The long-running NBC drama makes yet another cast change.

After nine years on "Law & Order," JESSE L. MARTIN will be exiting his role as Detective Ed Green on the long-running drama, as ANTHONY ANDERSON joins the cast as Detective Kevin Bernard, an Internal Affairs officer who wants to work homicide.

Anderson wants to make it clear that his character did not volunteer for the IA job; rather he was recruited straight out of the police academy.

"It's not like he's a turncoat who wanted to police the police," Anderson says. "His dream was to become a homicide detective, but he has to serve two years in IAB before that can happen. You may think he's a by-the-book guy because he comes from Internal Affairs, but he knows how to get around certain things without cutting too many corners to get the job done."

The "Burn Card" episode is the first time that when a character was exiting the show, a new character was introduced prior to their departure.

According to exec producer DICK WOLF, "I don't think there was a plan that we were going to do the overlap. But when Jesse requested to leave -- which was something we've been discussing for the last six, seven months -- he had made it very clear that he was feeling burned out. He was going into his ninth season and [wanted] the option of leaving. I don't feel that when people have done the type of work that Jesse has done, you keep them under ball and chain."

So on Wednesday night's episode, airing on NBC at 10 p.m., Detective Green comes under investigation for the murder of a hustler named Bunny (guest star BOBBY JONES), who Green happens to know on a personal basis. Bernard is one of the two IA officers assigned to his case. Without giving too much away, Green exits the police force, and Lt. Van Buren ( S. EPATHA MERKERSON) needs a new homicide detective.