I know I have brought this up before, and tomorrow I plan on trying to research it a little by checking directors, production companies, and what not. This is inspired by the Law and Order SVU I watched tonight on USA Morales was on as a Brooklyn cop it seems like everyone on OZ has been on a Law and Order episode. Also was wondering how does the USA episodes work in the seasons tonights seemed very new, and the TiVo description said 2002, but I thought shows weren't normally reran until they were reran on the original network.

I'm wondering about this myself and I have a theory as to why. Law & Order is a Dick Wolf production and Oz is from at least part of the same Barry Levinson/Tom Fontana group that did Homicide. I could be entirely wrong, but I don't think this is part of a joint business venture between the two or a contractual thing.

I think it's a couple of factors that stem from the simple fact they both shoot completely in the New York area (L & O all over NY & Oz on a set in New Jersey). If you had an abundant need for guest stars as tough guy cops, criminals and others in the criminal justice system like L & O does, wouldn't the large ensemble cast of Oz be a natural place to look?

Also, the fact that the production companies previously collaborated on the Law & Order/Homicide crossovers probably doesn't hurt either. It's probably their way of sticking together and trying to keep a good pool of actors with smaller roles (like B.D. Wong and J.K. Simmons) more fully employed for their mutual benefit.

I've also seen several Oz cast members, past and present, on the few occasions I've watched 100 Centre Street from A &E, which is also set and probably shoots in NY, too.

Also, on the USA network rerun thing, I think I heard that the deal is this:

USA Television is somehow Dick Wolf's partner in producing the new L & O's, SVU and CI. I believe that USA absorbs part of the cost of production for the rights to show SVU and CI two weeks or so after original broadcast. NBC gets a break on their purchase cost per episode from Dick Wolf/USA for allowing this and that helps their bottom line.

I could be wrong about the specifics as I read this somewhere a while back when SVU was fairly new, but it stuck in my head because I thought this was a good deal for NBC and a better way of increasing revenue than running the also cheap Dateline even more.

I've seen that white power guy from Oz (Schillinger?) on Law and Order as a case worker, or something similar. I've also seen many Sopranos actors. Uncle Junior played a judge in one episode, a lawyer in another, Artie Buco was a criminal (serial rapist, I think?), Janice (Pravati) Soprano was a receptionist, I think Carmella played a lawyer. Christopher played a stalking chauffeur . . . I forget the others.

Schilinger is a psychiatrist in Law and Order, and the father is one in SVU I think

I thought I saw Ryan O'Reilly on an episode of Special Victims Unit he was also on Homicide. I know that Chris Keller is on that show.

Did anybody know that: Beecher was in Waynes World as one of Waynes friends?

And that Cyril O' Reilly was the guy that Will Hunting upstaged in Good Will Hunting with the apples?

Cyril one I knew, did anyone notice that Chris Jericho kind of looks like Cyril now.