Premiered:
September 13, 1990
When is it on?:
Wednesdays at 10pm ET on NBC (Check local listings)
Starring:
Dennis Farina as Joe Fontana
Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren
Annie Parisse as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia
Fred Dalton Thompson as District Attorney Arthur Branch
Sam Waterston as Asst. D.A. Jack McCoy
Jesse L. Martin as Detective Ed Green
S. Epatha Merkerson as Lt. Anita Van Buren
Annie Parisse as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Borgia
Fred Dalton Thompson as District Attorney Arthur Branch
Sam Waterston as Asst. D.A. Jack McCoy
Trivia Fact #1:
The show was originally pitched to CBS, who turned it down.
Trivia Fact #2:
The show is actually shot in New York City.
Trivia Fact #3:
Actor Chris Noth was let go because of the lack of chemistry between his character and Jerry Orbach. Good thing this happened -- could you imagine Sex & the City with a different 'Mr. Big?' Noth is back on the series now, but on Law & Order: CI.
Trivia Fact #4:
The May 13, 1998 episode titled, "Tabloid" is co-written by actor, Alec Baldwin about his real life issues with the paparazzi.
Rae's Take:
In the mean streets of New York, there is always some sort of crime being committed. Sadly, many cases don’t ever see closure, but on Law & Order, not only do we get the satisfaction of seeing the criminal get caught, but we also get to witness him or her get what’s coming to them in the courtroom. The Law & Order series is unique in that the viewer does not have to have watched this show from the beginning, as the episodes are standalone.
Synopsis:
Law & Order, filmed entirely in New York City, is an original crime drama that takes us from the initial homicide right to the courtroom verdict.
In the first half hour, Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina), a savvy, well-dressed detective lead us through their investigation and interrogation, with Lt. Van Buren’s (S. Epatha Merkerson) supervision every step of the way.
In the last half hour of the show, they present their case and all the evidence to Executive District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Assistant District Attorney Alexandria Borgia (Annie Partisse) for trial. But that’s not the end of it. You can expect some twists and surprises to arise either during testimony or within the justice system.
Even long time prosecutor Jack McCoy has been shocked. That’s when they employ the guidance of District Attorney Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson) who sometimes sides with his own political agenda rather than on the side of justice.
This show covers everything from murder for hire to racial prejudice including personal feelings about the death penalty. However, we still don’t know how Det. Fontana pays for all his expensive clothes.
In the first half hour, Detectives Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin) and Joe Fontana (Dennis Farina), a savvy, well-dressed detective lead us through their investigation and interrogation, with Lt. Van Buren’s (S. Epatha Merkerson) supervision every step of the way.
In the last half hour of the show, they present their case and all the evidence to Executive District Attorney Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Assistant District Attorney Alexandria Borgia (Annie Partisse) for trial. But that’s not the end of it. You can expect some twists and surprises to arise either during testimony or within the justice system.
Even long time prosecutor Jack McCoy has been shocked. That’s when they employ the guidance of District Attorney Arthur Branch (Fred Dalton Thompson) who sometimes sides with his own political agenda rather than on the side of justice.
This show covers everything from murder for hire to racial prejudice including personal feelings about the death penalty. However, we still don’t know how Det. Fontana pays for all his expensive clothes.
