After moving arsenic an advertisement antheral connected Madison Avenue and logging clip penning for Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice, Dick Wolf pitched his ain police-procedural thought (stories ripped from the headlines!) to Fox successful 1987, and then-network caput Barry Diller commissioned 13 episodes—but changed his caput the precise adjacent day, calling Wolf to archer him they wouldn't beryllium moving unneurotic aft all. Then CBS bought the pilot—but besides didn't bid immoderate further episodes. Finally, successful 1989, NBC president Brandon Tartikoff gave Law & Order the greenlight, and it premiered connected Sept. 13, 1990.

"We archetypal did it for different network, they passed connected it, it benignant of was forgotten, and past it was picked up astir by chance," Dann Florek, who played Capt. Donald Cragen for the show's archetypal 3 seasons earlier departing and returning six years aboriginal arsenic the caput of the Special Victims Unit, recalled connected the Today show successful 2015. "But NBC came through."

The clang-clang oregon chung-chung oregon doink-doink was, successful fact, inspired by the closing of a jailhouse door. "I deliberation of it arsenic the stylized dependable of a jailhouse compartment locking," bid composer Mike Post, who besides wrote the iconic taxable music, told Entertainment Weekly successful 1993. "I wanted to adhd thing that's precise distinctive but not a literal sound. What I tried to bash was jar a small bit."

The dependable comprises a operation of physics dependable effects, including, according to Post, 500 Japanese men stomping connected the level astatine once, perchance portion successful a Kabuki creation class. "They did this full large stamp," helium exclaimed. "Somebody went retired and sampled that." Post acknowledged that it was a small unusual to him that he'd "written a taxable that you deliberation is precise philharmonic and what everybody wants to speech astir is 'The Clang.'"

L&O, which successful 2009-10 tied Gunsmoke for the longest-running live-action TV bid ever successful prime-time with 20 seasons (since surpassed by Law & Order: SVU) hardly made it past play three. In 1993, NBC President Warren Littlefield told Wolf helium had six months to fig retired however to springiness the moderately rated amusement (44th successful premier clip the week of March 1, 1992) a jolt that would pull a bigger audience.

Littlefield's advice, arsenic helium remembered it to Forbes recently: "Let's marque it little of a men's club. You request much women connected camera." Enter NYPD Lt. Anita Van Buren, played by S. Epatha Merkerson, and Jill Hennessy arsenic Assistant District Attorney Claire Kincaid, the archetypal successful the parade of pistillate ADAs to brace with the always-male Executive Assistant District Attorney, successful the fourth-season premiere.

Which meant, however, that Richard Brooks—ADA Paul Robinette—was fto go, on with Florek. Robinette returned respective times implicit the years, having moved into transgression defence and acold much skeptical of the fairness of the justness strategy than erstwhile helium was moving for the city. Brooks, who in caller years has been on Being Mary Jane, Good Trouble and Bosch, besides brought Robinette backmost for Chicago Justice successful 2017.

Van Buren remained the brag astatine the 27th Precinct until the end, becoming the show's longest-running character. "One of the things I emotion astir is that my dependable is heard," Merkerson reflected during a 2009 sit-down astatine the Paley Center. The histrion explained, "Sometimes I win, astir times I lose—but sometimes I win. Really, the constituent is, is that I travel from a circumstantial background. I'm Black, I'm pistillate and I'm successful my 50s. There's nary 1 who sits astatine our array who sits from my perspective." So, she continued, "when I spot my statement onscreen, it's an astonishing feeling to cognize that you're a portion of something, and it has been 1 of the reasons wherefore I person enjoyed being connected this show, is having a dependable and being a existent integral portion of the show."

The Emmy victor (for Lackawanna Blues in 2005) remains successful the Wolf universe, playing infirmary head Sharon Goodwin connected Chicago Med, but Merkerson knows wherefore she's a legend.

"There volition beryllium kids that'll locomotion up to maine and say, you know, 'I watched your amusement done college,' and they're, like, successful their 30s," she marveled connected the Today amusement successful 2015. Replied co-host Jenna Bush Hager, "Well, I watched your amusement done college. Thank you for getting maine done it!"

According to Dick Wolf, Warren Littlefield had existent reservations astir Jerry Orbach joining the amusement arsenic a detective successful play four, to regenerate the departing Paul Sorvino (who had replaced Dzundza), due to the fact that the seasoned histrion and Broadway star's ain amusement connected CBS—a Murder, She Wrote spin-off called The Law and Harry McGraw—had flopped.

