New Cop on the Block

No doubt, I will miss departing Law & Order: Special Victims Unit founding cast member Christopher Meloni next season, but I’m actually quite chuffed with his replacement.

Danny Pino (TV’s Cold Case), has been cast as a next-gen detective on the still-has-it show, which will return to the tube in the fall with Meloni’s old partner, Mariska Hargitay, still on the beat (albeit on a reduced basis).

The actor beat the likes of Kevin Alejandro (who did a stint on TNT’s Southland before moving to Bon Temps, a.k.a. the setting of HBO’s True Blood), Ghost Whisperer star David Conrad, and Rhys Coiro (HBO’s Entourage), among others.

Kelli Giddish also has nabbed a regular part to play on the SVU team, returning to NBC (for whom she starred on last season's Chase) after a left-us-wanting-more visit to The Good Wife over on CBS.

As to why I’m so happy Pino got the part? Easy: Because he's a Panther – we both went to FIU.

Photo: BroadwayWorld.com.

Update: Looks like Mariska Hargitay will not be scaling back as much as previously thought, if at all.

For now, the actress will be appearing on every ep next season.