I don’t intend to watch all 456 episodes (and one TV movie) but I have started from the beginning with Law & Order (Netflix streaming). The pilot, “Everybody’s Favorite Bagman,” was filmed more than 23 years ago. The series premiered on September 13, 1990.
I’ve seen many of these before, mostly in syndication 10-12 years ago, so the plots are familiar. Even so, and given that they are 21+ years old, they hold up pretty well. It’s an enjoyable 45 minutes of not quite mindless diversion.
It was interesting to read that Dick Wolf first developed the show for Fox and the pilot for CBS, but the series was on NBC. Considering the money the franchise has made for NBC, one wonders about the executives who made the wrong decision at the other two networks.
Jerry Orbach was considered for the role of the senior detective but in the first season George Dzundza got the part. After Dzundza quit, Orbach was passed over a second time for Paul Sorvino. The third time was the charm — Orbach played Lennie Briscoe for 12 seasons beginning in the third.
Cynthia Nixon, William H. Macy, Philip Bosco and Al Freeman Jr. were people I recognized among the cast in the first eight episodes.