(detailed information about this entry from Wikipedia)
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Law & Order is an American televison police procedural and legal drama set in New York City. Created by Dick Wolf, the award-winning Law & Order is syndicated on other US networks and worldwide.
Law & Order first appeared on the NBC network in 1990, and its success has resulted in the creation of additional shows under the Law & Order franchise. It is the longest-running primetime drama currently on American television; only one other current primetime series, The Simpsons, has been on the air longer.
Law & Order can be seen in the United States on Wednesdays on the NBC network, with reruns seen regularly each weeknight on TNT (U.S.) and weekdays & weeknights on Bravo! (Canada).
Description
The following statement is spoken at the beginning of every episode:
- In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.
The show follows a small team of New York City homicide detectives who occasionally investigate other serious crimes. Generally, about halfway through the hour-long program the focus shifts from the investigation of the crime to the prosecution of the offender, which is always handed over to the same small team of lawyers from the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Two-tiered format
The two-tiered format of the program, with investigation of the crime and prosecution of the crime, is almost identical to a 1960s series entitled Arrest and Trial, although the similarities are considered to be coincidental. Law & Order creator Dick Wolf was reportedly unaware of them when he created his series. Arrest & Trial (2000) is also a series produced by Dick Wolf.
Show format
Most Law & Order episodes are self-contained, with only a few exceptions over the many years of production.
The cold open or lead-in segment of the show usually shows a slice of New York life (walking a dog in Manhattan, jogging in Central Park, etc.) apparently unrelated to the main story until the usually non-recurring characters in the scene suddenly discover, witness, or become victims of a crime (most often, murder). Careful attention to these opening segments often reveals subtle connections or hints foreshadowing key aspects of the case. The scene immediately cuts to the police making a preliminary examination of the crime scene in which the featured detectives make their first observations and theories followed by a witty comment before the title sequence begins.
Because of the nature of the format, the detectives rarely encounter a simple murder where the perpetrator does little to hide his guilt (which is actually very common). Instead, the detectives often have few or no good clues to start with - they may not even know the identity of the victim - and must chase down several dead ends before finding a strong suspect. Towards the middle of a show, the police begin working with the prosecutors to make the arrest, and an arraignment scene is usually shown. The police may appear again to testify in court or arrest a subsequent suspect, but most investigation in the "order" segment is done by the assistant DAs, who always consult with the District Attorney for advice on the case.
The same detectives always working with the same prosecutors is not a realistic depiction of the legal system, nor is the number of high-profile, highly complicated cases taken on, nor their success in solving all of them. Furthermore, most real cases do not go to trial and are settled with a plea bargain, whereas the trial is a signature part of nearly every Law & Order episode. However, the characters and process depicted can be seen as amalgams of the entire legal system, and the technically unrealistic legal process as a simplifying plot device necessary for the show to be possible, thus maintaining Suspension of disbelief.
The format includes not delving too much into the private lives of the recurring characters. Some personal information is given, but it is usually incidental, such as conversation that goes on during the course of an episode. In contrast to many other detective shows (Perry Mason and Matlock, for example), the protagonists of Law & Order do not always win their cases; episodes frequently finish without full resolution. Sometimes the true facts of the crime are left ambiguous to the audience. Sometimes the case against the offender is won, but justice still seems lacking. Often the viewer identifies with the defendant and wonders whether punishment under the law is even appropriate.
Stylistic touches
Local color
The series has a number of distinctive stylistic touches. The show is shot on location in New York, New York and is known for its extensive use of local color - NYC Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg have appeared on the show in recent seasons.
The card
Many scenes are preceded with a card indicating the location and date of the events portrayed. Perhaps best known is the musical sting which accompanies scene changes. It has been described as a "dun DUN" sound. It was originally developed to sound like a barred door in a jail slamming shut.
In promos for Law & Order SVU reruns on the USA Network, actor Dann Florek refers to the sting as the "doink doink."
