Law & Order charts anthology series

Possibly inspired by American Crime Story, Law & Order is launching an anthology series with Law & Order: True Crime.

Set to chronicle famous real-life criminal cases it will open on the Menendez Brothers, who were convicted of murdering their parents and sentenced to life in 1996. Lyle and Erik Menendez were tried separately but eventually convicted in a third trial.

Jennifer Salke, President of NBC Entertainment said, “This case captured the public’s attention like nothing before it as it examined taboo issues such as patricide and matricide in gruesome detail, all against a backdrop of privilege and wealth. We will re-create the cultural and societal surroundings of both the murders and trials when people were not only obsessed with the case but examining how and why these brothers committed these heinous crimes.”

Dick Wolf said, “Bob (Greenblatt, NBC), Jen and I have been focused on the natural evolution of the Law & Order brand for the last several years and are excited to extend the franchise with a scripted limited anthology series that focuses on a high-profile trial.

“There is no shortage of compelling real-life criminal cases, and the Menendez trial was more scintillating than most crime fiction.”

Law & Order: You the Jury, a one-hour live courtroom docu-drama series was also picked up in September.

Source: Deadline