‘Law & Order’ is becoming a reality show where you’re the jury

Law & Order just turned 25 — which is about 150 in TV years — and it isn’t slowing down any time soon. In fact, it’s doing the opposite: NBC just gave everyone’s favorite drama a reality show spinoff. Law & Order is going off-script for a reality show called Law & Order: You the Jury.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the hour-long show will broadcast civil cases live on the air. Viewers will be able to watch along, and vote to help decide the verdict. The whole thing will be interactive, too, allowing you to vote “throughout the trial on the veracity of witnesses and persuasiveness of evidence,” a press release states.

So, how much control will at-home viewers actually have as a jury? There’s no true verdict on that question yet. The idea of voting America Idol-style on courtroom proceedings is fun, but it would certainly be irresponsible if at-home voting was the only way justice was served. It would be especially problematic if the wrong group of hackers are involved. We’re sure there are more details to come, but for now, we’re pretty excited to check it out. Still, there’s a lot that could go wrong.

The idea for this interactive reality crime show has been around for a few months, but it lived as its own idea. It wasn’t until recently that Dick Wolf took the idea under his wing, adding it to his list of NBC dramas: Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Medical.

Finally, all these years of couch-coaching Detectives Lennie Briscoe and Olivia Benson will pay off. Does this mean I can get out of jury duty?

(Image via NBC.)