Portrayal of characters
The show's cast of police and lawyers are portrayed as basically honest professionals, very rarely straying from the boundaries of accepted procedure and usually solving crimes by the book, although occasional cases hit home and the detectives and/or ADAs become somewhat personally invested in the case. With the exception of several episodes at the end of Season 8, the show does not employ subplots, and the private lives of the characters are only mentioned in passing. Perhaps the scenes involving lawyers stray from reality a little more, with a far higher proportion of cases going to trial than in real life (although plea bargaining plays a far greater role than in other television series), and with trial lawyers sometimes acting as pseudo-detectives.
Revolving cast
Law & Order is noted for its revolving cast: none of the original six stars are still regulars, and many stay for only a few seasons before moving on. This continual replacement of actors has not appeared to harm the program's popularity. In fact, it has been speculated that the transforming cast has contributed to the series' longevity. Also, the regular appearance of new faces in the cast has constantly changed the show's dynamic, allowing it to effectively reinvent itself repeatedly. Four long-serving exceptions are Steven Hill (1990–2000) as District Attorney Adam Schiff, Sam Waterston (1994–present) as Executive Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy, the late Jerry Orbach (1992–2004) as Detective Lennie Briscoe, and S. Epatha Merkerson (1993–present) as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, who will likely be the show's longest-serving actor/actress. Hill was the last member of the original cast to leave the show, though even he did not appear in the series' original pilot episode.
It is widely believed that the Adam Schiff character was based on real life New York County District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau who still serves in the post, aged 85.
The show's most recent cast changes were announced in 2004 when longtime performer Orbach left the series at the end of Season 14 to star in the spinoff, Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Orbach died shortly after producing the first two episodes after a long battle with prostate cancer. Dennis Farina joined the cast as Detective Joe Fontana in L&O. In addition, Elisabeth Röhm, who played Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn for three and a half years, left the series midway through the 2004-2005 season; her successor is Annie Parisse, who plays ADA Alexandra Borgia. In May 2005, Jesse L. Martin, who plays Detective Ed Green, took time off from the show to film the theatrical version of Rent (reprising his role from the Broadway musical of the same name). Michael Imperioli, playing Detective Nick Falco, came in to finish the last four episodes of the season, although Martin is still part of the cast and has returned for the 16th season. Late in Season 16, Imperioli returned for one episode.
On April 26, 2006 Fox News reported that Parisse had quit her role as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia on Law & Order amid rumors of the show's imminent cancellation. The show, however, has been renewed for a seventeenth season.
Past and present cast
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Jesse L. Martin as Det. Ed Green and Dennis Farina as Det. Joe Fontana.
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ADA Alexandra Borgia (Annie Parisse) and EADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston).
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"Law" and "Order" have been represented by the following casts:
Law
- The Senior Partner
- The Junior Partner
- The police captain/lieutenant
Order
- The Executive Assistant District Attorney (formerly Chief Assistant District Attorney)
- The Assistant District Attorney
- The District Attorney 2
Notes
- In December 2004, Michael Imperioli was announced as a temporary replacement for Jesse L. Martin for the last four episodes of the 15th season. This is in order to allow Martin to fulfill a movie contract (the film version of Rent); Martin returned for the 16th season. In the show, Det. Ed Green is wounded in a shootout and takes medical leave in order to recuperate.
- In the pilot episode, the role of DA Alfred Wentworth was played by Roy Thinnes. This is the only time this character has appeared, although Thinnes has returned to the series several times since then, in other roles.
Recurring supporting cast
Carolyn McCormick has had star billing as a psychologist, Elizabeth Olivet, Ph.D. J.K. Simmons's character Emil Skoda later became the staff psychiatrist, though this did not mark the end of Olivet's appearances. There are several other recurring characters, among them John Fiore as Det. Tony Profaci, Lorraine Toussaint as Defense Attorney Shambala Green, Tovah Feldshuh as Defense Attorney Danielle Melnick, Josh Pais as Assistant Medical Examiner Borak, and Leslie Hendrix as Medical Examiner Elizabeth Rodgers M.D., who is easily the show's most regularly appearing character outside of the six stars.
