Law & Order

godwulf · 03-15-2004, 01:01 PM

Are there any other serious 'Law & Order' addicts out there?

I've been hooked for a few years now, and probably watch, on average, two to four episodes a day, between NBC, TNT and USA.

'SVU' is my favorite of the three series, with the original show a close second. I used to prefer 'Criminal Intent' to 'L&O' (after getting over an initial dislike of D'Nofrio's character), but lately the new episodes of 'CI' are turning me off - last night, for example, the plot was so incredibly convoluted AND unbelievable that it was tough for me to enjoy.

Favorite characters: That's what is so amazing about these shows - you have these huge ensemble casts, and after awhile it's like you get to really know and like them all. Take SVU, for example - Benson, Stabler, Munch, Tutuola, Lt. Cragen...all strong characters, very different from one another...you'd love to have lunch or spend the day with any one of them...well, okay, maybe Olivia Benson would win that one...

I really disliked the very first senior cop they had on 'L&O' - George Dzunda, I think his name is (he recently played the rather portly priest on 'Hack', though I think they dropped his character for the new season), and Paul Sorvino in Season Two wasn't much of an improvement...after that, it's difficult to think of any cop or prosecutor who I don't enjoy watching.

elSicomoro · 03-15-2004, 01:34 PM

SVU is my favorite...I think I watched 5 or 6 episodes of it Saturday between USA and NBC.

I still like the original...I've pretty much watched it since day one.

CI has taken a backseat now that "The Sopranos" is back on, but I still like it.

I didn't care for the first season of C&P, but I did like last season.

I am a pathetic L&O whore.

godwulf · 03-15-2004, 02:03 PM

I believe that the people who write these shows, particularly 'SVU', and cast them, and tweak them as the series continues, are absolute geniuses - they have hit on just exactly the right balance of reality and entertainment, believable characters and stereotypes, and have succeeded where other 'cop' shows, even classics like 'Hill Street Blues' tended to fall down.

The emphasis is all on catching the bad guys and prosecuting them; when side-matters and back-story come in - Elliot's homelife or Olivia's mother's rape, Cragen's drinking problem - they're woven into the plotline so seamlessly that it doesn't come off like just another prime-time soap opera set in a police station.

I tried watching that Dennis Franz series (I'm zoning on the name at the moment) a few times, but every episode was the same - the Franz character walking around for 48 minutes beating the crap out of anybody who looked at him funny - criminals, informants, witnesses, victims, whoever got in his way, he didn't care.

Clodfobble · 03-15-2004, 02:18 PM

"NYPD Blue" is the Dennis Franz show. I'm sorta into it, but I'm a complete L&O addict--original series only. Don't ask me why, but I can't watch either of the new series.

A very fast rising star for me is "The Shield." Focuses a little more on the cops' interactions than the criminals. God help me if "Law & Order" and "The Shield" are ever shown at the same time.

JeepNGeorge · 03-15-2004, 06:05 PM

Original L&O only myself. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch any of the new spinoffs. I really liked it when Homicide and Law and Order where on together, and they tied the shows together.

Homicide was my favorite, but I think Court TV stopped showing the re-runs. It was hard to follow in syndication though. Too many multi-part stories to keep up with.

smoothmoniker · 03-15-2004, 07:49 PM

Good show, but what's with that theme song? Is the whole thing done with a Casio?

-sm

Undertoad · 03-15-2004, 08:05 PM

That's Mike Post man - shouldn't you be genuflecting towards him or something? Same guy who did the themes for "LA Law", "Rockford Files", "NYPD Blue", "Doogie Howser", "Quantum Leap", "The A-Team" and many many more.

smoothmoniker · 03-15-2004, 11:49 PM

Nah ... he's a TV guy, I'm a record guy. You'd be amazed at how segregated the industry is out here. We don't talk to them, they don't talk to us, our stuff get's jacked by P2P file sharing, they still get to cash their checks from Warner Bros and NBC.

On the flip side, no one drives up to his house to throw their panties and hotel room keys into his converted bedroom studio.

-sm

godwulf · 03-16-2004, 09:13 AM

JeepNGeorge wrote:

Quote:

I haven't been able to bring myself to watch any of the new spinoffs.

