reborn. The long-running crime procedural last aired in 2010, when it was abruptly canceled just one season short of breaking the record for longest-running scripted TV series. But why bother bringing back a show that already has 456 hours of television in the can? I'm so glad you asked!

1. It would make a nice anniversary gift

This September will mark the 25th anniversary of Law & Order's series premiere, and what better way to commemorate that occasion than by bringing the show back? Last September, when Friends turned 20, Warner Bros. actually opened a pop-up coffee shop in its honor; requesting that NBC resurrect Law & Order seems like a small request in comparison. It'd be just like what Showtime is doing with Twin Peaks!

2. The brand is still going strong

In addition to SVU's renewal for Season 17, Law & Order: UK is still kickin' overseas after eight seasons—wigs and all. And the series that started it all still plays heavily in reruns on TNT, WEtv, Sundance, and WGN, among others. Obviously, there is still a demand and still a loyal fanbase out there.

3. We need a Law & Order for a new generation

For all the loyal viewers out there who watch the reruns even though they totally know how the case is going to play out, there's a whole new generation of fans who might have been too young to appreciate Lenny Briscoe's dry one-liners and Jack McCoy's ruthless fight for justice.

4. A revival could branch out from the procedural format

Fans of SVU know that in recent years, the spin-off has deviated from the typical procedural formula and delved into the personal lives of Benson, Rollins, Amaro & Co. (particularly with Rollins' gambling addiction and Amaro's family problems), and to great success. Even without these backstories, SVU proved with Season 15's powerful #SaveBenson trilogy that the rules of procedurals can be rewritten. Back in the Law & Order days, even the deaths of main characters were only discussed for an episode at best before the show swiftly shifted focus back to the case of the week; Imagine if Curtis and his wife's painful ordeal with her MS diagnosis or McCoy's affairs with several of his A.D.A.s had been told in the current TV environment?

5. The crossover possibilities are endless

With only 10 episodes in a possible revival, Law & Order might not want to waste time trying to find a way to include characters from other parts of the Wolf Films universe. But after Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Law & Order: SVU pulled off that suspenseful and well-orchestrated three-way crossover in November—and with another one on the way for the end of the season —you can't blame us for at least briefly considering the possibilities of a four-way.

6. The actors are still in high demand

Aside from the 2004 death of Law & Order's arguable on-screen leader, Jerry Orbach, all of the show's brightest stars are still as popular as ever. Chris Noth has earned a Golden Globe nomination for his work on The Good Wife, which also conveniently shoots in New York. Benjamin Bratt just wrapped a stint on another recently revived series, 24. Jesse L. Martin is helping The Flash save the world on The CW. S. Epatha Merkerson has found steady work on TV (The Good Wife) and in movies (Lincoln). Angie Harmon and Elisabeth Rohm are still putting bad guys away on Rizzoli & Isles and Stalker, respectively. Sam Waterson is coming off of a three-year run on The Newsroom and will next appear on the Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie. And that's just a small portion of the extensive Law & Order ensemble.

7. Justice for Jack!

We saved the best and most persuasive reason for last, just as Jack McCoy did so many times during his closing remarks in court. In 2010, when Law & Order was unexpectedly axed, Merkerson had already decided to leave the show, and so the unintended series finale also served as a poignant farewell to Lt. Van Buren when she left the precinct to focus on her battle with breast cancer. In contrast, Jack McCoy, whom viewers had followed through good times and bad, both personally and professionally, as the district attorney and later the executive district attorney, got diddly squat. This unsettling lack of closure was further magnified in December when Waterson's character on The Newsroom, who he played for only three seasons, received a tragic but significant goodbye when his character died in the penultimate episode and the finale centered on his funeral and his relationship with protagonist Will McAvoy. If we can get closure for Charlie Skinner, then we at least deserve to know what happened to Jack McCoy.

Do you want a Law & Order comeback? Let's hear your ideas in the comments.