_x000D_Screenshot: NBC
What TV show originated Detective John Munch’s character?
NBC’s Homicide: Life on the Street premiered in 1993, with Richard Belzer playing John Munch. In 1999, after Homicide was canceled, Belzer was offered a regular role on the Law & Order spinoff Special Victims Unit. Munch has appeared in ten series on five networks. He retired after his 22nd season, making him the second longest-running regular character on American TV behind Mariska Hargitay’s character Olivia Benson. Belzer died at his home in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, on Feb. 19, 2023, after reportedly suffering from circulatory and respiratory issues for years.