You should give 'SVU' a chance - any one of the 7 or 8 main characters on that show would be fascinating enough to watch, just by themselves. It's definitely a wild ride, and highly addictive.

Btw, remember Michael O'Keefe, 'Danny Noonan' in Caddyshack? (He also played Duvall's oldest son in 'The Great Santini'.) He's grown up into a very good and versatile actor; he played an obnoxious cop in one episode of SVU's first season, for which he should have gotten some kind of award, and has also played a priest on 'L&O: CI' and twin brothers on the original show.

Another bit of 'L&O' trivia: Richard Belzer has now played Detective Munch on five different series: Homicide: Life on the Streets, Law & Order, L&O: SVU, The Beat, and The X-Files.

"Nnnnnooonan! Nnnnnooonan! Miss it!!!"

(Heard at the Phoenix Open a couple of years ago, to the puzzlement of the uninitiated)

wolf · 03-16-2004, 10:44 AM

Hello, my name is 'wolf and I'm a Law and Order addict ....

I watch before work every day, and tape all the new episodes. If there is nothing else on there is always law and order.

Most liked current: Christopher Meloni on L&O/SVU

Most missed past cast member: Michael Moriarty, from the early seasons of the original L&O.

I kinda enjoyed the convolutions in last Sunday's CI ... since it was based on the recently discovered document forgeries that rocked the LDS church ... what I love about L&O in general, is the writer's basing the cases on real events, but then taking a left hand twist somewhere with the story ...

ladysycamore · 03-16-2004, 11:07 AM

Jerry Orbach was on Conan O'Brian last night (can't recall if it was a repeat or not). Conan asked Orbach how long can L&O keep going and that it was like there were 900 spinoffs. (ha, it certainly feels like it sometimes). Orbach said that Dick Wolf (creator and exec. producer) said that he wanted to break Gunsmoke's record of 20 years. He also stated that he's well respected by the NYPD (as well as the rest of the cast), and that if they see him walking around NYC, they'll ask him if he needs a ride.

He's pretty funny on the show AND off. He was cracking me up last night.

I can only do so much L&O. For some reason, Syc can do like a 24 hour marathon, but I like the newer episodes better. SVU and CI I like as well.

godwulf · 03-16-2004, 11:55 AM

wolf wrote:

Quote:

Most liked current: Christopher Meloni on L&O/SVU

I like it when Elliot gets right in the face of some child molestor or killer, and that crazy-ass look comes into his eyes, and he smiles, like he's mentally eviscerating the guy; he doesn't need to beat people up like some 'tough cops' on t.v. (although he has taken a few good shots from time to time) - that look is scary enough.

Most missed: Angie Harmon. My god, I could watch that woman reading a book for an hour, or just about anything else.

Moriarty was good, but I like Sam Waterston's fire and emotion. One of my all-time favorite L&O scenes was when the judge let the other attorney bring in matters that she'd previously excluded, screwing up McCoy's case, and so he realized there was only one way to save the day - he started asking questions of the witness about other things the jury wasn't supposed to know about, and the judge kept shouting for him to be quiet, and he kept right on talking until she held him in contempt and declared a mistrial.

One of the most fascinating recent episodes of the original show, to me, involved a man who'd murdered his partner and fellow bookie, after embezzling a great deal of money from their 'business', whose eventual defense was that he'd been sending all of the money to Israel to protect Jews from terrorism, and his partner was threatening that activity. McCoy and the DA were concerned about whether the Jewish members of the jury were being influenced by the argument. McCoy's summation was brilliant and very dramatic.

Btw, anybody remember what Richard Belzer did before becoming an actor?

ladysycamore · 03-16-2004, 12:16 PM

He did stand-up comedy...right?

godwulf · 03-16-2004, 01:25 PM

Yes he did. He was as deadpan then as now, as I recall.

My kids, when they were younger, had a hard time believing that Jerry Orbach was the voice of Lumiere in 'Beauty & the Beast'. I guess he did a lot of dancing and stage work, primarily, before 'Law & Order'.

