Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, which premiered on NBC on September 13, 1990. Created by Dick Wolf, who wrote and produced shows like Miami Vice and Hill Street Blues, the series is set in New York City, and follows the professional lives of several police officers and prosecutors who represent the public interest in the criminal justice system.
The success of the series has led to the creation of additional shows within the Law & Order franchise. The series is the longest-running primetime drama currently on American television. The show recently began its twentieth season, tying it with Gunsmoke as the longest-running primetime drama in American television history.
Broadcast
Law & Order, the longest-running crime series after The Bill and Taggart, and tied for longest-running drama series in the history of American television, is in its twentieth season on NBC. Filmed in New York, the realistic program looks at crime and justice from a dual perspective. Some cases may be simple, but most are multi-faceted. The investigations are challenging, prosecutions are complicated, and decisions about legal procedures and plea-bargaining are vexing. In the arduous and complex process of determining guilt and innocence, lives often hang in the balance.[1]
The pilot episode was produced to be sold to CBS in 1988, but was rejected by that network. When NBC picked up the series in 1990, the pilot aired as episode six.[2] The show is produced by Universal Media Studios, formerly known as NBC Universal Television Studio, Universal Television, and Studios USA. It has been syndicated on other United States networks since 1994, as well as worldwide. 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). Law & Order has been shot on film in widescreen format since its fifth season, according to DVD boxset information.
The series was broadcast in Canada on CTV but starting with the 19th season, on its sister network A. Reruns can be seen regularly each weeknight and weekday afternoons on TNT (U.S.) and weekdays at 1:00 p.m. and weeknights at 11 p.m. on Bravo! (Canada). It can be seen in the UK with new episodes first showing on the cable and satellite channel Sky1 and later on Sky2 with a terrestrial airing on Five and repeats of the early seasons are being shown on the Hallmark Channel. It was recently announced that the Law & Order franchise would be screened on Five US.[3]
In late March 2006, a shift of time slot resulted in a significant drop in ratings,[4] but a return to the original time slot on April 5, 2006,[5] triggered an improvement of ratings,[6] For the 2006-2007 season, both Law & Order and Criminal Intent were placed in new time slots. In this season's time slot—Fridays at 10 pm—Law & Order averaged 9.3 million viewers, down again from 11.6 million in the previous season. By comparison, Criminal Intent averaged 9.7 million viewers on Tuesdays at 9 pm and Special Victims Unit averaged 12.9 million viewers during its time slot.
On May 14, 2007, the network announced plans for an eighteenth season with the series moving to Sundays at 8 pm.[7] Under NBC's agreement, Law & Order premiered its 18th season on NBC in January 2008 while new episodes of Criminal Intent now premiere on NBC Universal's USA network with reruns slated to appear on NBC.[7] This is an unusual role reversal in NBC and USA's shared or second window syndication arrangement. When the future of the Law & Order staple was in doubt, TNT, which airs re-runs of the show, emerged as a contender to become the new home either of Law & Order or Criminal Intent.[8] The series was to return mid-season on Sundays at 8 pm but on December 3, after the writers' strike had begun, NBC announced that it would begin airing the already-filmed eighteenth-season episodes starting on January 2, 2008, thus returning the series to Wednesday evenings.[9]
Despite its recent ratings troubles, producer Dick Wolf expressed optimism about the show's future, also saying that his "ultimate dream" is for the series to continue long enough to surpass Gunsmoke (1955–1975) as the longest-running network drama series on American television.[10] On May 19, 2009, NBC announced that Law & Order had been renewed for a record-tying 20th season. It currently airs Friday nights at 8 pm. (Its previous Wednesday at 10 pm slot is now occupied by The Jay Leno Show.) The twentieth season premiered on September 25, 2009.[11]
Format
The program generally follows a two-part format, with the first portion of each episode devoted to the investigation of a crime and the second portion depicting its prosecution. The format is almost identical to a 1960s series titled Arrest and Trial, for which NBC intended Law & Order to be an update[12] (both shows are currently owned by NBC Universal). Law & Order creator Dick Wolf was reportedly unaware of them when he created his series. The series also bears similarities to the 1970s British television series Law and Order, written by dramatist G.F. Newman. In a 2008 interview, Newman explained that he lent his Law and Order tapes to friend Michael Mann, who was working on Miami Vice with Wolf at the time. Mann then lent the tapes to Wolf, who created the Law & Order franchise a few years later. Newman joked that Wolf owed him $300 million for the format rights.[13] Most Law & Order episodes are self-contained, with only a few exceptions over the many years of production.
