Law and Order: The Preferred Drug of the Couch Potato

I'm caught in a TV trap that has caused me to suffer from Law & Order-itis. You think I'm kidding? It's a kind of disease that spreads from one TV channel to another and once bitten you become hooked. In New Jersey where I'm from, Law & Order can be seen on no less than six channels. The original Law & Order was addictive on its own but spin-offs like Law & Order Criminal Intent and Law & Order SVU has made me into an acid head with a dependency that is affecting home life.

Law and Order premiered on NBC, September 30^th, 1990 and is the longest- running crime series on TV. Now syndicated on US TV, TBS and Bravo a night never goes by without episodes being aired. Furthermore some channels run marathons with back to back episodes. As soon as one ends, the announcer says, "Crack the case; another Law & Order starts right now." No commercial break to think about the last verdict or get a snack just straight to another crime scene.

Creator Dick Wolf hit on the right formula by sticking to a format that has not changed since the first episode. That formula is narrated succinctly by Steven Zirnkilton at the start of each episode, "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories."

The story always starts with at least two characters whose sole parts are to stumble onto a crime scene. The detectives come along, do a preliminary inspection of the scene, make an off beat comment about the poor victim before a resounding musical 'BOOM BOOM' heralds the start of the show. From then on the detectives along with the guidance from their lieutenant chase down the suspects before handing the evidence over to the District Attorneys office who finish the show by prosecuting the offenders.

What makes Law & Order habitual is the talented cast that are so tight in their roles and up to date story-lines that often run parallel to real crimes. A police friend of mine once told me that cops love the show because he said, when you take away the dramatics the procedure and flow of crimes are uncannily lifelike.

I tell myself that justification for being glued to the TV is educational. I have improved my vocabulary with words like obfuscate and terms like exculpatory evidence. The courtroom dialog is always sharp between the prosecutor and the defense attorney. Where do they get the scriptwriters?

Got to go! Just heard the signature tune and the start of another marathon! Anyone know of a rehab facility to break the habit?