Law & Order: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 17 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 17 Ratings

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Law & Order: Clip 5

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Season Details & Credits

NBC | Season Premiere Date: September 13, 1990

Starring: Jesse L. Martin, Dann Florek, Jeremy Sisto

Summary: Law & Order, the longest running crime series and the second longest-running drama series in the history of American broadcast television, started its 18th season on NBC in the winter of 2008. The brainchild of creator Dick Wolf, Law & Order is the most successful brand in the history of primetime television; the winner of the 1997 EmmyLaw & Order, the longest running crime series and the second longest-running drama series in the history of American broadcast television, started its 18th season on NBC in the winter of 2008. The brainchild of creator Dick Wolf, Law & Order is the most successful brand in the history of primetime television; the winner of the 1997 Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series; ties Cheers and M*A*S*H for the most consecutive best series nominations (eleven) and the longest-running drama series currently on American television. The series has also turned into one of entertainment's preeminent brands using a distinct ripped from the headlines format, and has spawned the successful spinoffs Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Crime & Punishment and Law & Order: Trial by Jury. Filmed entirely in and around New York City, this realistic yet fictional drama looks at crime and justice from a dual perspective. Law & Order has been renewed through 2009 and delivers some of the highest ratings on television, ranking fourth for any drama on any network among adults 18-49 for the past four full seasons. Season-to-date, the show remains a top-25 series among adults 18-49, a top-20 series in total viewers and one of the most upscale dramas on television. Law & Order was also television's #5 drama in overall total viewers for the 2003-04 season with an average of 15.9 million viewers. The acclaimed crime drama has chased away more than 20 competing dramas from the Wednesday (10-11 p.m. ET) hour since moving to that time period in 1992-1993. In 2006, after nearly fourteen years of airing at 10:00 PM, the series was moved to 9:00 PM to make room for the new NBC series Heist. After only two weeks, NBC opted to return the show to its 10:00 P.M. timeslot after the show fared poorly at 9:00 P.M.… Expand

Creator: Dick Wolf

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Suspense, Educational

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Season 1 Episodes

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S1:E22. The Blue Wall
Air Date: June 9, 1991
tbd
S1:E21. Sonata For Solo Organ
Air Date: April 2, 1991
tbd
S1:E20. The Troubles
Air Date: March 26, 1991

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

John J. O'Connor

Mar 7, 2013

The first four episodes, made available for preview, indicate that Law and Order could climb quickly to the top echelons of the genre, right up there with "Crime Story" and "Hill Street Blues." [13 Sept 1990, p.C26]

Ken Tucker

Jun 7, 2013

It's a little gimmicky, but it works, primarily on the strength of the cast. Read full review

Tom Shales

Mar 7, 2013

Nothing if not serious, and nothing if not good, NBC's Law & Order nevertheless seems a victim of one particular TV tyranny. Its stories are too long for the one-hour format into which they are stuffed. Otherwise the series... has all the ingredients associated with quality television: strong scripts, relevant themes and a cast that qualifies as first-rate-plus. [13 Sept 1990, p.D1]

Hal Boedeker

Mar 7, 2013

Missing here is the complexity that makes shows like "L.A. Law" or "Hill Street Blues" fun to watch. Executive producer Dick Wolf has said Law & Order is not an ensemble show. What it is is a show about police and legal procedures -- and they're recounted in almost documentary fashion. Of course, as with so much TV law, time is collapsed and these complicated procedures are neatly wrapped up by the show's conclusion. [9 Sept 1990, p.H1]

Ed Siegel

Mar 7, 2013

All the masturbation jokes in the world don't help a script that is as inherently stale and as turgidly moralistic as "Dragnet"...This program only makes me want to shut the TV off, not put a foot through the screen. [12 Sept 1990, p.51p]

User Score

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User Reviews

jackherer50

Jun 9, 2014

It's like watching two shows, a police investigation series for the first half hour, and a legal series for the next half an hour. Performances are very convincing, lots of mystery and drama, but very realistic. 20 great seasons.

