USA: Noth leaving 'Criminal Intent'

New York -- The USA network said Chris Noth won't be back for the eighth season of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and Jeff Goldblum will join the cast.

Noth previously played Detective Mike Logan on the flagship series "Law & Order" and has been reprising that role on the spin-off, "Criminal Intent," since 2005. He is also known for playing Mr. Big on the HBO comedy series "Sex and the City" and its big-screen follow-up.

While promoting the "Sex and the City" film in New York this spring, Noth said of working on "Criminal Intent": "I think we're doing some of the most powerful stories since my first year on 'Law & Order.' That said, the work itself is difficult. Because it's not based on character, it's based on pushing a story and a plot. And you try to infuse a little character along the way."

"Chris has been a member of the 'Law & Order' family since the beginning and Mike Logan is one of the most popular detectives in the history of television.

We all wish him the best," Dick Wolf, executive producer and creator of "Criminal Intent," said in a statement Thursday.

Goldblum is best known for his roles in "The Fly," "Independence Day" and "Jurassic Park."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.