Dick Wolf

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Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox person Richard Anthony Wolf (born December 20, 1946<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>) is an American television producer, best known for his Law & Order franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spinoffs. He is also co-creator and executive producer of the Chicago franchise, which since 2012, has included four Chicago-based dramas and the co-creator and executive producer of the FBI franchise, which since 2018, has also become a franchise after spinning off two additional series.

Wolf has also written four books. The first, the non-fiction volume Law & Order: Crime Scenes, is a companion to the Law & Order television series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Intercept, The Execution, and The Ultimatum are works of fiction in a thriller series featuring an NYPD detective named Jeremy Fisk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Wolf has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award, being inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life and education

Wolf was born in Manhattan to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother of Irish descent.<ref name="Jewish Journal"/><ref name= dialogue>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As a boy, he was an altar server at the local Catholic parish.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Wolf attended Saint David's School, The Gunnery,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Phillips Academy, Andover.<ref name= dialogue /> He subsequently attended the University of Pennsylvania (class of 1969), where he was a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity.<ref name="Jewish Journal">Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Advertising

Wolf worked as an advertising copywriter at Benton & Bowles creating commercials for Crest toothpaste, including the slogan "You can't beat Crest for fighting cavities." He is also credited with the campaign "I'm Cheryl, fly me" for National Airlines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yet despite his success in copywriting, all the while he was writing screenplays in the hopes of a film career. It was at this time that he briefly collaborated on a screenplay with Oliver Stone, who was a struggling screenwriter at the time.

Initial screenwriting success

He moved to Los Angeles after a few years and had three screenplays produced; one of these films, Masquerade (1988), featuring Rob Lowe and Meg Tilly, gained notable acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He started his television career as a staff writer on Hill Street Blues and was nominated for his first Emmy Award for the episode "What Are Friends For?", on which he was the only writer. While working on Hill Street Blues, Wolf became close friends with Tom Fontana, then writing for the series St. Elsewhere, produced in the same building, at the same time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Wolf moved from Hill Street Blues to Miami Vice, where he was a writer and co-producer for the third and fourth seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Law & Order franchise

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Wolf's original series Law & Order ran from 1990 to 2010, and was revived in 2022. It has surpassed Gunsmoke as longest-running dramatic show in American television history, making it one of television's most successful franchises. It has been nominated for the most consecutive Emmy Awards of any primetime drama series. Wolf serves as creator and executive producer of the current Law & Order drama series from Wolf Entertainment and NBCUniversal Television – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (which, as of September 5, 2024 is the longest-running scripted primetime drama, having aired 551 episodes, breaking the original Law & Order count of 456 (now 501 through the twenty-third season), and beating both the original Law & Order and Gunsmoke in number of seasons).

Wolf also was creator and executive producer for five spinoff shows in the franchise – Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Law & Order: LA, Law & Order: Organized Crime, and Conviction.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Many of Wolf's series have intersected with the Law & Order franchise in some fashion, and the Law & Order series have been adapted into several foreign versions. He was also the creator and executive producer of NBC's courtroom reality series Crime & Punishment, which chronicled real-life cases prosecuted by the San Diego District Attorney's office.

Chicago franchise

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Wolf developed Chicago Fire, a drama about a group of men and women working at the Chicago Fire Department. The series was picked up by NBC in May 2012,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and premiered on October 10, 2012, with meek numbers in the ratings and minimal reviews in the first few weeks before spiking to NBC's #2 scripted drama series, under Revolution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2013, NBC announced intentions for a spin-off of Chicago Fire revolving around the Chicago Police Department.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When that series Chicago P.D. premiered, Derek Haas, Michael W. Brandt, and Matt Olmstead became executive producers, under Wolf.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two subsequent shows, Chicago Med which premiered in 2015, and Chicago Justice whose one season began and ended in 2017, followed in Chicago P.D.'s wake.

FBI franchise

Template:Main In 2018, Wolf became executive producer of the CBS drama FBI, starring Law & Order cast members Jeremy Sisto and Alana de la Garza and also Sela Ward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> FBI has since had two spinoffs (FBI: Most Wanted, and FBI: International), giving Wolf his third franchise.

Beginning in the 2021–2022 TV season, all three of Wolf's franchises have their own night of programming: FBI Tuesdays on CBS (original series, Most Wanted, International), Chicago Wednesdays on NBC (Med, Fire, P.D.), and Law & Order Thursdays on NBC (original series revival, SVU and Organized Crime).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other work

In 2012, Wolf developed the unscripted show Cold Justice, a documentary drama, for TNT.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also has written three novels whose central character is NYPD Detective Jeremy Fisk: The Intercept, The Execution, and The Ultimatum.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2024, Wolf released a documentary miniseries with Netflix called Homicide: New York.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2021, NBC ordered a docuseries LA Fire and Rescue. The series followed the firefighters of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and will be executive produced by Wolf.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This series was cancelled by NBC after one season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Art collecting

In December 2023, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced the promised gift of over 200 works of art from Wolf, including Old Master paintings, sculptures and drawings, as well as funds to endow two galleries with his name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Wolf reported that his appreciation for art started when he was a child visiting Met on his way home from school.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honors

Wolf's personal honors include the Award of Excellence from the Banff Television Festival, the 2002 Creative Achievement Award from NATPE; the Anti-Defamation League's Distinguished Entertainment Industry Award, the Leadership and Inspiration Award from the Entertainment Industries Council, the Governor's Award by the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the 1997 achievement award from the Caucus for Producers, Writers, and Directors, the 1998 Television Showman of the Year Award from the Publicists Guild of America, the 2002 Tribute from the Museum of Television and Radio, and a 2003 Special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. On March 29, 2007, Wolf received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7040 Hollywood Boulevard.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Wolf was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Wolf is also an Honorary Consul general of Monaco<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is actively involved in the principality's prestigious annual Television Festival.

