‘Law & Order’ Expands to Canada With Toronto Edition of ‘Criminal Intent’

The Law Order universe is heading up north. Citytv has ordered the series Law Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Rogers Media announced on Monday. The pickup was revealed a day before Rogers Medias virtual upfront presentation on June 6.

The Toronto iteration hails from Vancouver-based Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc. in association with Citytv. The first season is planned as ten hour-long episodes, set to premiere in Spring 2024. The show is based on the Law Order franchise created by Dick Wolf for Universal Television, which will distribute the series internationally.

But in this case, Law Order Toronto: Criminal Intent also takes its cue from Law Order: Criminal Intent, the third series in Wolfs LO franchise. The original Criminal Intent, created and produced by Wolf and Ren Balcer, ran for 10 seasons between 2001 and 2011 (first on NBC, and later on USA), and starred Vincent DOnofrio and Kathryn Erbe.

According to the release, Law Order Toronto: Criminal Intent follows an elite squad of detectives who investigate high-profile crime and corruption in metro Toronto. No casting has been announced, however Citytv notes the series will showcase original Canadian stories written and produced by, and starring, Canadians.

Other international adaptations of the Law Order universe include Frances Paris enqutes criminelles (Paris Criminal Investigations), which was also a version of Law Order: Criminal Intent. Russian TV aired both Law Order: Division of Field Investigations (based on Law Order: SVU) and its own version of Law Order: Criminal Intent. And in the UK, there was the series Law Order: UK.

In Fall 2022, Citytv simulcast all three current NBC Law Order series, as well as the trio of Chicago series set in the same Wolfiverse. Although those shows have conducted crossovers in recent years, its unclear how or if the Toronto iteration will fit into that world.

Lark Productions is behind Canadian series like Family Law and Motive, as well as several Canadian formats of popular reality series like Farmer Wants a Wife (called Farming For Love in Canada), The Real Housewives of Toronto and The Real Housewives of Vancouver.

The independent Cameron Pictures is co-run by sisters Amy and Tassie Cameron, and is known for series like Mary Kills People, Pretty Hard Cases and Rookie Blue.

The timeless appeal of the cases explored in the globally successful Law Order franchise continue to draw in Citytv audiences week after week, said Hayden Mindell, Senior Vice President, Television, Rogers Sports Media, in the release. Were thrilled to be in partnership with Lark Productions and Cameron Pictures Inc., to bring Canadian stories to this iconic format.

Our team is excited for the unique opportunity to produce a distinctly Canadian version of Criminal Intent in partnership with Cameron Pictures, said Erin Haskett, President and Executive Producer, Lark Productions. We have been collaborating with Rogers Sports Media since early last year and are thrilled to share the original vision of the adaptation with audiences.