The Law & Order franchise welcomed Breaking Bad alum Dean Norris into its family with open arms. Norris has been playing Chris Meloni’s brother in its spin-off series Organized Crime, which has been airing on the streaming platform Peacock. Law & Order and its previous spin-off SVU made a reliable home out of both network and cable television. But Norris reassured fans that Organized Crime being a streaming show going forward meant that it could go to places other series in the franchise couldn’t.
Dean Norris promises ‘Organized Crime’ fans that the move to Peacock is a good thing
Organized Crime will be migrating to Peacock fully for season 5. It was a move inspired by both the good and bad business the series has been generating lately. According to Deadline, Organized Crime performed below expectations when it came to ratings. At least compared to its predecessors, Law & Order and SVU, which still maintain strong numbers despite their years on air.
But Meloni’s new series made up for its poor performance on network TV by excelling on streaming. Episodes have been typically airing on Peacock after they’re released on NBC, with Organized Crime pulling in far more eyes on the digital platform. The theory is that Organized Crime focuses on more serialized storytelling than the likes of SVU, which is normally episodic. Ironically, the series’ fresh format was what drew Meloni back to the franchise after his 11-year absence.
Serialized storytelling normally thrives on streaming platforms, which Dick Wolf’s new brainchild has been proving ever since its debut. But veteran actor Norris pointed out that there were other unique advantages to the move that have already benefited Organized Crime. He’s already seen the kind of boost streaming platforms can offer television shows. Breaking Bad jumped from a somewhat niche but moderate success on AMC to a cultural phenomenon thanks to its run on Netflix.
It will remain to be seen if Peacock will offer a similar stimulus to Organized Crime. However, without network restrictions, the series will certainly provide its viewers a Law & Order experience they won’t find on any of its sister shows. Norris teased what fans can expect in a recent interview with TV Insider.
“We finished it in January. It’s going to be great,” Norris said. “There’s a lot of family stuff between me and my good buddy Chris Meloni, and I think you guys are going to love it. I’m really excited because it’s on Peacock. We can say the F word. It’s a lot edgier, it’s a lot more intense, and so it’s been kind of freeing in a way, creatively, to be on streaming, on Peacock, instead of on the network.”
Dean Norris once shared what his favorite scenes on the show were
Whether on NBC or streaming, Norris seems to have enjoyed his time on the show no matter where its home is. It helped that Norris was paired with Meloni, who he’d already worked with before in the 2014 comedy Small Time. Norris admired Meloni’s ability as an actor during their first collaboration, even calling his on-screen brother the most underrated star in the industry.
It appears that collaborating with Meloni on Organized Crime has been an even more rewarding experience. Many of Norris ‘favorite moments on the show included the Man of Steel actor, including a dinner scene between the Stabler brothers and their mother.
“That scene was, obviously, something that was special for us to do,” Norris told Today about the take. “And I really love it, but, in addition to that, there’s some great stuff with the end-of-the-episode kind of chitchat with me and Chris. I always enjoy those, and there are several more of those that kind of come up. I always really just enjoy those scenes. They’re just kind of getting to know my brother better, and I think our relationship starts to thaw out. I enjoy every one of those. There’s a lot of good stuff coming up.”
