It goes without saying, he has Big shoes to fill. Jeff Goldblum, whose last foray into prime-time was with NBC's short-lived Raines, is joining USA Network's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. There, he will share lead crime-solving duties with Vincent D'Onofrio.

"Jeff's presence will add a new dimension to an already successful show," franchise overL&Ord Dick Wolf says in a statement.

Of Noth's second CI stint coming to an end, Wolf adds, "Chris has been a member of [our] family since the beginning, and Mike Logan is one of the most popular detectives in the history of television. We all wish him the best."

Noth is still filming Season 7 (which is currently unspooling Sundays on USA), and this news is very new to everyone, sources tell me, so it is unclear exactly how Logan will be written off the show and subsequently replaced.

What's your take? Has CI just lost a bunch of fans? Were the producers so preoccupied with whether or not they could replace Noth, they didn't stop to think if they should? " Matt Mitovich

Related:
Mega Buzz: "Is Law & Order: CI's Alicia Witt a goner?"
USA Network Confirms Intent to Renew L&O: CI

TVGuide Links:

• Law & Order: Criminal Intent
• Chris Noth
• Jeff Goldblum