Post by caitlen on May 8, 2009 5:52:32 GMT -5
Law & Order Meets Its Maker
Written by Erin Burris
Friday, 08 May 2009
It was a dark, rainy afternoon in New York City. On speakerphone with the other executives in Los Angeles, a group of business-clads are studying charts. The New Yorkers are pouring coffee, preparing for a long night of decisions. The LA exec's are doing the same and gesture wildly at a flat screen television that's on in the background of our scene. On the screen is a familiar face. It's Jack McCoy. But as we recognize him, we're back in New York. Arms still waving wildly around the table. Meanwhile in LA: "We have to pick one!" One says pounding a fist on the table. "How can we decide?" The New York exec's respond, looking for the caffeine rush and taking long swings from their coffee mugs that have a familiar Peacock logo on the side.
Suddenly in LA the arms have stopped waving and they are brought down to a low whisper. All at once, they seem relaxed. The New Yorkers totally unaware, still talking amongst themselves and listening to the speakerphone still sounding a line from the grey haired attorney on the TV. In LA one of the men goes slowly for the remote sitting on the long cherry wood table. As he reaches for it. Slowly. Slowly. The men in New York still ignorant. The man lifts up the controller and points it at the television. He aims carefully and-gasp-squeezes the off button.
And all they hear in New York... is silence.
Chime chime.
NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY (NBC)
WEST COAST OFFICE
TUESDAY MAY 5, 2009
"Where were you yesterday evening?"
"We were here in the office, we'll all vouch for each other."
"So you admit it? You killed it off?
Sorry Law & Order, they've confessed but there's nothing that can be done. It looks like this time, you have the right to remain silent.
Yep, they've finally done it. It looks like NBC has made its projections for the television shows this fall season, according to Variety, and after 19 years on the network they haven't asked Law & Order back for another season. The one-hour cop drama has been one of the most popular types of television shows for decades and with the influx of new ones each year, it seems the first L&O didn't make the cut.
While some of the detectives changed, Sam Waterson played McCoy for 15 years and S. Epatha Merkerson played Lieutenant Van Buren for 18 years. I know soap stars are accustomed to playing their character for their entire career, but you don't normally see that with primetime shows. On the law-side, Van Buren was always the level-headed lieutenant, offering input but throwing down a fist when one of the macho male detectives tried to cross her. On the order-side of things, McCoy was also level-headed, but with a bit of a hard head, too. His gruff voice, silvery hair, and sharp suits made it fun to watch him hurl the book at offenders. He wouldn't settle for a lesser sentence when he could hit the pavement to find a way to lock the criminal up to the fullest extent of the law.
After the show was successful for almost ten years, it expanded into a franchise creating L&O: Special Victims Unit in 1999 and Criminal Intent in 2001 (which has since moved to the USA Network).
Although NBC is giving the boot to the show that started it all, the Peacock network has ordered another season of the Mariska Hargitay/Christopher Meloni version of the show: SVU. I for one, would rather them axe the original than SVU because, well, it's my favorite. I'm hoping the reason I love it isn't for the subversive storylines that Special Victims thrives on, but hell, I like what I like. Two reasons it's better are B.D. Wong (the psychologist) and Tamara Tunie (the medical examiner). These two actors are a pleasure to watch and are able to spice up a lagging moment. They deliver the case-turning evidence and always remain cool, calm, and collected.
But, mainly the reason SVU is better is simply because the characters run deep. Where in the original show we know almost nothing personal about the characters, in SVU, each episode builds on the relationships between the detectives and gives us tidbits of their home lives. In one episode Olivia has an HIV scare where in another Elliot's wife is in a car accident. Finn's got a teenage son that he doesn't see very often and Munch can't seem to hold down a marriage. We come to care for the detectives.
Although L&O packs in the drama from start to finish because of the nature of the beast, SVU manages to chisel off a little something extra for the loyal fan. Where L&O is more an "anytime" kind of show, SVU is an "every time" kind of show. It's too bad McCoy won't see another year, but as per the cop genre, be sure that Sam Waterson will get a gig on another of these shows. Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch on Special Victims) has played that same character on a variety of shows dating back to 1993 with Homicide: Life on the Street (McCoy actually made a crossover appearance as well in '97). They simply moved Munch from Baltimore to New York. So while McCoy might be done in New York, maybe he'll land a spot in Los Angeles.
Chime chime.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
MALIBU LAGOON STATE BEACH
WEDNESDAY MAY 5, 2010
"Hey Jack, we arrested someone...care to take a break from sun bathing?" A detective says.
"Grrr. OK sure. I'm on my way," McCoy says as he kicks his sandals off and digs up a pair of dress shoes from the trunk of his Mercedes. "I'll change on the way."
