I have to preface this story by explaining that my dad has a slight obsession with Law and Order. If it’s on, he’ll watch it, whether he’s seen the episode three times or not. So I’m growing a little tired of it. Anyway I was watching TNT a few days ago. I’ve sadly gotten hooked on Judging Amy reruns. But that’s not important for this story. During one of the commercial breaks, they, of course, played a promo for Law and Order because it’s so exciting to have it on their station.
The sponsor: Benadryl
And then tonight: Zoloft
I really think they need a new marketing department.
-Lil
If it’s on, he’ll watch it, whether he’s seen the episode three times or not.
You say that as if it is unusual 
A recent conversation with my 7-yr old son went like this:
“Do you just sit around and watch cartoons all day?”
“Yeah, like you sit around and watch Law and Order all day.”
“Touche!”
After 10 solid years of L&O fanaticism, I finally burned out this year. Serena Southerlyn is a big part of the reason; she’s so irritating I’ve actually found myself shouting obscenities at the screen. Apart from that, I think I just tired of the Ellery Queen-style puzzle plots, where the object is to keep you guessing right up to the end, and plausibility be damned. Remember when L&O was like NYPD Blue—back when people committed crimes on the spur of the moment, covered them up badly, and were arrested and sent to trial, without all these 11th-hour plot reversals? Ah, those were the days …
Ha ha. So true! I’m thinking of starting a “I’m so addicted to Law & Order…” thread. One of mine would be “I’m so addicted to Law & Order… that I was inordinately pleased when SnoopyFan changed her username to Abbie Carmichael!”
I agree that the drug sponsors are a little weird, but the “The Investigation So Far…” commercials are brilliant. I love seeing which wisecrack they’ll chose to include.
Nonsuch - It’s interesting that you remember the old L&O’s lacking the last minute reversal, because I think it’s exactly the opposite. In the old days, my favorite L&O’s always had some amazing twist at the end that made perfect sense, but came as a complete suprise. The current crop of episodes seem to be much more straightforward, with the person who appears to be the main suspect ending up being the one who did it, and any twist involving some minor legal point or social issue. Not that I don’t still love L&O. I thought this thread was going to be about the episode in which Jack’s friend the D.A. was killed, which I thought was fascinating and not formulaic.
You mean Clair Kincaid? That was definitely a good one, but structurally something of an anomaly.
As for the rest of your post, I think we remember the early years of L&O differently. 
No, I was referring to the very recent episode (I watch on tape so I’m not sure if it was last week or the week before) in which a colleague of Jack’s who worked in the appeals bureau was murdered. I enjoyed the episode, and while I was somewhat surprised to think that it was anyone’s favorite, I thought that it was being referred to in the thread title.
I really like the tightly written plots and the lack of annoying, predictable attempts to develop the regulars as characters. When they try to do that on most shows, the show reallllllly gets slooooooow. Law & Order zips right along because they have a story to tell and they tell it.
I really do enjoy the early seasons, the ones with Michael Moriarty especially, but even the first few with Sam Waterston. Now his character’sbecome so damn preachy, I really want to smack him. I refuse to comment on Serena. And “Ripped from the Headlines” is a running joke in our house. Ah for a Law & Order with an original plot.
-Lil
Exactly the reason I’m refusing to watch tonight’s episode. They’ve sunk low enough to base an episode on Steve Bartman? :rolleyes:
I don’t know…It seems to me that the “ripped” stuff always turns out to be a minor part of the actual story. I think it’s just a hook they use to pull in people who wouldn’t normally watch.
Tonights episode was barely about that guy.
My husband will watch MAS*H even if he’s seen it a hundred times before. Sure, the series was funny, for the most part, but I’m tired of it now.
On the other hand, he complains if he has to sit through an episode of L&O that he’s seen before. I tell him to shut up, because I haven’t seen it before. I don’t watch religiously, mostly because I’m likely to be asleep when it’s on the first time. I do enjoy it, though, and will watch it if it’s on when I’m in the mood to watch TV.