NBC'S 'LAW & ORDER' KICKS OFF ITS 17TH SEASON WITH TWO NEW LADIES ON A NEW NIGHT, FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 AT 10-11 P.M. ET/PT

Milena Govich Joins as the Series' First Female Detective Nina Cassady

Alana De La Garza Joins as New A.D.A. Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa

NEW YORK � Sept. 20, 2006 � NBC's award-winning crime drama "Law & Order" kicks off its 17th season on a new night with two new leading ladies as Milena Govich ("Conviction") joins the distinguished cast as the series' first female detective and Alana De La Garza ("CSI: Miami") comes on board as the new assistant district attorney in a case involving an allegedly unfit celebrity mother (Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT). Govich stars as rookie Detective Nina Cassady, who is partnered with veteran detective Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin). De La Garza joins as A.D.A. Consuela "Connie" Rubirosa, a smart, no-nonsense attorney and A.D.A. Jack McCoy's (Sam Waterston) newest prot�g�. Photos available at www.NBCUMV.com.

In the season premiere episode titled "Fame," a cop is murdered in a failed burglary attempt and Detectives Green (Martin) and Cassady (Govich) are led to a "stalkerazzi" photographer (guest star Khan Baykal as Gary Blanchard), who is hot on the trail of tabloid sensation Sky Sweet (guest star Barbara King) and her estranged husband "J-Train" Smolka (guest star Wayne Wilcox). Confident the burglary and subsequent murder is connected to incriminating photos of Sweet and her baby, the detectives see the case goes to court and A.D.A.s McCoy (Waterston) and Rubirosa (De La Garza) find themselves in the media spotlight as they argue the use of "The Shield Law" to protect celebrity journalism. S. Epatha Merkerson and Fred Dalton Thompson also star.

"Law & Order" is produced by Wolf Films in association with NBC Universal Television Studio.