The Sheep In Dick Wolf's Clothing

Also from today's NYTimes, there's an interesting article on the continued success of the Law and Order franchise, which is pretty much on the verge of being monolithic in its proportions. There are some quite canny assessments in the article (despite some misstatements-- e.g., that no one dies on L&O, conveniently forgetting George Dzundza's shooting way, way back and Jill Hennesy's car crash; that we know next to nothing of the characters, forgetting the famous 'first execution' episode, or the death of Adam Schiff's wife some time ago). There's an extent to which Law and Order is like a pseudo-intellectual's ratty old pair of slippers, comfortable enough but not especially provocative. It's not a challenging show by any means-- it ties itself so closely to conventions of its own now well-known design (how many times will the child turn out to be the killer, after all?), that we always know we're safely inside Dick Wolf's very familiar New York.

I think, though, that the main show is wearing thin (and has been for some time), and I've found little of particular interest in the newer variations which always ring too familiar for my eyes. The flagship L&O, though, hasn't been the same for me since Steven Hill (Adam Schiff) left the show: he could provide either necessary gravity or necessary lightness, and his occasional political flipness always seemed a mask for an idealism that somehow had to persist in an environment prone to destroying that idealism.

L&O, the main show, is beginning its 14th season. It has only one primetime contemporary in terms of such extensive duration, another show that too seems to have no end in sight, The Simpsons. I wonder if that says something... *hmmmm* Food for thought.

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