"Conviction"s Milena Govich joins "Law & Order"

from Marc Berman at mediaweek

-Govich In, Farina Out on NBC’s Law & Order:
Dennis Farina, who replaced Law & Order veteran Jerry Orbach in 2004
(when he headed to spin-off Law & Order: Trial By Jury), will exit the
flagship series. Milena Govich, who co-starred in Dick Wolf’s failed
Conviction on NBC, will be added to Law & Order, meanwhile, as the

Lord Vader III...

I heard she would be joining the cast but taking over for Annie
Parisse. L&O and Conviction are obviously in the same universe as
Stephanie March played the same character on SVU and Conviction. If
Govich is going to be playing a detective, they have to change her
character and that really doesn't make any sense. Any chance the
article is wrong and they're assuming she's going to be Green's partner
when she's actually coming on as an ADA?

Rob Jensen...

Well, it's Berman reporting, so the likelihood that he's wrong is
high. But several L&O cast members, Orbach included, played other
characters on various L&O series before being cast as their eventual
lead characters.

Barry Margolin...

But they weren't regulars. It's not that uncommon for a guest star to
later be hired as a regular and play a different character. But it's
pretty unusual for a regular in the same universe to become a different
regular. In fact, L&O didn't even change the character when they
grabbed a regular from a totally unrelated show (Munch immigrating from
Homicide:LOtS).

But if they do make her a detective instead of ADA, it would allow for
an interesting moment if Stephanie March ever makes a guest appearance.
She could see the character and do a double take, remarking on how much
she looks like someone she worked with.

BTR1701...

Or still does work with.

Off the top of my head: at least Orbach, Parisse, Neal and IIRC, Erbe
all have played other characters -- defense attorneys, victims, etc.

I'm willing to bet that something got garbled and Govich is actually
coming on as her ADA Rossi character from Conviction, as Borgia's
replacement. But on the off-chance that Berman is right and she's
coming on as another character, a cop -- Govich is certainly the type
for that, too, so either way works for me.

-- Rob

David Johnston...

Every chance. Although in theory they could do the repeat offender
thing and bring her on as a different character.

Ken from Chicago...

First (lead) female cop of the series?

expected new partner of Jesse L. Martin’s Edward Green.

BTR1701...

Interesting that she's playing a different character than she did in
"Conviction" since the two shows are part of the same "universe". And
she's the first female lead detective in the show's history, too.

David Johnston...

It is much more likely that Berman screwed up.

Casey McDonald's Guidance Counsellor, Ian J. Ball...

I'd bank on it.

Ian (One funny thing about Berman? - He actually showed up on one of
the "Reality Revealed" segments for FOX Reality Channel's reruns of
"Paradise Hotel". I'd never actually laid on the guy before that...)

3finger...

He's not the only one. I've seen AP and Hollywoood Reporter articles say
the same thing, and before Berman as well. I think it's more likely that
Govich is the same character, but just McCoy's new ADA. I think I even
heard her rumored as such once it was clear that Parisse was leaving.

What's more, if by some chance the articles are correct, I would think
Green would be the lead detective now. She's several years younger than
Martin.

Anthony D. Langford...

So they're finally making a female one of the detectives (and a
attractive young one at that). It's time, I suppose. Maybe then we'll
get a hot young guy to work with McCoy.

RichA...

Why did I suddenly flash on the Titanic?