"Warren got precise upset and said, 'You know, this is ridiculous,'" Wolf told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. "I said, 'No, no, no. It's nary problem.'" But Littlefield said, "'Over my dormant body.' I said, 'Warren, die.'"

Of people Detective Lennie Briscoe became a instrumentality favorite, walking the bushed for 12 seasons until Orbach near the amusement successful 2004. At archetypal helium was going to beryllium a regular connected the spin-off Law & Order: Trial by Jury, but helium died that December aft a 10-year conflict with prostate cancer. He was posthumously honored with the SAG Award for Outstanding Male Actor successful a Drama Series successful 2005.

The exit of Michael Moriarty's EADA Ben Stone was memorable, the guilt-stricken prosecutor handing successful his resignation aft his reluctant prima witnesser (Allison Janney, playing her 2nd quality successful arsenic galore appearances) is gunned down by the Russian mob. But Moriarty's crushed for leaving the amusement is nary little dramatic. He chose to go—loudly and proudly—in protestation aft then-U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno endorsed the thought of authorities to curb what tin beryllium shown connected television, giving credence to the mentation that unit connected TV contributed to an uptick successful real-world crime. Wolf, respective NBC executives and Moriarty met with Reno successful the autumn of 1993, and the histrion was outraged by the AG's stance—as good arsenic by what helium saw arsenic his colleagues' refusal (at NBC and each implicit Hollywood) to talk up against censorship. Moriarty was subsequently written retired of the amusement astatine the extremity of play four.

"Television executives cognize that this is wrong, but they would suffer their occupation if they went head-to-head with the national government," Moriarty told the Los Angeles Times successful May 1994, astatine the clip headed to Broadway to play Professor Higgins successful My Fair Lady. "I person the state to say, screw it. I tin bash a small soft here, constitute books there, whatever. I americium not going to springiness up my idiosyncratic state and self-respect for a career."

He continued to look successful films specified arsenic Courage Under Fire and Along Came a Spider, and won an Emmy playing the begetter of James Franco's James Dean successful the 2001 TV biopic, but helium remains champion known for his Law & Order days. Over the years, the communicative got hazy arsenic to whether Moriarty discontinue oregon was fired—but he's speedy to stock his side.

"In aboriginal 1994, I quit Law and Order and announced my departure successful the Hollywood Reporter and Daily Variety," the histrion recalled to Cinema Retro successful 2011. "My employers, the mainstream property and even Wikipedia like to accidental that it was Dick Wolf who fired maine and not the different mode 'round. People say, 'Oh, well, nary 1 fires Dick Wolf!' Well, I did. At immoderate rate, I had go an American dissident. I near for Canada not excessively agelong aft that."

Wolf recalled the Moriarty exit play to The Hollywood Reporter successful 2015. "The fax came successful the mediate of the nighttime to California, which means that he'd been up each nighttime [in NY]," the shaper remembered. "It was like, 'I can't continue.' It was things similar the 'Nazification of television' and everything other with Janet Reno. Warren called maine astatine home, which ne'er happened, astatine 7 a.m. He said, 'Did you get this?' I said, 'Of people I got it.' He said, 'What are we going to do? He's the motivation bosom of the show. There's nary mode we tin enactment astir this.' I said, 'Sure determination is. I've got 2 words for you: Sam Waterston.'"

So began Waterston's legendary tally arsenic EADA (and aboriginal DA) Jack McCoy, which lasted until the amusement signed disconnected successful 2010. "I'm an histrion due to the fact that I didn't get formed arsenic Cyrano [de Bergerac]" successful a prep schoolhouse production, the Emmy-nominated histrion shared successful a 2008 sit-down with the Forum connected Law, Culture & Society. "I wanted it truly badly." As for the pupil who did get the part, "he became a lawyer!"

Waterston, who played McCoy for 16 seasons, besides acknowledged the show's lasting impact, saying, "Unless they're lying, I cognize determination indispensable beryllium astatine slightest 20 oregon 30 radical who person go lawyers due to the fact that of Law & Order, due to the fact that they've told maine so." He quipped, "I've had to apologize clip and clip again. 'Oh, I'm a lawyer due to the fact that of you.' 'Oh, I'm sorry.'"

Noth near aft 5 seasons due to the fact that his declaration was up and, Wolf acknowledged, helium was owed a immense wage rise and they conscionable weren't going to beryllium capable to plaything that "due to the property of the show." The bid creator told the AP successful 1995, "I privation to stress that Chris has done a spectacular occupation this year. He's ne'er been better."

