Customer Reviews

Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion -- Updated and Expanded

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
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I am, without a doubt, THE BIGGEST "Law & Order" fan. I've seen every episode at least three times and I can tell you about all the actors and characters. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the show until I was given this book for a birthday gift. That's when I REALLY started learning about my favorite television show. Aside from the actor/character profiles, pictures, and run-down of all the villians, there's also the ever helpful episode guide that gives you a rundown of every episode ever aired! What more could you possibly ask for? Well, how about all the juicy gossip that went on behind the scenes. All the backstabbing, fighting, and quarrelling amoung the stars and the show's producers/writers are aired out for everyone to read. There's also some really nice cast/actor pictures for your enjoyment. I took deep interest in the Chris Noth pictures (he's such a doll!).

I totally recommend this book if, like me, you're a fan and you want to know EVERYTHING about the show. This book is a must-have for the ultimate "Law & Order" fan!

Gennie Bailey-Rogers

Most companions to hit television shows tend to be little more than dry reprintings of studio press releases. Luckily, this book, dealing with the second greatest crime show on TV (right after Homicide reruns), is a wonderful exception. Along with the expected episode guides, Law & Order: The Unofficial Companion is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at how a great television show was produced and somehow managed to thrive even as things occasionally got a little weird once the cameras were turned off. For a show that has managed to maintain the same basic formula for a decade, Law & Order has had a tumultous history marked by an almost constantly revolving cast and production crew. Rather than whitewashing, this book goes into the details about what led to such controversial departures of beloved performers like Chris Noth, Richard Brooks, Jill Hennessy, and especially Michael Moriarty. Moriarty's infamous personal demons are explored with an evenhanded honesty and, despite the opinions of some of his former castmates (Noth comes to mind), he emerges as the show's secret hero -- the man who sacrificed a good career for his own beliefs. (Of course, I happened to agree with a lot of his beliefs so I can't claim to be completely unbiased in my opinion.) Also of interest were the criticisms offered by current cast members like S. Epatha Merkerson who is very outspoken about her own feelings about the way the show has portrayed her and other African-Americans. Jill Hennessy comes across as the little sister we all wished we had, Chris Noth as the rebellious smart alek that we all secretly wished we could be, and George Dzundnza as the co-worker we all dread. Its indeed rare that a "tv companion" leaves us feeling as if we've actually met and gotten to know the men and women who made our favorite shows possible and Law & Order does that. As a fan, I was disappointed to learn of the lingering bitterness that several actors seem to hold towards the show but it still made for a wonderfully honest read. On the whole, the people behind Law & Order come across as a rather outspoken, independent group and its easy to see how those combative personalities have helped keep the show consistenly enthralling even while occasionally straight-jacketed by an unchangeable style. If you want to see what makes a great show great, this is the book to read.

Also, I have to commend the episode guide. Along with the expected cast lists and plot summaries, the authors take a refreshingly, no-holds barred approach with their criticisms -- even while praising the show, they're willing to point out where they feel mistakes were made and, in true fan fashion, their negative comments are far more honest and pointed than what you'd get from someone who hated the show to begin with. I didn't agree with all of their opinions but they were still wonderful to read and consider. True, the current edition of the book does not contain details for the past few seasons but, with Law & Order in continual reruns on apparently every cable station in America, that's not as much of a problem here as with other shows.

Fans of Law and Order will find this book a valuable guide; the episode section of this book is great, listing the main stars, guest stars, crew, and production staff for each show.

The narrative about the concept of the show -- how it came into being, who did what, etc. -- is lacking, however. The authors have chosen a thematic approach, short chapters on the main stars, guest stars, the executive producers, the theme song. The chapters are far too short. The interviews with cast are good, but the narrative holding it all together is kind of dull.
You'll find some great revelations in this book, especially about how the cast members, past and present, think about each other, but really you'll flip past most of that stuff to get to the episode guide.

The book is now sorely out of date, missing more than two seasons of new episodes. I suggest you wait for an update.

One of the most informative books about a television series that I have ever come across. The authors do a great job of going behind-the-scenes, and giving us the story of this series, from its creation to the present time. Cast interviews, interviews with the production staff, character and actor biographies and an episode synopsis--all the information you could ever want about this series. A job well done! Highly recommended!

I've been a Law & Order fan since the beginning, and the L & O Unofficial Companion Guide was just the book I've been looking for. Certainly the best TV show "companion", that I've ever seen. Not only do you get to "meet" your favourite characters, you get to meet the gifted, quirky and sometimes eccentric actors who played them. In addition to that, there's a great episode guide that gives you a plot run down, and interesting tidbits about the making of each individual episode. There is also an overview of each individual season, to explain the various cast and plot changes. This is a "MUST HAVE" for every Law & Order fan

The authors couldn't have known it when it was written, but they managed to write the definitive behind the scenes look at Law and Order when it was at its best, which was the first nine seasons. Shortly after this book was written, Steven Hill left the show as seasoned D.A. Adam Schiff, and a series of bad casting choices began to degrade the show's quality.

Particularly interesting are how all of the cast changes happened, including the actors' stories on how they found out and their reactions versus the reasonings of the show's producers. For example, Richard Brooks, who played ADA Robinette during the show's first three seasons, said he found out he had been ousted via a message on his answering machine and was very perplexed by the decision. The producers said that the reason for getting rid of Brooks was that he and Moriarty did not get along at all. We also learn that originally Chris Noth thought that the addition of the character of Lenny Briscoe, perhaps the most beloved character in Law and Order history, was a mistake because Briscoe and Logan were too much alike and could practically finish each other's sentences. Eventually the producers came to the same decision as Noth - and fired Noth. At the time this book was published this was still perhaps the most controversial personnel move made by the show. There is also the behind-the-scenes story of Michael Moriarty's resignation, which includes a bizarre if not paranoid letter from Moriarty in which he says that he believed Janet Reno and the federal government were wanting to censor the show.

Another chapter I really liked was on the challenges of filming on location in New York City. The California crew members are always afraid of New York traffic interfering with the logistics of filming, when in fact traffic can be more unpredictable in California. There were some occasional problems with crime - in 1992 a mugger trying to evade police hid under Paul Sorvino's trailer. Another time, someone shot a policeman down the street from where filming was taking place, with the gunshots clearly audible to the cast and crew. Also, S. Epatha Merkerson says she gets annoyed at all of the graffiti that NYPD Blue put up on the walls when they did filming, since that is more of an L.A. than a New York thing, by her estimation.

All in all, I found this book an interesting read, even though it is several years old. Perhaps a second edition will be in order after the show is over, once the cast, crew, and producers can be honest about some of the mistakes that have been made over the years since this book was published, particularly in the area of casting decisions.

I have a debt of gratitude to this book and its authors. It provides a great wealth of information regarding the episode, the characters, a background of the show and many interesting tidbits and trivia-like facts. I only hope that an updated version comes out soon. In short, anyone who loves L&O needs this book!

Unfortunately the second edition of the L&O companion only adds a few episode summaries more than the first edition (the second edition has episode summaries through the 9th season). Moreover the new information on the newest characters to join is now a few years out of date. Unless all of seasons 8 and 9 matter to you save your money and wait for a third edition

Yes, it's a good overview of Law & Order, but it lacks significant coverage of the actors and actresses who move in and out of the stories. We see judges, forensic specialists, and others in many episodes, yet this book all but ignores them. Too bad. I'd like to know more about these people who have recurring roles in this interesting series.

If you want to know the background, the nitty gritty, or the details of the cast, this is the book for you! Unfortunately, this only goes to the 9th season. There are interesting tibits though to keep you coming back with each episode.