Not too shabby. Jack McCoy could use a little R&R.
www.justpressplay.net/movies/tv/5261-law-a-order-meets-its-maker.html
Written by Erin Burris
Friday, 08 May 2009
It was a dark, rainy afternoon in New York City. On speakerphone with the other executives in Los Angeles, a group of business-clads are studying charts. The New Yorkers are pouring coffee, preparing for a long night of decisions. The LA exec's are doing the same and gesture wildly at a flat screen television that's on in the background of our scene. On the screen is a familiar face. It's Jack McCoy. But as we recognize him, we're back in New York. Arms still waving wildly around the table. Meanwhile in LA: "We have to pick one!" One says pounding a fist on the table. "How can we decide?" The New York exec's respond, looking for the caffeine rush and taking long swings from their coffee mugs that have a familiar Peacock logo on the side.
Suddenly in LA the arms have stopped waving and they are brought down to a low whisper. All at once, they seem relaxed. The New Yorkers totally unaware, still talking amongst themselves and listening to the speakerphone still sounding a line from the grey haired attorney on the TV. In LA one of the men goes slowly for the remote sitting on the long cherry wood table. As he reaches for it. Slowly. Slowly. The men in New York still ignorant. The man lifts up the controller and points it at the television. He aims carefully and-gasp-squeezes the off button.
And all they hear in New York... is silence.
Chime chime.
NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY (NBC)
WEST COAST OFFICE
TUESDAY MAY 5, 2009
"Where were you yesterday evening?"
"We were here in the office, we'll all vouch for each other."
"So you admit it? You killed it off?
Sorry Law & Order, they've confessed but there's nothing that can be done. It looks like this time, you have the right to remain silent.
Yep, they've finally done it. It looks like NBC has made its projections for the television shows this fall season, according to Variety, and after 19 years on the network they haven't asked Law & Order back for another season. The one-hour cop drama has been one of the most popular types of television shows for decades and with the influx of new ones each year, it seems the first L&O didn't make the cut.
While some of the detectives changed, Sam Waterson played McCoy for 15 years and S. Epatha Merkerson played Lieutenant Van Buren for 18 years. I know soap stars are accustomed to playing their character for their entire career, but you don't normally see that with primetime shows. On the law-side, Van Buren was always the level-headed lieutenant, offering input but throwing down a fist when one of the macho male detectives tried to cross her. On the order-side of things, McCoy was also level-headed, but with a bit of a hard head, too. His gruff voice, silvery hair, and sharp suits made it fun to watch him hurl the book at offenders. He wouldn't settle for a lesser sentence when he could hit the pavement to find a way to lock the criminal up to the fullest extent of the law.
After the show was successful for almost ten years, it expanded into a franchise creating L&O: Special Victims Unit in 1999 and Criminal Intent in 2001 (which has since moved to the USA Network).
Although NBC is giving the boot to the show that started it all, the Peacock network has ordered another season of the Mariska Hargitay/Christopher Meloni version of the show: SVU. I for one, would rather them axe the original than SVU because, well, it's my favorite. I'm hoping the reason I love it isn't for the subversive storylines that Special Victims thrives on, but hell, I like what I like. Two reasons it's better are B.D. Wong (the psychologist) and Tamara Tunie (the medical examiner). These two actors are a pleasure to watch and are able to spice up a lagging moment. They deliver the case-turning evidence and always remain cool, calm, and collected.
But, mainly the reason SVU is better is simply because the characters run deep. Where in the original show we know almost nothing personal about the characters, in SVU, each episode builds on the relationships between the detectives and gives us tidbits of their home lives. In one episode Olivia has an HIV scare where in another Elliot's wife is in a car accident. Finn's got a teenage son that he doesn't see very often and Munch can't seem to hold down a marriage. We come to care for the detectives.
Although L&O packs in the drama from start to finish because of the nature of the beast, SVU manages to chisel off a little something extra for the loyal fan. Where L&O is more an "anytime" kind of show, SVU is an "every time" kind of show. It's too bad McCoy won't see another year, but as per the cop genre, be sure that Sam Waterson will get a gig on another of these shows. Richard Belzer (Detective John Munch on Special Victims) has played that same character on a variety of shows dating back to 1993 with Homicide: Life on the Street (McCoy actually made a crossover appearance as well in '97). They simply moved Munch from Baltimore to New York. So while McCoy might be done in New York, maybe he'll land a spot in Los Angeles.
Chime chime.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
MALIBU LAGOON STATE BEACH
WEDNESDAY MAY 5, 2010
"Hey Jack, we arrested someone...care to take a break from sun bathing?" A detective says.
"Grrr. OK sure. I'm on my way," McCoy says as he kicks his sandals off and digs up a pair of dress shoes from the trunk of his Mercedes. "I'll change on the way."
Not too shabby. Jack McCoy could use a little R&R.
www.justpressplay.net/movies/tv/5261-law-a-order-meets-its-maker.html
