The scoop on ''Law & Order: SVU'' | 124637__law_l
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Law & Order: SUV: Will Hart

What can you say about a Law & Order show that'll guest-star Jerry Lewis and Calamity Jane (a.k.a. Deadwood's Robin Weigert)? Says exec producer Neal Baer, ''It's a very different year.'' Mariska Hargitay's pregnancy kept her out of some episodes, so Connie Nielsen will do a six-episode arc as ''a detective who'll be Stabler's [Chris Meloni] new partner in perhaps, and I underline perhaps, many ways.'' You mean, like, Law & Order: Hanky-Panky? ''I'll say this: something that you've never seen on SVU before.'' Jerry Lewis plays a homeless man ''who may be related to one of our characters. It will be a really big show for [costar] Richard Belzer.'' And Hargitay will return in time for November sweeps. So how does it feel to be a part of the only L&O franchise that actually gained viewers last season? Baer is finally unguarded: ''Yay!''


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