The following statement, narrated by Steven Zirnkilton, is spoken at the beginning of nearly every episode (but not those shown on Five in Britain)
| “ |
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 cold open, lead-in of the show usually is a slice of life in New York (walking a dog in Manhattan, jogging in Central Park, etc.) unrelated to the main story until the character(s) in the scene suddenly discover, witness, or become victims of a crime (mostly murder). The scene cuts to the police's preliminary crime scene examination wherein the featured detectives make their first observations and proffer theories followed by a witticism or two, before the title sequence begins.
The police are represented in the show by the police lieutenant of Manhattan's fictional 27th Precinct and two homicide detectives, a senior partner and a junior partner. The detectives investigate the crime, collect evidence and interview witnesses, then regularly report to the lieutenant. The evidence leads to the arrest of one or more suspects. The matter then is taken over by the prosecutors of the Manhattan District Attorney's office, comprising the executive assistant district attorney (ADA) and an assistant prosecutor, who answer to the district attorney. They discuss deals, prepare the witnesses and evidence, and conduct the people's case in the trial. Both the detectives and prosecutors work with the medical examiner's office, the crime laboratory, and psychiatrists from the police and district attorney offices.
Unlike many legal dramas (e.g. Perry Mason), the proceedings are shown from the prosecution's point of view. The second half usually opens with the arraignment of defendants and proceeds to trial preparation, including legal research and plea negotiations. Some episodes include legal proceedings beyond the testimony of witnesses, including indictments before grand juries; motion hearings, often concerning admissibility of evidence; selections of juries; and allocutions, usually as a result of plea bargains.
In many episodes, the crime first investigated is not the one that goes to court (a person related to the deceased kills the killer, someone else is found to be involved, evidence of a separate crime is discovered, etc.). This other crime then becomes the focus of investigation.
The detectives often have few or no good clues—they might not even know the victim's identity—and must chase several dead ends before finding a likely suspect. Towards the middle of a show, the police begin working with the prosecutors to make the arrest, and an arraignment scene follows. The police may reappear to testify in court or to arrest another suspect, but most investigation in the second segment is done by the assistant DAs, who always consult with the district attorney for advice on the case.
Many episodes employ motions to suppress evidence as a plot device, and most of these end with evidence or statements being suppressed, often on a technicality. This usually begins with the service of the motion to the ADAs, follows with argument and case citations of precedent before a judge in some setting, and concludes with visual reaction of the winning or losing attorney.
Plot inspirations
Often the plot of an initial portion of an episode resembles a recognizable aspect of an actual case,[14] such as the 1998 episode "Tabloid", wherein a woman is killed in a car crash after being chased by a gossip reporter, similarly to Princess Diana's death in August 1997. This "ripped from the headlines" theme is reflected in the opening credits sequence that evolves from newspaper halftones to high-resolution photos. The rest of the plot, however, usually diverges significantly from the actual events that may have inspired the episode.[14] Promotional advertisements of episodes with close real-life case parallels often use the "ripped from the headlines" phrase, although a textual disclaimer, within the actual episode, emphasizes that the story and characters are fictional. This format lends itself to exploring different outcomes or motives that similar events could have had under other circumstances. Some victims of the real life crimes have felt used and exploited,[14] with one lawyer, Ravi Batra, going so far as to sue the show in 2004 for libel.[15]
Production style
Local color
The series is shot on location in New York City and is known for its extensive use of local color.[16][17] In recent seasons, New York City mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, attorney William Kunstler and Bronx Congressman José Serrano all have appeared on the show as themselves. Local personalities also have had recurring cameos as fictional characters, such as Donna Hanover and Fran Lebowitz as judges. On September 14, 2004, in New York City, a road leading to Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers (where the series is mostly shot) was renamed "Law & Order Way" in tribute to the series.[18]
The sound
Scene changes are accompanied by a tone Richard Belzer has referred to as "the Dick Wolf Cash Register Sound".[19] The tone consists of two loud hollow knocks, which then echo. The sound effect has been used in many parodies of the show, and even at sporting events.
