Customer Reviews

Law & Order UK: Season One

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Chris Chibnall chose thirteen of the best American Law & Order episodes, rewrote them for the peculiarities of British justice, and entrusted them to some of Britain's best actors and directors. The result is this taut procedural that will engage British mystery addicts, devotees of the original series, and fans of the grim and gritty. Every episode starts strong, hits hard, and keeps the energy going all the way.

If you know Law & Order, little in this series will really break new ground. What's new is the particular range inherent to British law culture and acting. The performers bring a wide-eyed energy that would look weird in an American police procedural. Yet for this ensemble playing these stories, it's just right. And what a great ensemble too, unifying the best in sci-fi, comedy, and theatre, in a realistic, straight-laced, camera-friendly production.

And how about them wigs on the lawyers? The conventions of British crown justice may take many Americans by surprise. They still wear formal robes, place far less trust in circumstantial evidence, and if anything are even harsher on witnesses than American lawyers would even dream. It's still based on the same system of common law, but in some ways, it's a whole different world.

One word of warning to Americans: unlike the BBC, which limits itself to pretty conventional accents, this ITV production uses the full range of accents you'll encounter in London today. This can make listening to dialog pretty taxing if you're unaccustomed to the phonological structure. Even this Anglophile had to rely on the subtitles to find my way through the working-class accents. Consider yourself warned.

As of this writing, the producers of this series make it available at only one U.S. retailer, and it isn't this one. That's a shame, because it's both eminently watchable and ripe for an untapped market. I unreservedly recommend this series to all fans of crime drama, British TV and culture, and anyone who likes a good cop show. It's that good.

I'm a big fan of the whole range of Law & Order Shows and this UK version is a terrific addition to the franchise. Some say that Dick Wolfe series are "too simple" or "dumbed down" for Americans because we have such short attention spans and his shows always have a beginning, middle and an end within the 48 min episode--but I don't agree. Lots of great shows have full season story arcs (The Wire, Murder One)and I enjoy them, but Wolfe does this "complete meal" format better than anyone I think. Here you get a British version of L&O with 6 very strong main characters. Ben Daniels in particular is terrific as the tough, intense, ethical Crown Prosecuter. You'll probably recognise one of the Detectives Jamie Bambier, from Battle Star Galactica and he is great as the younger half of the lead investigators. What I liked about the stories was that the police department and courts work differently enough in the UK versus the US that the topics and procedures seemed fresh. Add to that bringing the British flair for drama to the stories touching on race, terrorism, abuse, corruption, and you have great British show in a very comfortable format Americans are familiar and comfortable with. I will definitely purchase season 2 when it gets to the US.

Got this at Target a time back. Great Show!. If you like Law and Order. Then you need this aso.. Hope they put out the rest of them...And soon...

As an ardent Law and Order fan of the first order, I too had my doubts as to how well this series would crossover. My fears disapeared in the viewing of the first season.

All involved are to be congratulated on making this series uniquely its own. For the seasoned Law and Order fan, there are most certainly similarities, but, the characterizations are fresh and totally different from their US counterparts. I anxiously await the availability of subsequent seasons on DVD!!!

Great acting, no opening idiotic one liner joke at the scene of the crime, and missing civil rights scenes like the inevitable attempt to get a doctor to reveal privileged info (way different rules in Britain) make this series more drama and less diatribe.

The UK series pulls from the best of the original L&O series, with updates and translations. Riveting stories and a bit of tourism. Fantastic acting by the main cast and the one-time players are even top notch. Can't wait for Season Two!

Great 'remake', if one can say so, because there are big differences. The acting, for instance, transforms the show into something new - Ben Daniels, for one, let us feel his suffering for the causes all the way from the UK. I wish my country were provided with such judicial cleanliness. The pace is excellent, keeps you on edge all the time, the camera movements make you dizzy, beautiful european locations, some the same as MI-5 (Spooks) with a different angle, and, of course, the wigs and costumes. Loved it! When is the next one coming to DVD or Blu-Ray?

I've been a Law and Order fan, particularly of the first ten seasons for a longtime. And a fan of British drama and comedy, too. This DVD set was such a treat for me, I truly enjoyed it! Too bad that this wasn't released ten years earlier so that Lenny and Reynaldo could visit them as they did on Homicide: Life on the Street. I can't wait for L&O UK 2.

I bought the set with some appehention because I thought that it will be the standard Law & Order bit with a british accent. Was I wrong!!! The characters are strong, it is refreshingly whithin the Law & Order line but still it has a personality of it's own. Highly recomend that you buy it

I found these stories to be very well done. They are equal to or perhaps better than the original Law and Order. I am not very fond of some of the other spin offs from this series.