A rep for Noth said the histrion was atrocious it didn't enactment out, but he'd had 5 large years and was disconnected to prosecute a movie vocation (while connected the show, Logan slugged a councilman—who truly was a creep—and ended up marooned connected Staten Island). Movie stardom wasn't successful the cards, but the histrion became Mr. Big erstwhile Sex and the City premiered 3 years later.

"That was benignant of disturbing actually," Hennessy admitted successful a 2018 interrogation connected Q104.3 New York, reflecting connected the occurrence revealing the decease of Claire Kincaid, the erstwhile A.D.A. killed successful a car mishap astatine the extremity of play six (though her demise isn't spelled retired until respective seasons later). An occurrence which, similar truthful galore different people, the City connected a Hill prima accidentally started watching successful the mediate of the nighttime portion a Law & Order marathon was on.

Asked however overmuch announcement she got that she was going to beryllium killed off, Hennessy recalled, "Not much!" She laughed. "Sometimes radical get nary advance. I can't adjacent retrieve what I heard there. I deliberation I conscionable knew erstwhile we got the script." In her case, astatine least, she was told what was coming earlier she started reading. "I've heard of different actors who virtually discovered arsenic they were speechmaking the script, so…it's a rude awakening."

Apparently, the archetypal thought was person Claire look paralyzed from the mishap and past permission the D.A.'s Office for backstage practice, but Hennessy denied successful 2010 to TV Guide that it wasn't she who was unwilling to instrumentality for a ceremonial goodbye. "I made it wide I wanted to travel back," she said. "I recovered retired they killed maine disconnected from a person who watched the amusement and told me, 'Jill, they said you were dead!' I was surprised, due to the fact that I ever thought I would return. Even now, I'd emotion to travel backmost for immoderate bizarre flashbacks."

The 12th occurrence of play one, called "Life Choice," focused connected the bombing of an termination session that near an anti-abortion activistic dead—a lawsuit that Greevey is ambivalent astir due to the fact that helium thinks termination is wrong, portion Logan says he's firmly pro-choice and that his ex-girlfriend had the process and went connected to go a happily joined (to idiosyncratic else) parent of two. It turned retired the unfortunate was large and was astatine the session to person an abortion, contempt her outward stance. "On the termination episode, determination were $900,000 successful advertiser pull-outs," Wolf told THR successful 2015. "Brandon [Tartikoff] didn't care. It was a bully show."

In taking connected a taxable that was mostly considered excessively taboo for television, "Life Choice" ranked 68th connected TV Guide's 2009 database of the 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time.

They besides took connected the hot-button contented successful 1995 and again 2009 successful episodes featuring the sidesplitting of doctors, the second inspired by the May 2009 execution of late-term termination supplier Dr. George Tiller astatine his Kansas church. In that case, EADA Michael Cutter (Linus Roache) expresses anti-abortion beliefs and ADA Connie Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) is pro-choice.

"For 20 seasons the Emmy-winning Law & Order has explored a assortment of arguable topics, and the occurrence 'Dignity' does conscionable that," NBC and producers said successful a statement. "Viewers volition spot a balanced, thought-provoking play astir abortion." And each the advertizing spots for the timeslot remained sold, a web enforcement told the New York Times earlier the occurrence aired.

While astir bull shows (including Law & Order: SVU, Chicago PD and FBI) are nether renewed scrutiny these days for the ways successful which they thin to glorify how instrumentality enforcement and the transgression justness strategy work, Wolf felt successful its time that Law & Order was a amusement that was just successful however it portrayed the constabulary and prosecutors. "You'd person a hard clip uncovering anybody who associated with this amusement who would place himself arsenic a blimpish Republican," Wolf told the New York Times successful 1992. "But we person an close depiction of instrumentality enforcement's nonrecreational attitudes. There are nary atheists successful foxholes, and determination are precise fewer liberals successful the territory attorney's office."

Actually, each sorts of views co-existed successful the amusement and sometimes wrong a azygous character—such arsenic erstwhile Jack McCoy, ne'er 1 to not astatine slightest research the anticipation of seeking the decease punishment erstwhile possible, goes aft a weapon shaper for execution aft a wide shooting, dramatically pouring a bucket afloat of bullets onto the prosecution's array (and wins a conviction, lone to person the verdict acceptable speech by the proceedings justice close past and there).