Portrayal of characters
Ken Tucker sees the relationship between the show's current district attorney Jack McCoy and executive ADA Michael Cutter as "a nicely overstated case of oedipal conflict. McCoy sees in Cutter his younger, more impetuous self, while Cutter sees an aging father figure he wants to vanquish by proving he's smarter and more daring than the old coot. It makes for some superfine debates over points of law that also carry personal, emotional weight for the protagonists, an approach the Law & Order mothership has rarely taken over the years."[20]
Cast and characters
Law & Order is noted for its revolving cast, and that aspect has contributed to its longevity.[16] None of the original six cast members are currently on the program, although Chris Noth, who played Detective Mike Logan, appeared on Criminal Intent from 2005–2008 and Dann Florek, who played Capt. Don Cragen, currently appears on Special Victims Unit, both reprising their original characters. S. Epatha Merkerson has played her character Lt. Anita Van Buren on Criminal Intent and Trial by Jury. Five of the longest-serving cast members are Merkerson as Lt. Van Buren (1993-present), Steven Hill as D.A. Adam Schiff (1990-2000), Jerry Orbach as Detective Lennie Briscoe (1992–2004), Sam Waterston as A.D.A./D.A. Jack McCoy (1994–present), and Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green (1999–2008). Michael Imperioli played junior detective Nick Falco in the last four episodes of the 15th season, while Jesse L. Martin took time off to film the movie Rent. Actors portraying psychologists on the show include J.K. Simmons as Dr. Emil Skoda (1997–2004) and Carolyn McCormick as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet (1991–1997, 2002–present). Steven Hill was the last member of the first-season cast to leave the show, though even he did not appear in the series' pilot episode. It is widely believed that Hill's character, Adam Schiff, was based on real-life New York County District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau who still serves in the post at age 90, and intends to retire in November 2009. Leslie Hendrix as Medical Examiner Elizabeth Rodgers (1991–present) is the only character from the second season to still appear on the show, though she is not a regular character.
The series has featured a wide variety of guest stars in various roles, ranging from defendants, defense lawyers, witnesses, and judges. Guest stars have included Lucie Arnaz, Michael Badalucco, Christine Baranski, Jennifer Beals, Richard Belzer, Tom Berenger, Candice Bergen, Eric Bogosian, Andre Braugher, Steve Burns, Gary Busey, Lynda Carter, Chevy Chase, Dabney Coleman, Michael Constantine, Chris Cooper, robert Culp, Claire Danes, Charlie Day, Reed Diamond, Taye Diggs, Edie Falco, Jorja Fox, Victor Garber, Janeane Garofalo, Jennifer Garner, Lauren Graham, Bob Gunton, Harry Hamlin, Katherine Heigl, Ruthie Henshall, Earl Hindman, Gregory Hines, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Felicity Huffman, Michael Imperioli, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, James Earl Jones, Jane Kaczmarek, Daniel Dae Kim, Alan King, Robert Klein, Werner Klemperer, David Krumholtz, Mark Linn-Baker, Laura Linney, Patti LuPone, Ludacris, William H. Macy, Wendie Malick, Camryn Manheim, Terrence Mann, Nancy Marchand, Julianna Margulies, Andrew McCarthy, Larry Miller, Ellen Muth, Cynthia Nixon, Vincent Pastore, Mandy Patinkin, Sarah Paulson, Joe Piscopo, Ellen Pompeo, Julia Roberts, Michael Rooker, Emmy Rossum, Mercedes Ruehl, Tom Everett Scott, Ron Silver, Randy and Jason Sklar, Kevin Smith, John Spencer, Jerry Stiller, Patrick Stump, Jeffrey Tambor, Kathleen Turner, Courtney B. Vance, Bruce Vilanch, Eli Wallach, Kate Walsh, and Clarence Williams III.
