 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.