Asked if determination was a peculiar occurrence that challenged his ain thinking, Waterston said successful 2009 that immoderate occurrence involving the decease punishment challenged him "because I thought otherwise than my character."

And Wolf told the Times that, erstwhile the publication called for Ben Stone to say, "In the transgression justness system, if it's legal, it's ethical," Moriarty "almost choked connected that line."

When it began, Law & Order was the lone web TV play changeable wholly successful New York City. "You get glimpses of the buildings done windows," Joseph Stern, astatine the clip 1 of the show's enforcement producers, told the New York Times successful 1992. "And you cognize you can't beryllium anyplace else. And you're ever proceeding the city. The traffic. The voices. The cops person a New York accent."

And it remained a quintessentially New York amusement throughout. Asked successful 2008 if determination was anyplace successful the metropolis helium hadn't filmed, Jesse L. Martin told EW.com, "I don't adjacent know, but I don't deliberation so. We've virtually been everywhere. I mean, everywhere."

In 2004, a roadworthy starring to predominant filming spot Pier 62 astatine Chelsea Piers was rechristened Law & Order Way. By then, accumulation connected the amusement was injecting astir $1 cardinal a week into the NYC economy.

"Nobody was down determination past [when the amusement archetypal started]," Florek recalled for PeopleTV successful 2015, "and my buddy Chris Noth and I utilized to instrumentality the play carts and spell thrust each the mode astir there—and observe each kinds of absorbing crimes." He added, "We really would spell hunting for vermin. We found, and we conquered."

Carolyn McCormick, who had a recurring relation arsenic scientist Dr. Elizabeth Olivet (that continued connected SVU done 2018), remembered to PeopleTV successful 2015 getting the telephone backmost successful 1991 that she had the job—and however she had to explicate to her hubby what the amusement was "because nary 1 had ever heard of it, of course." They were astatine their location successful New Paltz, N.Y., and they were nether a recently planted babe willow tree.

So her hubby said, "'Oh, that's great, that's great.' And the different day," McCormick added, "we're sitting retired connected our terrace looking down astatine this willow histrion that is now, like, 5 stories high."

Texas Monthly reported successful 2000 that Dallas autochthonal and erstwhile Baywatch prima Angie Harmon, who had joined Law & Order successful 1998 to play ADA Abbie Carmichael (beating retired dozens of different actresses for the part), had been successful the moving to prima successful the big-screen adaptation of Charlie's Angels—and would person been offered the relation that yet went to Lucy Liu if her declaration had allowed her the clip to spell marque the movie. "I've had to truly combat to beryllium myself, to amusement others that I could act, to get a accidental to audition for the champion roles," Harmon told the publication. "But there's a portion of maine that enjoys the pressure. You face the pressure, wrestle it, and past marque it enactment for you."

Sam Waterston told Texas Monthly astir his co-star, "She brings a full caller vigor to the show."

Once again, Wolf was close and skeptics who possibly thought the erstwhile exemplary didn't person the acting chops were wrong. "A: She has earthy intelligence," the enforcement shaper said. "B: She's not atrocious to look at. And C: She's the archetypal formed subordinate to person an authentic determination accent." 

Elisabeth Röhm, who played A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn for 3 and a fractional seasons, said she felt her altruistic, astatine times a small naïve (but inactive sharp) quality reflected her ain values. "In my bosom there's this content that radical are good, not that radical who bash atrocious things aren't bad, but that the tone of quality beings successful general—that there's anticipation for us," the histrion told the Long Island Weekly successful May. "I deliberation that Serena had that idealism and I bash too."

The idealism, astatine least, whitethorn person been her undoing, Branch disagreeing with Southerlyn's attack to a lawsuit and firing her. To which her memorable reply, retired of nowhere, was "Is this due to the fact that I'm a lesbian?" The reply was no, but it was a head-scratcher due to the fact that Serena's idiosyncratic beingness had ne'er travel up. (It ranked 25th connected TV Land's Top 100 Most Unexpected Moments successful TV History.)

Let's conscionable say, Röhm's clip connected set ("my colleagues were Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston, I mean, those are existent actors") sounds more enjoyable than Southerlyn's clip successful the DA's Office.

"On my past time of work, Sam Waterston wrote a speech," recalled Röhm, whose caller enactment includes Jane the Virgin and Bombshell. "He said, I came into Law & Order with a 'blow torch of happiness,' and I person a child-like enthusiasm for life. I similar to person fun. I similar to dainty radical kindly. I privation to marque an impact. I privation to marque a difference."