I really do enjoy Ice-T in 'SVU', speaking of people who used to do something else. He cracks me up.

Munch (talking about some kids they had to question): "You can't just beat it out of them."

Fin: "Why not?"

It's fun to watch the early 'L&O' episodes and try to spot actors who later became regulars on the show or one of its spinoffs. Ice-T played a pimp in a 'L&O' movie they made with Chris Noth, and Epatha Parkerson, in the early days, played a cleaning woman whose child was murdered.

wolf · 03-16-2004, 01:36 PM

The guy who played "Steve" on "Blue's Clues" played the retarded guy who died in the holding cell in the station in the episode Cruel and Unusual (The one about the school for autistic kids that was torturing their students into appropriate behavior).

Official Law & Order Site (page even starts with the ching-ching noise. Only has episode guides for the most recent three seasons, though.)

03-15-2004, 01:01 PM	#1
godwulf Coronation Incarnate Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 96	Law & Order Are there any other serious 'Law & Order' addicts out there? I've been hooked for a few years now, and probably watch, on average, two to four episodes a day, between NBC, TNT and USA. 'SVU' is my favorite of the three series, with the original show a close second. I used to prefer 'Criminal Intent' to 'L&O' (after getting over an initial dislike of D'Nofrio's character), but lately the new episodes of 'CI' are turning me off - last night, for example, the plot was so incredibly convoluted AND unbelievable that it was tough for me to enjoy. Favorite characters: That's what is so amazing about these shows - you have these huge ensemble casts, and after awhile it's like you get to really know and like them all. Take SVU, for example - Benson, Stabler, Munch, Tutuola, Lt. Cragen...all strong characters, very different from one another...you'd love to have lunch or spend the day with any one of them...well, okay, maybe Olivia Benson would win that one... I really disliked the very first senior cop they had on 'L&O' - George Dzunda, I think his name is (he recently played the rather portly priest on 'Hack', though I think they dropped his character for the new season), and Paul Sorvino in Season Two wasn't much of an improvement...after that, it's difficult to think of any cop or prosecutor who I don't enjoy watching.

03-16-2004, 10:44 AM	#10
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Hello, my name is 'wolf and I'm a Law and Order addict .... I watch before work every day, and tape all the new episodes. If there is nothing else on there is always law and order. Most liked current: Christopher Meloni on L&O/SVU Most missed past cast member: Michael Moriarty, from the early seasons of the original L&O. I kinda enjoyed the convolutions in last Sunday's CI ... since it was based on the recently discovered document forgeries that rocked the LDS church ... what I love about L&O in general, is the writer's basing the cases on real events, but then taking a left hand twist somewhere with the story ... __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-16-2004, 11:07 AM	#11
ladysycamore "I may not always be perfect, but I'm always me." Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: In Sycamore's boxers Posts: 1,341	Jerry Orbach was on Conan O'Brian last night (can't recall if it was a repeat or not). Conan asked Orbach how long can L&O keep going and that it was like there were 900 spinoffs. (ha, it certainly feels like it sometimes). Orbach said that Dick Wolf (creator and exec. producer) said that he wanted to break Gunsmoke's record of 20 years. He also stated that he's well respected by the NYPD (as well as the rest of the cast), and that if they see him walking around NYC, they'll ask him if he needs a ride. He's pretty funny on the show AND off. He was cracking me up last night. I can only do so much L&O. For some reason, Syc can do like a 24 hour marathon, but I like the newer episodes better. SVU and CI I like as well. __________________ "Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken." ~Tagline from the movie "Amistad"~ "The Akan concept of Sankofa: In order to move forward we first have to take a step back. In other words, before we can be prepared for the future, we must comprehend the past." From "We Did It, They Hid It"

03-16-2004, 12:16 PM	#13
ladysycamore "I may not always be perfect, but I'm always me." Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: In Sycamore's boxers Posts: 1,341	He did stand-up comedy...right? __________________ "Freedom is not given. It is our right at birth. But there are some moments when it must be taken." ~Tagline from the movie "Amistad"~ "The Akan concept of Sankofa: In order to move forward we first have to take a step back. In other words, before we can be prepared for the future, we must comprehend the past." From "We Did It, They Hid It"