Political involvement

It was reported that Wolf contributed to Fred Thompson's campaign for the Republican nomination for president in 2008. The two had worked together since 2002, when Thompson joined the cast of Law & Order playing a district attorney.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Community, a sitcom on NBC from 2009 to 2014 had an episode which parodied Dick Wolf's Law & Order, with the title "Basic Lupine Urology" being a play on his name. Wolf is given a special thanks credit at the end of the episode.<ref name="ign">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="avclub">Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Television

Scripted

Year Title Creator Executive Producer Writer Network
1985–1986 Hill Street Blues Template:No Template:No Template:Yes NBC
1986–1988 Miami Vice Template:No Template:Partial Template:Yes
1989 Gideon Oliver Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No ABC
Christine Cromwell Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No
1990 Nasty Boys Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No NBC
H.E.L.P. Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No ABC
1990–2010,
2022–present 		Law & Order Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
1992 Mann & Machine Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
The Human Factor Template:No Template:Yes Template:No CBS
1993 South Beach Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
Crime & Punishment Template:Yes Template:Partial Template:Yes NBC
1994–1999 New York Undercover Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Fox
1995 The Wright Verdicts Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No CBS
1996 Swift Justice Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No UPN
1997 Feds Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No CBS
1997–1998 Players Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No NBC
1998 Exiled: A Law & Order Movie Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No
The Invisible Man Template:No Template:Yes Template:No N/A
1999–present Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
2000 D.C. Template:No Template:Yes Template:No The WB
Arrest & Trial Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No Syndication
2000–2001 Deadline Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
2001–2011 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC/USA Network
2003 L.A. Dragnet Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No ABC
2005–2006 Law & Order: Trial by Jury Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
2006 Conviction Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No
2009–2014 Law & Order: UK Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No ITV
2010–2011 Law & Order: LA Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
2012–present Chicago Fire Template:No Template:Yes Template:Yes
2014–present Chicago P.D. Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2015–present Chicago Med Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
2017 Chicago Justice Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes
Law & Order True Crime Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
2018–present FBI Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes CBS
2020–2025 FBI: Most Wanted Template:No Template:Yes Template:No
2021–present Law & Order: Organized Crime Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC/Peacock
2021–2025 FBI: International Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:No CBS
2024–present Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent Template:Yes Template:No Template:No CityTV
2025 On Call Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Prime Video
2025 CIA Template:No Template:Yes Template:No CBS
TBA Law & Order: Hate Crimes Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes Peacock

Unscripted

Year Title Creator Executive Producer Network
2013–present Cold Justice Template:Yes Template:Yes TNT/Oxygen
2015 Cold Justice: Sex Crimes Template:Yes Template:Yes TNT
3AM Template:Yes Template:Yes Showtime
2015–2023 Nightwatch Template:Yes Template:Yes A&E/NBCUniversal
2017 Inside the FBI: New York<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Yes Template:Yes USA Network
2017–2020 Criminal Confessions<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Yes Template:Yes Oxygen
2019 Murder for Hire Template:No Template:Yes
First Responders Live Template:No Template:Yes Fox
2023 LA Fire and Rescue Template:No Template:Yes NBC
2023 Blood & Money Template:Yes Template:Yes NBC
2024 Homicide
Season 1: New York
Season 2: Los Angeles 		Template:Yes Template:Yes Netflix

Animated

Foreign

Thanks

Timeline of Wolf's multi-series franchises

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Colors = 

id:law value:red            legend:L&O
id:chicago value:green        legend:Chicago
id:fbi value:blue        legend:FBI
id:bars    value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

BarData = 

bar:Law  text:Law & Order
bar:SVU   text:Special Victims Unit
bar:Criminal   text:Criminal Intent
bar:Jury    text:Trial By Jury
bar:LA   text:Los Angeles
bar:Fire   text:Chicago Fire
bar:PD  text:Chicago P.D.
bar:Med   text:Chicago Med
bar:Justice  text:Chicago Justice
bar:Crime   text:Law & Order True Crime
bar:FBI  text:FBI
bar:Wanted  text:Most Wanted
bar:Organized   text:Organized Crime
bar:International  text:International

PlotData = 

width:11
bar:Law  from:09/13/1990        till:05/24/2010        color:law
bar:Law  from:02/24/2022        till:end        color:law
bar:SVU  from:09/20/1999        till:end        color:law
bar:Criminal  from:09/30/2001        till:06/26/2011        color:law
bar:Jury  from:03/03/2005        till:01/21/2006        color:law
bar:LA  from:09/29/2010        till:07/11/2011        color:law
bar:Fire  from:10/10/2012        till:end        color:chicago
bar:PD  from:01/08/2014        till:end        color:chicago
bar:Med  from:11/17/2015        till:end        color:chicago
bar:Justice  from:03/01/2017        till:05/14/2017        color:chicago
bar:Crime  from:09/26/2017        till:11/14/2017        color:law
bar:FBI  from:09/25/2018        till:end        color:fbi
bar:Wanted  from:01/07/2020        till:end        color:fbi
bar:Organized  from:04/01/2021        till:end        color:law
bar:International  from:09/21/2021        till:end        color:fbi

</timeline>

See also

References

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