Well nothing lasts forever...even on television. After 21 seasons on TV, Sgt. John Munch will be turning in his badge.
On Wednesday night's episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, it was revealed that Munch will be submitting his retirement paperwork along with his badge. The character will become recurring as actor Richard Belzer has decided to depart the long-running procedural drama. The move isn't too much of a surprise as Munch's role has diminished on the show in the past couple of years. The show is currently airing its 15th season and Munch has been a staple from its beginning back in 1999 when he was a senior detective.
Prior to joining Law & Order: SVU, Detective John Munch was a central character on Homicide: Life on the Street for all seven seasons. The police procedural centered on a Baltimore Police Department's homicide unit. Though Belzer's acting was still green during his run on Homicide, the show became critically acclaimed for its grittiness and ever-increasing portrayals of African-Americans on primetime television. Homicide had numerous cross-over episodes with the original Law & Order thanks to both being on NBC. John Munch became known in the Law & Order universe thanks to these cross-overs.
When Homicide ended its run in May 1999, Detective Munch retired from the Baltimore PD, taken his pension, and moved to New York to join a sex crimes investigation unit. By the fall of 1999, he was part of SVU.
Aside from the shared universe by the two crime dramas, John Munch has also appeared in numerous other TV shows as either a guest or cameo. He appeared in an episode of HBO's The Wire, which was also set in Baltimore. During the fifth season of The X-Files, Munch made a cameo in the episode "Unusual Suspects" where he was based out of a Baltimore police department. After relocating to New York City, Munch made an appearance on UPN's short-lived one-season wonder The Beat, which focused on the day-to-day occurrences of NYPD officers. Other shows that Detective, and later Sergeant, John Munch appeared in were Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! It is interesting to note that the character crossed genres by appearing in several comedies.
Richard Belzer made television history with John Munch. The character has appeared in more television series than any other fictional character, and has also beaten the record for longest running character with 21 seasons. The record was previously held by Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane and James Arness' Marshal Matt Dillon.
It is speculated that Sgt. Munch's last episode of Law & Order: SVU will air on October 16.
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