Pitted against edgy procedurals, trendy reality shows or ensemble dramas, NBC's "Law & Order" for nearly 20 years has persevered as one of TV's most recognizable and durable brands. And if it lasts a few more seasons, the hybrid cop-and-lawyer series would eclipse "Gunsmoke" as television's longest-running drama.
But even as the franchise remains a popular draw for viewers -- the so-called mother ship, along with its two satellite series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," air as many as 90 times a week between first-run episodes and repeats in syndication -- "Law & Order" is facing a new trial across the Atlantic, where it is being judged by a new jury: the British television audience.
Swimming against the flood of recent British imports to American television -- "The Office," "Life on Mars," "American Idol" and "Dancing With the Stars," to name a few -- "Law & Order" becomes the first American drama to be adapted for British television. The remade version of the stalwart crime and punishment series premiered late last month.
Working from scripts already produced for the American show, the British one, with its local cast and crew, has been reworded and reworked to reflect the sensibilities of its new home. With its thick British accents and courtroom wigs, you might call it "My Fair Law & Order."
"I wanted to demonstrate that no matter what the system of justice is, 'Law & Order' works," said the franchise's creator, Dick Wolf, during a breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge. "The biggest difference is that there's not as much plea bargaining there as there is here. And the bottom line is our own legal system is based on English common law."
It's not the first time that "Law & Order" has been refashioned for a European audience. Two years ago, Wolf expanded the brand to France for "Criminal Intent" and to Russia for both "Criminal Intent" and "Special Victims Unit." And the Anglicized version of "Law & Order," co-produced by London-based Kudos Film and Television, Wolf Films and NBC Universal, was green-lighted even though its American inspiration has been broadcast for years on British TV.
"I love it because it feels the same," said Wolf. "But yet it's totally different."
Producers were pleased with the tune-in for the first broadcasts. "Law & Order: U.K." attracted more than 6.3 million viewers to ITV1 and won its 9 p.m. Monday slot, beating out the popular BBC series "Who Do You Think You Are?" in which celebrities trace their ancestry. The second week declined to 5.8 million viewers.
