Law & Order - The First Year (1990)

From its gritty documentary look to its signature note-knocking “tching-tching” that signals scene changes, Law & Order was a groundbreaking cop show when it debuted in 1990. It has since earned Emmys for Best Dramatic Series and spun off satellite franchises, and reruns of the original series are as omnipresent in syndication as those of I Love Lucy. Devoted fans and those who came late to the series can catch it from the beginning with this six-disc set that contains all 22 episodes from the inaugural season. Law & Order is television’s most resilient series. It has survived wholesale changes to its ensemble. One of the secrets of the show’s durability: its compelling structure. The first half of each hour-long episode is classic police procedural in which “Law,” personified in the first season by partners Greevey (George Dzundza–and be sure to catch the interview segment with series creator Dick Wolfe to learn how to pronounce his name) and Mike Logan (Christopher Noth, the future “Mr. Big” on Sex and the City) investigate a crime and make an arrest. The second half chronicles the ensuing trial, as prosecuted by assistant district attorneys Ben Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Paul Robinette (Richard Brooks) under the supervision of Steven Hill’s Adam Schiff (more feisty and animated here than in later seasons). Law & Order is also distinguished by its superb writing. Several episodes take their inspiration from the headlines, including “By Hooker, By Crook” about a socialite-run call-girl ring, and “Indifference,” which recalls the tragic Lisa Steinberg child abuse case. Others deal with such hot-button issues as abortion (”Life Choice”) and AIDS (”The Reaper’s Helper”). Another plus is the talent pool of character actors who lend their verisimilitude. Guest stars include Samuel L. Jackson and Philip Seymour Hoffman (”The Violence of Summer”), The West Wing’s John Spencer (”Prescription for Death”), Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon (”Subterranean Homeboy Blues”), and The Sopranos’ Dominic Chianese (”Sonata for Stolen Organ”). –Donald Liebenson

Law & Order is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed series in the history of television. For over a decade this Emmy Award-winning series has presented the investigation and prosecution of cases ripped straight from today’s headlines. With a celebrated cast that includes Michael Moriarty (Along Came a Spider), George Dzundza (Basic Instinct), Chris Noth (Sex and the City), Richard Brooks (The Crow: City of Angels), Dann Florek (Law & Order: SVU), and Steven Hill (The Firm), and featuring such notable guest stars as John Spencer (The West Wing), Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City), William H. Macy (Fargo), Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Red Dragon), and Christine Baranski (Dr Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas). Law & Order: The First Year is a must-have DVD collection.

(more…)

Law & Order Special Victims Unit - The First Year (1999)

Originally called Sex Crimes, executive producer Dick Wolf wisely opted for something less lurid when the second in the inexhaustible Law & Order franchise hit the air in 1999. Still, as the opening voiceover makes clear, the “sexually based offenses” investigated by New York’s Special Victims Unit can be “especially heinous.” This six-DVD boxed set includes all 22 episodes of the first compelling season. Wolf penned series premier “Payback,” which sets the scene, but not the tone. It’s a lively, if uneasy mix between horror (rape) and comedy (risqué banter). As the show progressed, humor would be written out altogether (leaving Richard Belzer’s Homicide-derived John Munch with increasingly less to do). Less emphasis would also be placed on the home lives of this “elite squad of dedicated detectives.” Mostly, “Payback” introduces us to the unit, centering around partners Olivia Benton (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni). For two people with so little in common, they make a terrific team–arguably one of TV’s best. Stabler is married with four children; Benton is single and her closest relationship is with her mother (Elizabeth Ashley). While Stabler can get a little rough with suspects, Benton tends to over-empathize with the victims. They report to the no-nonsense Captain Cragen (Law & Order vet Dann Florek). Like the parent program’s Lenny Briscoe, he’s a recovering alcoholic. Dean Winters and Michelle Hurd round out the rock-solid cast. As it would continue to do in successive years, SVU’s first season proved that network TV could explore sex crimes without being salacious or exploitative. “Uncivilized,” for instance, concerns a child murder that is automatically pinned on a local sex offender, when the actual perpetrator isn’t quite so obvious. “Disrobed,” in which Brian Cassidy (Winters) leaves the department and Benson (with whom he had a brief affair) shoots a suspect is another standout in a strong year. SVU was followed by Criminal Intent in 2001 and features several guest appearances from Jerry Orbach (Briscoe) and Angie Harmon (Abbie Carmichael) from the original Law & Order. –Kathleen C. Fennessy

From the popular and award-winning Law & Order franchise comes Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit. This hard-hitting and emotional series chronicles the exciting cases of the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit as they try to crack the city’s most heinous crimes. With a celebrated cast that includes Christopher Meloni (Twelve Monkeys, TV’s Oz), Mariska Hargitay (Lake Placid, TV’s ER), Dann Florek (Beautiful Joe, The Flintstones), Richard Belzer (Jump, TV’s Homicide: Life on the Street), Dean Winters (TV’s Oz), and Michelle Hurd (Random Hearts), and featuring such notable guest stars as Angie Harmon (TV’s Law & Order), Jerry Orbach (TV’s Law & Order), Andrew McCarthy (St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink), Bebe Neuwirth (TV’s Frasier, Cheers) and Camryn Manhein (TV’s The Practice), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - The First Year is a must-have DVD collection.

(more…)