Law & Order (1990 - )
by Del Harvey

Called "the best hour of drama on television," this exceptional show tries to present police officers as something more than gun-toting heavies, and lawyers as something more than greedy beasts of prey.

The concept is deceptively simple. In an hour-long format the show takes a single crime from the investigative process through the legal process. Each episode reduces what would normally take weeks or months, if not years, down to an hour's time. In lieu of shoot-outs and car chases we are given the opportunity to think about the story and the subject matter we're viewing. These are delivered in an intelligent and succinct format, which is no accident. The remarkable thing is that the original purveyor of the short-attention span production - television - is the vehicle which delivers this quality. What makes the program unique is this stripped down format, which delivers the facts in the case, the characters involved, and carries them into the legal justice system and shows us how things don't necessarily turn out as the average person on the street might think. This only serves to heighten the suspense and helps hold our interest and keeps us guessing.

The cast has always been comprised of quality performers. But 13 seasons in an ensemble cast situation can wreak havoc when it comes to simple explanations, but for some reason I feel compelled to attempt it.

The series has run its course of cast members on both sides of the law and order fence. The first season featured a fresh-faced Chris Noth (Sex and the City) as Detective Mike Logan, partnered with top-notch character actor George Dzundza (TV's Hack, No Way Out) as Sgt. Max Greevey, who was gunned down in front of his home before he testifies in an extortion trial by season's end. Their boss was Captain Donald Cragen (now seen on Law & Order: SVU), who is replaced at the end of the third season by S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren. She is still with the series and shares the honor of being the longest-running cast member with Jerry Orbach. After Dzundza's character was killed off, Det. Phil Cerreta (Paul Sorvino, another quality actor) was partnered with Noth's character. He stayed with the show for Seasons 2 and 3, suffering his own wounding at the hands of a criminal under investigation. He was replaced by Jerry Orbach as Det. Lennie Briscoe, who is still with the show. Chris Noth's character left at the end of Season 5 when he slugged a homophobic councilman and was transferred to Staten Island to walk a beat. Det. Reynaldo Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) paired up with Briscoe for Seasons 6 through 9, when he was transferred to a desk job so that he could have more time to care for his ailing wife. Det. Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) took his place and has been with the program ever since.

Okay, that takes care of the Law side. Now for Order. In the beginning there was D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill - TV's Mission: Impossible). His chief prosecutor was EADA Benjamin Stone (Michael Moriarty - Pale Rider), a true believer in the justice system and all that it stands for. He lasted until the end of Season 4, when he resigned after convincing a witness to "do the right thing," only to have her murder weigh far too heavily upon his conscience. EADA Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston - The Great Gatsby) took his place and has held that lofty position ever since. Adam Schiff lasted through the end of Season 10, when he retired. For Seasons 11 and 12 DA Nora Lewin (Dianne Wiest - Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, Practical Magic) took his place. Since the beginning of Season 13, DA Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson - former US Senator, actor in Die Hard 2, The Hunt for Red October) has been leading the legal eagles. The Assistant District Attorney's have been many and varied. The first was ADA Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks - In Too Deep), who left at the end of Season 3 in order to join private practice. Seasons 4, 5, and 6 saw ADA Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennesy - TV's Crossing Jordan, Chutney Popcorn), strong, smart and a classically beautiful woman with a very independent streak. At the end of Season 6 she was killed in a car crash. ADA Jamie Ross (Carey Lowell) replaces her for Seasons 7 and 8, but leaves the DA's office to remarry and continue her custody battle with her ex-husband, Counselor Neal Gorton. She returns at least once to the series when it's discovered she acted as an informant to a judge in a former case with McCoy. ADA Abbie Carmichael (Angie Harmon) stepped in for Seasons 9, 10, and 11, eventually leaving to join the Justice Department. Currently, ADA Serena Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm - TV's Bull, One Life To Live) is the top legal woman in town.

There are a few recurring secondary characters of note, including two Forensic Psychiatrists: J.K. Simmons (Oz) as Dr. Emil Skoda, and Carolyn McCormick (A Simple Twist of Fate, You Know My Name) as Dr. Elizabeth Olivet.

The series' creator, Dick Wolf, has written over 100 commercials and is the son of an advertising executive. Among his other writing credits are TV's Hill Street Blues, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the superbly cast Deadline. He often shares actors with writer/producer Tom Fontana. The most interesting evidence of this is shown in the transference of Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) from Fontana's excellent Homicide: Life On The Streets to Wolf's Law & Order: SVU.

I must confess I did not watch the original series until this past summer when I was home ill with the flu and was fortunate enough to catch quite a few episodes on TNT. From about the second episode I was hooked. Fortunately, TNT's schedule is quite generous, with showings weekdays at 12 and 7, Eastern Time, and a solid three-hour block every Monday night starting at 7 ET. If you've missed a lot of episodes, like me, then you're in luck. TNT will be having a marathon on December 22nd from 4pm to 4am, and another one on January 26th from 5pm until 11pm. NBC airs the current season on Wednesday nights at 9 ET. Make sure the VCR's are ready!

If you haven't yet watched Law & Order, I submit that you might be surprised at just how entertaining and thought-provoking this show is. The courtroom portion of the program automatically elicits comparisons to classic courtroom TV dramas like Perry Mason, but Law & Order couldn't be further from the style of that program. The emphasis of this show is the legal system and its function in society. The facts are presented and analyzed, often quite coolly, from a purely legal perspective. As always, what makes this most interesting is when the emotions of the suspects, victims, cops and lawyers come into play. When all of these elements collide, as they often do, Law & Order truly does become the best hour of drama on television.

Got a problem? Email Del at filmmonthly@hotmail.com