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End of 'Law & Order' Hurts New York's Economy

The New York Times, Monday, May 17, 2010 11:06 PM

NBC announced on Friday that it was canceling the original "Law & Order," leaving a big hole in the city's economy. Katherine Oliver, the commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, said that show annually provided jobs to about 4,000 people, including one-day acting roles. Many New York theater actors supplemented their incomes with "Law & Order" gigs. Its spending totaled about $79 million a year.

During its 20-year run, that impact amounted to as much as $1 billion or more, she said. Producer Dick Wolf proved "New York City is an affordable place to shoot," she said. The show also patronized the city's hotels, restaurants, prop houses and department stores. "We spent an enormous amount of money in Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys, dressing the lawyers," said Leslie Yarmo, a former costume designer for a spinoff, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

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earnings, economy

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