03-16-2004, 01:36 PM	#15
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	The guy who played "Steve" on "Blue's Clues" played the retarded guy who died in the holding cell in the station in the episode Cruel and Unusual (The one about the school for autistic kids that was torturing their students into appropriate behavior). Official Law & Order Site (page even starts with the ching-ching noise. Only has episode guides for the most recent three seasons, though.) __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

03-15-2004, 01:34 PM	#2
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	SVU is my favorite...I think I watched 5 or 6 episodes of it Saturday between USA and NBC. I still like the original...I've pretty much watched it since day one. CI has taken a backseat now that "The Sopranos" is back on, but I still like it. I didn't care for the first season of C&P, but I did like last season. I am a pathetic L&O whore.

03-15-2004, 02:03 PM	#3
godwulf Coronation Incarnate Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 96	I believe that the people who write these shows, particularly 'SVU', and cast them, and tweak them as the series continues, are absolute geniuses - they have hit on just exactly the right balance of reality and entertainment, believable characters and stereotypes, and have succeeded where other 'cop' shows, even classics like 'Hill Street Blues' tended to fall down. The emphasis is all on catching the bad guys and prosecuting them; when side-matters and back-story come in - Elliot's homelife or Olivia's mother's rape, Cragen's drinking problem - they're woven into the plotline so seamlessly that it doesn't come off like just another prime-time soap opera set in a police station. I tried watching that Dennis Franz series (I'm zoning on the name at the moment) a few times, but every episode was the same - the Franz character walking around for 48 minutes beating the crap out of anybody who looked at him funny - criminals, informants, witnesses, victims, whoever got in his way, he didn't care.

03-15-2004, 02:18 PM	#4
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	"NYPD Blue" is the Dennis Franz show. I'm sorta into it, but I'm a complete L&O addict--original series only. Don't ask me why, but I can't watch either of the new series. A very fast rising star for me is "The Shield." Focuses a little more on the cops' interactions than the criminals. God help me if "Law & Order" and "The Shield" are ever shown at the same time.

03-15-2004, 06:05 PM	#5
JeepNGeorge Hand-of-Kindness Extender Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Where am I? Posts: 139	Original L&O only myself. I haven't been able to bring myself to watch any of the new spinoffs. I really liked it when Homicide and Law and Order where on together, and they tied the shows together. Homicide was my favorite, but I think Court TV stopped showing the re-runs. It was hard to follow in syndication though. Too many multi-part stories to keep up with.

03-15-2004, 07:49 PM	#6
smoothmoniker to live and die in LA Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,090	Good show, but what's with that theme song? Is the whole thing done with a Casio? -sm

03-15-2004, 08:05 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	That's Mike Post man - shouldn't you be genuflecting towards him or something? Same guy who did the themes for "LA Law", "Rockford Files", "NYPD Blue", "Doogie Howser", "Quantum Leap", "The A-Team" and many many more.

03-15-2004, 11:49 PM	#8
smoothmoniker to live and die in LA Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,090	Nah ... he's a TV guy, I'm a record guy. You'd be amazed at how segregated the industry is out here. We don't talk to them, they don't talk to us, our stuff get's jacked by P2P file sharing, they still get to cash their checks from Warner Bros and NBC. On the flip side, no one drives up to his house to throw their panties and hotel room keys into his converted bedroom studio. -sm

03-16-2004, 01:25 PM	#14
godwulf Coronation Incarnate Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 96	Yes he did. He was as deadpan then as now, as I recall. My kids, when they were younger, had a hard time believing that Jerry Orbach was the voice of Lumiere in 'Beauty & the Beast'. I guess he did a lot of dancing and stage work, primarily, before 'Law & Order'. I really do enjoy Ice-T in 'SVU', speaking of people who used to do something else. He cracks me up. Munch (talking about some kids they had to question): "You can't just beat it out of them." Fin: "Why not?" It's fun to watch the early 'L&O' episodes and try to spot actors who later became regulars on the show or one of its spinoffs. Ice-T played a pimp in a 'L&O' movie they made with Chris Noth, and Epatha Parkerson, in the early days, played a cleaning woman whose child was murdered.

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