She continued, "And I deliberation that I bash person that child-like enthusiasm and idealism, and content successful humanity. I'm ne'er amazed erstwhile radical are benignant due to the fact that I cognize wrong of america is each this anticipation and tendency to germinate and to beryllium happy. That doesn't mean that determination aren't transgression minds, degradation, despair, poorness and violence."

After 9 seasons, Jesse L. Martin decided helium had had a bully tally arsenic Detective Ed Green—and though helium was done walking the beat, helium wanted Green to support running.

"I don't wanna die, to beryllium honest," the actor, whose different iconic assertion to fame was originating the relation of Collins in Rent, told EW.com successful February 2008 arsenic his last occurrence approached. "I truly don't. I don't wanna die. I similar the anticipation of possibly returning for immoderate reason. It'd beryllium bully to have, like, a mysterious exit. But of course, nary of this is up to me. They tin extremity it the mode they spot fit." 

Asked if he'd person immoderate input connected his character's fate, helium said, "I don't know. I mean, I'm definite they'll perceive to me, but ultimately, it's their show. They tin marque it bash what it wants to do. I conscionable anticipation it's a chill exit. I truly do."

Well, Green lives! He turned successful his badge aft shooting a gambler and, contempt being cleared by Internal Affairs (an probe led by Martin's incoming replacement, Anthony Anderson's Detective Kevin Bernard), helium decides it's clip to go. They did not extremity up uncovering a crushed for him to return, but Martin moved on, and is present a prima of The Flash on CW.

The stories whitethorn person been fiction, but sometimes the state was real.

"I don't cognize what I had for luncheon that day, but I had the bubble guts," Anthony Anderson, who played Det. Kevin Bernard for the show's last 3 seasons, shared connected Late Night With Seth Meyers successful 2016. "I was holding it successful this full scene, similar a five-minute scene, and I held it in. And arsenic I near the room, I near thing successful the room. And Jeremy Sisto was coming successful to bash his portion of the scene—this was each connected camera—and you could spot S. Epatha Merkerson [making a "what's that smell?" face], and it started to conscionable burn! And she was like, 'Wait a minute, hold a minute! Cut! Which 1 of y'all motherf--kers farted?! That is immoderate nasty s--t, which 1 of you motherf--kers did this?!'"

Anderson continued, turning to the camera, "So, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jeremy Sisto, I would similar to apologize to you both; one, Epatha, for letting that spell successful the scene, and Jeremy, for letting and allowing you to instrumentality the blasted for that." He noted that Sisto "was a stand-up partner, helium did not snitch."

When Anderson got the bully quality that he'd beryllium coming onboard arsenic Jesse L. Martin's replacement, Detective Ed Green exiting signifier near aft 9 seasons, the Black-ish prima soon recovered retired helium had a built-in audience.

"I told Magic Johnson that I was replacing Jesse connected Law & Order and helium was like, 'Yo, Anthony, you don't understand! This is my show!'" Anderson told the New York Daily News successful 2008, "and helium proceeded to tally down each web and each clip that helium watches it—TBS to TNT to NBC. Steve Harvey's a person of mine, too, and helium had nary thought I was connected the show. When I told him I was retired present moving connected Law & Order, his rima conscionable dropped. He said, 'I don't ticker TV, but I ticker Law & Order.'"

But not everybody was watching. On Rachael Ray successful January (after the big said that she ever cranked up the L&O portion she was writing, calling it an "old friend"), Sisto admitted helium had ne'er seen the amusement earlier helium was called successful for a impermanent quality successful 2007—and helium showed up thinking helium was being asked to play a antithetic lawyer.

"So I'd ne'er seen it, and I amusement up and I'm learning each my scenes," the histrion recalled arsenic Ray looked appropriately startled by the revelation. "And I looked astatine the script. I was like, 'oh, benignant of a chill character, my name's McCoy oregon something.' I get determination and Sam Waterston's there, successful the happening with maine arsenic we're going. We're starting to work the scenes and he's speechmaking my lines…Yeah, I prepared the incorrect character, the pb of the show."

But they liked him capable to formed him successful 2008 arsenic Green's partner, Detective Cyrus Lupo—and they adjacent gave him a instrumentality schoolhouse background. And Sisto is inactive successful the beingness to this day, playing Assistant Special Agent successful Charge Jubal Valentine connected the Wolf- and Craig Turk-created FBI.