# Basic question about "Law and order" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934 "2005-06-26T17:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/1 "2005-06-26T17:45:03Z")
I’ve read many references to “Law and Order” on this board, and I think it’s broadcasted on french TV, but with an entirely different name. Out of curiosity, I would like to know if I’m correct. So, could you give me some basic infos about it (location, usual plot structure, lead actor) so that I could know? ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/2 "2005-06-26T17:59:23Z")
Errr…does it go “doink doink”? (If it is you’ll probably know what I mean…I don’t think you can translate that 😉 ) The location is usually lower Manhattan and the plot structure basically, in the first half the two cops try and solve a murder and in the second half the DA and his assistent try to procecute him. Lather, rinse, repeat. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/3 "2005-06-26T18:05:54Z")
Here’s a big clue; if there’s a guest star that’s done any notable film work, they’re the killer and are quite guilty. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/4 "2005-06-26T18:10:23Z")
NBC’s [Law and Order](http://www.nbc.com/Law_&_Order/index.html) website. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/5 "2005-06-26T18:13:49Z")
“Lead Actor” is a bit difficult, as there have been many cast changes over the years. But here some of the longest-running and most obvious characters/actors: Detectives: Chris Noth as Mike Logan Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe Benjamin Bratt as Rey Curtis Jesse L. Martin as Ed Green Attorneys: Michael Moriarty as Ben Stone Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy Jill Hennessy, Angie Harmon, Carey Lowell, and Elizabeth Rohm as the good-looking female ADA. Or, you can just listen for the “doink doink.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/6 "2005-06-26T18:27:27Z")
Well, the original _Law & Order_ has gone through multiple cast changes. [This site](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098844/) lists the various actors. Steven Hill, Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston were each on the show for more than ten years, though only Waterston is still appearing. [Here is an obituary of Jerry Orbach](http://www.allocine.fr/series/fichenews.html?carticle=18371839) from a French website. _Law & Order_ is broadcast on French television under the name _New York District_. There are three spin-off shows: [ul][li]_Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (L&O: SVU)_. In France, known as _New York Unité Spéciale (NYUS)_[/li][li]_Law & Order: Criminal Intent (L&O: CI)_. In France, known as _New York Section Criminelle (NYSC)_[/li][li]_Law & Order : Trial by Jury (L&O: TbJ)_. I don’t think this has been broadcast in France, as it is still in its first season and has been (or soon will be) cancelled.[/ul][/li] Among the four L&O shows, the charactors tend to move around pretty freely, as they all exist in the same “universe”. Since Fred Thompson plays the District Attorney for Manhattan, he could appear on any of the four programs. All of the _Law & Order_ shows take place in and around Manhattan. The typical structure of an _Law & Order_ episode is that the first thirty minutes are spent with the police, investigating the crime, and the last thirty minutes are spent with the lawyers, conducting the trial. The other three shows vary, with _L&O:SVU_ and _L&O:CI_ concentrating almost exclusively on the police and _L&O:TBJ_ concentrating almost exclusively on the trials. [This French website](http://www.lawandorder-fr.com) offers far more detail, including forums discussions. The OP is definitely not the only _L&O_ fan in the republic. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/7 "2005-06-26T19:05:34Z")
I wonder how well Lenny’s ‘gotchas’ translate? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/8 "2005-06-26T20:10:42Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > _Law & Order_ is broadcast on French television under the name _New York District_. . Indeed, that’s what I was thinking about. Thanks you all. But I’ve no clue about the “boink, boink!”… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/9 "2005-06-26T20:15:42Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > But I’ve no clue about the “boink, boink!”… 😕 Oh my god, did they edit out the doink doink for French TV?!?! When there’s a scene change on L&O, there’s this sound. I always heard it more as DUM DUM. It’s supposed to sound dramatic, and it’s sort of emblematic of the show. One of the cable networks that runs L&O reruns all day (slight exaggeration) even had ads for the show the revolved around the DUM DUM. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/10 "2005-06-26T20:16:15Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > But I’ve no clue about the “boink, boink!”… 😕 I consider it more of a “duh-duhn.” It’s the sound you can here when the screen turns to black with white letters stating the location. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/11 "2005-06-26T20:32:19Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > All of the _Law & Order_ shows take place in and around Manhattan. The typical structure of an _Law & Order_ episode is that the first thirty minutes are spent with the police, investigating the crime, and the last thirty minutes are spent with the lawyers, conducting the trial. The other three shows vary, with _L&O:SVU_ and _L&O:CI_ concentrating almost exclusively on the police and _L&O:TBJ_ concentrating almost exclusively on the trials. The first season of _L&O:SVU_ didn’t even have a regular ADA (remedied when Stephanie March was cast as Alex Cabot in the second season). _L&O:CI_ at least had a regular ADA from the get-go, although in both shows’ cases, the ADA’s primary function is to wander in every now and then and complain about not having enough evidence to prosecute. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-question-about-law-and-order/309934/12 "2005-06-26T21:46:17Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > One of the cable networks that runs L&O reruns all day (slight exaggeration) even had ads for the show the revolved around the DUM DUM. I think that’s why everyone calls it the doink doink. In the add, Dann Florek (aka Captain Cragen) cheerfully says “It’s the doink doink!”