Law & Order 

Follows a crime (usually a murder), usually adapted from current headlines, from two separate vantage points, the police investigation and the prosecution in court.

Creator:

Dick Wolf

Stars:

Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Dennis Farina

Nominated for 6 Golden Globes. Another 47 wins & 197 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
S. Epatha Merkerson	...	Lieutenant Anita Van Buren / ... 391 episodes, 1991-2010
Sam Waterston	...	E.A.D.A. 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:

copaganda | profanity | shared universe | police | evidence | 

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Taglines:

The Story Is Everything

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

Bravo [Canada] Channel 5 [UK]

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 (456 Episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many regulars made one-time guest appearances before becoming regulars, including: S. Epatha Merkerson, Jerry Orbach, Annie Parisse, Milena Govich, and Jeremy Sisto. Jesse L. Martin was hired for a small role, but decided not to take it.

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Goofs

The series makes it seem like the prosecutors and defense attorneys are evenly matched, which is way off. Lots of defendants can't afford a lawyer and are assigned public defenders. Public defenders can be tasked with 500 cases in a year. (And that's a conservative estimate.)

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Quotes

Lt. Anita Van Buren: I'd better go. I'm late for my daily spanking at One Police Plaza.

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Crazy Credits

At the start of the season one episode "Torrents of Greed, Part 2" the customary "In the criminal justice system..." opening monologue and screen title were replaced with a monologue and screen title about manipulation of the legal system.

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Alternate Versions

The version of the show shown in the UK on Channel Five has a completely different version of the opening credits with different music. Also UK satellite channel Sky One has a different version of opening credits to the US and Channel 5 versions and music.

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Connections

Referenced in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Police Sketch: Dann Florek (2004)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Still compelling after all these years

I only started watching L&O a few years ago, and am hooked on the brilliant writing, acting, and direction that have made this show so popular for so long. Jerry Orbach is great as Lennie, and I was stunned to learn that he also played the voice of Lumiere, the French candlestick in Beauty and the Beast! His sarcastic one-liners never fail to get me laughing, and he and his new partner, Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green, have a good rapport and are believable as partners. On the "Order" side, Sam Waterston, Dianne Wiest, and Elisabeth Rohm are equally compelling. New cast member Rohm has gotten better as she's gone along; she had big shoes to fill as Angie Harmon's replacement. Because the stories are all driven by the plots, and not the characters' personal lives, it makes the constant cast turnover more believable. It's a testament to Dick Wolf and co. that such a smart, sharp show has stayed on the edge after almost 12 years! My only beef is I'm tired of hearing "Ripped from the headlines" in every promo. That, though, is a minor quibble. Wednesday nights wouldn't be the same without it!