TV Time | True Stories of Law & Order

May
25thFarewell and Adieu to You, L&O crew!

It was a sad scene at the offices of TrueStoriesLawOrder.com Monday night. (Ok, we don’t have an actual office, but we do have a couple of laptops.) Sure, reruns will be aired indefinitely, but unless TNT picks up Law & Order, we’ll never get to see what becomes of everyone. As avid fans of the show, though, we have some ideas. Staying true to our penchant for melding truth with fiction, we’ve come up with the following predictions: Detective Lupo: Hooks up with a 40-something ‘blog writer who has three friends and a shoe fetish. (We’ll let you know if they get married after Sex and the City II comes out.) Detective Bernard: Conquers his hatred/fear of dogs through intensive therapy and volunteers at North Shore Animal League. Jack McCoy: Decides not to seek reelection at the age of 90; opens a bar on Murray Street with Ben Stone. Connie Rubirosa: Becomes a professor of ethics, law, and women’s rights at NYU; moonlights as a Latin supermodel. Michael Cutter: Burns out next week, quits, and joins the NY Mets in ’11 as their star cleanup hitter.
May
21stDefense Attorneys: You Gotta Love/Hate ‘Em.

When a TV show has been on the air as long as Law & Order has, the producers need to stir things up a bit to keep fans on their toes. And no one stirs things up quite like a New York City criminal defense lawyer. L&O has featured some colorful defense attorneys to say the least. Here are some of the standouts from over the years, along with (of course) our opinion of them. All in all, if you find yourself in a legal scrape, we suggest you hire Randy Dworkin. Randolph “Randy” J. Dworkin (Peter Jacobson) Quirkiness: √√√√√ Legal moxie: √√√√√ Passion for winning: √√√√√ Talent for driving McCoy to drink: √√√√√ Favorite Quote: Dworkin: “My client pleads ‘innocent.’” Judge: “That’s not an option.” Dworkin: “I’ve always found that interesting.” Actor Fact: Peter Jacobson once played a ghost on the sitcom Scrubs. Now he’s Doctor Taub on House. Danielle Melnick (Tovah Feldshuh) Quirkiness: (w/out cane) √√ (w/cane) √√√ Legal moxie: √√√ Passion for winning: √√√√√ Crankiness: √√√√√ Favorite Quote: “[My client] is accused of a crime, but that doesn’t make him Hannibal Lechter.” Actor Fact: You can hire Tovah Feldshuh to arrive at your house doing an impersonation of Tallulah Bankhead, an actress who nearly played Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. Rodney Fallon (Giancarlo Esposito) Quirkiness: √ Legal moxie: √ Passion for winning: √√√√√ Penchant for becoming apoplectic: √√√√√ Favorite Quote: “Are there any amendments the people haven’t violated?” Actor Fact: In Spike Lee’s Do the [...]
Mar
7thDick’s Wolf Pack

The theme from Law & Order drives dogs wild. Don’t believe us? Take a look at this kick ass montage of canines reacting to that oh-so-familiar opening song.
Oct
7thTV Guide Celebrates 20 Years of Law & Order

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Law & Order, TV Guide Magazine is releasing this special collector’s issue featuring a cast retrospective, exclusive photos and interviews, show excerpts, and an article penned by Dwyer and Fio recounting some of the most memorable “ripped from the headlines” episodes. The issue is due to hit news stands September 28th. It’s also available on TV Guide Magazine’s website.
Oct
3rd8 arresting workplace lessons from Law & Order

BY KENYA McCULLUM In addition to be entertaining, Law & Order can be downright educational. Freelance writer and Workplace Communication Examiner Kenya McCullum schools us on the lessons to be learned from our favorite TV show. NBC’s Law & Order—which begins its 20th season tonight—has peaked many viewers’ interest in…well, law and order. But aside from ripping stories from the headlines and showing us how investigations work, there are some workplace lessons that can be learned by watching the show. 1. If you must go to work drunk, be sure to pick up some Altoids before you talk to your employees. Dr. Edward Auster is a brilliant physician and a hopeless drunk. When he kills a patient in the emergency room, his whole staff can attest to the fact that he regularly shows up drunk to work. Although Auster denies it during his trial, he makes the mistake of showing up drunk to court on the day he is testifying and removes any reasonable doubt. (Episode: Prescription for Death, Season 1) 2. Literacy is important in any profession. When drug dealer Michael Ingrams is stiffed by a real estate agent in a deal, he needs to get revenge for the fraud. Obviously, it only makes good business sense to hire a contractor to do this dirty work for him, but little does he know his teenage hit man is illiterate. As a result, the hired killer goes to work at the wrong house. (Episode: Mushrooms, Season 1) 3. Keep your [...]
Sep
28thCriminal Intent: D’Onofrio, Erbe, and Bogosian Out

This just in from the proprietor of the excellent and informative site All Things Law & Order… There is a disturbance in the Law & Order Criminal Intent force. The Hollywood Reporter says that Vincent D’Onofrio, the linchpin of Criminal Intent, will be exiting sometime during the ninth season. Kathryn Erbe, his work partner and conscience, and Eric Bogosian, the oftentimes-deadpan captain, will also both be phased out. As reported earlier, Julianne Nicholson will not be returning, leaving Jeff Goldblum at the helm, and THR says that Saffron Burrows will replace her.
Jun
12thColor me Jack McCoy

Ever wonder what Jack McCoy would look like as a blond? Or how odd Van Buren would look with a mustache? With this cool coloring book from artist Brandon Bird and a box of Crayolas, you can satisfy your curiosity—and paint the town, as well as the squad room red, yellow or any color you damn well please.
May
19thHollywood Ending: Crazy Joe and Jerry Orbach

BY TOM FOLSOM Author Tom Folsom‘s highly acclaimed new book

★ ★ ★ ★ ★