"Law & Order" (1990) TV series 1990-????

Creator:

Dick Wolf

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Release Date:

13 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Drama

Tagline:

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.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Attorney | Detective | Police | District Attorney | Evidence

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Another 40 wins & 150 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 14	9:00 PM	NBC	Great Satan	#20.3
Sun. Nov. 15	3:00 AM	TNT	Paranoia	#6.6

Cast

S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lt. Anita Van Buren / ... (377 episodes, 1991-2009)
Sam Waterston	...	Executive A.D.A. Jack McCoy / ... (354 episodes, 1994-2009)
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)

Also Known As:

Law & Order Prime (USA) (informal title)
Law and Order (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

60 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 (seasons 1-2 DVD) | UK:PG (season 3 DVD) | Iceland:12 (some epiosodes) | Singapore:M18 (season 5) | Netherlands:6 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-14 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Studios USA Television

Trivia:

S. Epatha Merkerson wears her hair in dreadlocks. Although she has played police officers in other shows with her own hairstyle, notably Captain Margaret Claghorn in the futuristic crime series "Mann & Machine" (1992), she felt it would be unrealistic for an ambitious New York Police Lieutenant to adopt such a hairstyle so she wears a wig as Lt. Van Buren.

Goofs:

Continuity: The earliest episodes use many different numbers for the precinct occupied by the main police characters, before eventually settling on the 27th Precinct (or the "two-seven" as it is usually called) for the rest of the series.

Quotes:

Det. Rey Curtis: When I filled out my ethnicity, I had to put "Other"...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Joey: Joey and the Holding Hands (#2.21)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

I'm Not Driving Anymore

Watch it for Briscoe and McCoy!

To be honest, I didn't become a real fan of the series until Jerry Orbach (Detective Briscoe)and Sam Waterston(EADA McCoy)came into the picture. This is when the series starts to pick up steam. Watching the show, you can't help but laugh at Briscoe's remarks or feel the passion of McCoy. Both of these men want justice, and will do everything within limits to bring the wrongdoers to justice. What I really like about the show is the wonderful twists and turns that they throw to the audience, as well as the "ripped from the headlines" episodes. Even though you have 2 more in the "Law And Order" franchise, the original is STILL the best!