Law And Order: The Complete Original Series DVD Review (Universal)

Law and Order is a 1990 television crime drama created/produced/written by Dick Wolf (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, New York Undercover, Miami Vice, Chicago Fire, FBI, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., Cold Justice, and Dragnet) and Rick Eid (Law and Order: Trial by Jury, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Guardian, Hostages, and Conviction). It was directed by Ernest Dickerson (Juice), Mario Van Peebles (New Jack City), Eric Stoltz (Grey’s Anatomy), Tony Goldwyn (Dexter), Constantine Makris (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Edwin Sherin (Law and Order: Criminal Intent), Jace Alexander (Rescue Me), David Platt (Law and Order: Trial by Jury), Matthew Penn (The Sopranos), Martha Mitchell (House), Daniel Sackheim (Game of Thrones), John Whitesell (Deck the Halls), E.W. Swackhamer (Murder, She Wrote), Vern Gillum (Miami Vice), Don Scardino (The West Wing), James Frawley (Fraternity Vacation), Fred Gerber (The X-Files), and many others. It was executive produced by Arthur W. Forney (Law and Order True Crime, Law and Order: LA, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International, New York Undercover, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Chicago Fire). It’s won 6 Primetime Emmys over the years. This original series has spawned several spin-offs which includes Crime and Punishment, Special Victims Unit, Criminal Intent, True Crime, LA, UK, Trial by Jury, Exiled, and Organized Crime. It’s in the same universe as New York Undercover. The dedicated NYC police which includes Detective Lennie Briscoe (played by: Jerry Orbach from Dirty Dancing), Detective Ed Green (played by: Jesse L. Martin from The Flash), Detective Mike Logan (played by: Chris Noth from Sex and the City), Detective Rey Curtis (played by: Benjamin Bratt from Doctor Strange), Detective Cyrus Lupo (played by: Jeremy Sisto from May), Detective Kevin Bernard (played by: Anthony Anderson from The Departed), Sergeant Max Greevey (played by: George Dzundza from The Deer Hunter), Sergeant Phil Cerreta (played by: Paul Sorvino from Goodfellas), Lieutenant Jessica Brady (played by: Maura Tierney from ER), Detective Joe Fontana (played by: Dennis Farina from Manhunter), and Detective Tony Profaci (played by: John Fiore from The Sopranos) who all investigated the heinous crimes lead by both Captain Donald Cragen (played by: Dann Florek from Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) plus Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (played by: S. Epatha Merkerson from Jacob’s Ladder). After that’s handled, it’s given to the law to get justice. The district attorneys which includes Jack McCoy (played by: Sam Waterston from Serial Mom), Adam Schiff (played by: Steven Hill from The Firm), Arthur Branch (played by: Fred Thompson from The Hunt for Red October), Ben Stone (played by: Michael Moriarty from Q: The Winged Serpent), Abbie Carmichael (played by: Angie Harmon from Rizzoli and Isles), Paul Robinette (played by: Richard Brooks from The Substitute), Claire Kincaid (played by: Jill Hennessy from Crossing Jordan), Jamie Ross (played by: Carey Lowell from Licence to Kill), and Nora Lewin (played by: Dianne Wiest from The Lost Boys) who prosecuted the dangerous offenders ripped straight from the real life headlines!!!! Law and Order is one of the biggest television shows ever made. It’s lasted for 25 seasons so far and it’s still going to this day. 544 episodes have been released from 1990 to 2026. It was developed by the creative team of Dick Wolf and Rick Eid. This home video coverage is for the original series that includes the first 20 seasons. It was wrapped up in late May 2010. It would come back 2 years later as popular demand but nothing compares to it’s first run that dominated TV on NBC with it’s amazing ratings. Law and Order was truly original, so many have tried to copy it but they don’t even come close. It was split into two different worlds which is what made it unique. The first half was police procedure and investigation. The second half was law and usually justice for the unspeakable crimes displayed here. These situations were inspired by what was really happening around the country at the time. They adapted true crime into these thrilling episodes each week. Chris Noth was fantastic as Detective Mike Logan for 5 seasons. He’s definitely one of the best cops from this entertaining universe. He was hot headed but he always did great work on his cases. He would later pop up in his own spin-off movie Exiled plus he made cameos on Criminal Intent. Jerry Orbach was my personal detective as the blunt and hilarious Lenny Briscoe. He made a major impact for 12 seasons with the 27th Precinct. Before