Law & Order (1990–2010)

The show follows a crime, usually adapted from current headlines, from two separate vantage points. The first half of the show concentrates on the investigation of the crime by the police, the second half follows the prosecution of the crime in court.

Creator:

Dick Wolf

Stars:

S. Epatha Merkerson, Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin

Nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Another 43 wins & 158 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lt. Anita Van Buren (391 episodes, 1991-2010)
Sam Waterston	...	Jack McCoy (368 episodes, 1994-2010)
Jerry Orbach	...	Detective Lennie Briscoe (274 episodes, 1991-2004)
Steven Hill	...	D.A. Adam Schiff (229 episodes, 1990-2000)
Jesse L. Martin	...	Detective Ed Green (198 episodes, 1999-2008)

Storyline

The show follows a crime, ususally adapted from current headlines, from two separate vantage points. The first half of the show concentrates on the investigation of the crime by the police, the second half follows the prosecution of the crime in court.

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Plot Keywords:

police | evidence | investigation | detective | district attorney | 

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Taglines:

Meet the Detectives and Prosecutors with a duty to bring Law & Order to New York City.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Bravo [Canada] Five [United Kingdom]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Law & Order Prime

Filming Locations:

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Studios USA Television, NBC Universal Television, Universal Network Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min 45 min (456 Episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After her departure from the series, Jill Hennessy wrote and directed the film The Acting Class using Law & Order's sets. Many L&O cast members such as Jerry Orbach and Angie Harmon volunteered to appear in her film, which was a mock-documentary.

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Goofs

In several episodes, Curtis draws his weapon (a Glock semiautomatic) and we hear the hammer being cocked. This type of gun does not have an external hammer and can only be fired in double action.

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Quotes

Adam Schiff: You do what you have to do, you're still welcome to my scotch.

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Crazy Credits

After the attack on the World Trade Center the opening was changed for one episode to reflect the sacrifices of the NYPD and the NYFD.

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Connections

Spoofed in Arthur: D.W. Aims High/Flaw & Order (2006)

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Soundtracks

"I'm Not Driving Anymore"
(Instrumental)
Written and Performed by Rob Dougan
(UK Version)

User Reviews

Gritty and Compelling Ensemble Drama That Works

This intense drama, now in its 15th season and still going strong, set the stage for ensemble drama, in which the cast plays a secondary role to the story. Law & Order, as originally conceived, drew the viewer into the process by which American law enforcement and litigation works, or doesn't, depending on the viewer's opinion. The first half-hour is devoted to the investigation of a crime, the second to its prosecution. Cases are made or lost by evidence, lack thereof, a technicality, or even judicial whim. Dick Wolf made it clear from day one that the cast was expendable; no prima donnas here. The first cast was all male, with one African-American. Wolf apparently caved to fan pressure for a more politically-correct spectrum, but it really didn't matter so long as the actors could carry the story forward. His best casting choice was Jerry Orbach, his worst Elisabeth Rohm, but with or without these people, the drama continues. In recent years, L&O has lost some of the grittiness that made it so compelling, and I do miss actors such as Steven Hill, Michael Moriarty, Chris Noth, Jill Hennessy and now Orbach, but the show is still far superior to the majority of what passes for prime-time programming. It only suffers in the rare episodes when a politically-correct message is pushed into the story, i.e., whenever it deviates from its original format of presenting how the criminal justice system works. Ignore the spinoffs; the original Law & Order is still the best.