Because of the variety of cases handled by the shows characters, and the success of its spin-off shows, the show is able to feature actors and actresses as guests before giving them a regular role (almost auditioning them) or bring back some characters as guests after they leave. Before being cast regularly as Lt. Van Buren, S. Epatha Merkerson guest-starred during the first season as the mother of a young murder victim. Courtney B. Vance would go on to star on Criminal Intent. Richard Brooks, who played ADA Paul Robinette until 1993, has returned to guest star three times in 1996, 2005, and 2006 as counsel opposing the ADAs.
It also has the flexibility to partner its principal characters with regular characters on its spin-off shows. Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni, the two stars of Special Victims Unit, have each guest starred on the series as their characters Detective Olivia Benson and Detective Elliot Stabler, respectively. Carey Lowell guest starred on Trial by Jury as a judge after her stint on Law & Order.
Main characters
Seasons
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Law & Order on NBC.
Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps. Season 18 started in January and was held back as a mid-season replacement when NBC announced their 2007-08 schedule in May 2007. The 20th season premiere is on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 8:00 PM (Eastern) and 7:00 PM (Central) on NBC.
| Season |
Premiere |
Finale |
Episodes |
Timeslot |
Rank |
Viewers
(in millions) |
| Season 1 |
September 13, 1990 |
June 9, 1991 |
22 |
Tuesday 10:00 pm |
TBA |
TBA |
| Season 2 |
September 17, 1991 |
May 14, 1992 |
22 |
TBA |
TBA |
| Season 3 |
September 23, 1992 |
May 19, 1993 |
22 |
Wednesday 10:00 pm |
TBA |
TBA |
| Season 4 |
September 15, 1993 |
May 25, 1994 |
22 |
TBA |
TBA |
| Season 5 |
September 21, 1994 |
May 24, 1995 |
23 |
#27 |
11.6[21] |
| Season 6 |
September 20, 1995 |
May 22, 1996 |
23 |
#24 |
10.9[22] |
| Season 7 |
September 18, 1996 |
May 21, 1997 |
23 |
#27 |
10.4[23] |
| Season 8 |
September 24, 1997 |
May 20, 1998 |
24 |
#20 |
9.9[24] |
| Season 9 |
September 23, 1998 |
May 26, 1999 |
24 |
#13 |
10.0[25] |
| Season 10 |
September 22, 1999 |
May 24, 2000 |
24 |
#15 |
16.2[26] |
| Season 11 |
October 18, 2000 |
May 23, 2001 |
24 |
#11 |
17.7[27] |
| Season 12 |
September 26, 2001 |
May 22, 2002 |
24 |
#7 |
18.7[28] |
| Season 13 |
October 2, 2002 |
May 21, 2003 |
24 |
#10 |
17.3[29] |
| Season 14 |
September 24, 2003 |
May 19, 2004 |
24 |
#14 |
15.9 |
| Season 15 |
September 22, 2004 |
May 18, 2005 |
24 |
#25 |
13.0[30] |
| Season 16 |
September 21, 2005 |
May 17, 2006 |
22 |
#37 |
11.0[31] |
| Season 17 |
September 22, 2006 |
May 18, 2007 |
22 |
Friday 10:00 pm |
#73 |
8.9 |
| Season 18 |
January 2, 2008 |
May 21, 2008 |
18 |
Wednesday 10:00 pm |
#38 |
10.7 |
| Season 19 |
November 5, 2008 |
June 3, 2009 |
22 |
#62 |
8.23[32] |
| Season 20 |
September 25, 2009 |
May 2010 |
20 |
Friday 8:00 pm[33] |
TBA |
TBA |
Awards and honors
Awards won
Emmy Awards:
- Outstanding Drama Series (1997)
- Outstanding Guest Actress – Drama Series Elaine Stritch for "Point of View" (1993)
Screen Actors Guild:
- Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series Sam Waterston (1999)
- Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series Jerry Orbach (2005) – posthumously awarded
