Law & Order

A comprehensive, yet entertaining, examination of the Law & Order juggernaut.

Over the course of more than 20 years, nearly 500 episodes, and six spinoffs, Law & Order changed the way we view police procedurals, the American justice system, and the men and women of the NYPD. The ubiquity of the show—from its iconic dun-dun sound to its all-star cast of characters and A-list guest stars—not only made it part of the pop culture zeitgeist but also made society smarter about laws and policing in the United States.

In the first-ever book of its kind, author and pop-culture critic Bernadette Giacomazzo celebrates the show and its creator, Dick Wolf, while providing a conscientious examination of the stories of the criminal justice system and the “two separate, yet equally important groups” that represent the people. Law & Order: A Cultural History follows the series’ origins from its old New York grit and grime to the twenty-first-century high-tech surveillance in a more sterile Manhattan, highlighting how United States law has evolved and the show along with it, exploring America’s fascination with the show that helped give birth to the true crime genre.

Law & Order is more than just a police procedural: It is one of the few shows that effectively tackles the social, political, and economic issues that lead to crime. More so than its predecessors such as Dragnet and Hill Street Blues, Law & Order gives a first-hand, inside look at the police who investigate crimes and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. In so doing, it removes their mystique and gives them a humanity not seen before. This book finally gives the show and its creator the recognition they deserve for their role in changing the face of both law and order—and true crime television.