USA Network, a sister cable TV network of NBC, has confirmed rumors that the cast of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT will go through a major cast revamp. Popular actors Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Eric Bogosian and Julianne Nicholson are scheduled to leave for season nine. However, D'Onofrio will star in a two hour season opener as Detective Robert Goren where he hands his job over to Detective Zach Nichols(Jeff Goldblum).

While some insiders might claim that these wholesale changes to the cast are related to cost cutting running all through the USA-NBC networks, others argue that Jeff Goldblum fits in more with the USA Network philosophy of unique characters. Goldblum has a propensity for quirky comedy, and his unusual style is much like that of the popular Adrian Monk character on MONK in some ways. And since cost cutting has forced the USA Network to end the very popular MONK series, it might be hoped that Jeff Goldblum can reinvent the LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT brand with his unique acting style and somewhat satisfy some fans of the MONK series.

All of this is something of a gamble for LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT. Will these changes make the series appear fresh, or will they only alienate long-time fans? And how far can the series go if Jeff Goldblum goes out for laughs on the series? LAW & ORDER: SVU introduced a quirky character last season who nearly made the program into a comedy at moments. The result was unusual until his character had a mental breakdown and was written out of the series. The fact of the matter is that fans of the LAW & ORDER franchise look for serious drama and not laughs. The series walks a tightrope in how far it can go looking for a little comic relief.

But overall, Jeff Goldblum is a very popular actor and extremely talented. And so far fans of the series have responded very well to his unique personality and role in the series. In fact, the revamped series will now completely revolve around Jeff Goldblum's character compared to the complex character played by actor Vincent D'Onofrio. But D'Onofrio's brilliant, but troubled character will be missed. D'Onofrio's character seemed as brilliant as he was volatile and disturbed just under the surface. Actress Kathryn Erbe's smart alecky character made a nice foil for the complex character played by D'Onofrio. It was great actor chemistry. Whether actor Jeff Goldblum can be matched with a suitable foil to match his character will be a challenge for the program. Maybe these changes might not be so bad.

Stay Tuned.