Edgar Awards:
- Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay René Balcer and Michael S. Chernuchin, for "Conspiracy" (1993)
- Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay I. C. Rapoport and Ed Zuckerman, for "Deadbeat" (1997)
- Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay Richard Sweren, Simon Wincelberg, and Ed Zuckerman, for "Double Down" (1998)
- Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay René Balcer and Richard Sweren, for "Bad Girl" (1999)
- Best Episode in a Television Series Teleplay René Balcer, for "Refuge, Part 2" (2000)
Writers Guild Award
- Best Teleplay, Rene Balcer and Richard Sweren for "Entrapment" (1998)
Silver Gavel Award (American Bar Association)
- Best Television Episode, "DWB", written by Rene Balcer (1998)
- Best Television Episode, "Hate", written by Rene Balcer (1999)
Peabody Award, 1997
Norman Felton Award (Producers Guild of America), Producer of the Year, (1996)
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)
- Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Drama Series for "Manhood" Robert Nathan & Walon Green (1993)
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)
Edgar Awards:
Related media
DVD releases
Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released Law & Order on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. Seasons 1–6 have been released in Regions 1, 2 and 4. Release of the 7th season DVD will be released January 19, 2010.[34]
| DVD name |
Ep# |
Release dates |
| Region 1 |
Region 2 |
Region 4 |
| The Complete 1st Season |
22 |
October 15, 2002 |
June 16, 2003 |
April 14, 2003 |
| The Complete 2nd Season |
22 |
May 4, 2004 |
February 28, 2005 |
January 19, 2005 |
| The Complete 3rd Season |
22 |
May 24, 2005 |
November 21, 2005 |
March 8, 2006 |
| The Complete 4th Season |
22 |
December 6, 2005 |
July 17, 2006 |
September 19, 2006 |
| The Complete 5th Season |
23 |
April 3, 2007 |
July 23, 2007 |
July 30, 2007 |
| The Complete 6th Season |
23 |
December 2, 2008 |
February 16, 2009 |
March 4, 2009 |
| The Complete 7th Season |
23 |
January 19, 2010[34] |
TBA |
TBA |
| The Complete 14th Season |
24 |
September 14, 2004 |
TBA |
TBA |
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 13 episodes, focused almost entirely on courtroom drama, but was pulled off due to low ratings, becoming the first series of the franchise to be canceled. Every spinoff uses the same theme music as the original series, albeit with differing arrangements (harder guitars for the original Criminal Intent theme, for instance). Law & Order shown on Five in the UK uses Rob Dougan's "I'm Not Driving Any More [Instrumental]" as the theme music; Law & Order: Criminal Intent uses Rob Dougan's "There's Only Me [Instrumental]" as the theme music.
The latest and now canceled spinoff, Conviction, was only loosely related to the original. While Alexandra Cabot (Stephanie March) from Special Victims Unit was one of the lead characters, and a cameo by Fred Thompson tied it into the same continuity, it did not bear the Law & Order title, nor did it use the Law & Order theme music and scene transitions. In addition, Conviction had no coverage of the police investigations and followed the prosecutors' entire lives, rather than just the cases they argue in court.
