THE Sept. 11 terrorists who are set to be tried in Manhattan will likely end up as some “Law & Order” storylines.
Rene Balcer, a veteran “L&O” executive producer/writer, told an audience at The Paley Center this week that he’s started talking about how to incorporate some elements of the proposed terrorist trials into “L&O” — which prides itself on its “ripped-from-the-headlines” approach to storytelling.
And even though the trials likely won’t start for at least another two years, Balcer says he could find ways of using elements connected to the trial for episodes airing in the near future.
He said the show’s detectives might be shown being prepared to testify at the sensational trial.
Balcer said that the subject of a terror-trial show came up in a writers’ meeting only this week and that it was too early to tell when it might air.
The idea of trying Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-professed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and his cronies just blocks away from Ground Zero has stirred passions around the country.
The show recently aired an episode based on tragic wrong-way Taconic driver Diane Schuler, and has also based episodes on Mel Gibson’s drunken anti-Semitic rant and reality show trainwrecks Jon and Kate Gosselin and Nadya Suleman, among many other real-life situations.
Balcer made his comments in response to a question from the audience during an panel presentation marking the show’s record-breaking 20th season.
Series creator Dick Wolf and cast members S. Epatha Merkerson and Sam Waterston also participated in the discussion.