PASADENA, Calif. - So that’s why Dick Wolf wouldn’t howl!

On Thursday NBC revealed in a release what it plans to do with its openings at 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, when The Jay Leno Show disappears. Two of the slots will be filled by those old, reliable Wolf creations, Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.

This explains why the normally loquacious Wolf declined to comment about the 10 p.m. openings when he was asked about the situation on Wednesday at the Television Critics Association tour.

“Not a word, not a word,” Wolf repeated.

Can’t you even talk in generalities, Dick, about five more hours opening up, presumably for scripted programming, which is your bread-and-butter?

“Mute!” Wolf barked.

It’s clear now that Wolf already knew what was going to happen and had been instructed not to spill the beans.

Anyway, The Jay Leno Show is cancelled as of Feb. 12. Then NBC has U.S. rights to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

As of March 1, Law & Order will fill the Leno slot on Mondays; as of March 2 it’s the new series Parenthood on Tuesdays; as of March 3, it’s Law & Order: SVU on Wednesdays; as of March 4, it’s the new series The Marriage Ref (executive produced by Jerry Seinfeld) on Thursdays; and as of March 5, it’s Dateline NBC on Fridays.

bill.harris@sunmedia.ca