UK version
Law & Order: UK, named Law & Order: London in early reports, received its debut airing on February 23, 2009, on one of Britain's main commercial networks ITV. The series stars Jamie Bamber, Freema Agyeman, Bradley Walsh, Harriet Walter and Bill Paterson, with scripts based on episodes from the US original. It is produced by Kudos in association with Wolf Films and NBC.[35]
Crossovers
Law & Order crossed over seven times with other NBC shows:
- "Charm City" (Law & Order 6x13), continued in "For God and Country" (Homicide: Life on the Street 4x12)
- "Baby, It's You – Part I" (Law & Order 8x6), continued in "Baby, It's You – Part II" (Homicide: Life on the Street 6x5)
- "Sideshow – Part I" (Law & Order 9x14), continued in "Sideshow – Part II" (Homicide: Life on the Street 7x15)
- "Entitled – Part I" (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 1x15), continued in "Entitled – Part II" (Law & Order 10x14)
- "Tombstone" (Law & Order 15x20), continued in "Skeleton" (Law & Order: Trial by Jury 1x8)
- "Night" (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 6x20), continued in "Day" (Law & Order: Trial by Jury 1x11)
- "Design" (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 7x2), continued in "Flaw" (Law & Order 16x2)
- "Contract" (Law & Order: Criminal Intent 7x12), featuring Mary Shannon from In Plain Sight
While not considered a cross over episode, Chris Noth appears in the before-the-credits sequence of the Homicide episode "Law and Disorder" (ep 3x15). 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
The franchise also includes the TV movie 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 original series. Noth returned to the role of Detective Mike Logan in Criminal Intent, starting in the 2005 season and leaving again in 2008.
Reality series
The producers crafted a reality television series, Crime & Punishment (also sometimes called Law & Order: Crime & Punishment) (2002), which focused on actual trials.
Computer games
In addition, there are three computer games of Law & Order in which the player investigates crimes and then prosecutes the resulting cases. There is also a computer game based on Law and Order: Criminal Intent.
Books
- Law and Order: Dead Line When a woman's body is found at the bottom of a hotel air shaft in Times Square, it looks like a routine suicide. Enter Detectives Lennie Briscoe and Ed Green. Something about the woman seems out of place in the tourist trap. Her clothing suggests wealth. No socialite would be caught dead in a place like this. The trail leads to an about-to-be published tell-all novel destined to be a best-seller. Now Briscoe and Green have to find out what's in it that's worth murder.
- Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion (Second Edition published 11/99 by Renaissance Books) The Unofficial Companion was written with the cooperation of the show's creator and executive producer, Dick Wolf, and features interviews with the stars, producers, and writers. It is the first-ever guide to this popular, Emmy award-winning police drama. You'll get the inside scoop on: the past and current stars of the show-including Paul Sorvino, Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Chris Noth, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sam Waterston, Carey Lowell, Angie Harmon, and Michael Moriarty; and find out who was fired, who left willingly, and who remains; the show's continued problems with censorship issues and advertiser fallout; the behind-the-scenes anecdotes about cast regulars, including the fights, both verbal and physical, that have peppered the production; how Wolf was forced to increase the estrogen and decrease the testosterone on the show; the detailed history behind the creation and development of the show; and season-by-season critiques of each episode through the entire 1999 season.
- Law & Order: Crime Scenes (published 12/03 by Sterling) written by Dick Wolf describing the setup, and the thoughts that goes into producing the crime scenes.
- True Stories of Law & Order (published 11/06 by Berkley/Penguin) chronicles 25 real cases that inspired some of the most popular "ripped from the headlines" episodes of the show. Authors Kevin Dwyer and Juré Fiorillo discuss famous cases including the Bernie Goetz subway shootings, the murder of Jennifer Levin in Central Park, and the San Francisco dog mauling of Diane Whipple, as well as lesser-known crimes such as the death by exorcism of Torrance Cantrell and the tragic murder of Anthony Riggs, a soldier who returned from the Gulf War only to be ambushed by a hitman hired by his wife. The book also includes facts about police and legal procedure.
See also
Notes
- ^ http://www.nbc.com/Law_and_Order/about/
- ^ "Everybody's Favorite Bagman". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/law-and-order/everybodys-favorite-bagman/episode/9465/summary.html. Retrieved 1990-10-30.
