LOS ANGELES – The Season 23 premiere of “Law & Order” revealed how actor Jeffrey Donovan’s character, Det. Frank Cosgrove, was written off the show. Donovan had previously announced that he would not be returning for the new season.
The episode introduced Reid Scott as Det. Vincent Riley, the new series regular who replaces Donovan’s character. In a brief conversation between Det. Riley and Det. Shaw, the departure of Cosgrove is explained. Shaw mentions that Cosgrove was a great cop who got “jammed up” for being too honest about things people aren’t honest about these days.
According to TVLine, Donovan left the show for creative reasons. He was originally chosen to lead the NBC revival in 2021. Shortly after his departure, Reid Scott was announced as a new series regular.
The cast of “Law & Order” also includes Sam Waterston as DA Jack McCoy, Hugh Dancy as senior prosecutorial assistant Nolan Price, and Camryn Manheim as Lt. Kate Dixon.
“Law & Order” is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.