 Towards the end of the fifth season, Executive Producer  Dick Wolf (I) (qv) decided not to renew Chris Noth (qv)s  contract citing that the interaction between Logan and the similarly  jaded Briscoe (Jerry Orbach (qv)) lacked enough dramatic contrast.  Viewers and critics were shocked at the dismissal of the most  popular and only original remaining cast member at that time. Years  later, Noth convinced Wolf to produce _Exiled (1998) (TV)_ (qv) to  wrap up the story of Mike Logan, which Noth felt had been  prematurely extinguished on the show.