It goes without saying, he has Big shoes to fill. Jeff Goldblum, whose last foray into prime-time was 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.

Calling his decision to part ways with the show "totally mutual," Noth tells the New York Post, "I've been in the Law & Order franchise a long time.... I've pretty much squeezed all the juice out of that role." When asked why he's leaving, however, he told TVGuide.com in a statement, "When others couldn't get television shows produced in New York, Dick Wolfe found a way to do it, and as a New Yorker I truly appreciate all that he has done for the city. The last few years have been fantastic, and both sides are happy with the result. 'All's well that ends well.'"

Says Dick Wolf, "Mike Logan is one of the most popular detectives in the history of television. We all wish him the best."

CI recently was picked up for a 16-episode eighth season. 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