NBC'S "LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT" CELEBRATES MILESTONE 100TH EPISODE

The City Of New York Honors "Criminal Intent" With A Proclamation

Says Executive Producer Rene Balcer to fans, "thank you, thank you, thank you..."

NEW YORK -- January 11, 2006 -- NBC Universal's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," now in its 5th season will celebrate a milestone -- its 100th episode this week -- featuring original cast members Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe (Detectives Robert Goren and Alexandra Eames, respectively), Courtney B. Vance (Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver) and Jamey Sheridan (Captain James Deakins), airing Sunday, January 15 from 9-10 pm ET/PT. The New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, will present a proclamation to "Criminal Intent" on behalf of New York City Mayor Bloomberg.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent's" 100th episode entitled "Slither," penned by executive producer Rene Balcer, who shepherded the series from its inception, features guest star Michael York ("Austin Powers") as a high-class, slimy European gang leader with a taste for aging blondes and fine wine, who befriends, kills and robs tourists. Goren, however, is shocked to discover that the master murderer shares a connection to his deadly nemesis, Nicole Wallace (Olivia D'Abo). During season four in a network first, NBC offered viewers the chance to decide the fate of Wallace by voting online (10/17/04). The viewers chose to keep D'Abo's character alive and she has since returned to torment Detective Goren. "Slither" also is written by Marlene Gomard Meyer and directed by Bill Norton.

"We're extremely proud of 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' as it continues to deliver the kind of numbers few other series could manage in this competitive time period," said Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment. "This can be attributed to Dick Wolf and his powerhouse team of Rene Balcer, Fred Berner and Peter Jankowski and their incredible gift of turning ripped from the headlines news into compelling fictional drama."

"Reaching 100 episodes is always a major accomplishment, and for 'Criminal Intent' to be the third 'Law & Order' -branded series to reach this milestone is extraordinary, said Wolf, Executive Producer and Creator. "I have to credit Rene [Balcer], the writing staff, the superb cast and the entire production team for making this possible. CI has proven to be one of the toughest shows on the network - standing up to the stiffest competition around - while still maintaining its popularity for five years and counting. I thank everyone who has helped us reach this goal, and those who will continue as we go for the next 100."

Balcer added, "After 100 episodes broadcast on three networks in the US, shown in over 150 countries, available on DVD, VOD and iPod, on airlines, as a video game and soon in a French-produced series, I have only six words to our fans: thank you, thank you, thank you. Some people may say the story is everything, but I believe the fans are everything."

"'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' has been a consistent performer and an integral component of our studio," said Angela Bromstad, President, NBC Universal Television Studio. "As the series celebrates its 100th episode, we congratulate Dick Wolf and Rene Balcer, their creative team and the cast for continuing to maintain the high standards of the 'Law & Order' brand. We all look forward to the next 100 great episodes."

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" has established itself as a drama that takes viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve the crimes. This season the show added new partners ? Chris Noth as Detective Mike Logan and Annabella Sciorra as Detective Carolyn Barek -- who rotate episodes with series originals D'Onofrio and Erbe. Not since "Maverick" in 1957 has any television series accomplished such a feat.

This fall marked another first for "Criminal Intent," as both sets of the series detectives joined together in a two-hour movie to solve a teen disappearance involving a dirty judge (guest star Colm Meaney) and his son.

Over the past five years, "Criminal Intent" has had a remarkable line-up of guest stars including Griffin Dunne, Fisher Stevens, Tatum O'Neal, Olivia D'Abo, Rosanna Arquette, Kathleen Robertson, Adam Goldberg, Robert Carradine, Neil Patrick Harris, Colm Meaney, Cuban Link, DJ Qualls, Hal Linden, Michael Rispoli, Peter Bogdanovich and others.

Fans of the show have become captivated by D'Onofrio's modern day version of Sherlock Holmes and Detective Eames quick-witted remarks while also embracing the return of Detective Logan, (Golden-Globe nominated Noth, "The Perfect Man," "Sex and the City") from his exile to Staten Island after punching a city Councilman ten years ago on "Law & Order" (1990-1995). Detective Barek (Emmy-nominated Sciorra, "The Sopranos") compliments Logan as a brilliant criminal profiler who rose from Brooklyn's Cobble Hill streets to the highest ranks of the NYPD and beyond, spending two post-9/11 years with the FBI.

"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" is a Wolf Films production in association with NBC Universal Television Studio and is Dick Wolf's third installment of the "Law and Order" brand, the second-longest running drama series in the history of television. Wolf, Rene Balcer, Fred Berner and Peter Jankowski are executive producers.