Law and Order - Season 12

Law & Order boasts a first-rate cast and production team and a compelling blend of physical and cerebral action,

Crime and punishment with a topical twist is the theme of this earnest but plodding series.

It's so full it can seem busy and rushed, but the cast is solid. And the writers are shooting for, if not always achieving, the Iowdown ambience of Hill Street Blues.

Unfortunately, Law & Order's flashy storytelling style is off-putting. The show piles on the style with enough handheld camera work to keep viewers bobbing and weaving long after the show is over. The story unfolds choppily.

[NBC] tries to get the guys and the working class with this piece of macho nonsense, which we're supposed to think is something more than it is because it looks and sounds gritty and each episode is split into two.

Both Dzundza and Moriarty are captivating, intelligent performers and flesh out instantly watchable and likable characters, but the writing isn't special enough.

This one could be long-term. The theme Is In tune with the mood of the times, the writing Is better than average and the performances are uniformly strong.

The cop portion is a uniquely paced and plotted police procedural, with George Dzundza presenting a refreshingly different detective from the chiseled chins we're used to on TV.

It's distinguished by the always-good Michael Moriarty. But more order and less law might have made it something more than the formulaic Dragnet of the '90s.

While it doesn't blaze any hew trails, Law and Order is a strong show, clearly influenced by the gritty Hill Street Blues.

It's possible that after the first three episodes, Law & Order will become a run-of-the-mill crime drama, but that doesn't seem likely. It seems more likely that the series will stand out as one of the best offerings of the season.

By trying to force two concepts into a single hour, Law and Order doesn't have time for such niceties as character development or thoughtfulness.