Oh, Law and Order. Is there any better program to watch while sick or high or bored, except maybe Golden Girls? For years now Dick Wolf has managed to employ every actor that has ever come to New York, and the subject has been ripe with parody amongst NYC comedians whose only big break was being "brother of the victim" in one of the show's many incarnations.

But who could blame the public for poking fun at the dinosaur? Law and Order is 19 years old, meaning that the episode where Philip Seymor Hoffman plays a rich college asshole probably took place around the time PSH was actually in college. Scary! That man is ageless!

So is NBC finally sending America's favorite two-sided justice system melodrama out to the pasture for permanent syndication? Or does Mr. Big Chris Noth have one more shot at a comeback?

So it was a sign of some sort of sea change when NBC recently announced that “Law & Order” would begin its 19th season early. Instead of waiting until January, it’s reappearing this Wednesday, just in time for the November ratings sweeps. The crazy aunt is back in the living room.

Well, you see folks, if this had been any other year, Law and Order might be regulated back to its irreverent status. But this is a hard season, and with Ben Silverman gambles like Knight Rider not paying off (and even the ones like 30 Rock, that do well with the critics not actually bringing in the ratings) NBC is taking a gamble by not taking a gamble.

If people like the shows of the 90s, as evidenced by the success of CBS' traditional comedy fair, laugh track and all, then NBC will give the people their traditional programming back.

Just don't ask Sam Waterson to be happy about it…he was only three days from retirement.