Law & Order has become the new iron man of television after 18 popular seasons, several cast changes, and numerous makeovers throughout the years. Sharing the record with Cheers and M*A*S*H in Emmy nominations for Oustanding Drama Series with 11 consecutive nominations in the category for a primetime series, Law & Order is as strong and popular as it was when it first premiered.

With the recent departure of series regular Jesse L. Martin, actor Anthony Anderson has been recruited by legendary show creator Dick Wolf to fill the void as a new addition from Internal Affairs. In the episode "Burn Card" that airs Wednesday, April 23 at 10pm, Anderson makes his debut and was more than happy to share his feelings on his new job. Last week The Deadbolt took part in a conference call with a select group of outlets to get the goods on the recent cast change from actor Anthony Anderson and creator Dick Wolf, who filled us in on everything from the future of Anderson's character and his transition into the series to Dick Wolf's dream of breaking the longest running record set by Gunsmoke and the possibility of a Law & Order movie on the big screen.

THE DEADBOLT: Dick, is your dream still to knock off Gunsmoke and take the longest running record with Law & Order?

DICK WOLF: Absolutely.

THE DEADBOLT: So what happens when you do beat it?

WOLF: We’re back next year. I would say that the reality is - one to tie, two to win. Yes, it’s absolutely priority one. I don’t know, go another twenty. [laughs]

ANTHONY ANDERSON: I’m leaving after twelve. Just so you know, I’m leaving after twelve.

THE DEADBOLT: Anthony, your character is brought on to investigate Jesse’s past. What happens after that and what’s in the future for Kevin Bernard?

ANDERSON: You know, that’s entirely up to our writing staff. But first and foremost, the job at hand of solving crimes and bringing people to justice. An interesting thing that Dick told me in out meeting some time ago is that this isn’t a character driven show. This is a show about the law and order of what’s going on. So this is what myself and my character are here to do, solve the crimes and bring people to justice. Whatever happens in between is up to the imagination of our great writing staff. So I’m interested and eager, just as you are, to see what Kevin is going to go through.

THE DEADBOLT: Did playing Lucius Blaine on SVU help with Kevin Bernard?

WOLF: I’m going to jump in because when they say what convinced me about Anthony or getting him on the show it was actually the SVU episode. There was a scene where Chris [Meloni] had been making Anthony’s character totally nuts during the whole episode. And he was over by the coffee stand and Chris came up to bug him about something else and Anthony turned on him and went, "What!" It was such a pure human moment and a non-acting moment that it was just one of those wonderful things that convinced you that this guy can really act in a way that you can’t teach. There was comic timing in that and there was all sorts of - I would hate to say technical expertise involved, but it was just one of those moments. He’s a guy you want on your show.

ANDERSON: I can’t say it any better than what Dick has just said.

Anthony Anderson and Dick Wolf Talk Law & Order Page 2