Law & Order: Trial by Jury

Law And Order: Trial By Jury is the spin off that didn't sell. Sad it only lasted for not even one season.

It seemed to have everything going for it, a good team of ADAs with Bebe Neuwirth and Amy Carlson as her second chair. Above all it had as an original team of investigators of Kirk Acevedo and the most popular of all the Law And Order characters, Jerry Orbach as Lennie Briscoe.

I don't know if Orbach was sick or even knew how sick he was with the cancer that killed him when he signed for the spin off. In Law And Order prime, his character Lennie Briscoe said he was putting his papers in and was thinking of joining the District Attorney's own squad of investigators.

Orbach only completed two episodes and it was painful to look at him in these episodes that aired after he passed away. It's possible that people who wanted more of Lennie Briscoe just were turned off by the sight of him and no one could really take his place. And he certainly wasn't going to be making return appearances like Carey Lowell and Richard Brooks who were former second chair ADAs.

Such a pity this show didn't take or people rejected it after Orbach died. The team of Neuwirth and Carlson were good, I'm surprised that neither was picked up and made appearances on SVU, Criminal Intent or Law And Order prime.

It's hard to believe how much Jerry Orbach has aged from the time he left the original Law & Order series to the beginning of Trial by Jury. His hair was completely gray and his voice was a little gruff. I wish he were still around to portray Lennie Briscoe on any L&O series, but unfortunately, that won't happen. I just wish the writers of the original series would mention the fate of Lennie Briscoe since retiring from the 27th precinct to show how the other characters felt about their friend and co-worker. I've watched Trial by Jury and even after Jerry Orbach passed away, I don't think the writers ever mentioned his character's death through the other characters, such as Hector Salazzar or Lt. Anita Van Buren from the original series.

I cannot say enough about Jerry Orbach; I loved the guy and the way he delivered his lines, always believable of his character even if they weren't always great lines. I looked forward to seeing him on Trial by Jury, still pending at this moment. Also if only once or for a season, if Trial by Jury brings back Carey Lowell who has such natural beauty and who always delivered her lines as Jamie Ross as if it were all real and not acting, without chewing the scenery, talking out of the side of her mouth (Joisy?) or "reciting" woodenly, it's worth the viewing. I just wish Jerry O. had had that prostate exam; I could have watched him work forever. Maybe he could have even been allowed to sing "Try to Remember". I can dream, can't I?

I really hated it when this show was canceled. I'm a "Law & Order" fan, so you can see that I eagerly anticipated this new spin-off series from "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf. I tuned in like a loyal viewer every week for about two months and then just like that, it was gone. What a tragedy.

Perhaps if Jerry Orbach hadn't died, then maybe it would have had a proper run on television. I was really upset about his death, and maybe that's why NBC felt that this show just couldn't go on without him since his character was to have a significant role on it. That's just my speculation, I don't really know why it was canceled.

"Law & Order: Trial by Jury" focuses on the actual judicial process, including arraignment to sentencing, and the prosecutors and defense attorneys and their behind-the-scenes activity. If I were a law student, I'd be taking notes, but as a criminal justice major, I could probably do better with the other spin-offs, but that's just me.

This was a great show. Like the original and other two spin-offs, "Law & Order: Trial by Jury" is gritty and intense courtroom drama at its best.

How and why it was canceled is beyond me. It just had so much potential to go a great many places. Now it's been relegated to reruns on television.

10/10

I have watched almost every episode of TBJ that has aired since it came on and I believe that has given me enough time to make a fair judgement on this show. I've liked it from the very first episode and one of the major reasons why I've liked it is because it focuses entirely on the order side of things. Now I know with a name Trial By Jury that is expected but it not only looks from the prosecutors point of view (which is all wee see on the other 3 L&O installments) but we also see it from the defence side of view too. Defence lawyers meeting with their clients, counseling them on their trials. It is very interesting. I give it 7/10 so far. It has held my interest and I look forward to seeing what else it can offer.