Post by caitlen on Nov 7, 2008 10:06:55 GMT -5
Alan Pergament: ‘Law & Order’ returns as strong as ever
By Alan Pergament
News TV Critic
Friday, November 7, 2008
Western New York has always been a big “Law & Order” area. The NBC crime series, which starts its 19th season at 10 tonight on Channel 2, has consistently been a ratings hit here.
So it is safe to say viewers here are among the most pleased that the ratings- challenged network has gone back to producer Dick Wolf’s signature series a few months earlier than expected.
Judging by the first four episodes, the series is as strong as ever and even has a few unusual and disturbing endings.
The cases involve the death of a stockbroker in a street rumble gone horribly wrong, a family trying to protect a murderer, a law clerk trying to protect an incompetent judge, and a young murderer trying to protect the frightened sixth wife of a polygamist.
Of course, Wolf has been known to embrace change years before Barack Obama or John McCain made it a campaign philosophy.
But this season the show is striving for consistency.
A year ago, the series was strengthened by the additions of Linus Roache as prosecutor Michael Cutter, Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo and Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard. In addition, Jack McCoy’s (Sam Waterston) job change from prosecutor to district attorney brought a new dimension to the series.
The dynamic between the principled Cutter and McCoy in an election year that tests the district attorney’s judgment is the most compelling element of the series’ early episodes. Cutter gives McCoy the kind of passionate speeches about doing the right thing that McCoy might have given when he answered to previous district attorneys. Cutter’s combative attitude with his boss also occasionally surprises fellow assistant district attorney Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza).
Anderson, who replaced Jesse L. Martin last season, and Sisto don’t have to do much heavy lifting in the early episodes. However, Anthony does deliver the best dryly humorous lines.
After the discovery of the dead stockbroker, Detective Bernard says: “In this economy, this is the kind of thing that might catch on.”
As usual, the series educates viewers about elements and distortions of the law that some might find disturbing obstacles to justice and others might find necessary to assure fairness and prevent the innocent from being convicted.
[pink]The return of the original “Law & Order” arrives at a time that its spin-offs, “SVU” and “Criminal Intent,” have lost some of their luster. “SVU” has suffered ratings losses here of about 40 percent this season. “Criminal Intent,” which has added Jeff Goldblum to the cast, is having its return to USA Network (which has the same owner as NBC) delayed from this Friday to January.
The “SVU” losses here are consistent with a reported national trend that has seen audiences for 10 p. m. network shows drop substantially; however, I’d bet that the original “Law & Order” will stop that trend here, especially now that the presidential race — which had been sending viewers to cable — is over. Rating: 3q 1/3 t 1/2 r 1/3 out of 4[/pink]
more at this link:
www.buffalonews.com/494/story/484689.html
By Alan Pergament
News TV Critic
Friday, November 7, 2008
Western New York has always been a big “Law & Order” area. The NBC crime series, which starts its 19th season at 10 tonight on Channel 2, has consistently been a ratings hit here.
So it is safe to say viewers here are among the most pleased that the ratings- challenged network has gone back to producer Dick Wolf’s signature series a few months earlier than expected.
Judging by the first four episodes, the series is as strong as ever and even has a few unusual and disturbing endings.
The cases involve the death of a stockbroker in a street rumble gone horribly wrong, a family trying to protect a murderer, a law clerk trying to protect an incompetent judge, and a young murderer trying to protect the frightened sixth wife of a polygamist.
Of course, Wolf has been known to embrace change years before Barack Obama or John McCain made it a campaign philosophy.
But this season the show is striving for consistency.
A year ago, the series was strengthened by the additions of Linus Roache as prosecutor Michael Cutter, Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo and Anthony Anderson as Detective Kevin Bernard. In addition, Jack McCoy’s (Sam Waterston) job change from prosecutor to district attorney brought a new dimension to the series.
The dynamic between the principled Cutter and McCoy in an election year that tests the district attorney’s judgment is the most compelling element of the series’ early episodes. Cutter gives McCoy the kind of passionate speeches about doing the right thing that McCoy might have given when he answered to previous district attorneys. Cutter’s combative attitude with his boss also occasionally surprises fellow assistant district attorney Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza).
Anderson, who replaced Jesse L. Martin last season, and Sisto don’t have to do much heavy lifting in the early episodes. However, Anthony does deliver the best dryly humorous lines.
After the discovery of the dead stockbroker, Detective Bernard says: “In this economy, this is the kind of thing that might catch on.”
As usual, the series educates viewers about elements and distortions of the law that some might find disturbing obstacles to justice and others might find necessary to assure fairness and prevent the innocent from being convicted.
[pink]The return of the original “Law & Order” arrives at a time that its spin-offs, “SVU” and “Criminal Intent,” have lost some of their luster. “SVU” has suffered ratings losses here of about 40 percent this season. “Criminal Intent,” which has added Jeff Goldblum to the cast, is having its return to USA Network (which has the same owner as NBC) delayed from this Friday to January.
The “SVU” losses here are consistent with a reported national trend that has seen audiences for 10 p. m. network shows drop substantially; however, I’d bet that the original “Law & Order” will stop that trend here, especially now that the presidential race — which had been sending viewers to cable — is over. Rating: 3q 1/3 t 1/2 r 1/3 out of 4[/pink]
more at this link:
www.buffalonews.com/494/story/484689.html