Law & Order
"Truth matters."
A NBC Original
Law & Order tracks how serious crimes are handled from the first knock on a door to the final moments in court. Detectives collect evidence, interview witnesses, and press suspects until someone is arrested. Once custody is secured, the district attorney's team pieces together charges,... Read more
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About Law & Order
Law & Order tracks how serious crimes are handled from the first knock on a door to the final moments in court. Detectives collect evidence, interview witnesses, and press suspects until someone is arrested. Once custody is secured, the district attorney's team pieces together charges, disclosure, and trial strategy to meet the high legal standard of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Episodes split time between police work and courtroom procedure, showing how evidence, rules of law, and human judgment interact. The show stays focused on the professional mechanics of investigation and prosecution, letting ethical tensions and institutional constraints shape the outcome without relying on melodrama.
Created by Dick Wolf and premiering in 1990, Law & Order set the template for many modern procedurals. This version stars Reid Scott, Maura Tierney, Tony Goldwyn, Hugh Dancy, and Odelya Halevi, and it emphasizes strict procedural structure and realistic legal detail in each episode.
The series received steady industry recognition over its run, collecting numerous nominations and several awards from television bodies. Peers and critics have often highlighted the writing and structural clarity, and its long presence on the air helped it become a recurring contender in award conversations.
Law & Order made a clear cultural imprint by popularizing the two-part police-then-prosecution format and the "ripped from the headlines" approach to case material. Its storytelling template became shorthand for realistic legal drama, and even its distinctive percussive sound cue grew widely recognizable. Many later crime shows borrowed its pacing, moral framing, and procedural beats.
Viewer response has been generally positive, reflected in a 7.4/10 average from voters. The show repeatedly returns to themes like the clash between legal standards and public expectations, the ethical compromises officials face, and how institutional rules shape justice. Critics typically praise its focus on process and the way routine legal work reveals deeper questions about fairness and responsibility.
Details
- Release Date
- September 13, 1990
- Rating
- TV-14
- User Ratings
- 662 votes
- Type
- TV Series
- Seasons
- 25
- Episodes
- 535
- Network
- NBC
- Status
- Returning Series
- Genres
- Crime, Drama
- Country
- United States
- Studio
- Wolf Entertainment +2 more
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Cast
Reid Scott
Vincent Riley
Maura Tierney
Jessica Brady
Tony Goldwyn
Nicholas Baxter
Hugh Dancy
Nolan Price
Odelya Halevi
Samantha Maroun
Created by: Dick Wolf
Seasons (25 seasons, 535 episodes)
Season 1
22 episodes - 1990
Season 2
22 episodes - 1991
Season 3
22 episodes - 1992
Season 4
22 episodes - 1993
Season 5
23 episodes - 1994
Season 6
23 episodes - 1995
Season 7
23 episodes - 1996
Season 8
24 episodes - 1997
Season 9
24 episodes - 1998
Season 10
24 episodes - 1999
Season 11
24 episodes - 2000
Season 12
24 episodes - 2001
Season 13
24 episodes - 2002
Season 14
24 episodes - 2003
Season 15
24 episodes - 2004
Season 16
22 episodes - 2005
Season 17
22 episodes - 2006
Season 18
18 episodes - 2008
Season 19
22 episodes - 2008
Season 20
23 episodes - 2009
Season 21
10 episodes - 2022
Season 22
22 episodes - 2022
Season 23
13 episodes - 2024
Season 24
22 episodes - 2024
Season 25
13 episodes - 2025