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JoeDeckard

Apr 10, 2019

Call me old fashioned, but I absolutely love this show. When I first came to live in LA way back in the early 2000's, it was my only point of contact. All the characters are lovable (I came in with Lenny and Ray) and my eye still waters in the episode when Ray finally leaves 'Anything youCall me old fashioned, but I absolutely love this show. When I first came to live in LA way back in the early 2000's, it was my only point of contact. All the characters are lovable (I came in with Lenny and Ray) and my eye still waters in the episode when Ray finally leaves 'Anything you need Ray, anything' Lenny chokes. The later L&O episodes had less of a flourish. Gone were the Lenny style lines like 'I have ties older than him .... and a couple of shoes...' replaced by slightly less funny one-liners. But L&O was a success because it was written by intelligent people in the know. I still flick through the channels looking for Law & Order whenever I find myself in front of the TV (not often). It's nostalgia - for a better time in TV land.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

69

Series Overview
Season 23

tbd
- Season 23 Overview
  Air Date: January 18, 2024
Season 22

tbd
- Season 22 Overview
  Air Date: September 22, 2022
Season 21

52
- Season 21 Overview
  Air Date: February 24, 2022
Season 20

tbd
- Season 20 Overview
  Air Date: September 25, 2009
Season 19

76
- Season 19 Overview
  Air Date: November 5, 2008
Season 18

tbd
- Season 18 Overview
  Air Date: January 2, 2008
Season 17

tbd
- Season 17 Overview
  Air Date: September 22, 2006
Season 16

tbd
- Season 16 Overview
  Air Date: September 21, 2005
Season 15

tbd
- Season 15 Overview
  Air Date: September 22, 2004
Season 14

tbd
- Season 14 Overview
  Air Date: September 24, 2003
Season 13

tbd
- Season 13 Overview
  Air Date: October 2, 2002
Season 12

tbd
- Season 12 Overview
  Air Date: September 26, 2001
Season 11

tbd
- Season 11 Overview
  Air Date: October 18, 2000
Season 10

tbd
- Season 10 Overview
  Air Date: September 22, 1999
Season 9

tbd
- Season 9 Overview
  Air Date: September 23, 1998
Season 8

tbd
- Season 8 Overview
  Air Date: September 24, 1997
Season 7

tbd
- Season 7 Overview
  Air Date: September 18, 1996
Season 6

tbd
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: September 20, 1995
Season 5

tbd
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: September 21, 1994
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: September 15, 1993
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: September 23, 1992
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: September 19, 1991
Season 1

68
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 13, 1990
- tbd
  S1:E22. The Blue Wall
  Air Date: June 9, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E21. Sonata For Solo Organ
  Air Date: April 2, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E20. The Troubles
  Air Date: March 26, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E19. The Serpent's Tooth
  Air Date: March 19, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E18. The Secret Sharers
  Air Date: March 12, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E17. Mushrooms
  Air Date: February 26, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E16. The Torrents of Greed (Part 2)
  Air Date: February 19, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E15. The Torrents of Greed (Part 1)
  Air Date: February 12, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E14. The Violence of Summer
  Air Date: February 5, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E13. A Death in the Family
  Air Date: January 15, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E12. Life Choice
  Air Date: January 8, 1991
- tbd
  S1:E11. Out of the Half-Light
  Air Date: December 11, 1990
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  S1:E10. Prisoner of Love
  Air Date: December 4, 1990
- tbd
  S1:E9. Indifference
  Air Date: November 27, 1990
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  S1:E8. Poison Ivy
  Air Date: November 20, 1990
- tbd
  S1:E7. By Hooker, By Crook
  Air Date: November 13, 1990
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  S1:E6. Everybody's Favorite Bagman
  Air Date: October 30, 1990
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  S1:E5. Happily Ever After
  Air Date: October 23, 1990
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  S1:E4. Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die
  Air Date: October 11, 1990
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  S1:E3. The Reaper's Helper
  Air Date: October 4, 1990
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  S1:E2. Subterranean Homeboy Blues
  Air Date: September 20, 1990
- tbd
  S1:E1. Prescription for Death
  Air Date: September 13, 1990