he became a full time lead, he had guest role as Defense Attorney Frank Lehrman during the 2nd season. Jesse L. Martin was always a solid investigator for the 8 seasons where he took down some of the worst possible criminals. Benjamin Bratt as Detective Rey Curtis was very passionate and fierce when he was involved with the squad for 4 gritty seasons. George Dzundza unfortunately only appeared for the first season as Sergeant Max Greevey but he was the first law enforcement that really stood out for the crime drama. He was tough as nails but he went through hell here. Paul Sorvino was beyond underrated as the veteran Sergeant Phil Cerreta for 2 seasons. He used kindness to his advantage and he could charm any witness for some additional help. Dennis Farina used his real life police experience as the witty Detective Joe Fontana. I loved that he wasn’t afraid to bend the rules to get the truth during tough situations. Those were the detectives that stood out the most for it’s original 20 season run. I will say that Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) deserves an honorable mention as Nick Falco. He only appeared in 4 episodes while Green was out for a little bit but it was a quality character that deserved more but it didn’t happen unfortunately. My personal favorite attorney was Michael Moriarty as the courageous Ben Stone. That man would fight until the death he had to. He never backed down during a trial and he always fought as hard as he could. He was very stubborn and sometimes that was his biggest flaw. He was the order for the very first 4 seasons. Sam Waterston is probably the most recognizable character as the fighter Jack McCoy. He was featured in 405 episodes. He was around for 18 seasons and he was the defense’s worst nightmare during some of the most complicated cases. I really enjoyed Jill Hennessy, Angie Harmon, and Carey Lowell when they were around the courts. They were all much more than eye candy, fully developed and interesting roles for each woman that fought for the public to be safe. It’s hard to top Law and Order when it comes to crazy cameos and an all star lineup when it comes to television. The rest of the talented cast included Jeremy Sisto, Maura Tierney, Fred Thompson, Anthony Anderson, John Fiore, Dianne Wiest, Richard Brooks, Dann Florek, S. Epatha Merkerson, Steven Hill, Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Christopher Meloni (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Ice-T (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Richard Belzer (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Leslie Hendrix (Gotham), Carolyn McCormick (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2), Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman),Chevy Chase (Saturday Night Live), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones), Adam Driver (Star Wars franchise), Kevin Smith (Clerks franchise), James Earl Jones (Star Wars franchise), Amy Madigan (Weapons), Elisabeth Röhm (Angel), Courtney B. Vance (Law and Order: Criminal Intent), Alana De La Garza (Law and Order: LA), Linus Roache (Batman Begins), Camryn Manheim (The Practice), J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man franchise), Selenis Leyva (Orange Is the New Black), Josh Pais (Ray Donovan), Bruce Altman (Running Scared), Dylan Baker (Trick ‘r Treat), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters franchise), Zeljko Ivanek (OZ), Lee Tergesen (OZ), Joe Morton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), David Zayas (Dexter), Paul Calderon (King of New York), John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos), Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story), Timothee Chalamet (Dune franchise), Idris Elba (The Wire), Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Magnolia), Kerry Washington (Django Unchained), Leighton Meester (That’s My Boy), Jennifer Garner (Daredevil), Julianna Margulies (ER), Claire Danes (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother), Colman Domingo (Fear The Walking Dead), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Allison Janney (The West Wing), Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise), Laura Linney (Ozark), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), William H. Macy (Shameless), Emmy Rossum (Shameless), Amanda Peet (Identity), Sebastian Stan (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy), Alexandra Daddario (Texas Chainsaw), Vera Farmiga (The Departed), Edie Falco (The Sopranos), Aida Turturro (The Sopranos), Vincent Pastore (The Sopranos), Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Madeline Zima (Californication), Jennifer Esposito (Blue Bloods), David Harbour (Stranger Things), Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad), Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Amy