Episodes
Awards and nominations
Awards won
Emmy Awards:
- Outstanding Drama Series (1997)
Screen Actors Guild:
Awards nominated
Emmy Awards:
- Outstanding Drama Series (1992-1996, 1998-2002)
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Sam Waterston (1997, 1999-2000)
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Jerry Orbach (2000)
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Michael Moriarty (1991-1994)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Steven Hill (1998-1999)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Benjamin Bratt (1998)
Golden Globe Awards:
- Best TV Series-Drama (1992, 1994-1995, 1998-1999)
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series-Drama Sam Waterston (1995)
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series-Drama Michael Moriarty (1994)
Screen Actors Guild:
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (1995-2002, 2004)
- Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series Sam Waterston (1998)
DVD releases
Law & Order Season 4 cover art
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DVD Name
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Release dates
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Region 1
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Region 2
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Region 4
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| The Complete 1st Season |
October 15, 2002 |
June 16, 2003 |
April 14, 2003 |
| The Complete 2nd Season |
May 4, 2004 |
February 28, 2005 |
January 19, 2005 |
| The Complete 3rd Season |
May 24, 2005 |
November 21, 2005 |
March 8, 2006 |
| The Complete 4th Season |
December 6, 2005 |
July 17, 2006 |
N/A |
| The Complete 14th Season |
September 14, 2004 |
N/A |
N/A |
Future of Law & Order
In late March 2006, the show witnessed a drop in ratings after NBC moved new episode showings to a different timeslot.[1] However, speculation still exists that it may reach the record for longest-running American prime time drama, currently held by Gunsmoke (1955-1975). According to news reports in 2005, the Law & Order franchise (including all the different series) generates around $1 billion in annual revenues for NBC Universal and its cable partners (a February 2005 NBC financial presentation states that NBC's share of this revenue (including syndication and advertising) is more than $550 million.
On April 5, 2006, the show returned to its old timeslot. [2] This produced an improvement of ratings. [3]
NBC announced on April 27 that all three shows under the Law & Order banner have been renewed through early 2007. [4]
Related series
Spin-offs
The show's popularity has resulted in a Law & Order franchise with the creation of three other television dramas under the same brand: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001). These two shows focus more on the police side of a case. A short-lived spinoff, Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005), which lasted only 12 episodes, focused almost entirely on courtroom drama, but was pulled off due to low ratings, becoming the first series of the franchise to be cancelled. Every spinoff uses the same theme music as the original series, albeit with differing arrangements (harder guitars for the Criminal Intent theme, for instance).
The latest and now canceled spinoff, Conviction, is only loosely related to the original—while the appearance of one character from Special Victims Unit and a cameo by Fred Dalton Thompson tie it into the same continuity, it does not bear the "Law and Order" title, nor does it use the Law and Order theme music and scene transitions. In addition, Conviction has no coverage of the police investigations and follows the prosecutors' entire lives, rather than just the cases they argue in court.
Cross-overs
Law & Order crossed over six times with other NBC shows:
While not considered a cross over episode, Chris Noth appears in the before-the-credits sequence of the Homicide episode "Law and Disorder" (H:LotS ep 3-15). Taking place entirely in a Baltimore train station, Logan hands off a prisoner (John Waters) to Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher). The two detectives engage in some friendly banter about which city is better: New York City or Baltimore. They argue over topics such as Babe Ruth and Dorothy Parker.
TV movie
- Main article: Exiled: A Law & Order Movie
There was also a TV movie called Exiled: A Law & Order Movie (1998), which featured the fate of Mike Logan (played by Chris Noth), one of the popular characters who departed the series. Noth has now returned in the role of Detective Mike Logan for the 2005-2006 season of Criminal Intent.
Reality series
- Main article: Crime & Punishment
The producers have also crafted a reality television series, Crime & Punishment (also sometimes called Law & Order: Crime & Punishment) (2002), which focuses on actual trials. The producers of Law & Order also produced an updated version of the series Dragnet (2003), which was not successful.
Computer games
In addition, there are three computer games of Law & Order in which the player investigates crimes and then prosecutes the resulting cases:
Trivia
- Main article: List of Law & Order Trivia
International
See also
External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
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Law & Order (1990) 
Law & Order (1990) [TV series]
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"Aufrechten - Aus den Akten der Straße, Die" (1996) 
