‘Law & Order’: Sam Waterston to Return as Jack McCoy for the NBC Revival

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Jack McCoy is officially coming back!

Sam Waterston is returning for his 17th season as District Attorney Jack McCoy when Law & Order premieres its 21st season on Thursday, February 24, at 8/7c. Waterston first appeared during the original run in the Season 5 premiere and was last seen in the role in SVU‘s Season 19 episode “The Undiscovered Country” (which featured Raúl Esparza’s exit as a series regular).

“Very few casting announcements have ever given me this much pleasure,” executive producer Dick Wolf said in a statement. “Since day one, Sam has had perfect pitch when it comes to Jack McCoy as a character who both reflects and expands our ability to understand the law. He is the ultimate conscience of the show and I look forward to him emulating the career of New York District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who served until he was 90. With both Sam and Anthony (Anderson) returning, it shows that the 21st season is merely a continuation of where we left off.”

Anderson is returning as Detective Kevin Bernard. They’re joined by new cast members Hugh Dancy as an assistant district attorney, Jeffrey Donovan as an NYPD detective, Camryn Manheim as Lt. Kate Dixon, and Odelya Halevi as Assistant District Attorney Samantha Maroun.

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Law & Order will continue the the classic bifurcated format that was created for its original run (which began in 1990), once again examining “the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.” The series is executive produced by Wolf, Rick Eid, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski.

Law & Order will join the spinoffs SVU (in its 23rd season) and Organized Crime (in its second season) to take over Thursdays on NBC on February 24.

Law & Order, Season 21 Premiere, Thursday, February 24, 8/7c, NBC