Ryan (The Wire), Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire), Matt Servitto (The Sopranos), Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos), Tony Lo Bianco (The French Connection), Melissa Leo (Homicide: Life on the Street), Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Michael Beach (Aquaman), Kathrine Narducci (The Sopranos), Al Sapienza (The Sopranos), Mark Margolis (Breaking Bad), Arthur J. Nascarella (The Sopranos), Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Lance Reddick (John Wick franchise), Michael Kelly (House of Cards), Michael McKean (Better Call Saul), Michael Rispoli (The Sopranos), Frank Vincent (The Sopranos), Maggie Siff (Sons of Anarchy), Jerry Stiller (Seinfeld), Harold Perrineau (Lost), Dash Mihok (Ray Donovan), Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Tony Lip (The Sopranos), Dan Lauria (The Wonder Years), Kate Mara (House of Cards), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead), Chris Cooper (American Beauty), Jerry Adler (The Sopranos), Steve Schirripa (The Sopranos), Tony Todd (Candyman franchise), Brad Dourif (Chucky franchise), Lara Flynn Boyle (Wayne’s World), Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown), Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman), Andre Braugher (Homicide: Life on the Street), Andrew McCarthy (Pretty in Pink), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Tom Berenger (Platoon), Michael Gross (Family Ties), Gary Busey,(Lethal Weapon), Keith David (They Live), Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption), Jena Malone (Donnie Darko), Corey Stoll (House of Cards), Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment), Kathleen Turner (Friends), and many others. So many familiar faces pop up on Law and Order from 1990 to 2010. They had crossover episodes with both Homicide: Life on the Street and Special Victims Unit here. Some of the greatest moments included Prescription for Death, Indifference, The Blue Wall, Mushrooms, Sonata for Solo Organ, Confession, Vengeance, Severance, Helpless, Prince of Darkness, Manhood, American Dream, Mayhem, Old Friends, Coma, White Rabbit, House Counsel, Rage, Savages, Encore, Pro Se, Corruption, Showtime, Charm City, Monster, Refuge, Killerz, Open Season, Couples, Bodies, Identity, C.O.D, Red Ball, Criminal Law, Invaders, Burn Card, By Perjury, For the Defense, and Rubber Room. One of the best things about Law and Order, you could basically tune in at any time and you wouldn’t really be lost. Each week was something different besides every once in awhile. It delivered on action, suspense, drama, dark humor, and crime. They adapted to real stories and events right away, pure exploitation but it worked. The writing always kept up with what was happening in society so the audience could relate to the harsh scenarios. They tried to always have a good message or at least try to teach something while going through a rough reality. I haven’t really kept up since it originally ended here with season 20. I did enjoy the spin-offs for Special Victims Unit and Criminal Intent. Law and Order is currently streaming on both Hulu and Peacock where you can get access to every current season so far. It was a blast to revisit these earlier seasons, it takes me back to my younger days. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s discuss this standard definition presentation and list the special features from Universal Pictures! These 480i (1.33:1) / (1.78:1) transfers on all episodes from the original 20 seasons look better than I thought they would be especially for being SD. They are the same exact older restorations from the original DVD home video releases. I’m really shocked that they still haven’t been released on Blu Ray in the states. The first few seasons are available in that format overseas and the streaming episodes are all in HD so it’s bound to happen someday here. It has English: Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks on all 104 discs. They sound decent, they definitely have their moments when the action hits plus the score sounds really good for this. All of the dialogue is very clean, the tension is elevated, and the music has big boost to it. It has English and English SDH subtitles. It has a variety of “Deleted and Extended Scenes” throughout the years. It has “Cast Profiles” with some of the bigger characters from this universe. It has a “Set Tour”. It has “Crossover Episodes” which is a real nice addition so you can follow through on the collaborative shows. It has “The Creation of Law and Order”. It has the “Law and Order: The First Three Years”. It comes in a huge high quality slipbox that houses all separate 20 seasons from the original series. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!