- ^ "Five hangs on to key acquisitions". Five.tv. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/programming/a45289/five-hangs-on-to-key-acquisitions.html. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
- ^ FOX Makes It 'Unan1mous' Wednesday. Zap2It: March 22, 2006.
- ^ "NBC To Return 'Law & Order' to Former Time Slot". IMDB.com. http://us.imdb.com/news/sb/2006-04-03#tv5. Retrieved 2006-05-03.
- ^ "New timeslots don't help 'Race,' 'Heist'". http://www.zap2it.com/tv/ratings/zap-ratings040506,0,1270406.story?coll=zap-tv-ratings-headlines. Retrieved 2006-05-06.
- ^ a b "NBC rolls out fall lineup". TV.com. http://www.tv.com/law-and-order/show/180/story/9527.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=headlinessh&tag=headlines;title;0om_act=convert&om_clk=headlinessh. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
- ^ "'Law & Order'". Digitialdisplay.co.uk. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a46346/law--order-may-live-on-if-axed.html. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
- ^ "CBS announces 'Jericho's' return and NBC shakes up 'L&O' franchise". chicagotirbune.com. http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/12/cbs-announces-j.html#more. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- ^ "NBC keeps 'Law & Order' for 18th season". usatoday.com. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/2007-05-13-3357411223_x.htm. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
- ^ "Fall TV: NBC Announces Premiere Dates". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/FallTV-NBC-premieres-1007251.aspx. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
- ^ Battaglio, Stephen. "Straight from the Wolf's Mouth." TV Guide Special Collector's Issue: Law & Order 20th Anniversary Issue. Winter 2009. Published by TV Guide Magazine. New York, NY
- ^ Newman, G.F.; Mark Lawson. (2008-08-11). Mark Lawson Talks to G.F. Newman. [Television production]. London: British Broadcasting Corp.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00czhy9. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
- ^ a b c Conroy, Tom (October 22, 2009). "'Law & Order' Fictionalizes the Taconic Parkway Tragedy -- Is It Too Soon?". AOL Television. http://insidetv.aol.com/2009/10/22/law-and-order-fictionalizes-taconic-tragedy-is-it-too-soon?icid=main. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ Farhi, Paul (March 8, 2009). "Ripped From the Headlines -- and From the Heart". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/05/AR2009030504029.html?sid=ST2009030601368. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Carlson, Erin (2008-10-31). "Can "Law & Order" outlive "Gunsmoke"?". Associated Press/San Jose Mercury News. http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainmentheadlines/ci_10868230. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
- ^ "Law and Order: Cast and details". TV Guide. http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/law-order/cast/100255. Retrieved 2008-11-06.
- ^ "Commissioner Oliver Presents "Law & Order Way"". NYC.gov. http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/news/091604_commissioner_oliver_presents.shtml. Retrieved 2004-09-14.
- ^ On the Media, December 6, 2008
- ^ Ken Tucker," "TV: Sam Waterston's bark keeps giving Law & Order its bite," Entertainment Weekly 1026 (December 19, 2008): 50.
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ ClassicTVHits.com: TV Ratings > 1990's
- ^ Quotenmeter.de - US-Jahrescharts 1999/2000
- ^ Outback in Front: CBS Wins Season - May 25, 2001 - E! Online News
- ^ USATODAY.com - How did your favorite show rate?
- ^ NetworksFace RealityCheck
- ^ Quotenmeter.de - US-Jahrescharts 2004/2005
- ^ Quotenmeter.de - US-Jahrescharts 2005/2006
- ^ http://abcmedianet.com/web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=051909_05
- ^ NBC website
- ^ a b "DVDs Formally Announced for The 7th Year: Date and Early Details". TVShowsOnDVD.com. http://www.TVShowsOnDVD.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=12871. Retrieved 2009-10-27.
- ^ James Welsh, "'Torchwood' writer to lead UK 'Law & Order'," Digital Spy (Thursday, January 10 2008, 09:42 GMT).
External links
I'm certainly not gonna say that there should never be another show with Law & Order in the title.
